Environmental Planning in China (1949–Present)
93
“industrial activities in areas with high population density and industrial concentration should be gradually relocated to areas with large environmental capacity.”
The Seventh Five-Year Plan proposed that “economic development, urban development, and environmental protection should be planned and promoted simultaneously
to maximize economic, social and environmental benefits” and that a preventioncentered comprehensive environmental planning and protection method should be
adopted. These measures served as the strategic guidelines for China’s environmental protection work. The provisions on the environmental responsibilities of
polluters and developers in the plan was a key principle for environmental protection
in China which had far-reaching impact and was incorporated into the Environmental
Protection Law of China.
During the Eighth Five-Year Plan period, environmental targets were incorporated into the national five-year plan and decomposed into targets for provinces,
autonomous regions and municipalities. In July 1992, the National Environmental
Protection Agency issued the National Environmental Protection Ten-Year Plan and
the Eighth Five-Year Plan Outline (hereinafter referred to as the Eighth Five-Year
Plan Outline), proposing that the focus of pollution prevention and control should
gradually shift from concentration control to total discharge control, from end-of-pipe
treatment to whole-process prevention. It also put forward the goal of total industrial dust emission control and proposed to carry out total pollution control in key
industrial pollution source areas, river basins, and sea areas. The plan also proposed
to focus on environmental protection and coordinated economic and social development, strengthen environmental management and promote scientific and technological progress. The main environmental targets in the Eighth Five-Year Plan
Outline were integrated into the Eighth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and
Social Development after balancing various considerations. In the meanwhile, the
main targets were decomposed into targets for provinces, autonomous regions, and
municipalities, which were separately listed in the plan and assigned to relevant
local governments for implementation. The Eighth Five-Year Plan also contained a
national technical outline for environmental planning to support the establishment
of a macro-level environmental planning system for the purpose of promoting the
sustained and coordinated development of the economy and the environment and
formulating source-specific pollution control targets. The focus of environmental
protection planning thus shifted from pollution control planning to pollution prevention planning. Environmental protection was integrated into the national economic
and social development plan, marking the inclusion of environmental protection in
the country’s development decision-making.
The Ninth Five-Year Plan period saw China’s first environmental protection fiveyear plan approved and issued by the State Council. In July 1996, the State Council
reviewed and approved the Ninth Five-Year Plan for National Environmental Protection and 2010 Targets. As the first national environmental protection plan approved
and issued by the State Council, it clarified the sustainable development strategy.
Sustainable development and environmental targets were also clearly stated in the
national economic and social development plan. The plan also proposed the “One
93
“industrial activities in areas with high population density and industrial concentration should be gradually relocated to areas with large environmental capacity.”
The Seventh Five-Year Plan proposed that “economic development, urban development, and environmental protection should be planned and promoted simultaneously
to maximize economic, social and environmental benefits” and that a preventioncentered comprehensive environmental planning and protection method should be
adopted. These measures served as the strategic guidelines for China’s environmental protection work. The provisions on the environmental responsibilities of
polluters and developers in the plan was a key principle for environmental protection
in China which had far-reaching impact and was incorporated into the Environmental
Protection Law of China.
During the Eighth Five-Year Plan period, environmental targets were incorporated into the national five-year plan and decomposed into targets for provinces,
autonomous regions and municipalities. In July 1992, the National Environmental
Protection Agency issued the National Environmental Protection Ten-Year Plan and
the Eighth Five-Year Plan Outline (hereinafter referred to as the Eighth Five-Year
Plan Outline), proposing that the focus of pollution prevention and control should
gradually shift from concentration control to total discharge control, from end-of-pipe
treatment to whole-process prevention. It also put forward the goal of total industrial dust emission control and proposed to carry out total pollution control in key
industrial pollution source areas, river basins, and sea areas. The plan also proposed
to focus on environmental protection and coordinated economic and social development, strengthen environmental management and promote scientific and technological progress. The main environmental targets in the Eighth Five-Year Plan
Outline were integrated into the Eighth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and
Social Development after balancing various considerations. In the meanwhile, the
main targets were decomposed into targets for provinces, autonomous regions, and
municipalities, which were separately listed in the plan and assigned to relevant
local governments for implementation. The Eighth Five-Year Plan also contained a
national technical outline for environmental planning to support the establishment
of a macro-level environmental planning system for the purpose of promoting the
sustained and coordinated development of the economy and the environment and
formulating source-specific pollution control targets. The focus of environmental
protection planning thus shifted from pollution control planning to pollution prevention planning. Environmental protection was integrated into the national economic
and social development plan, marking the inclusion of environmental protection in
the country’s development decision-making.
The Ninth Five-Year Plan period saw China’s first environmental protection fiveyear plan approved and issued by the State Council. In July 1996, the State Council
reviewed and approved the Ninth Five-Year Plan for National Environmental Protection and 2010 Targets. As the first national environmental protection plan approved
and issued by the State Council, it clarified the sustainable development strategy.
Sustainable development and environmental targets were also clearly stated in the
national economic and social development plan. The plan also proposed the “One