A Systematic Understanding of the Highlights, Difficulties …
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environment management system that covers all regions and full processes in all
directions. Third, responsibilities have been clearly defined with an accountability
system put in place. We have further clarified the environment quality accountability
system for local governments, and changed an environmental governance system
to uphold government leadership, enterprises’ participation as main players, and
public participation, with the relevant Party committee at the helm. It is emphasized
that the Party committee and the government should share responsibilities for environmental protection, enterprises should ensure fulfillment of their environmental
responsibilities, the general public should be guided with active efforts to make their
contributions, and legal means should also be used to raise awareness of ecological
and environmental protection.
3. Unprecedented measures: strong determination to solve all problems in
ecological environment governance
In the face of serious environmental problems, the CPC Central Committee has
adhered to the people-centered development philosophy and taken a series of radical,
groundbreaking and long-term measures to resolutely combat pollution. On the one
hand, China has been addressing the thorniest problems in the fight against pollution.
It has implemented thoroughly the three major action plans for the prevention and
control of air, water and soil pollution, and focused on the seven major landmark
battles against pollution (i.e. protecting blue sky, reducing exhaust emissions by
diesel trucks, protecting drinking water sources, cleaning up black and malodorous
water bodies, Yangtze River environment protection and restoration, comprehensive protection of the Bohai Sea, and contamination control in agriculture and rural
areas), with emphasis on solving the outstanding problems in the three aspects and the
biggest concerns of the general public. As a result, the quality of the ecological environment has improved markedly. In 2018, the proportion of days with good air quality
and with severe pollution in 338 cities at and above the prefecture level increased by
1.3% and fell by 0.3% year-on-year respectively. PM 2.5 concentration in those cities
decreased by 9.3% year-on-year, with a cumulative decrease of 22% since the start of
the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The peak concentration, pollution intensity, duration
and scope of influence of heavily polluted weather were significantly reduced. Water
quality improved greatly as remarkable results were achieved in the campaign to
clean up black and malodorous water bodies in cities, with 1009 of the 1062 water
bodies in 36 cities cleaned up completely or basically. In addition, the security of
drinking water in rural areas was effectively guaranteed. Nationwide, 106 million
mu of land was covered with trees or other types of vegetation, pushing the forest
coverage rate up to 22% from the 16.6% of the beginning of the twenty-first century.
As the ecological environment continued to improve, people’s sense of happiness
and fulfillment grew constantly. On the other hand, a “zero tolerance” approach was
adopted to investigate and deal with illegal acts that damage the ecological environment. The strictest ever Environmental Protection Law, was amended and put into
effect, under which a well-defined environmental monitoring system was established
to crack down on environmental violations with measures such as daily fines and a
“dual penalty system” for both the person and the company responsible for pollution.
151
environment management system that covers all regions and full processes in all
directions. Third, responsibilities have been clearly defined with an accountability
system put in place. We have further clarified the environment quality accountability
system for local governments, and changed an environmental governance system
to uphold government leadership, enterprises’ participation as main players, and
public participation, with the relevant Party committee at the helm. It is emphasized
that the Party committee and the government should share responsibilities for environmental protection, enterprises should ensure fulfillment of their environmental
responsibilities, the general public should be guided with active efforts to make their
contributions, and legal means should also be used to raise awareness of ecological
and environmental protection.
3. Unprecedented measures: strong determination to solve all problems in
ecological environment governance
In the face of serious environmental problems, the CPC Central Committee has
adhered to the people-centered development philosophy and taken a series of radical,
groundbreaking and long-term measures to resolutely combat pollution. On the one
hand, China has been addressing the thorniest problems in the fight against pollution.
It has implemented thoroughly the three major action plans for the prevention and
control of air, water and soil pollution, and focused on the seven major landmark
battles against pollution (i.e. protecting blue sky, reducing exhaust emissions by
diesel trucks, protecting drinking water sources, cleaning up black and malodorous
water bodies, Yangtze River environment protection and restoration, comprehensive protection of the Bohai Sea, and contamination control in agriculture and rural
areas), with emphasis on solving the outstanding problems in the three aspects and the
biggest concerns of the general public. As a result, the quality of the ecological environment has improved markedly. In 2018, the proportion of days with good air quality
and with severe pollution in 338 cities at and above the prefecture level increased by
1.3% and fell by 0.3% year-on-year respectively. PM 2.5 concentration in those cities
decreased by 9.3% year-on-year, with a cumulative decrease of 22% since the start of
the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The peak concentration, pollution intensity, duration
and scope of influence of heavily polluted weather were significantly reduced. Water
quality improved greatly as remarkable results were achieved in the campaign to
clean up black and malodorous water bodies in cities, with 1009 of the 1062 water
bodies in 36 cities cleaned up completely or basically. In addition, the security of
drinking water in rural areas was effectively guaranteed. Nationwide, 106 million
mu of land was covered with trees or other types of vegetation, pushing the forest
coverage rate up to 22% from the 16.6% of the beginning of the twenty-first century.
As the ecological environment continued to improve, people’s sense of happiness
and fulfillment grew constantly. On the other hand, a “zero tolerance” approach was
adopted to investigate and deal with illegal acts that damage the ecological environment. The strictest ever Environmental Protection Law, was amended and put into
effect, under which a well-defined environmental monitoring system was established
to crack down on environmental violations with measures such as daily fines and a
“dual penalty system” for both the person and the company responsible for pollution.