Green Development of Transportation in China for 70 Years …
315
The prevention and control of pollution from ships and ports was the key task
during this period. Active exploration was carried out to reflect the concept of environmental protection at the planning level, improve the ability to tackle oil spill risks,
prevent and control the water pollution from ships, and evaluate the environmental
impact of water transport construction projects. Since the 1970s, China has vigorously advanced work in the marine oil spill emergency responses and the prevention
and control of pollution from ships. In 1983, China signed the “The International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as Modified by the
Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto” adopted by the International Maritime Organization. At the same year, China issued the Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants
from Ships (GB 3552–83). In 1981, in line with the environmental impact assessment
system for construction projects stipulated in the Environmental Protection Law, the
transportation industry initiated the environmental impact assessment in water transport construction projects. The Ministry of Transport successively introduced the
Specifications for Port Environmental Impact Assessment and the Specifications for
Port Environmental Protection Design. In 1985, the Ministry of Transport organized
and carried out the work of forecasting the pollution of the offshore environment
at ports and from ships. At the end of the 1980s, the Ministry of Transport took
the lead to specifically make environmental protection demonstration an integral
part of the port planning and management, introducing the new idea of emphasizing
environmental protection from the planning stage.
2. Keep pace with the times and make efforts to protect highway ecology (the
14th CPC National Congress in 1992 – prior to the 18th CPC National
Congress in 2012)
During this period, the 14th CPC National Congress launched the reform to establish the socialist market economy system. The 16th CPC National Congress put
forward the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The
17th CPC National Congress made it clear that “we must give prominence to building
a resource-conserving, environment-friendly society in our strategy for industrialization and modernization.” In the transportation industry, the rapid development
of highway network, waterway network and expressways was promoted in an allround way. The number of specialized deep-water terminal berths increased rapidly.
The scale of railway, aviation, and post and telecommunications networks kept
expanding. All these led to a fundamental change to the backward situation of
transportation infrastructure in China. Under the guidance of the Scientific Outlook
on Development, the transportation industry has actively explored a path of scientific development. National plans were formulated to develop a resource-conserving
and environment-friendly transportation industry, including National Planning for
Expressway Network, National Planning for the Layout of Coastal Ports, National
Planning for the Layout of Highway Transport Hub, and National Planning for Inland
Waterway and Ports. In 1993, the Ministry of Transport released the Administrative
Regulations on Environmental Protection in the Transportation Industry, clarifying
the responsibilities for industrial organizations and the requirements on pollution
315
The prevention and control of pollution from ships and ports was the key task
during this period. Active exploration was carried out to reflect the concept of environmental protection at the planning level, improve the ability to tackle oil spill risks,
prevent and control the water pollution from ships, and evaluate the environmental
impact of water transport construction projects. Since the 1970s, China has vigorously advanced work in the marine oil spill emergency responses and the prevention
and control of pollution from ships. In 1983, China signed the “The International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as Modified by the
Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto” adopted by the International Maritime Organization. At the same year, China issued the Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants
from Ships (GB 3552–83). In 1981, in line with the environmental impact assessment
system for construction projects stipulated in the Environmental Protection Law, the
transportation industry initiated the environmental impact assessment in water transport construction projects. The Ministry of Transport successively introduced the
Specifications for Port Environmental Impact Assessment and the Specifications for
Port Environmental Protection Design. In 1985, the Ministry of Transport organized
and carried out the work of forecasting the pollution of the offshore environment
at ports and from ships. At the end of the 1980s, the Ministry of Transport took
the lead to specifically make environmental protection demonstration an integral
part of the port planning and management, introducing the new idea of emphasizing
environmental protection from the planning stage.
2. Keep pace with the times and make efforts to protect highway ecology (the
14th CPC National Congress in 1992 – prior to the 18th CPC National
Congress in 2012)
During this period, the 14th CPC National Congress launched the reform to establish the socialist market economy system. The 16th CPC National Congress put
forward the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The
17th CPC National Congress made it clear that “we must give prominence to building
a resource-conserving, environment-friendly society in our strategy for industrialization and modernization.” In the transportation industry, the rapid development
of highway network, waterway network and expressways was promoted in an allround way. The number of specialized deep-water terminal berths increased rapidly.
The scale of railway, aviation, and post and telecommunications networks kept
expanding. All these led to a fundamental change to the backward situation of
transportation infrastructure in China. Under the guidance of the Scientific Outlook
on Development, the transportation industry has actively explored a path of scientific development. National plans were formulated to develop a resource-conserving
and environment-friendly transportation industry, including National Planning for
Expressway Network, National Planning for the Layout of Coastal Ports, National
Planning for the Layout of Highway Transport Hub, and National Planning for Inland
Waterway and Ports. In 1993, the Ministry of Transport released the Administrative
Regulations on Environmental Protection in the Transportation Industry, clarifying
the responsibilities for industrial organizations and the requirements on pollution