Towards Green Development: From an Option to an Objective
337
environmental performance assessment of provinces and large state-owned enterprises. It’s also the most important content of environmental governance in each
province, acting as the baton for environmental protection.
After the 18th CPC National Congress, the General Office of the CPC Central
Committee and the General Office of the State Council have issued the Measures
for the Accountability of Party and Government Leaders for Ecological and Environmental Damage (Trial). At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central
Committee, it was made clear to “establish a space governance system consisting
of the space planning, utilization control, the audit of outgoing officials’ natural
resource asset management, and differentiated performance assessment, based on the
units of city- and county-level administrative regions.” In this way, the connotations
of green development have been further enriched. At the end of 2013, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee issued the Notice on Improving
the Performance Evaluation of Local Party and Government Leaders and Officials,
requesting to increase the weight of indicators relating to resource consumption and
environmental protection. In 2016, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee
and the General Office of the State Council promulgated the Plan for the Pilot
Program to Audit Outgoing Officials’ Natural Resource Asset Management. This
was an important step in the evaluation of green development and provided guidance
for the leaders to pursue green development. In the same year, the General Office
of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council promulgated the Measures for Assessing Progress made in Ecological Improvement and
made it clear that the Green Development Index System and the Ecological Progress
Assessment Goals System shall respectively serve as the basis for the annual and the
five-year evaluation. As such, the performance in green development has officially
become an important measure for the evaluation, reward, punishment, appointment
and removal of provincial Party and government leaders. In July 2017, the General
Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council
issued a circular on the eco-environmental problems in the nature reserve of Qilian
Mountain in Gansu Province, for which dozens of leading cadres, including three
provincial and ministerial leaders, were held accountable. Since then, some local
leaders began to realize the importance of the requirements that both party committees and governments are held accountable, and that officials take responsibility for
the protection of ecology and environment. The first round of the central inspection
on ecological and environmental protection that started at the end of 2015 realized
the full coverage of all 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in less
than two years. It has therefore become a practical and effective tool for pushing local
CPC committees and governments as well as their relevant departments to fulfill their
environmental protection obligations.
3. Gradually establish the basic principles of prioritizing ecological protection
and green development in major regional development strategies
During the 10th Five-Year Plan period, it’s proposed to develop ecological demonstration areas, eco-counties, eco-cities, and eco-provinces. During the 11th Five-Year
337
environmental performance assessment of provinces and large state-owned enterprises. It’s also the most important content of environmental governance in each
province, acting as the baton for environmental protection.
After the 18th CPC National Congress, the General Office of the CPC Central
Committee and the General Office of the State Council have issued the Measures
for the Accountability of Party and Government Leaders for Ecological and Environmental Damage (Trial). At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central
Committee, it was made clear to “establish a space governance system consisting
of the space planning, utilization control, the audit of outgoing officials’ natural
resource asset management, and differentiated performance assessment, based on the
units of city- and county-level administrative regions.” In this way, the connotations
of green development have been further enriched. At the end of 2013, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee issued the Notice on Improving
the Performance Evaluation of Local Party and Government Leaders and Officials,
requesting to increase the weight of indicators relating to resource consumption and
environmental protection. In 2016, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee
and the General Office of the State Council promulgated the Plan for the Pilot
Program to Audit Outgoing Officials’ Natural Resource Asset Management. This
was an important step in the evaluation of green development and provided guidance
for the leaders to pursue green development. In the same year, the General Office
of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council promulgated the Measures for Assessing Progress made in Ecological Improvement and
made it clear that the Green Development Index System and the Ecological Progress
Assessment Goals System shall respectively serve as the basis for the annual and the
five-year evaluation. As such, the performance in green development has officially
become an important measure for the evaluation, reward, punishment, appointment
and removal of provincial Party and government leaders. In July 2017, the General
Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council
issued a circular on the eco-environmental problems in the nature reserve of Qilian
Mountain in Gansu Province, for which dozens of leading cadres, including three
provincial and ministerial leaders, were held accountable. Since then, some local
leaders began to realize the importance of the requirements that both party committees and governments are held accountable, and that officials take responsibility for
the protection of ecology and environment. The first round of the central inspection
on ecological and environmental protection that started at the end of 2015 realized
the full coverage of all 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in less
than two years. It has therefore become a practical and effective tool for pushing local
CPC committees and governments as well as their relevant departments to fulfill their
environmental protection obligations.
3. Gradually establish the basic principles of prioritizing ecological protection
and green development in major regional development strategies
During the 10th Five-Year Plan period, it’s proposed to develop ecological demonstration areas, eco-counties, eco-cities, and eco-provinces. During the 11th Five-Year