Towards Green Development: From an Option to an Objective
343
6 The Continuous Improvement of the Eco-Environment
Quality Is the Goal and a Concrete Manifestation
of Green Development
The excellent eco-environment quality gives prominence to the color of green development. By means of campaigns for prevention and control of environmental pollution and for ecological protection and restoration, we will strengthen areas of weakness in ecology and environment, so as to consolidate the ecological foundation for
green development.
1. Continuously adjust the approaches for eco-environmental governance in
response to the eco-environmental problems
Since 1972 when China sent a delegation to the United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment, China has made active explorations and tried to avoid the old
path of pollution before protection in developed countries. During the period from the
Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee to 1992, environmental
protection had developed into a basic national policy and a part of the national
plan for economic and social development. In addition, environmental management
systems and environmental laws and regulations had taken shape and China has got
environmental protection on track. Since the launch of the 9th Five-Year Plan, the
environmental protection in China had been characterized by the large-scale ecological construction and environmental pollution treatment. During the period from the
9th Five-Year Plan to the 13th Five-Year Plan, China has gradually deepened the
understanding of its eco-environmental issues and improved its approaches for ecoenvironment governance. Regarding its understanding of environmental issues, the
9th and 10th Five-Year Plans aroused the concerns about prominent eco-environment
problems and deteriorating environment. The 11th Five-Year Plan began to pay attention to the problem of excessive consumption of energy resources. During the period
of the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan, resource-related and environmental problems
have become a major constraint on economic development. Meanwhile, the ecoenvironment governance has evolved from partial to systematic governance. During
the period of 9th and 10th Five-Year Plans, the focus of environmental treatment
was the problems relating to industrial point sources and in major cities. During the
period of 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, with the focus on major basins, regions and
cities, the focus of ecological development has shifted to in-advance conservation
and the whole process of resource utilization. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period,
ecological conservation developed into a part of systemic governance, environmental
governance across all sectors of the society and full-process resource management.
2. Accelerate to improve the weak links of eco-environmental quality to build
a moderately prosperous society in all respects
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has resolutely declared war on pollution. Following the promulgation of the Decisions of the Central Committee of
343
6 The Continuous Improvement of the Eco-Environment
Quality Is the Goal and a Concrete Manifestation
of Green Development
The excellent eco-environment quality gives prominence to the color of green development. By means of campaigns for prevention and control of environmental pollution and for ecological protection and restoration, we will strengthen areas of weakness in ecology and environment, so as to consolidate the ecological foundation for
green development.
1. Continuously adjust the approaches for eco-environmental governance in
response to the eco-environmental problems
Since 1972 when China sent a delegation to the United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment, China has made active explorations and tried to avoid the old
path of pollution before protection in developed countries. During the period from the
Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee to 1992, environmental
protection had developed into a basic national policy and a part of the national
plan for economic and social development. In addition, environmental management
systems and environmental laws and regulations had taken shape and China has got
environmental protection on track. Since the launch of the 9th Five-Year Plan, the
environmental protection in China had been characterized by the large-scale ecological construction and environmental pollution treatment. During the period from the
9th Five-Year Plan to the 13th Five-Year Plan, China has gradually deepened the
understanding of its eco-environmental issues and improved its approaches for ecoenvironment governance. Regarding its understanding of environmental issues, the
9th and 10th Five-Year Plans aroused the concerns about prominent eco-environment
problems and deteriorating environment. The 11th Five-Year Plan began to pay attention to the problem of excessive consumption of energy resources. During the period
of the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan, resource-related and environmental problems
have become a major constraint on economic development. Meanwhile, the ecoenvironment governance has evolved from partial to systematic governance. During
the period of 9th and 10th Five-Year Plans, the focus of environmental treatment
was the problems relating to industrial point sources and in major cities. During the
period of 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, with the focus on major basins, regions and
cities, the focus of ecological development has shifted to in-advance conservation
and the whole process of resource utilization. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period,
ecological conservation developed into a part of systemic governance, environmental
governance across all sectors of the society and full-process resource management.
2. Accelerate to improve the weak links of eco-environmental quality to build
a moderately prosperous society in all respects
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has resolutely declared war on pollution. Following the promulgation of the Decisions of the Central Committee of