Evolution of the Green Development Concept and the Path …
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and environment, accounting for 31.8% of the total, including water resources (for
industrial and agricultural use), energy, land (mainly farmland), forests, etc. It also
raised requirements for the reduction of the discharges of major pollutants and
encouraged reuse of solid wastes. The targets are mainly about enhancing efficiency,
such as reducing water consumption per unit of industrial value-added and raising
the efficiency coefficient of irrigation. The plan aimed to build a resource-conserving
and environmentally friendly society by promoting circular economy, protecting
and restoring the environment, intensifying environmental protection, tightening
management of resources, making proper use of ocean and climate resources and
taking other measures. Though the 11th Five-Year Plan did not use the wording “green
development,” it still highlighted the importance of resource conservation and environmental protection in promoting growth model transformation, industrial restructuring and upgrading, and higher-quality development. The seven targets were all met
in 2010, and six were exceeded. The targets related to resources and the environment
were binding, curbing the emissions of major pollutants, reversing the trend of environmental degradation, and contributing to China’s efforts to upgrade its industrial
structure and transform the growth model. “Green development” was first mentioned
and elaborated in Part VI of the 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and
Social Development, “Pursue Green Development: Develop a Resource-Conserving
and Environmentally Friendly Society.” The said plan includes “achieving significant results in resource conservation and environmental protection” as a major
goal, aiming to improve the incentive and constraint mechanisms for energy conservation and emissions reduction. It set eight targets related to resources and the
environment. To achieve green development, the 12th Five-Year Plan proposed to
actively respond to global climate change, strengthen resource conservation and
management, vigorously develop circular economy, enhance environmental protection, promote ecological protection and remediation, and accelerate the development of systems for water conservancy and disaster prevention and mitigation. All
of the eight targets were met in 2015. In particular, the discharge of major pollutants
dropped significantly, the installed capacity of clean-energy power generation saw
significant growth, and coal consumption and CO 2 emissions started to decrease.
China’s economic growth was decoupled from pollutant emissions, creating a favorable condition for further improvement of the environment. The 13th Five-Year
Plan for National Economic and Social Development followed the country’s overall
deployment for economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress and
the new concept of development. While the 11th and 12th five-year plans focused
on building a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society, the 13th
Five-Year Plan aimed to achieve overall improvement in the quality of the environment and ecosystems by accelerating functional zoning, promoting economical and
intensive use of resources, strengthening comprehensive environmental governance,
intensifying ecological conservation and restoration, actively responding to global
climate change, improving mechanisms for ensuring ecological security, and developing green and environmentally friendly industries. It contained 10 targets related
to resources and the environment, including those for air quality and surface water
365
and environment, accounting for 31.8% of the total, including water resources (for
industrial and agricultural use), energy, land (mainly farmland), forests, etc. It also
raised requirements for the reduction of the discharges of major pollutants and
encouraged reuse of solid wastes. The targets are mainly about enhancing efficiency,
such as reducing water consumption per unit of industrial value-added and raising
the efficiency coefficient of irrigation. The plan aimed to build a resource-conserving
and environmentally friendly society by promoting circular economy, protecting
and restoring the environment, intensifying environmental protection, tightening
management of resources, making proper use of ocean and climate resources and
taking other measures. Though the 11th Five-Year Plan did not use the wording “green
development,” it still highlighted the importance of resource conservation and environmental protection in promoting growth model transformation, industrial restructuring and upgrading, and higher-quality development. The seven targets were all met
in 2010, and six were exceeded. The targets related to resources and the environment
were binding, curbing the emissions of major pollutants, reversing the trend of environmental degradation, and contributing to China’s efforts to upgrade its industrial
structure and transform the growth model. “Green development” was first mentioned
and elaborated in Part VI of the 12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and
Social Development, “Pursue Green Development: Develop a Resource-Conserving
and Environmentally Friendly Society.” The said plan includes “achieving significant results in resource conservation and environmental protection” as a major
goal, aiming to improve the incentive and constraint mechanisms for energy conservation and emissions reduction. It set eight targets related to resources and the
environment. To achieve green development, the 12th Five-Year Plan proposed to
actively respond to global climate change, strengthen resource conservation and
management, vigorously develop circular economy, enhance environmental protection, promote ecological protection and remediation, and accelerate the development of systems for water conservancy and disaster prevention and mitigation. All
of the eight targets were met in 2015. In particular, the discharge of major pollutants
dropped significantly, the installed capacity of clean-energy power generation saw
significant growth, and coal consumption and CO 2 emissions started to decrease.
China’s economic growth was decoupled from pollutant emissions, creating a favorable condition for further improvement of the environment. The 13th Five-Year
Plan for National Economic and Social Development followed the country’s overall
deployment for economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress and
the new concept of development. While the 11th and 12th five-year plans focused
on building a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society, the 13th
Five-Year Plan aimed to achieve overall improvement in the quality of the environment and ecosystems by accelerating functional zoning, promoting economical and
intensive use of resources, strengthening comprehensive environmental governance,
intensifying ecological conservation and restoration, actively responding to global
climate change, improving mechanisms for ensuring ecological security, and developing green and environmentally friendly industries. It contained 10 targets related
to resources and the environment, including those for air quality and surface water