368
C. Bao
and the environment), the targets are not specific enough. For decrease in energy
consumption per unit of GDP, CO 2 emissions reduction per unit of GDP, and major
pollutants emissions reduction, only Hunan and Chongqing set specific targets, while
all other provincial regions only required fulfilment of the national targets, showing
that local authorities are hesitant and conservative about setting targets. Second, there
is a lack of coordination between the national and provincial green development
targets. Of the 12 regions with targets for the proportion of non-fossil fuel in primary
energy consumption in their development plans, only seven aimed higher than the
national target. Third, there is a lack of coordination and collaboration between
different regions in the pursuit of green development. In designing development
strategies and environmental protection measures, most provinces have only considered their own conditions, not paying due attention to coordination and collaboration
with other provincial-level regions.
In the following section, we will further analyze the implementation of the green
development strategy at the provincial and city levels based on the development plans
of JS province and CS city in the province.
JS province strongly advocates green development. The guiding thought of its
development plan is to fully implement the new concept of development and the
strategy of sustainable development, and stick to green development to deliver a
better life to the people, which is in line with the strategic significance of green
development. The plan includes the same number of targets related to resources
and the environment as in the national development plan, with slight differences in
wording. As for the specific targets, five are the same with corresponding national
ones, three are higher, and two are lower. In setting specific tasks, the province
attaches great importance to improving environmental quality, and gives priority to
air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution control. To achieve the targets, the
province introduced measures to control the discharge of multiple pollutants and
to coordinate between pollution control efforts of different provinces. The plan also
proposed to strengthen the reform of the system for building an ecological civilization
and improve the mechanisms for performance evaluation and accountability in this
regard. JS, an economically developed province in China with high GDP and a high
growth rate, contributed about 10% of the country’s GDP each year during the 11th
and 12th five-year plan periods. Over the past decade, however, JS had been seeing
a greater proportion of the secondary industry than the national level in its overall
economic structure, while that of the tertiary sector had been lower than the national
level. The economic growth model driven by manufacturing is a major reason why
the proportion of fossil fuel in JS’s energy portfolio was significantly higher than the
national level. To pursue green development amid rapid industrial growth, JS province
faced arduous tasks to improve its energy portfolio, accelerate the development of
non-fossil energy, promote industrial upgrading and improve its industrial structure.
The development plan of CS city for the 13th Five-Year Plan period follows
the concept of green development, requiring implementation of the new concept of
development in all aspects to seek economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress. The fundamental principle is to pursue green growth and implement
the green development strategy. However, the significance of green development is
C. Bao
and the environment), the targets are not specific enough. For decrease in energy
consumption per unit of GDP, CO 2 emissions reduction per unit of GDP, and major
pollutants emissions reduction, only Hunan and Chongqing set specific targets, while
all other provincial regions only required fulfilment of the national targets, showing
that local authorities are hesitant and conservative about setting targets. Second, there
is a lack of coordination between the national and provincial green development
targets. Of the 12 regions with targets for the proportion of non-fossil fuel in primary
energy consumption in their development plans, only seven aimed higher than the
national target. Third, there is a lack of coordination and collaboration between
different regions in the pursuit of green development. In designing development
strategies and environmental protection measures, most provinces have only considered their own conditions, not paying due attention to coordination and collaboration
with other provincial-level regions.
In the following section, we will further analyze the implementation of the green
development strategy at the provincial and city levels based on the development plans
of JS province and CS city in the province.
JS province strongly advocates green development. The guiding thought of its
development plan is to fully implement the new concept of development and the
strategy of sustainable development, and stick to green development to deliver a
better life to the people, which is in line with the strategic significance of green
development. The plan includes the same number of targets related to resources
and the environment as in the national development plan, with slight differences in
wording. As for the specific targets, five are the same with corresponding national
ones, three are higher, and two are lower. In setting specific tasks, the province
attaches great importance to improving environmental quality, and gives priority to
air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution control. To achieve the targets, the
province introduced measures to control the discharge of multiple pollutants and
to coordinate between pollution control efforts of different provinces. The plan also
proposed to strengthen the reform of the system for building an ecological civilization
and improve the mechanisms for performance evaluation and accountability in this
regard. JS, an economically developed province in China with high GDP and a high
growth rate, contributed about 10% of the country’s GDP each year during the 11th
and 12th five-year plan periods. Over the past decade, however, JS had been seeing
a greater proportion of the secondary industry than the national level in its overall
economic structure, while that of the tertiary sector had been lower than the national
level. The economic growth model driven by manufacturing is a major reason why
the proportion of fossil fuel in JS’s energy portfolio was significantly higher than the
national level. To pursue green development amid rapid industrial growth, JS province
faced arduous tasks to improve its energy portfolio, accelerate the development of
non-fossil energy, promote industrial upgrading and improve its industrial structure.
The development plan of CS city for the 13th Five-Year Plan period follows
the concept of green development, requiring implementation of the new concept of
development in all aspects to seek economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress. The fundamental principle is to pursue green growth and implement
the green development strategy. However, the significance of green development is