Developing Socialist Ecological Civilization …
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compensation and regional equity. Based on the type of policy, there are market
approaches such as pollutant discharge trading, policies on environmental taxes and
fees such as environmental tax, charges for pollutant discharge, and payment by users,
financial and capital moves such as green credit and insurance, fiscal incentives like
subsidies for the development and use of environmental protection technologies, and
fiscal transfer payment aimed at ecological compensation.
It means a new institution and mechanisms. Scientific and effective governance
system and assessment and accountability mechanisms are being established for
ecological progress. The ecological and environmental protection department is
restructured to change the multi-lead system of environmental governance. Vertical
management of the monitoring and inspecting performance of environmental authorities under provincial level is promoted to reduce local government’s interference
in environmental management. An interactive mechanism of joint prevention and
control of water pollution among seven river basins has been established, as well as
the coordination mechanism of joint prevention and control of air pollution among
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and the surrounding areas. The central environmental protection supervision system is in place that covers 31 provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities, which will be assessed and held accountable in this regard rather than
being assessed on GDP only like before. In this way, the objective system, assessing
methods and reward and punishment mechanisms have been formed that reflect the
requirements of ecological civilization, which have a direct bearing on the adjustment
of Party and government leadership and on the selection and appointment, training
and education, reward and punishment of the officials.
3. Ecological civilization is new cultural ethics
Ecological civilization emphasizes the combination of social and ecological ethics.
The general belief in industrial civilization is that man is the subject with value while
nature and all other lives are valueless objects, whereas ecological civilization holds
that both man and nature are valuable subjects. The relation between man and nature
restraints the relation between man and man, so properly handling the former is good
for coordinating the latter and promoting peace and progress of human society.
Ecological civilization emphasizes the dialectical unity of ecological rights and
obligations. Man has the right to enjoy wealth and pursue freedom and happiness,
but only within the environmental carrying capacity. With ecological civilization, the
gap between regions, between urban and rural areas and between different groups
has to be narrowed. For instance, through the regional environmental compensation
mechanism, developed regions should allocate more money to support ecological
protection in less developed ones; an eco-compensation system in which the urban
areas allocate more green subsidies to rural agriculture has been established; rich
residents are also guided to pay a higher environmental fee to improve the environment and protect public facilities to benefit the disadvantaged groups suffering
most from environmental deterioration; and a natural capital market has been formed
to turn good natural environment into an economic advantage. On the global level,
403
compensation and regional equity. Based on the type of policy, there are market
approaches such as pollutant discharge trading, policies on environmental taxes and
fees such as environmental tax, charges for pollutant discharge, and payment by users,
financial and capital moves such as green credit and insurance, fiscal incentives like
subsidies for the development and use of environmental protection technologies, and
fiscal transfer payment aimed at ecological compensation.
It means a new institution and mechanisms. Scientific and effective governance
system and assessment and accountability mechanisms are being established for
ecological progress. The ecological and environmental protection department is
restructured to change the multi-lead system of environmental governance. Vertical
management of the monitoring and inspecting performance of environmental authorities under provincial level is promoted to reduce local government’s interference
in environmental management. An interactive mechanism of joint prevention and
control of water pollution among seven river basins has been established, as well as
the coordination mechanism of joint prevention and control of air pollution among
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and the surrounding areas. The central environmental protection supervision system is in place that covers 31 provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities, which will be assessed and held accountable in this regard rather than
being assessed on GDP only like before. In this way, the objective system, assessing
methods and reward and punishment mechanisms have been formed that reflect the
requirements of ecological civilization, which have a direct bearing on the adjustment
of Party and government leadership and on the selection and appointment, training
and education, reward and punishment of the officials.
3. Ecological civilization is new cultural ethics
Ecological civilization emphasizes the combination of social and ecological ethics.
The general belief in industrial civilization is that man is the subject with value while
nature and all other lives are valueless objects, whereas ecological civilization holds
that both man and nature are valuable subjects. The relation between man and nature
restraints the relation between man and man, so properly handling the former is good
for coordinating the latter and promoting peace and progress of human society.
Ecological civilization emphasizes the dialectical unity of ecological rights and
obligations. Man has the right to enjoy wealth and pursue freedom and happiness,
but only within the environmental carrying capacity. With ecological civilization, the
gap between regions, between urban and rural areas and between different groups
has to be narrowed. For instance, through the regional environmental compensation
mechanism, developed regions should allocate more money to support ecological
protection in less developed ones; an eco-compensation system in which the urban
areas allocate more green subsidies to rural agriculture has been established; rich
residents are also guided to pay a higher environmental fee to improve the environment and protect public facilities to benefit the disadvantaged groups suffering
most from environmental deterioration; and a natural capital market has been formed
to turn good natural environment into an economic advantage. On the global level,