12
Z. Xie
that only by promoting resource-efficient circular economy and stepping up environment protection efforts could the world achieve the sustainable development goals. In
2008, learning from Germany, Japan and other countries as well as based on the experience of some local pilot projects, China promulgated the Circular Economy Promotion Law, promoting a system of resource utilization where consumption reduction,
reuse and recycling of resource factors prevailed and products were managed for
their environmental impact throughout their life cycles. Also, energy consumption,
carbon emission, resource productivity and other indicators were included in the
Twelfth Five-Year Plan. At present, China is working on the problem of urban waste,
promoting the recycling of materials from urban mines, setting up special funds for
the development of circular economy, launching “waste-free city” pilot projects, and
supporting the development of the recycling industry.
With regard to low-carbon development, the international community regards
carbon footprint control as a top priority. China must cut its carbon dioxide emissions and transform its development model. In other words, China must adopt a
low-carbon development approach in order to achieve sustainable development and
build an ecological civilization. In the past few years, the Chinese government set
targets for the improvement of energy efficiency, the reduction of carbon intensity, the
development of non-fossil energy and the increase of carbon accumulation in forests,
promoted the transformation of the country’s development model, adjusted industrial and energy structures, and made great strides in energy conservation, emissions
reduction and response to climate change. In 2017, China’s carbon dioxide emissions
per unit of GDP dropped by 46% from the 2005 level, which is equivalent to reducing
carbon dioxide emissions by 4.1 billion tons, already exceeding the carbon intensity
reduction target that China committed to (by 40–45% by 2020). As the CPC Central
Committee became more aware of China’s environment issues, the Chinese government launched an institutional reform in 2018, transferring the function of responding
to climate change from departments responsible for overseeing economic sectors to
the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, ecological civilization has become
an important development concept advocated by the ruling Party, and the focus of
the Chinese government has gradually shifted from economic growth to environment
protection, which has promoted environmental awareness and driven the reform of the
environmental governance system. In 2015, the CPC Central Committee and the State
Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Ecological Civilization, summarizing China’s experience in environment protection and innovations
in environmental policies and systems over the past more than 40 years. Environment protection is included in the five-sphere development plan. The main concern
of the global community is how to achieve sustainable development in economic,
social and environmental dimensions. According to the State Council’s institutional
reform plan in 2018, the central government established the Ministry of Ecology
and Environment in accordance with the principle of one matter being managed
by one department and the separation of regulation from ownership. This greatly
enhanced the authority of the ministry and strengthened pollution reduction at the
Z. Xie
that only by promoting resource-efficient circular economy and stepping up environment protection efforts could the world achieve the sustainable development goals. In
2008, learning from Germany, Japan and other countries as well as based on the experience of some local pilot projects, China promulgated the Circular Economy Promotion Law, promoting a system of resource utilization where consumption reduction,
reuse and recycling of resource factors prevailed and products were managed for
their environmental impact throughout their life cycles. Also, energy consumption,
carbon emission, resource productivity and other indicators were included in the
Twelfth Five-Year Plan. At present, China is working on the problem of urban waste,
promoting the recycling of materials from urban mines, setting up special funds for
the development of circular economy, launching “waste-free city” pilot projects, and
supporting the development of the recycling industry.
With regard to low-carbon development, the international community regards
carbon footprint control as a top priority. China must cut its carbon dioxide emissions and transform its development model. In other words, China must adopt a
low-carbon development approach in order to achieve sustainable development and
build an ecological civilization. In the past few years, the Chinese government set
targets for the improvement of energy efficiency, the reduction of carbon intensity, the
development of non-fossil energy and the increase of carbon accumulation in forests,
promoted the transformation of the country’s development model, adjusted industrial and energy structures, and made great strides in energy conservation, emissions
reduction and response to climate change. In 2017, China’s carbon dioxide emissions
per unit of GDP dropped by 46% from the 2005 level, which is equivalent to reducing
carbon dioxide emissions by 4.1 billion tons, already exceeding the carbon intensity
reduction target that China committed to (by 40–45% by 2020). As the CPC Central
Committee became more aware of China’s environment issues, the Chinese government launched an institutional reform in 2018, transferring the function of responding
to climate change from departments responsible for overseeing economic sectors to
the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, ecological civilization has become
an important development concept advocated by the ruling Party, and the focus of
the Chinese government has gradually shifted from economic growth to environment
protection, which has promoted environmental awareness and driven the reform of the
environmental governance system. In 2015, the CPC Central Committee and the State
Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Ecological Civilization, summarizing China’s experience in environment protection and innovations
in environmental policies and systems over the past more than 40 years. Environment protection is included in the five-sphere development plan. The main concern
of the global community is how to achieve sustainable development in economic,
social and environmental dimensions. According to the State Council’s institutional
reform plan in 2018, the central government established the Ministry of Ecology
and Environment in accordance with the principle of one matter being managed
by one department and the separation of regulation from ownership. This greatly
enhanced the authority of the ministry and strengthened pollution reduction at the