622
S. Gu
especially in developed areas and areas plagued by environmental pollution. On
the whole, people do not dare, and are increasingly unwilling to pollute or damage
the environment. Second, eco-friendly actions are increasingly popular. Concrete
actions such as the Blue Sky Action, actions to treat black and odorous water bodies,
and actions to improve the living environment have been continuously promoted
across the country, and won high recognition and support from the people. Third, the
resources reserve and ecological environment have been improved. Compared with
2013, in 2017, in 338 cities at the prefecture level and above, the average concentration of inhalable particulate matters (PMi) decreased by 22.7%; the proportion
of water bodies of state-controlled section of surface water at Grade I-III increased
to 67.9%, and that of water bodies with quality worse than Grade V decreased to
8.3%. Fourth, ecological conservation has boosted high-quality economic development. Resource consumption, pollutant discharge, and ecological occupancy keep
declining, especially energy consumption per unit of GDP, water consumption, and
land consumption. Fifth, ecological conservation has improved China’s national
image and international status. China is evolving from a participant and contributor to an important leader in global green development and ecological civilization
construction.
2 New Tasks and Requirements for the Reform of System
for Developing an Ecological Civilization
1. New requirements in the new era
The construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.
The people will have an unseen strong demand for a better life and unseen little tolerance for environmental pollution, resource waste and ecological damage; government
officials, especially leading ones, will attach unseen importance to ecological conservation; and the international community will closely follow as it never before China’s
green development and ecological conservation. Ecological conservation has entered
a new era.
First, there are at least four signs from an objective point of view. (1) Environmental pollution in China has been effectively contained on the whole, and the environmental (especially air and water) quality of some areas and some regions (especially the Pearl River Delta) has gradually improved. (2) The problem of resource
waste is being tackled, and significant progress has been made in the conservation
of land, energy and water, and especially the intensity of energy consumption has
decreased significantly while the rate of land output has increased significantly. (3)
The trend of ecological deterioration has been roughly curbed; the ecological protection pattern, mainly relying on the drawing of redlines, is being accelerated; and the
pilot national park system is introduced, and in particular, the forest coverage rate
continues to increase. (4) The disorderly land development is being reversed; major
S. Gu
especially in developed areas and areas plagued by environmental pollution. On
the whole, people do not dare, and are increasingly unwilling to pollute or damage
the environment. Second, eco-friendly actions are increasingly popular. Concrete
actions such as the Blue Sky Action, actions to treat black and odorous water bodies,
and actions to improve the living environment have been continuously promoted
across the country, and won high recognition and support from the people. Third, the
resources reserve and ecological environment have been improved. Compared with
2013, in 2017, in 338 cities at the prefecture level and above, the average concentration of inhalable particulate matters (PMi) decreased by 22.7%; the proportion
of water bodies of state-controlled section of surface water at Grade I-III increased
to 67.9%, and that of water bodies with quality worse than Grade V decreased to
8.3%. Fourth, ecological conservation has boosted high-quality economic development. Resource consumption, pollutant discharge, and ecological occupancy keep
declining, especially energy consumption per unit of GDP, water consumption, and
land consumption. Fifth, ecological conservation has improved China’s national
image and international status. China is evolving from a participant and contributor to an important leader in global green development and ecological civilization
construction.
2 New Tasks and Requirements for the Reform of System
for Developing an Ecological Civilization
1. New requirements in the new era
The construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.
The people will have an unseen strong demand for a better life and unseen little tolerance for environmental pollution, resource waste and ecological damage; government
officials, especially leading ones, will attach unseen importance to ecological conservation; and the international community will closely follow as it never before China’s
green development and ecological conservation. Ecological conservation has entered
a new era.
First, there are at least four signs from an objective point of view. (1) Environmental pollution in China has been effectively contained on the whole, and the environmental (especially air and water) quality of some areas and some regions (especially the Pearl River Delta) has gradually improved. (2) The problem of resource
waste is being tackled, and significant progress has been made in the conservation
of land, energy and water, and especially the intensity of energy consumption has
decreased significantly while the rate of land output has increased significantly. (3)
The trend of ecological deterioration has been roughly curbed; the ecological protection pattern, mainly relying on the drawing of redlines, is being accelerated; and the
pilot national park system is introduced, and in particular, the forest coverage rate
continues to increase. (4) The disorderly land development is being reversed; major