National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone …
659
compensating for ecological damage, the environmental governance system, the environmental governance and ecological protection market system, the performance
evaluation and accountability system for ecological conservation. In the section “Supporting the Implementation of the Reform of the System for Developing an Ecological
Civilization—Developing Pilot Projects,” it clearly proposes to “merge the departmental comprehensive ecological civilization pilot projects to form a national pilot
project which each department shall guide and promote in accordance with their
respective responsibilities.”
It can be seen that although various comprehensive ecological construction pilot
projects, including the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone project, are more
closely related to the strategic deployment and general requirements of the system
building for promoting ecological progress, they are not directly part of system
construction (such as the natural resources property rights system, the system for
paying for resources consumption and compensating for ecological damage, etc.),
but an important guarantee for their implementation (just like strengthening the
leadership over the system reform for developing an ecological civilization) or efforts
with a more comprehensive goal.
It must be noted that before the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone, there
were already ecological civilization (pilot) demonstration zones in various forms and
at different levels across in China, some of which were organized by ministries and
commissions under the State Council or by provincial administrative regions. The
highest-level among them after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 included
the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Demonstration Zone with the Ministry of
Environmental Protection as the lead organizer, the National Ecological Civilization
Pilot Demonstration Zone jointly launched by seven ministries and commissions
including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the National
Water Ecological Civilization Pilot City under the leadership of the Ministry of Water
Resources, and the National Marine Ecological Civilization Demonstration Zone by
the Ministry of Land and Resources.
Among them, the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Demonstration Zone
under the leadership of the Ministry of Environmental Protection was the first attempt
of its kind, and could be traced back to 1999 when Hainan took the lead in the ecological province (city, county) initiative. Since then, 13 other provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions have followed
Hainan in the pilot project of building ecological provinces (cities, counties). In
2008, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued the Opinions on Promoting
Ecological Progress, clarifying the guidelines and basic principles for promoting
ecological progress, and demanding the establishment of an industrial system, environmental safety, culture, ethics, institutions and mechanisms that meet the requirements of ecological conservation. It also decided to organize a national pilot project
for promoting ecological progress. In June 2013, approved by the central government, the Ecological Conservation Demonstration Zone was officially renamed the
Ecological Civilization Demonstration Zone. As of October 2013, the Ministry of
Environmental Protection had approved 125 national ecological civilization pilot
659
compensating for ecological damage, the environmental governance system, the environmental governance and ecological protection market system, the performance
evaluation and accountability system for ecological conservation. In the section “Supporting the Implementation of the Reform of the System for Developing an Ecological
Civilization—Developing Pilot Projects,” it clearly proposes to “merge the departmental comprehensive ecological civilization pilot projects to form a national pilot
project which each department shall guide and promote in accordance with their
respective responsibilities.”
It can be seen that although various comprehensive ecological construction pilot
projects, including the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone project, are more
closely related to the strategic deployment and general requirements of the system
building for promoting ecological progress, they are not directly part of system
construction (such as the natural resources property rights system, the system for
paying for resources consumption and compensating for ecological damage, etc.),
but an important guarantee for their implementation (just like strengthening the
leadership over the system reform for developing an ecological civilization) or efforts
with a more comprehensive goal.
It must be noted that before the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone, there
were already ecological civilization (pilot) demonstration zones in various forms and
at different levels across in China, some of which were organized by ministries and
commissions under the State Council or by provincial administrative regions. The
highest-level among them after the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012 included
the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Demonstration Zone with the Ministry of
Environmental Protection as the lead organizer, the National Ecological Civilization
Pilot Demonstration Zone jointly launched by seven ministries and commissions
including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the National
Water Ecological Civilization Pilot City under the leadership of the Ministry of Water
Resources, and the National Marine Ecological Civilization Demonstration Zone by
the Ministry of Land and Resources.
Among them, the National Ecological Civilization Pilot Demonstration Zone
under the leadership of the Ministry of Environmental Protection was the first attempt
of its kind, and could be traced back to 1999 when Hainan took the lead in the ecological province (city, county) initiative. Since then, 13 other provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions have followed
Hainan in the pilot project of building ecological provinces (cities, counties). In
2008, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued the Opinions on Promoting
Ecological Progress, clarifying the guidelines and basic principles for promoting
ecological progress, and demanding the establishment of an industrial system, environmental safety, culture, ethics, institutions and mechanisms that meet the requirements of ecological conservation. It also decided to organize a national pilot project
for promoting ecological progress. In June 2013, approved by the central government, the Ecological Conservation Demonstration Zone was officially renamed the
Ecological Civilization Demonstration Zone. As of October 2013, the Ministry of
Environmental Protection had approved 125 national ecological civilization pilot