Xi stresses strategic resolve on building eco-civilization

BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed maintaining strategic resolve on developing an ecological civilization and achieving modernization featuring human-nature harmony.

Xi made the remarks while presiding over a study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday, according to a statement issued on Saturday.

The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period is a vital phase for China's ecological conservation drive that aims for overall green transformation of economic and social development through coordinated progress in pollution reduction and carbon emission cut, Xi noted.

He called for maintaining strategic resolve and planning economic and social development with a lofty goal of achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

At the study session, Wang Jinnan, head of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, explained related issues and proposed work suggestions for discussion.

Xi said one of the key characteristics of China's socialist modernization is human-nature harmony. He urged efforts to accelerate the adjustments of industrial, energy, transportation, and land use structures.

Territorial space planning and use control should be strengthened, and resource utilization efficiency comprehensively improved.

Peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality are a solemn commitment to the world and also a profound economic and social transformation that is by no means easy, Xi noted.

He called on Party officials and governments at all levels to set clear timetables and roadmaps to push economic and social development based on efficient use of resources and green, low-carbon growth.

"High-energy consumption and high-emission projects that do not meet requirements must be resolutely taken down," Xi stressed.

He underscored efforts to continue the fight against air, water and soil pollution and improve the quality and stability of the ecosystem.

China will establish a sound mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products so that the protection and restoration of the ecological environment can be awarded a reasonable return, and the cost of damaging the environment paid correspondingly, Xi said.

Major biodiversity conservation projects will be launched, and control of alien species strengthened, he noted.

China will actively participate in global environmental governance, improve South-South cooperation, and cooperate with neighboring countries, Xi said.

It will provide developing countries with financial and technical support within its capacity, and assistance in improving environmental governance capabilities, in order to jointly build a green Belt and Road, he noted.

Xi stressed that China must improve the modernization of the ecological environment governance system and governance capabilities and strengthen legal and policy guarantees for green development.

He urged efforts to improve the management of binding indicators for environmental protection, energy conservation, and emission reduction, and establish a sound and stable mechanism of the fiscal input.

China should fully implement the pollution discharge permit system, promote the market-oriented trading of pollution discharge rights, energy use rights, water use rights, and carbon emission rights. It should also establish a sound risk management and control mechanism, Xi said.