China's economic and social development problems

5. the strict concept of rule of law of “protecting the ecological environment with the strictest system”

The ecological environment is the most inclusive public good, and it is also the field most prone to “tragedy of the commons.” Therefore, the protection of the ecological environment must rely on institutions and the rule of law. Comrade Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that the protection of the ecological environment must rely on the system and the rule of law, and in practice has continuously promoted ecological legislation and strengthened ecological law enforcement, forming an ecological rule of law concept that protects the ecological environment with the strictest system and the strictest rule of law.

Most of the outstanding problems in China’s ecological environmental protection are related to the imperfect system, the lack of strict system, the lack of strict rule of law, the lack of implementation, and the ineffective punishment. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has written the construction of ecological civilization into the Party Constitution and Constitution, giving it an important status in the form of the fundamental law of the Party and the country;

The “Overall Plan for the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System” has been promulgated, building the “four beams and eight pillars” of the ecological civilization system and consolidating the institutional foundation for the construction of ecological civilization; adopted the “strictest revision of the Environmental Protection Law in history”, formulated the “Soil Pollution Prevention and Control Law”, revised the “Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law”, “Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law” and “Wildlife Protection Law”, and formulated a series of laws and regulations such as the “Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Improving the Ecological Protection Compensation Mechanism”, so that the construction of ecological civilization has entered the rule of law. The institutionalized track has promoted the continuous improvement of the quality of the ecological environment. At the same time, we must also see that the construction of the ecological civilization system is not once and for all, there is still a long way to go, and it is necessary to accelerate institutional innovation, increase institutional supply, improve institutional support, strengthen institutional implementation, and make the system a rigid constraint and an untouchable high-voltage line.

The vitality of laws and regulations lies in their implementation. No matter how perfect the system design is, if it is not implemented, it can only be a “toothless tiger.” The key to implementing laws and regulations lies in truly grasping them, relying on strict management. Comrade Xi Jinping stressed: “Our ecological and environmental problems have reached a very serious level, and we must take the most severe measures.” 1 The rigidity and authority of the system must be firmly established, and no choices, no adaptations, and no discounts must be made. It is necessary to grasp the key minority, strengthen assessment and accountability, strictly use the system management power to govern officials, protect the blue and increase the green, have the right to be responsible, have responsibility must be shouldered, and fail to be held accountable, to ensure that the Party Central Committee’s decision-making and deployment on the construction of ecological civilization take root and achieve results. It is necessary to further increase the cost of violating laws and regulations, intensify law enforcement, severely punish acts that damage the ecological environment, pursue the responsibility of those who cause serious consequences according to law, devote great efforts to grasping the negative examples of destroying the ecological environment, never be soft, never make an example, and truly change the situation in which the rule of law in the ecological environment system is not lenient, loose, and soft.

6. The global win-win concept of “jointly seeking the road to global ecological civilization construction”

Environmental problems are not a national or regional problem, but a global problem. Comrade Xi Jinping stands at the height of the future of the world and the destiny of mankind,

It is proposed that the construction of ecological civilization is related to the common interests of all countries and the future development of mankind, and advocates that the international community work together to jointly solve the contradictions and challenges brought by industrial civilization, and strive to achieve the goal of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Jointly seeking the construction of global ecological civilization is not only the concept and path for China to achieve sustainable development, but also provides Chinese concepts and solutions for the construction of global ecological civilization.

In the face of ecological and environmental challenges, mankind is a community of common destiny with both prosperity and loss, and no country can be left alone. The construction of ecological civilization is related to the future of mankind, and building a green home is the common dream of mankind. “Protecting the ecological environment, responding to climate change, and maintaining the security of energy resources are common challenges facing the world”, 1 which requires all countries in the world to work together in the same boat. Every country and region and every social organization and institution must fulfill its responsibilities and consciously assume the responsibility and obligation to protect and improve the ecological environment. Adhering to the concept of consultation, co-construction and sharing, China actively participates in global environmental governance, actively fulfills its responsibilities and obligations, participates in international cooperation and exchanges, and makes its contribution to building a world with beautiful mountains and rivers, clean and beautiful and promoting sustainable development of the world. Against the background of the continuous evolution of the concept of global sustainable development and the urgent need for major changes in the global environmental governance system, China has become an important participant, contributor and leader in the construction of global ecological civilization, playing a role in the global governance system consistent with its status as the world’s second largest economy and the largest developing country. In the future, we should deeply participate in global environmental governance, enhance China’s voice and influence in the global environmental governance system, actively guide the direction of international order change, and form solutions for world environmental protection and sustainable development. We should adhere to environmental friendliness, implement the national strategy of actively addressing climate change, guide international cooperation on climate change, and promote and guide the establishment of a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system. It is necessary to promote the construction of the “Belt and Road”, build the “Belt and Road” into a green development road, build an ecological system that respects nature and green development, and let the concept and practice of ecological civilization benefit the people of all countries along the route

Section 3: The practical path of building a beautiful China

“Beautiful China” is not something that can be waited for and shouted, but spelled out and done. To realize this grand blueprint and beautiful vision related to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the happy life of the Chinese people, we must firmly grasp the window period when we have the conditions and ability to solve outstanding problems in the ecological environment, accelerate green development, focus on solving outstanding environmental problems, increase the protection of ecosystems, reform the ecological environment supervision system, and promote the construction of a beautiful China to a new level.

1. promote green development and realize the transformation of production methods and lifestyles

Green is the symbol of life, the background color of nature, but also the foundation of a better life and the expectation of the people. Green development is an important part of the new development concept and an important part of building a beautiful China. To achieve green development, we must change the traditional economic development model, adjust the industrial structure and energy structure, and improve energy efficiency.

Establish and improve a green and low-carbon circular economic system. The emergence of China’s environmental problems is closely related to the mode of economic development, and accelerating the establishment and improvement of a green and low-carbon circular economic system is the root cause of the pollution problem. This requires the establishment of green production methods, reducing resource and energy consumption, reducing pollution emissions, and reducing ecological damage. It is necessary to do a good job in natural capital accounting and ecological service valuation, lay a solid foundation for transforming green mountains into gold and silver mountains, and internalize ecological prices as growth drivers. Deeply implement supply-side structural reform, do a good job in the ecological, circular and low-carbon transformation and development of traditional industries, accelerate the ultra-low emission transformation of high-emission industries such as thermal power and steel, implement the emission transformation of heavy polluting industries to meet standards, and at the same time promote the clean utilization of coal and accelerate the solution of wind, solar and hydropower consumption problems. Develop ecological and environmental service industries, promote new business models such as energy-saving and water- saving service industries, cultivate and expand green environmental protection industries with new energy, electric vehicles and other ecological industries and products as the main body, and develop ecological organic agriculture. Build a market-oriented green technology innovation system. Science and technology are the primary productive forces;

Green technology innovation is a fundamental solution to resource and environmental constraints, and an important focus for promoting the construction of ecological civilization. To build a market- oriented green technology innovation system, it is necessary to “give full play to the market’s guiding role in the direction of technology research and development, route selection, factor prices, and the allocation of various innovative factors, so that the market can truly play a decisive role in the allocation of innovation resources.” 1 It is necessary to promote green technology research and development in the face of market demand, design technology research routes, and promote the transformation of green technology; give full play to the main position and role of enterprises in green technology innovation, truly make enterprises the main body of green science and technology innovation decision-making, research and development investment, scientific research organization and achievement transformation, accelerate the cultivation and formation of a number of internationally competitive green innovation leading enterprises; improve the institutional mechanisms and supporting policies for promoting green science and technology innovation. The government should play a better role, increase investment in basic research in the field of green technology, do a good job in the risk of scientific and technological innovation, improve the intellectual property protection system, and protect the innovation rights and interests of enterprises; build a green technology exchange platform between scientific research institutions and enterprises, and break through the obstruction of green technology from laboratories to enterprises to markets; accelerate the development of green finance, and support financial institutions to increase investment and financing services for green technology.

Promote a comprehensive resource conservation and recycling system. Saving resources is China’s basic national policy. Comrade Xi Jinping stressed that “change the traditional production mode and consumption mode of ‘mass production, large consumption and large amount of emissions’, so that resources, production, consumption and other factors are matched and adapted, so as to achieve the coordination and unity of economic and social development and ecological environmental protection, and harmonious coexistence between man and nature.”2 To promote the comprehensive conservation and recycling of resources and build a resource-saving society, it is necessary to strengthen the dual control system of total energy consumption and intensity, improve legislation, strictly implement the “Energy Conservation Law of the People’s Republic of China”, and increase the intensity of punishment for violations; strict tax system, levy high taxes on resource-consuming extensive enterprises, and regulate emission behavior through tax means; improve market-oriented energy-saving and emission-reduction mechanisms, implement tiered electricity, water and gas prices, widen the tiered price gap, and force enterprises to save resources; Gradually improve energy efficiency standards, update energy efficiency labels, do a good job in market orientation, encourage consumers to choose energy-efficient products, and gradually realize the replacement and upgrading of consumer products.

Advocate a simple and moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle. Green development methods and lifestyles are major choices for fundamental ecological governance.

Comrade Xi Jinping stressed that “we must advocate a simple and moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle, and oppose extravagant waste and unreasonable consumption.” 1 It is necessary to strengthen publicity and education on ecological civilization, organize and carry out green and low- carbon concept publicity activities and science popularization activities, create a public opinion atmosphere for a green and low-carbon life, and enhance the people’s consciousness of thought and action to live a green and low-carbon life; strengthen citizens’ awareness of the environment, guide residents to change their consumption concepts, and advocate thrift and green and low-carbon consumption. Starting from the small details of life, advocate water saving, energy saving and electricity saving, encourage residents to use environmental protection products, advocate reuse and recycling, and actively advocate green and low-carbon travel; widely carry out activities to create energy-saving institutions, green families, green schools, and green communities, and force the green transformation of production methods through the green revolution of lifestyle.