Coordinate ecological environmental protection and economic development

Source: Economic Daily

Promoting green and low-carbon economic and social development is the key to achieving high-quality development. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the ecological and environmental protection of the mainland has undergone historic, turning and overall changes, and the economic and social development has entered a high-quality development stage of accelerating greening and low-carbonization, and the construction of ecological civilization has entered an important stage with carbon reduction as the key strategic direction, promoting the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and realizing the improvement of ecological environment quality from quantitative to qualitative change. At the same time, the construction of ecological civilization is still in a critical period of superimposed pressure and heavy burden, the structural, root cause and trend pressure of ecological environmental protection has not been fundamentally alleviated, the endogenous power of green transformation of economic and social development is insufficient, the foundation for the stability and improvement of ecological environment quality is not solid, and the task of building a beautiful China is still arduous, and it is necessary to better coordinate ecological environmental protection and economic development to promote each other.

Grasp the opportunities and challenges of green and low-carbon transformation

At different stages of development, the manifestations and degrees of ecological and environmental problems are different, the conditions and capabilities for solving ecological and environmental problems are different, and the content and requirements of the integration of ecological environmental protection and economic development will also be different. Since the beginning of the new era, the mainland's understanding of the overall protection of the ecological environment and economic development has gradually deepened, requiring the complete, accurate and comprehensive implementation of the new development concept, continuing to promote green transformation, and unswervingly following the path of ecological priority and green development. Only by understanding and grasping the law can we coordinate ecological environmental protection and economic development on the basis of following the law, and carry out integrated innovation of systems and mechanisms in combination with work needs, so as to ensure that ecological environmental protection and economic development work support and synergy with each other.

From a global perspective, as a large developing country, the mainland is a late-developing country in the trend of green and low-carbon development. In this context, promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of production methods and lifestyles is not only ushering in historical opportunities, but also facing huge challenges.

In terms of opportunities, the mainland can refer to and learn from the experience and lessons of the green and low-carbon transformation of developed countries, use the economic and technological foundation accumulated since the reform and opening up to solve the relevant problems encountered in the transformation, and make use of the mainland's energy resource endowment and talent and technology advantages to seize the new track of international green and low-carbon industry competition.

As far as the challenges are concerned, developed countries are focusing on carbon emission reduction after solving the traditional environmental pollution problem, while the mainland should not only fight the battle of pollution prevention and control, solve the existing ecological and environmental problems left over from history and the new ecological and environmental problems in the current development, but also promote the carbon peak work in an orderly manner before 2030, and deepen the reform in the mechanism, the collaborative innovation in technology, and the progress needs to cascade to achieve the goal of green, circular and low-carbon coordinated development, and the economic, technological and social pressure is greater. It's more difficult to move forward. In the face of the requirements of the era of green and low-carbon transformation, if the mainland does not transform in time, it will not only be difficult to achieve the goals of ecological environmental protection and carbon peak and carbon neutrality as scheduled, but also affect the improvement of the international competitiveness of green and low-carbon development.

Enhance the endogenous driving force of green and low-carbon development

In the face of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, green, recycling, low-carbon and intelligent development has become a general trend. To unswervingly follow the path of civilized development with production development, affluent life and good ecology, we must deal with the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection, key tackling and coordinated governance, natural restoration and artificial restoration, external constraints and endogenous power, "dual carbon" commitment and independent action, vigorously promote green and low-carbon economic and social development, and enhance the endogenous power and innovation vitality of green and low-carbon development.

The greening and low-carbon development of economic and social development will promote comprehensive and systemic changes in the energy structure, industrial production, transportation, building renovation and social life. This change is not only an industrial transformation for the development of the new economy, but also a transformation and reform for the development of traditional industries. To this end, it is necessary to combine the established green and low-carbon development goals, take the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, industry, transportation, construction and other industries as the guide, and carry out reasonable planning for the industrial space, living space and ecological space of the mainland, so as to form a scientific, orderly and dynamic land space protection and development pattern. Only in this way can we comprehensively and systematically enhance the endogenous driving force of the economy, strengthen the international comparative advantages of the industry, and continue to provide support for the high-level protection of the ecological environment.

To enhance the endogenous driving force of green and low-carbon development, the first is to vigorously support scientific and technological innovation, promote the deep integration of industrial digitalization and intelligence with green and low-carbon, accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system supported by the real economy, improve the green manufacturing system and service system, vigorously develop strategic emerging industries, high-tech industries, green environmental protection industries, and modern service industries, and comprehensively form a green and low-carbon industrial system and consumption system. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the deep integration of industry, university and research led by enterprises, guide enterprises, universities and scientific research units to jointly build a number of green and low-carbon industry innovation centers around the direction of industrial transformation, and increase the supply of efficient green environmental protection technology and equipment products. On the basis of the construction of a green supply chain system, we will strengthen low-carbon requirements and build a green and low-carbon supply chain system. The second is to strengthen the coupling development and utilization of green power and regional mineral resources in areas rich in renewable energy resources, develop green and low-carbon new coal chemical industry, petrochemical industry and other new industries, and reduce dependence on foreign oil, gas and coal in an orderly manner on the premise of improving the security of energy resources. The third is to reform and innovate the system of natural resource asset management, implement the reform of the collective forest tenure system, and stimulate the market vitality of natural resource assets in the process of realizing the value of ecological products while strictly protecting the ecological environment in accordance with the law. The fourth is to innovate the value realization mechanism of ecological products, and establish a mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products such as lucid waters and lush mountains, ice and snow, and Gobi Desert by category, so as to transform ecological resources into "gold and silver mountains". Fifth, accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system that is compatible with green and low-carbon development, and promote the remanufacturing or recycling of waste such as waste wind turbine blades, photovoltaic modules, power batteries, and express packaging.

At the same time, we will create a good business environment for green and low-carbon development. Adhere to precise pollution control, scientific pollution control, and pollution control in accordance with the law, encourage business entities to accelerate green and low-carbon transformation, accelerate the construction of regulatory systems such as production safety and environmental protection credit, strengthen policy support such as taxation, comprehensively consider industry energy consumption, water consumption, gas consumption and sewage discharge performance levels, and implement differentiated or stepped charging policies for power supply, water supply, gas supply and sewage treatment for enterprises of different types and sizes. Improve the goals and standards of green, recycling, and low-carbon management, strengthen the consistency assessment of decision-making, policies, goals, and standards for economic development and green and low-carbon cycle supervision, and promote the formation of a virtuous circle of ecological environmental protection and economic development.

Adhere to the system concept and find the right entry point

To coordinate ecological environmental protection and economic development at a higher level, it is necessary to identify the starting point and entry point of work, and orderly promote the transformation of all fields, all-round improvement, and all-region construction.

Transformation in all fields. Strengthen green technology innovation, accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation in energy, industry, transportation, urban and rural construction, agriculture and other fields, and enhance the endogenous driving force and innovation vitality of the construction of a beautiful China. In terms of energy conservation and carbon reduction, it is necessary to coordinate carbon peaking, carbon neutrality and pollution prevention and control, adhere to the principle of establishing first and then breaking down, grasp the intensity and rhythm of work, accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system, and orderly promote the dual control of energy consumption and gradually shift to the "dual control" of total carbon emission and intensity; Accelerate the energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation of existing buildings, transportation, and urban and rural infrastructure, promote the large-scale development of ultra-low energy consumption and low-carbon buildings, and promote agricultural energy conservation and emission reduction. In terms of industrial transformation, in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Yangtze River Basin, the Yellow River Basin, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and other regions and river basins, in accordance with their respective characteristics, positioning and development goals, on the basis of strengthening industrial cooperation and technological collaborative innovation, we will build a Beautiful China Pilot Zone, create a green and low-carbon development highland, and promote the continuous and benign interaction between ecological environmental protection and economic development.

All-round improvement. Adhere to the overall planning of factors and the integration of urban and rural areas, and consolidate the ecological and environmental foundation for high-quality development. Guided by green and low-carbon, beautiful environment, ecological livability, wisdom and efficiency, we will focus on promoting the construction of beautiful blue skies, beautiful rivers and lakes, beautiful bays, and beautiful mountains and rivers, so as to create a beautiful China pilot zone, beautiful cities and beautiful villages, and draw a new picture of beautiful China with its own beauty and beauty. We will work together to promote urban renewal, community renewal, and building renewal, promote the construction of sponge cities and sponge communities, and enhance the resilience of the ecological environment of cities and communities. Coordinate and promote the revitalization of rural industries, ecological revitalization and improvement of rural human settlements. The improvement of rural human settlements needs to take into account the changes in rural industries and population migration, promote the integrated development of hollow villages in an orderly manner, achieve relatively concentrated industries, relatively concentrated populations, and relatively centralized services, and improve the investment effectiveness of rural construction and rural operation. The construction of infrastructure and the selection of technology should be adapted to local conditions, taking into account not only the self-purification capacity of the ecological environment, but also the sustainable payment capacity of village collectives and rural households.

All-region construction. In accordance with systematic thinking, ecological restoration and environmental pollution control will be carried out according to local conditions, and the construction of a beautiful China will be covered in stages, and a number of distinctive and colorful beautiful China construction sectors will be created, so as to fully display the magnificent style of the western part of the United States, the vast scenery of the beautiful northeast, the splendid mountains and rivers in the beautiful central part of the country, and the beautiful charm of the harmonious east. In terms of ecological construction, it is necessary to strictly supervise the ecological protection redline, strengthen the management of various nature reserves, protect biodiversity, maintain the stability and sustainability of ecosystems, and improve the capacity of the ecological environment. In terms of environmental construction, it is necessary to promote the upgrading and expansion of urban environmental infrastructure in accordance with the phased goals of environmental quality improvement, coordinate and carry out comprehensive treatment of all aspects and types of environmental pollution, and gradually pay off old accounts while striving not to owe new debts, and constantly promote the improvement of ecological and environmental quality. In the construction of ecology and environment in the whole region, it is necessary to optimize production, living and ecological space, carry out collaborative innovation pilot projects for pollution reduction and carbon reduction in multiple fields and at multiple levels, reduce the comprehensive cost of protecting the ecological environment of the state, society and enterprises, improve the comprehensive performance of ecological protection, pollution control, energy conservation and carbon reduction, and carbon sequestration, maintain ecological security, and promote sustainable economic and social development.

In addition, the construction of a beautiful China requires the participation of the whole society. Through publicity, education and case guidance, the will to build a beautiful China will be translated into the conscious action of all people, and a good social atmosphere will be formed in which everyone participates in the construction of a beautiful China and everyone shares.

(Source of this article: Economic Daily Author: Chang Jiwen The author is deputy director and researcher of the Institute of Resources and Environmental Policy of the Development Research Center of the State Council)