Interview with Qin Changbo, Planning Institute of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment: How does the "Beautiful Series" promote the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature?

Recently, the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions") was released, which put forward specific opinions for comprehensively promoting the construction of a beautiful China and accelerating the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Why did you choose to publish the "Opinions" at the current point in time? How should we understand the "beauty" of Beautiful China? How does the "Beautiful Series" promote the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature? How should local party committees and governments at all levels shoulder the main responsibility? Focusing on these issues, this newspaper interviewed Qin Changbo, director of the Institute of Strategic Planning of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, executive director and researcher of the Center for Beautiful China.

China Environment News: In your opinion, how to understand the "beauty" of beautiful China?

Qin Changbo:With the successful convening of the 18th, 19th, and 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, the Party Central Committee has enriched and improved the connotation of the construction of a beautiful China according to different stages of development and different problems faced, and continuously deepened the strategic deployment of the construction of a beautiful China from the aspects of "vision and goals, construction process, and strategic tasks", and put forward different task requirements for the construction of a beautiful China.

From the perspective of connotation and goal vision, Beautiful China is one of the goals of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, and its core essence lies in the "appearance" of "beauty", and the ecological environment is the key symbol of "beauty". The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed that by 2035, the per capita GDP will reach the level of moderately developed countries, and the level of ecological and environmental quality should also be commensurate with it. Therefore, by 2035, the basic realization of the Beautiful China goal means: the widespread formation of green production and lifestyle, the steady decline of carbon emissions after peaking, the fundamental improvement of the ecological environment, the comprehensive formation of a new pattern of land and space development and protection, the sustainability of ecosystem diversity and stability has been significantly improved, the national ecological security has been more stable, the modernization of the ecological environment governance system and governance capacity has been basically realized, the sky is bluer, the mountains are greener, the water is clearer, and the ecological environment is better.

Among them, achieving a "fundamental improvement of the ecological environment" is the core and fundamental goal of the construction of a beautiful China, which should be achieved through continuous promotion of pollution prevention and control and integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands and sands. The construction of Beautiful China has coordinated the adjustment of industrial structure, pollution control, ecological protection, and response to climate change, and coordinated the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, with a wider field and wider scope.

China Environment News: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to accelerate the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. However, in the face of such a situation, why did we choose to issue the "Opinions" at the current time node, and how will we promote the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature?

Qin Changbo:practiceNear-flatThe general secretary stressed that the structural, root cause, and trend pressures on China's ecological and environmental protection have not been fundamentally alleviated. At present, China's economic and social development has entered a high-quality development stage of accelerating green and low-carbon, and the construction of ecological civilization is still in a critical period of superimposed pressure and heavy burden. China's national conditions of high resource pressure, limited environmental capacity, and fragile ecosystems have not changed, 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, the total amount of pollutants and carbon emissions is still high, the trend of ecosystem degradation in some regions has not been fundamentally reversed, and the task of building a beautiful China is still arduous. To embark on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, it is necessary to maintain the strategic focus on strengthening the construction of ecological civilization, handle 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, support high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment, and accelerate the formation of a new pattern of building a beautiful China oriented to the realization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

In terms of promoting green and low-carbon development, we should properly handle the relationship between development and protection. Promote green and low-carbon development as a whole, promote the upgrading of traditional industrial processes, technologies and equipment, vigorously develop green and low-carbon industries, continuously shape new drivers and advantages of development, promote development to achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth in green transformation, and promote high-quality development and high-level protection to complement and complement each other.

In terms of promoting the prevention and control of environmental pollution, we should handle the relationship between key tackling key problems and coordinated governance. Adhere to the concept of systems, grasp the main contradictions and the main aspects of the contradictions, extend the depth and breadth, continue to fight the three major battles of defending the blue sky, clear water and pure land, and fight several beautiful landmark battles with higher standards. Strengthen target coordination, multi-pollutant control coordination, departmental coordination, regional coordination, and policy coordination, coordinate industrial structure adjustment, pollution control, ecological protection, and climate change response, and coordinate carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth.

In the implementation of integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands and sands, the relationship between natural restoration and artificial restoration should be properly handled. Construct a general pattern of protection and governance from the top of the mountain to the ocean, comprehensively use the two means of natural restoration and artificial restoration, adapt measures to local conditions and implement policies according to zoning and classification, accelerate the implementation of major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity conservation, persistently promote ecological construction, and build a solid national ecological security barrier.

In terms of support and guarantee, the relationship between external constraints and endogenous power should be properly handled. Do a good job in the rule of law, market, science and technology, and policy. Persist in using the strictest system and the strictest rule of law to protect the ecological environment, further promote the central ecological and environmental protection inspection, and maintain normalized external pressure. Improve the market-oriented allocation system of resources and environmental factors, give full play to the driving role of science and technology, make good use of green fiscal, tax and financial policies, guide the public to practice green and low-carbon lifestyles, and stimulate the endogenous power of the whole society.

In terms of the path to realization, the relationship between the "dual carbon" commitment and independent action should be properly handled. On the premise of ensuring energy security, we will adhere to the principle of establishing first and then breaking down, accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system, and implement the carbon peak action in a planned and step-by-step manner. We should take a more active stance in global climate governance, grasp the path and method, rhythm and intensity, and never let others "lead the rhythm".

China Environment News: The "Opinions" pointed out that it is necessary to promote the construction of beautiful blue sky, beautiful rivers and lakes, beautiful bays, beautiful mountains and rivers, and create a series of construction such as beautiful China pilot areas, beautiful cities and beautiful villages. How does the "Beauty Series" help promote the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature?

Qin Changbo:Beautiful China is not a simple slogan goal, but consists of many concrete contents. Taking into account various factors and combining with the current work foundation, the "Opinions" put forward a series of construction requirements for the construction of beautiful blue sky, beautiful rivers and lakes, beautiful bays, beautiful mountains and rivers, and the creation of beautiful China Pilot Zone, beautiful city and beautiful countryside.

From the perspective of practical progress and work foundation, in recent years, various regions have promoted the construction of ecological civilization and ecological environmental protection in an all-round, multi-field and multi-level manner, carried out a lot of innovative work, formed a number of typical models, and accumulated rich practical experience for the construction of a beautiful China. For example, major national and regional strategies such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Yellow River Basin have all formulated ecological and environmental protection plans to support high-quality development with high-level ecological environmental protection and build a Beautiful China Pilot Zone. Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shanxi and other provinces have compiled and issued plans for the construction of beautiful provinces in the region. With the goal of basically realizing a beautiful China by 2035, all localities will take beautiful cities, beautiful villages, beautiful rivers and lakes, and beautiful bays as the starting point, systematically promote the work of all fields and all elements of ecological and environmental protection, and achieve full coverage of all elements, fields, and urban and rural areas. In 2013 and 2020, Hangzhou issued the Outline for the Implementation of the Construction of Beautiful Hangzhou and the Outline of the Plan for the Construction of a Beautiful City in the New Era. Shenzhen proposes to "take the lead in building a beautiful Chinese model of harmonious coexistence between man and nature", with the goal of building a global benchmark city, leading the ecological and environmental governance of megacities, creating a pioneer in sustainable development, and providing the "Shenzhen model" and "Shenzhen plan" for the construction of a beautiful China. In addition, since 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has carried out the collection of excellent cases of beautiful rivers and lakes and beautiful bays every year, and has summarized and formed 50 beautiful rivers and lakes and 26 beautiful bay comprehensive treatment cases with their own characteristics in two batches, forming a typical model of clear water defense and the construction of beautiful rivers, lakes and bays.

On this basis, the "Opinions" clarify that seven key areas constitute the Beautiful China Roadmap. The "Beautiful Series" is an important carrier to promote the construction of a beautiful China, and it is also the main starting point for promoting the construction of a beautiful China at this stage. From the regional and local levels, give full play to local enthusiasm, focus on regional coordinated development strategies and major regional strategies, strengthen regional co-ordination, land and sea co-ordination, coordinated governance, joint prevention and joint governance, and joint construction and sharing, create a green development highland, and promote the construction of a beautiful China pilot zone. At the same time, encourage parks, enterprises, communities, schools and other grassroots units to carry out actions according to local conditions, and drive the common action of the whole society with the construction of "beautiful cells", forming a good social atmosphere in which beautiful Chinese everyone participates and everyone shares.

China Environment News: Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee has made unprecedented efforts to grasp the construction of ecological civilization, and historical, turning and overall changes have taken place in ecological and environmental protection, and the construction of a beautiful China has taken a major step. In the future, how should local party committees and governments at all levels shoulder the main responsibilities of the key tasks proposed in the Opinions?

Qin Changbo:practiceNear-flatAt the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, the general secretary stressed that building a beautiful China is an important goal of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, and it is necessary to uphold and strengthen the party's overall leadership. Local party committees and governments at all levels should resolutely shoulder the political responsibility for the construction of a beautiful China, pay close attention to studying and formulating a responsibility system for the ecological and environmental protection of local party and government leading cadres, and establish a responsibility system that covers a comprehensive scale, has consistent powers and responsibilities, and has clear rewards and punishments, and is interlocking.

In order to ensure the basic realization of the goal of Beautiful China by 2035, the key is to do a good job in organizing and implementing it. Local Party committees and governments at all levels should make great efforts in organizing and leading, refining measures, promoting implementation, and consolidating responsibilities, so as to promote the implementation of the goals, tasks, and various decisions and deployments of the construction of a beautiful China. The first is to strengthen organizational leadership, adhere to and strengthen the party's overall leadership, and improve the working mechanism of the central government's overall planning, the province's overall responsibility, and the city's and county's implementation. The construction of Beautiful China will be the focus of ecological and environmental protection inspections at all levels. Formulate regulations on the responsibility system for ecological and environmental protection for local party and government leading cadres, and establish a responsibility system that covers a comprehensive scale, has consistent powers and responsibilities, and has clear rewards and punishments, and is interlocking. The second is to introduce supporting plans, combined with the actual situation of the region, the introduction of implementation opinions or planning plans, clear work priorities and safeguard measures, and detailed implementation measures and action plans in different fields. The third is to improve the implementation mechanism, accelerate the formation of the implementation system and promotion mechanism for the construction of a beautiful China in the region, promote the projectization, list-based and responsibility of tasks, strengthen the fiscal, tax, financial, price and other policy support for major projects of the beautiful construction, and strengthen overall coordination, scheduling and evaluation, supervision and management. Promote the joint action of the whole society, and establish a general pattern of ecological and environmental protection led by party committees, led by the government, and jointly participated by enterprises, social organizations and the public. Fourth, we should actively carry out early exploration, select cities, counties or regions with better basic conditions to take the lead in the trial, and promote the construction of the "beautiful series" in an orderly manner in accordance with the principle of phased and batch-by-batch and rolling implementation, promote the construction of beautiful cities by classified policies, and implement the construction of beautiful rural demonstration counties. We will carry out in-depth demonstration areas for the construction of ecological civilization and the establishment of practical innovation bases for "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".

In addition, in order to promote the implementation of the "Opinions", the national level will also carry out assessment and evaluation, and through research and development of the evaluation index system and assessment methods for the effectiveness of the construction of a beautiful China, the assessment of the effectiveness of pollution prevention and control will be transitioned to the assessment of the effectiveness of the construction of a beautiful China in a timely manner.