Interview with Wang Xu, Secretary of the Pingliang Municipal Party Committee: Beautiful ecological environment is the biggest development advantage of Pingliang
Pingliang City, Gansu Province, is located in the core area of the Jingwei River Basin in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, and is an integral part of the Loess Plateau-Sichuan-Yunnan ecological barrier in the national ecological security strategy of "two screens and three belts". In the face of the arduous task of economic development, how should we balance the relationship with ecological and environmental protection? In 2023, Pingliang put forward the goal of building a national ecological civilization construction demonstration zone, how was it considered at that time? How to better implement the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin in the next step? Focusing on these issues, this reporter interviewed Wang Xu, secretary of the Pingliang Municipal Party Committee of Gansu Province.
China Environment News:In January 2023, the Pingliang Municipal Party Committee put forward the construction goals of "three bases and two districts", one of which is the National Ecological Civilization Construction Demonstration Zone. Why did you make this decision at that time, and how did Pingliang work together to promote economic development and ecological environmental protection?
Wang Xu:Pingliang is an important part of the ecological security barrier of the Loess Plateau in Longzhong area of Longdong, and its ecological status is special and very important. Successive municipal party committees have attached great importance to ecological environmental protection, because protecting the ecological environment is a matter that benefits future generations, and ecology has always been the brightest background color of Pingliang, and it is also the biggest advantage of our development.
Embarking on a new journey, the Municipal Party Committee plans and promotes the construction of ecological civilization at a higher level, and establishes the goal of building Longdong comprehensive energy and chemical base, advanced equipment manufacturing base, cultural tourism and health care base, national ecological civilization construction demonstration zone, and agricultural boutique cultivation demonstration zone, which is the specific practice and path exploration of our complete, accurate and comprehensive implementation of the new development concept, giving full play to the city's comparative advantages in resources, industry and ecology, and fully promoting high-quality development and high-level protection. In particular, we have taken the lead in the province in planning and deploying the overall construction of a national ecological civilization construction demonstration zone, insisting on the synchronization of construction and greening, equal emphasis on protection and governance, and coordination between economy and ecology, and coordinating the promotion of key ecological protection work and ecological system, ecological space, ecological economy, ecological life and ecological culture construction, comprehensively amplifying the ecological advantages of Pingliang, and embarking on a high-quality development path that reflects the characteristics of the times, gives full play to comparative advantages, and serves the overall situation of the country and province.
High-quality development and high-level protection are complementary and mutually reinforcing. In the work of investment promotion, we aim at the win-win goal of development and ecological and environmental protection, continuously strengthen the carrier, expand the field, and provide excellent services, improve the green threshold of the project, effectively transform the resource advantage into the advantage of high-quality development, and strive to promote the symbiosis and win-win situation of green appearance and golden output value.
The most important thing is to strictly control the source. We insist on grasping both economic development and ecological environmental protection, paying equal attention to the quantity and quality and efficiency of projects, establishing a pre-assessment mechanism for investment projects, strengthening project planning and demonstration, implementing a "one-vote veto" for projects that do not meet the requirements of ecological and environmental protection policies, and resolutely curbing the construction of "two highs and one low" projects. For example, Chongxin County investment to introduce a papermaking enterprise, because the use of power plant waste heat and steam, the company is willing to invest in Pingliang, we conducted in-depth research in the early stage, and learned that the pulp is imported from Germany, will not cause pollution, so we decided to introduce the landing.
China Environment News:The reporter noted that Pingliang mentioned that it must make every effort to ensure the steady increase in coal production and power generation when determining this year's economic and social development goals, and also proposed that carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP should be reduced by 17% during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period. How does Pingliang achieve these two goals and tasks simultaneously?
Wang Xu:Pingliang is rich in coal resources and is the core area for the comprehensive utilization of traditional energy determined by the state and the construction of a comprehensive energy and chemical base in Longdong, Gansu. In recent years, in order to promote the realization of the "dual carbon" goal, in accordance with the national demand for energy supply and economic and social development, we have vigorously implemented projects such as clean and efficient use of coal, renewable energy substitution, energy conservation, carbon reduction and efficiency improvement, and strive to achieve the goal of "dual control" of carbon emissions on the basis of ensuring the steady increase of coal production and power generation.
The first is to increase the proportion of renewable energy applications. Based on the abundant wind and solar resources in Pingliang, adhere to the simultaneous development of centralized and distributed, vigorously promote the integrated development of wind, solar and hydrogen storage, and actively promote the diversified utilization of biomass energy and renewable energy, the steady implementation of the "Thousands of Towns and Villages Wind Control Action" and "Thousands of Households Muguang Action" have been steadily implemented, and the proportion of new energy and renewable energy applications has been continuously increased, and the city's new energy installed capacity can reach 2 million kilowatts by 2026.
The second is to consolidate the role of ecosystem carbon sequestration. Strengthen the water conservation of the Yellow River Basin, the ecological protection and restoration of the Longzhong region, the protection of the Loess Plateau, and the control of soil erosion on sloping cultivated land, and thoroughly implement major ecological projects such as the protection of natural forest resources, the construction of the three-north shelterbelt, and a new round of returning farmland to forest and grassland, carry out large-scale and scientific land greening, stabilize the carbon sequestration role of existing forests, grasslands, and cultivated land, and strive to improve the carbon sink capacity of the city's ecosystem.
The third is to reduce the carbon emission intensity of loose coal consumption. Strengthen the conservation and efficient use of resources and energy, strive to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of industrial structure, production methods and lifestyles, promote "coal-to-gas" and "coal-to-electricity" in an orderly manner according to local conditions, actively apply for winter clean heating projects in the northern region, take the lead in the province to realize centralized heating in built-up areas of cities above the county level, and continue to reduce loose coal consumption.
China Environment News:Industry is the core and foundation to support high-quality economic development. What is the current industrial structure of Pingliang, and how does the future plan promote the transformation of new and old kinetic energy?
Wang Xu:In recent years, we have concentrated on industries, projects, and investment, and have gone all out to strengthen the foundation, stabilize the overall situation, and promote growth, and the city's economic and social development has been stable and improving, and the city's GDP will reach 66.857 billion yuan in 2023, an increase of 5.6%. In particular, we have further promoted the industrial chain length system, focusing on cultivating nine key industrial chains such as clean and efficient utilization of coal, Pingliang Red Bull, and Jingning Apple, and the output value of key industrial chains reached 62.3 billion yuan last year, a year-on-year increase of 15.2%, providing strong support for the city's high-quality economic development.
For example, in terms of the industrial chain of clean and efficient utilization of coal, we will adhere to the steady expansion of coal, accelerate the conversion of electricity, make breakthroughs in the chemical industry, and deploy new energy, focus on cultivating and releasing high-quality coal production capacity, reasonably plan and build supportive and regulated advanced mines and advanced coal power, and actively promote the exploration and development of coalbed methane resources and the coal chemical industry, and achieve an output value of 22.87 billion yuan in the whole industrial chain in 2023.
In terms of Jingning's apple industry chain, Jingning County and Zhuanglang County have been included in the core area of the national apple industry cluster project, with the city's high-quality apple area reaching 1.5 million mu and an output value of 14.521 billion yuan in 2023. "Jingning Apple" has successively obtained 8 national business cards, including national geographical indication product protection and China's well-known trademark, with a brand value of 18.1 billion yuan.
In the next step, we will take adhering to high-quality development as the last word in the new era, take the implementation of the chain length system as an important starting point to promote the conversion of old and new kinetic energy and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, cultivate and expand emerging industries, lay out and build future industries, vigorously develop new quality productivity, and provide solid support for the construction of a modern, happy and beautiful new Pingliang.
We should pay close attention to the foundation of project construction, adhere to the resource-led projects, upstream and downstream, and make every effort to build major projects such as the deep processing circular economy of magnesium industry and the transformation and utilization of coal resources, intelligent terminal production bases, carbon composite materials, and green manufacturing of pharmaceutical raw materials, accelerate the integration of new materials, intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine and other industrial chains, and promote the in-depth integration and development of the industrial chain. We will continue to strengthen the cluster of the park, do a good job in the construction of "three parks and four districts", accelerate the construction of standardized workshops, business incubators and other productive supporting facilities, improve logistics, science and technology, elements, and life service supporting facilities, enhance the carrying capacity of the park, and guide industrial projects to land in the park.
China Environment News:What are the current challenges or obstacles in promoting green and low-carbon development in Pingliang?
Wang Xu:Remarkable results have been achieved in the construction of ecological civilization in Pingliang, but the ecological environment is still relatively fragile, and there are still many problems to be solved in accelerating the transformation of development mode and promoting green and low-carbon development.
The first is the hard constraint of water resources. The city's total water resources are 687 million cubic meters, the average annual available total amount is 605 million cubic meters, and the existing water supply capacity is only 334 million cubic meters.
Second, development and protection issues are intertwined. The total economic volume is small, the development is not sufficient, and there are still shortcomings in the development and utilization of mineral resources, the management of rivers and lakes, the protection and restoration of natural ecology, and the construction of environmental protection infrastructure.
Third, the development of green industries is insufficient. The added value of the coal-fired power industry accounts for more than 85% of the above-scale industries, the level of intensive processing of agricultural products is not high, the development of strategic emerging industries is insufficient, the cultivation of new quality productivity is in its infancy, and the scale effect and development advantages of green ecological industries have not yet been fully released.
Fourth, the ability to support key elements is not strong. The level of scientific and technological innovation is relatively low, the financing bottleneck is more prominent, and the integration of the innovation chain and the industrial chain is not close enough. Talent training, vocational education and industrial development, and enterprise needs to be integrated and transformed are insufficient, and there is a shortage of talents in cutting-edge and hot fields such as carbon trading and forestry carbon sinks.
China Environment News:In the next step, what measures will Pingliang take to implement the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin?
Wang Xu:Guarding the lucid waters and lush mountains is an important guarantee for the Anlan of the Yellow River, and it is also a great plan for the long-term development of Pingliang. In recent years, we have conscientiously studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches and instructions on the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, accurately grasped the requirements of "focusing on protection and governance", combined with the actual situation in Pingliang, studied and formulated the overall plan for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, county-level implementation plans and industry special plans, and accelerated the promotion of water conservation and utilization, soil erosion control, Key tasks such as pollution prevention and control have been implemented, the city's ecological environment has continued to improve, and the foundation for high-quality development has been continuously solidified.
In the next step, we will further implement the Yellow River strategy, conscientiously implement the principle of "four waters and four determinations", systematically promote the protection and restoration of the ecological environment, comprehensively strengthen the comprehensive management of environmental pollution, accelerate the industrial transformation and upgrading, vigorously inherit and carry forward the excellent Yellow River culture, and continuously promote the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin to a new level.
Focus on the implementation of the plan and strive to promote the construction of major projects. Focusing on water conservation, soil and water conservation, pollution prevention and control, etc., we will speed up the planning, reserve, and construction of a number of major projects such as river basin management, ditch consolidation, and ecological restoration, and cooperate with the promotion of the early stage of the Bailongjiang Water Diversion Project, accelerate the construction of backbone water source projects such as Zhuanglang emergency water supply in the second phase of the water diversion project, and continuously improve the capacity of water supply guarantee.
Focus on ecological security and continue to promote ecological protection and governance. Coordinate the promotion of urban and rural pollution control and environmental remediation, carry out in-depth pollution prevention and control actions in the Hulu River Basin, actively create national-level happy rivers and lakes in the whole area of the Weihe River, strictly implement the strictest water resources management system and dual control of water resource consumption, and make every effort to do a good job in key soil and water conservation projects such as comprehensive treatment of small watersheds, protection of plateaus, and comprehensive improvement of sloping cultivated land. Accelerate the construction of ecological protection and restoration projects in Longzhong and ecological restoration of abandoned mines left over from history, and earnestly guard the bottom line of ecological security.
Focus on the shortcomings and weaknesses, and make every effort to rectify the problems. Strictly and practically promote the investigation and rectification of outstanding problems in the ecological environment, keep an eye on the problems and continue to tackle them, coordinate and deepen rectification, draw inferences from one another, lead from point to point, and make efforts to make up for shortcomings and weaknesses, so as to ensure that a problem is solved, a loophole is plugged, a set of systems is improved, and a field is prevented.
