Forging a Powerful Green Engine for High-Quality Development

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC deliberated and adopted the "Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," drawing a grand blueprint for China's development over the next five years. Among its contents, the development goal of "achieving new major progress in the construction of a Beautiful China" and the major deployment of "accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and building a Beautiful China" fully reflect the consistent high importance attached to ecological civilization construction by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and demonstrate the firm resolve and strategic sobriety in advancing the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature.

党的二十届四中全会审议通过《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》，为未来五年我国发展擘画了宏伟蓝图。其中，“美丽中国建设取得新的重大进展”的发展目标和“加快经济社会发展全面绿色转型，建设美丽中国”的重大部署，充分体现了以习近平同志为核心的党中央对生态文明建设一以贯之的高度重视，彰显了推进人与自然和谐共生的现代化的坚定决心和战略清醒。

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, in the face of the severe impact of the century-old pandemic, complex internal and external environments, and new problems and challenges on the path of green development, the Party Central Committee made a series of major deployments, driving China to achieve a leapfrog transformation from focusing on fighting the battle against pollution to comprehensively advancing the construction of a Beautiful China. Ecological civilization construction and green development achieved brilliant accomplishments. The national ecological environment quality continued to improve; in 2024, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities at the prefectural level and above fell to 29.3 micrograms per cubic meter, a decrease of 16.3% compared to 2020, and the proportion of days with good air quality reached 87.2%, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from 2020; the proportion of surface water sections with excellent water quality exceeded 90% for the first time, and the water quality of the entire main streams of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River has maintained Class II for many consecutive years; public satisfaction with the ecological environment exceeded 90% for four consecutive years. Historic achievements were made in ecosystem protection and restoration; the area of ecological protection and restoration currently exceeds 120 million mu [1]1 The mu is a Chinese unit of area; 1 mu ≈ 0.0667 hectares or 0.1647 acres. 120 million mu is approximately 8 million hectares., the forest coverage rate has steadily increased to over 25%, contributing approximately one-quarter of the world's newly added green area. The clean energy system was accelerated; the share of non-fossil energy consumption rose from 15.9% in 2020 to 19.8% in 2024; the installed capacity of renewable energy power generation historically surpassed that of coal power, ranking first in the world. The world's largest carbon market operated smoothly, covering over 60% of the country's carbon dioxide emissions. The "green content" of economic development significantly increased; the number of national-level green factories grew to 6,430, with their output value accounting for about 20% of total manufacturing output, and the world's largest clean electricity supply system and new energy industry chain were established.

“十四五”时期，面对世纪疫情的严重冲击和错综复杂的内外环境，以及绿色发展道路上的新问题新挑战，党中央作出一系列重大部署，推动我国实现从重点打好污染防治攻坚战向全面推进美丽中国建设的跨越式转变，生态文明建设和绿色发展取得辉煌成就。全国生态环境质量持续改善，2024年全国地级及以上城市细颗粒物（PM_2.5）浓度下降至29.3微克/立方米，比2020年下降16.3%，优良天数比例达到87.2%，比2020年上升2.4个百分点；地表水优良水质断面比例首次突破九成，长江、黄河全线干流水质连续多年保持Ⅱ类；人民群众生态环境满意度连续4年超过90%。生态系统保护修复取得历史性成就，目前生态保护修复面积超1.2亿亩，森林覆盖率稳步提升至25%以上，贡献了全球约四分之一的新增绿化面积。清洁能源体系加速构建，非化石能源消费比重由2020年的15.9%提高到2024年的19.8%；可再生能源发电装机规模历史性地超过煤电，稳居全球第一位。全球规模最大的碳市场平稳运行，覆盖全国超60%的二氧化碳排放量。经济发展“含绿量”显著提升，国家级绿色工厂数量增至6430家，产值占制造业总产值约20%，建成全球规模最大的清洁电力供应体系和新能源产业链。

The green development practice during the 14th Five-Year Plan period fully demonstrates that ecological environmental protection and economic development are by no means an antagonistic relationship, but rather a dialectical unity, an organic whole that complements and reinforces each other. A good ecological environment is not only an important component of the people's美好生活 [2]2 "美好生活" (meihao shenghuo) is a standard term in CPC discourse, often rendered as "a better life" or "a good life," referring to the people's aspiration for improved living standards and well-being under socialism with Chinese characteristics., but also an inherent requirement and important support for promoting high-quality development. The practical achievements irrefutably prove that taking the path of ecological priority and green development is a scientific choice that conforms to the trend of the times and fits China's national conditions, fully aligning with the development goals of achieving higher quality, greater efficiency, more fairness, more sustainability, and greater security. A series of practical explorations and valuable experiences have both laid a solid foundation for a higher level and deeper green transformation during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and filled us with confidence to continue steadfastly on the path of ecological priority and green development.

“十四五”时期的绿色发展实践充分说明，生态环境保护和经济发展绝非对立关系，而是辩证统一、相辅相成的有机整体。良好生态环境既是人民美好生活的重要组成部分，更是推动高质量发展的内在要求与重要支撑。实践成果雄辩地证明，走生态优先、绿色发展之路，是顺应时代潮流、契合我国国情的科学选择，完全符合实现更高质量、更有效率、更加公平、更可持续、更为安全的发展目标。一系列实践探索与宝贵经验，既为“十五五”时期向更高水平、更深层次绿色转型筑牢坚实基础，更让我们对持续走好生态优先、绿色发展之路充满信心。

The blueprint has been drawn, and it is time to forge ahead. Standing at a new historical starting point, it is necessary to comprehensively and deeply understand and thoroughly implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, adhere to the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, forge a powerful green engine, and promote high-quality development to achieve new results. First, continuously strengthen the momentum of green development. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee proposed to "firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, take carbon peak and carbon neutrality as the traction, and coordinately promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and economic growth." This grasps the key to promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, requiring us to seek dynamic balance among multiple goals and achieve a benign interaction between high-quality development and high-level protection. We must unswervingly promote the deep adjustment of industrial structure, deeply advance energy conservation and carbon reduction in key industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, and petrochemicals, cultivate and strengthen strategic emerging industries such as green environmental protection, new energy, and new materials, promote the deep integration of new-generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things with green and low-carbon industries, and increase the "green content" of industries to enhance the "gold content" of the economy. Second, continuously deepen the fight against pollution and the optimization of ecosystems. This is a key task for improving the quality of the ecological environment. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, pollution prevention and control should pay more attention to being precise, scientific, and law-based, targeting weaknesses and shortcomings for continuous efforts. At the same time, starting from the integrity of the ecosystem and the systematic nature of river basins, we must continuously enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the ecosystem, and build a solid national ecological security barrier. Third, accelerate the construction of a new energy system. Accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of energy is the top priority of the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. We must base ourselves on China's energy resource endowment, adhere to establishing the new before abolishing the old, and, under the premise of ensuring energy security, develop new energy and clean energy with greater intensity, accelerate the construction of a new power system, promote the clean and efficient use of fossil energy and the energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation of existing coal power units, and build a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient modern energy system. Fourth, actively and prudently promote and achieve carbon peak. We must anchor the goal, maintain strategic focus, accelerate green and low-carbon technological innovation, improve the carbon emission statistical accounting and carbon emission rights trading system, accelerate the construction and implementation of a dual control system for the total amount and intensity of carbon emissions, establish and improve a system of incentive and constraint mechanisms covering all entities, ensure the achievement of the carbon peak target on schedule, and lay a solid foundation for the subsequent realization of carbon neutrality. Fifth, accelerate the formation of green production and lifestyle. Building a Beautiful China is a common cause for all the people, and accelerating the formation of green production and lifestyle is an important part of the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Through extensive social mobilization and institutional innovation, we must promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of industries, advance the in-depth development of clean production and circular economy, vigorously advocate simple, moderate, green, and low-carbon life concepts and consumption patterns, extensively carry out green and low-carbon actions for the whole people, and make green travel, water, electricity, and food conservation, and waste sorting conscious actions of the whole society.

蓝图已绘就，奋进正当时。站在新的历史起点上，需全面深刻领会、深入贯彻落实党的二十届四中全会精神，坚持以习近平生态文明思想为科学指引，加快经济社会发展全面绿色转型，打造强劲绿色引擎，推动高质量发展取得新成效。一是持续增强绿色发展动能。党的二十届四中全会提出，“牢固树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山的理念，以碳达峰碳中和为牵引，协同推进降碳、减污、扩绿、增长”。这抓住了推动经济社会发展全面绿色转型的关键，要求我们在多重目标中寻求动态平衡，实现高质量发展和高水平保护的良性互动。要坚定不移推动产业结构深度调整，深入推进钢铁、有色、石油化工等重点行业节能降碳，培育壮大绿色环保、新能源、新材料等战略性新兴产业，推动人工智能、物联网等新一代信息技术与绿色低碳产业深度融合，以增加产业“含绿量”来提升经济“含金量”。二是持续深入推进污染防治攻坚和生态系统优化。这是改善生态环境质量的重点任务。“十五五”时期，污染防治要更加注重精准、科学、依法，瞄准短板弱项持续攻坚。同时，要从生态系统整体性和流域系统性出发，不断提升生态系统的多样性、稳定性、持续性，筑牢国家生态安全屏障。三是加快建设新型能源体系。加快能源绿色低碳转型是经济社会发展全面绿色转型的重中之重。要立足我国能源资源禀赋，坚持先立后破，在保障能源安全的前提下，更大力度发展新能源和清洁能源，加快建设新型电力系统，推进化石能源清洁高效利用和现役煤电机组节能降碳改造，构建清洁低碳、安全高效的现代能源体系。四是积极稳妥推进和实现碳达峰。必须锚定目标、保持定力，加快绿色低碳科技创新，完善碳排放统计核算和碳排放权交易制度，加快构建实施碳排放总量和强度双控制度，建立健全覆盖各类主体的激励约束制度体系，确保如期实现碳达峰目标，并为后续实现碳中和奠定坚实基础。五是加快形成绿色生产生活方式。建设美丽中国是全体人民的共同事业，加快形成绿色生产生活方式是经济社会发展全面绿色转型的重要内容。要通过广泛的社会动员和制度创新，推动产业高端化、智能化、绿色化发展，推进清洁生产和循环经济深入发展，大力倡导简约适度、绿色低碳的生活理念和消费模式，广泛开展绿色低碳全民行动，让绿色出行、节水节电节粮、垃圾分类等成为全社会的自觉行动。

(The author is Director and Researcher of the Resource Policy Research Office, Institute of Resources and Environmental Policy, Development Research Center of the State Council)

（作者系国务院发展研究中心资源与环境政策研究所资源政策研究室主任、研究员）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧