New Understandings and Developmental Drivers of Ecological Civilization Construction

Since the 20th National Congress of the CPC, on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has further deepened the scientific response to the issue of ecological civilization construction, driven new great achievements in China’s ecological civilization construction, enriched and developed Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and realized the innovative development of contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism in the field of ecological civilization thought.

党的二十大以来，在全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新征程中，以习近平同志为核心的党中央进一步深化对生态文明建设问题的科学回答，推动我国生态文明建设取得新的巨大成就，丰富和发展了习近平生态文明思想，实现了当代中国马克思主义和21世纪马克思主义生态文明思想的创新发展。

New Understandings of the Laws of Ecological Civilization Construction

生态文明建设规律的新认知

As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era, our Party has creatively formed Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, whose core essence is the “Ten Persistences” [1]1 The “Ten Persistences” (十个坚持) refer to the ten key principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, including persisting in the harmony between humanity and nature, green development, systemic governance, and the strictest possible ecological and environmental protection system., raising the understanding of the laws of ecological civilization construction to a new height. On the basis of scientifically summarizing the achievements and experience of ecological civilization construction in recent years, in 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly elaborated on the major relationships that need to be properly handled in advancing ecological civilization construction on the new journey at the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection.

中国特色社会主义进入新时代，我们党创造性地形成了以“十个坚持”为核心要义的习近平生态文明思想，将对生态文明建设规律的认识提升到了新高度。在科学总结近年来生态文明建设成就和经验的基础上，2023年，习近平总书记在全国生态环境保护大会上深刻阐述了新征程上推进生态文明建设需要处理好的重大关系。

China has now entered the stage of high-quality development. Promoting the greening and low-carbon transformation of economic and social development is a key link in achieving high-quality development. Therefore, it is necessary to properly handle the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection, achieving the unity of the two. According to this general requirement for building an ecological civilization on the new journey of the New Era, pollution prevention and control should properly handle the relationship between focused tackling and coordinated governance; ecological protection should properly handle the relationship between natural restoration and artificial restoration; ecological and environmental governance should properly handle the relationship between external constraints and internal driving forces; and peaking carbon emissions, achieving carbon neutrality, and addressing climate change should properly handle the relationship between the “dual carbon” commitments and independent action. In this way, the “Five Major Relationships” have been formed. The above five constitute an organic whole. The first relationship, proceeding from the law of the transformation of quantity into quality, further clarifies the major theme of ecological civilization construction, focusing on growth, and striving to achieve a green transformation of the development mode. The second relationship, proceeding from the systemic concept, the principal contradiction, and overall consideration, further clarifies the scientific method of ecological civilization construction, focusing on pollution reduction, and striving to improve the quality of the ecological environment. The third relationship, proceeding from the dialectical unity of respecting the laws of nature and giving play to the role of the subject, further clarifies the basic policy of ecological civilization construction, focusing on expanding green areas, and striving to enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of ecosystems. The fourth relationship, proceeding from the unity of hard institutional external constraints and soft institutional internal incentives, further clarifies the governance strategy of ecological civilization construction, focusing on governance, and striving to modernize ecological and environmental governance. The fifth relationship, proceeding from the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and a community of life on Earth based on Marx’s idea of “world history,” further clarifies the strategic responsibility and China’s stance in ecological civilization construction, focusing on carbon reduction, and striving to use the “dual carbon” goals to drive high-quality development. These “Five Major Relationships” emphasize promoting the coordinated reduction of carbon emissions, pollution, and expansion of green areas and growth through the modernization of ecological and environmental governance, systematically advancing ecological civilization construction. The “Five Major Relationships” have further elevated our Party’s level of understanding of the laws of ecological civilization construction, enriched and developed the core essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and contain a profound “ecological dialectics.”

我国现在已经进入高质量发展阶段，推动经济社会发展绿色化、低碳化是实现高质量发展的关键环节，因此，必须处理好高质量发展和高水平保护的关系，实现二者的统一。按照这一新时代新征程建设生态文明的总要求，污染防治应处理好重点攻坚和协同治理的关系，生态保护应处理好自然恢复和人工修复的关系，生态环境治理应处理好外部约束和内生动力的关系，碳达峰、碳中和与应对气候变化应处理好“双碳”承诺和自主行动的关系。这样，就形成了“五个重大关系”。上述五者是一个有机整体。第一个关系从质量互变规律出发，进一步明确了生态文明建设的重大主题，重在增长，力求实现发展方式的绿色转型。第二个关系从系统观念、主要矛盾和统筹兼顾出发，进一步明确了生态文明建设的科学方法，重在减污，力求提高生态环境质量。第三个关系从尊重自然规律和发挥主体作用的辩证统一出发，进一步明确了生态文明建设的基本方针，重在扩绿，力求提升生态系统多样性、稳定性、持续性。第四个关系从硬制度外约束和软制度内激励的统一出发，进一步明确了生态文明建设的治理方略，重在治理，力求实现生态环境治理现代化。第五个关系从基于马克思主义“世界历史”思想的人类命运共同体和地球生命共同体理念出发，进一步明确了生态文明建设的战略担当和中国立场，重在降碳，力求用“双碳”倒逼高质量发展。这“五个重大关系”强调通过生态环境治理现代化，协同推进降碳、减污、扩绿、增长，系统推动生态文明建设。“五个重大关系”进一步提升了我们党对生态文明建设规律的认知水平，丰富和发展了习近平生态文明思想的核心要义，蕴含着深刻的“生态辩证法”。

New Expansions of the Path of Ecological Civilization Construction

生态文明建设路径的新拓展

The contradiction between humanity and nature is manifested in reality as the contradiction between modernization and greening. The 19th National Congress of the CPC required that China’s modernization be built into a modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature. The 20th National Congress of the CPC promoted the formation of the ecological view within the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization, further clarifying the practical path of ecological civilization construction.

人与自然的矛盾在现实中表现为现代化和绿色化的矛盾。党的十九大要求将我国现代化建设成为人与自然和谐共生的现代化，党的二十大推动形成了中国式现代化理论体系生态观，进一步明确了生态文明建设的现实路径。

The 20th National Congress of the CPC took the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature as one of the contents and characteristics of Chinese-path modernization, and made promoting harmony between humanity and nature one of the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization, opening up a new direction for the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. In contemporary China, ecological civilization, green development, and the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature have an inherent unity. Ecological civilization is the development trend and major achievement of human civilization, and the sum total of all progressive achievements in realizing harmony between humanity and nature. “Harmony generates things; sameness leads to stagnation” [2]2 A classical Chinese saying from the *Guoyu* (Discourses of the States), emphasizing that diversity and difference are necessary for creation and growth, while uniformity leads to stagnation.. Harmonious coexistence is the unity of acknowledging differences and respecting diversity, requiring the realization of “attaining equilibrium and fostering growth” [3]3 A Confucian concept from the *Doctrine of the Mean* (Zhongyong), referring to achieving a state of balance and harmony that allows all things to flourish and develop properly.. Harmony between humanity and nature mainly refers to the adaptation and matching between humanity and nature, and between economic and social development and population, resources, and the environment. The core essence of green development is to realize harmony between humanity and nature, and it is an important concept for building an ecological civilization. The modernization of harmony between humanity and nature is a modernization that integrates and unifies modernization and greening, material civilization and ecological civilization, and is the necessary path for building an ecological civilization. In this way, Chinese-path modernization reshapes modernity and modernization through the mode of ecological civilization, opening up an ecological direction for modernity and modernization.

党的二十大将人与自然和谐共生的现代化作为中国式现代化的内容和特征之一，将促进人与自然和谐共生作为中国式现代化的本质要求之一，开辟了人与自然和谐共生现代化的新方向。在当代中国，生态文明、绿色发展、人与自然和谐共生的现代化具有内在统一性。生态文明是人类文明的发展趋势和重大成果，是实现人与自然和谐共生取得的一切进步成果的总和。“和实生物，同则不继”。和谐共生是承认差异性和尊重多样性的统一，要求实现“中和位育”。人与自然和谐共生主要指人与自然、经济社会发展与人口资源环境相适应和相匹配。绿色发展的核心要义是实现人与自然和谐共生，是建设生态文明的重要理念。人与自然和谐共生的现代化是现代化和绿色化、物质文明和生态文明相融合并相统一的现代化，是建设生态文明的必由之路。这样，中国式现代化以生态文明方式重塑了现代性和现代化，开辟了现代性和现代化的生态方向。

Western modernization has successively taken a detour of “pollute first, treat later” and a crooked path of “treat domestically, transfer abroad.” By embedding ecological civilization within modernization, Chinese-path modernization has avoided repeating the mistakes of Western modernization in a forward-looking manner, and is also distinguished from Western ecological modernization, which has a post-hoc remedial nature. In particular, from the 18th National Congress of the CPC establishing respecting, conforming to, and protecting nature as the concept of ecological civilization, to the 19th National Congress of the CPC making meeting the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment one of China’s modernization goals, and then to the 20th National Congress of the CPC making respecting, conforming to, and protecting nature an inherent requirement for comprehensively building a modern socialist country, the people-centered value orientation of Chinese-path modernization, the institutional stipulation of the socialist path, and the ecological nature of harmony between humanity and nature have been clarified. This draws a clear line with ecological capitalism and ecological imperialism, which take the pursuit of surplus value as their goal and the creation and transfer of ecological crises as their cost and characteristic, advancing the new form of human civilization.

西方现代化先后走出了一条“先污染、后治理”的弯路、“内治理、外转移”的歪路。通过将生态文明内嵌入现代化当中，中国式现代化以前瞻性方式避免了重蹈西方现代化的覆辙，也与具有事后补救性质的西方生态现代化区隔开来。尤其是，从党的十八大将尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然作为生态文明理念，到党的十九大将满足人民日益增长的优美生态环境需要作为我国现代化目标之一，再到党的二十大将尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然作为全面建设社会主义现代化国家的内在要求，明确了中国式现代化的人民至上的价值取向、社会主义道路的制度规定、人与自然和谐共生的生态本性，与以追求剩余价值为目的、制造和转移生态危机为代价和特征的生态资本主义和生态帝国主义划清了界限，向前推进了人类文明新形态。

The ecological view within the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization is the scientific crystallization of the unity of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization. It has opened up a new socialist modernization path of harmony between humanity and nature, perfected the “roadmap” for building an ecological civilization, and provided a new choice and new possibility for the modernization and sustainable development of the “Global South.”

中国式现代化理论体系生态观是习近平生态文明思想和中国式现代化理论体系相统一的科学结晶，开辟出了一条人与自然和谐共生的社会主义现代化新路，完善了建设生态文明的“路线图”，为“全球南方”现代化和可持续发展提供了一种新选择和新可能。

New Focal Points of the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System

生态文明体制改革的新聚焦

In accordance with the spirit of comprehensively deepening reform since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC, China has established the “four beams and eight pillars” [4]4 A Chinese idiom metaphorically describing the main supporting framework of a system, here referring to the foundational institutional structure of ecological civilization established since the 18th National Congress of the CPC. of the ecological civilization institutional system. However, the foundation for China’s ecological environment to be stable and improving is not yet solid. Therefore, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed focusing on building a Beautiful China and deepening the reform of the ecological civilization system.

按照党的十八届三中全会以来全面深化改革的精神，我国已搭建起生态文明制度体系的“四梁八柱”。但我国生态环境稳中向好的基础尚不牢固，因此，党的二十届三中全会提出，聚焦建设美丽中国，深化生态文明体制改革。

The “Seven Focal Points” [5]5 The “Seven Focal Points” (七个聚焦) are the seven priority areas for further comprehensive reform set by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in 2024, including building a high-standard market economy, whole-process people’s democracy, a cultural power, a Beautiful China, higher living standards, a Peaceful China, and a higher level of Party building. are the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform proposed by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, and focusing on building a Beautiful China is one of them. A Beautiful China means ensuring that the great rivers and mountains of the motherland and the Chinese nation are healthy and safe for generations to come. It is the form and pattern of ecological civilization in contemporary China, and is consistent with the Chinese-path modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. The “Seven Focal Points” constitute an organic whole. Deepening the reform of the ecological civilization system should not only focus on building a Beautiful China, but also adhere to the other “Six Focal Points,” striving to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful.

“七个聚焦”是党的二十届三中全会提出的进一步全面深化改革的总目标，聚焦建设美丽中国是其中之一。美丽中国就是要确保祖国大好河山和中华民族世世代代都健康无恙，是生态文明在当代中国的样态和形态，与人与自然和谐共生的中国式现代化具有一致性。“七个聚焦”是一个有机整体。深化生态文明体制改革既应聚焦建设美丽中国，又应坚持其他“六个聚焦”，努力将我国建设成为富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国。

In accordance with the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, and under the premise of adhering to the Party’s leadership over ecological civilization construction, the reform of the ecological civilization system should pay more attention to systemic integration. Focusing on building a high-standard socialist market economy system, the emphasis should be on perfecting the market system for ecological and environmental governance, and being adept at using market means for governance; focusing on developing whole-process people’s democracy, the emphasis should be on perfecting the institutional system and legal system in the field of ecological civilization construction, compiling and promulgating an ecological environment code, and raising the level of democratization and law-based governance in ecological and environmental governance; focusing on building a socialist cultural power, the emphasis should be on giving full play to the guiding and governing role of ecological culture; focusing on improving the quality of life of the people and building a higher level of a Peaceful China, actions should be taken across the whole society around meeting the people’s needs for a better life, especially for a beautiful ecological environment, coordinating green and low-carbon development with ecological and environmental security. Only in this way can the basic system of ecological civilization be perfected, the ecological and environmental governance system be improved, and the green and low-carbon development mechanism be strengthened.

按照“五位一体”总体布局，在坚持党对生态文明建设领导的前提下，生态文明体制改革应更加注重系统集成。聚焦构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，重点应完善生态环境治理市场体系，善于运用市场手段治理；聚焦发展全过程人民民主，重点应完善生态文明建设领域的制度体系和法律体系，编纂出台生态环境法典，提升生态环境治理的民主化和法治化水平；聚焦建设社会主义文化强国，重点应充分发挥生态文化的引导和治理作用；聚焦提高人民生活品质和建设更高水平平安中国，应围绕满足人民群众的美好生活需要尤其是优美生态环境需要，展开全社会行动，统筹绿色低碳发展和生态环境安全。这样，才能完善生态文明基础体制，健全生态环境治理体系，健全绿色低碳发展机制。

In accordance with a systems perspective, we must also deploy a “combined punch” of various measures. We should uphold the integration of rule of law and rule of virtue, taking the combination of virtue and law and the cultivation of both internal and external aspects as one direction for the modernization of ecological and environmental governance. We should uphold the unity of economic policy and social policy, promote the internal governance of external problems, provide more high-quality ecological products and green products, and advance ecological sharing and ecological common prosperity. We should uphold the unity of an effective government and an efficient market, improve the new system of mobilizing resources nationwide [6]6 The “new system of mobilizing resources nationwide” (新型举国体制) refers to a contemporary Chinese institutional mechanism that combines state-led strategic planning with market mechanisms to concentrate resources on key technological breakthroughs, updated from the earlier planned-economy model. in the field of green technology, and persist in driving ecological civilization innovation with green technological innovation. We should uphold the unity of natural sciences and philosophy and social sciences, utilize the sum total of human knowledge, establish and improve China’s independent knowledge system of ecological civilization, and promote the modernization of ecological and environmental governance through knowledge-based approaches. Only in this way can we effectively enhance the modernization level of ecological and environmental governance capacity.

按照系统观念，我们还应打好各种手段的“组合拳”。坚持法治和德治相结合，将德法兼济、内外兼修作为生态环境治理现代化的方向之一。坚持经济政策和社会政策的统一，促进外部问题的内部治理，提供更多优质生态产品和绿色产品，促进生态共享和生态共富。坚持有为政府和有效市场的统一，完善绿色科技领域的新型举国体制，坚持以绿色科技创新驱动生态文明创新。坚持自然科学和哲学社会科学的统一，利用人类知识的总和，建立完善中国自主生态文明知识体系，以知识化促进生态环境治理的现代化。这样，才能有效提升生态环境治理能力的现代化水平。

Since the 20th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has further clarified the direction and thinking of deepening the reform of the ecological civilization system, persisted in driving and supporting ecological civilization construction with institutional innovation, and scientifically perfected the top-level design and systemic design of the ecological civilization system reform.

党的二十大以来，我们党进一步明确了深化生态文明体制改革的方向和思路，坚持用制度创新驱动和支撑生态文明建设，科学地完善了生态文明体制改革的顶层设计和系统设计。

New Drivers for the Future Development of Ecological Civilization

生态文明未来发展的新动力

Green technology represents the direction of the current technological revolution and industrial transformation. The requirements of “building a market-oriented green technology innovation system” and “accelerating the research, development, and application of advanced energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies” proposed at the 19th and 20th National Congresses of the CPC have clarified the driving role of green and low-carbon technology in ecological civilization construction. In 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s proposal at the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection to “build a green and smart digital ecological civilization” further clarified the technological support and future prospects of ecological civilization construction.

绿色科技代表了当今科技革命和产业变革的方向。党的十九大和二十大提出的“构建市场导向的绿色技术创新体系”和“加快节能降碳先进技术研发和推广应用”的要求，明确了绿色低碳科技对于生态文明建设的动力作用。2023年，习近平总书记在全国生态环境保护大会上提出的“建设绿色智慧的数字生态文明”，进一步明确了生态文明建设的科技支撑和未来前景。

Entering the 21st century, digitalization and greening have become prominent trends and characteristics of the new round of technological revolution. Digitalization highlights the importance of information, knowledge, and data, while greening highlights the importance of conservation, intensification, clean circulation, and green low-carbon development. Although there is a certain tension between the two, informatization enhances the technological level of greening, and greening enhances the sustainability level of informatization. Therefore, green and smart technology that integrates the two will become a new paradigm and direction for technological development, further enhancing the technological level of ecological and environmental governance and providing new impetus for ecological civilization construction.

进入21世纪，数字化和绿色化成为新一轮科技革命的显著趋势和特征。数字化突出了信息、知识、数据的重要性，绿色化突出了节约集约、清洁循环、绿色低碳的重要性。尽管二者存在着一定张力，但信息化提升了绿色化的科技水平，绿色化提升了信息化的可持续水平，因此，将二者融为一体的绿色智慧科技会成为科技发展的新范式和新方向，可进一步提升生态环境治理的科技化水平，为生态文明建设提供新动力。

Productive forces are the actual capacity to realize the material transformation between humans and nature; they should not be regarded as the capacity of humans to conquer and transform nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s assertion that “new quality productive forces are themselves green productive forces” has achieved an ecological revolution in the paradigm of productive forces and pointed out the greening prospect of productive forces development. We should, based on green and smart technology, build a productive force paradigm of green and smart type, promote the green upgrading of traditional industries, the green development of emerging industries, and the green cultivation of future industries, perfect the economic system and industrial system of ecological civilization, and further consolidate the sustainable economic foundation of ecological civilization.

生产力是实现人与自然之间物质变换的实际能力，不能将之视为人类征服自然和改造自然的能力。习近平总书记提出的“新质生产力本身就是绿色生产力”的论断，实现了生产力范式的生态学革命，指明了生产力发展的绿色化前景。我们应以绿色智慧科技为基础，打造绿色智慧范式的生产力，推动传统产业的绿色提升、新兴产业的绿色发展、未来产业的绿色培育，完善生态文明经济体系和产业体系，进一步夯实生态文明的可持续经济基础。

Human civilization is the unity of the civilization system and civilization forms. In accordance with the organic composition of the social system and the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, the civilization system is an organic whole composed of elements such as material civilization, political civilization, cultural-ethical progress, social civilization, and ecological civilization. At the same time, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Looking at the history of world civilization, humanity has successively experienced the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, and the information revolution.” This enriches and develops the Marxist theory of technological social formations, revealing that hunting-gathering culture, agricultural civilization, industrial civilization, and information civilization (digital civilization) constitute the stages of civilizational evolution in the sense of technological social formations. When ecology flourishes, civilization flourishes; when ecology declines, civilization declines. Therefore, ecological civilization should not only be incorporated into the composition of the civilization system but also integrated into the evolution of civilization forms, realizing a green and smart revolution in the civilization paradigm and taking digital ecological civilization as the technological prospect for the future development of ecological civilization.

人类文明是文明系统和文明形态的统一。按照社会系统的有机构成和“五位一体”总体布局，文明系统是由物质文明、政治文明、精神文明、社会文明、生态文明等要素构成的有机整体。同时，习近平总书记指出：“纵观世界文明史，人类先后经历了农业革命、工业革命、信息革命。”这丰富和发展了马克思主义技术社会形态理论，揭示出渔猎采集文化、农业文明、工业文明、信息文明（数字文明）构成技术社会形态意义上的文明演进阶段。生态兴则文明兴、生态衰则文明衰，因此，既应将生态文明纳入文明系统的构成当中，又应将之融入文明形态的演进当中，实现文明范式的绿色智慧革命，将数字生态文明作为生态文明未来发展的技术前景。

Entering the New Era, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization has enriched and perfected the Party’s theory of ecological civilization innovation from the height of scientific worldview and methodology, composing a new chapter in the ecological civilization thought of contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism.

进入新时代，习近平生态文明思想从科学世界观和方法论的高度丰富和完善了党的生态文明创新理论，谱写了当代中国马克思主义和21世纪马克思主义生态文明思想的新华章。

(The author is a researcher at the National Academy of Development and Strategy and a professor at the School of Marxism Studies, Renmin University of China)

（作者系中国人民大学国家发展与战略研究院研究员、马克思主义学院教授）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心