A Profound Understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization from Three Dimensions

The New Era gives birth to new thought, and new thought guides new practice. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is a major achievement of integrating the fundamental tenets of Marxism with the practice of ecological civilization construction in China and with the excellent traditional Chinese ecological culture. It both inherits and innovates the Marxist view of nature and ecology, and absorbs and develops the excellent traditional Chinese ecological culture, possessing distinct characteristics of the times, practical attributes, and a people-centered sentiment.

新时代孕育新思想，新思想引领新实践。习近平生态文明思想是马克思主义基本原理同中国生态文明建设实践相结合、同中华优秀传统生态文化相结合的重大成果，既继承和创新了马克思主义自然观、生态观，又吸收和发展了中华优秀传统生态文化，具有鲜明的时代特性、实践属性和人民情怀。

A Profound Understanding of the Characteristics of the Times of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization

深刻理解习近平生态文明思想的时代特性

Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is rooted in the New Era, inherits the ecological wisdom of excellent traditional Chinese culture, confronts practical problems directly, discerns changes in contradictions, adapts to changes in the current situation, continuously summarizes the practical experience of ecological civilization construction, and condenses it into the ideological essence of the times, scientifically answering the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times concerning ecological civilization construction.

习近平生态文明思想立足新时代，传承中华优秀传统文化的生态智慧，直面现实问题，洞察矛盾变化，顺应时势变化，不断总结生态文明建设的实践经验，并凝结成时代的思想精华，科学回答了生态文明建设的中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问。

Confronting practical problems directly, observing the pulse of the times. Problems are the voice of the times; each era has its own specific problems. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, in response to issues still

直面现实问题，观察时代脉动。问题是时代的声音，每个时代总有属于它自己的问题。党的十八大以来，针对我国生态领域仍然存在发展与保护不协调、历史问题与现实问题交织、传统污染物与新污染物并存等问题，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持历史唯物主义和辩证唯物主义，直面问题，查找“病因”，诊断出了环境污染带来的“外伤”、生态系统被破坏造成的“神经性症状”、资源过度开发造成的“体力透支”等“病症”“病根”，为我们用新时代生态文明建设的理念和方法治理“生态病”打下坚实基础。

Discern changes in contradictions, grasp the trends of the times. The principal contradiction is the contradiction that occupies a dominant position in the process of a thing's development and plays a decisive role in that development. In the New Era, the principal contradiction in Chinese society has transformed into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. In the field of the ecological environment, the principal aspect of the contradiction is to continuously meet the people's desire for blue skies, clear waters, and clean soil, and to realize a civilized development characterized by production growth, affluent living, and a sound ecology. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization breaks through the modern dilemma between economic development and environmental protection, exploring both green and low-carbon development models and green and low-carbon lifestyles. It actively guides the people to participate collectively in building a Beautiful China, continuously enhancing society's awareness of conservation, environmental protection, and ecology, becoming an important strategic breakthrough in addressing the principal contradiction of the New Era.

洞察矛盾变化，把握时代潮流。主要矛盾是事物发展过程中处于支配地位、对事物发展起决定作用的矛盾。新时代，我国社会主要矛盾已经转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾。在生态环境领域，矛盾的主要方面是要不断满足人民群众对蓝天、碧水、净土的渴望，实现生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展。习近平生态文明思想突破经济发展与环境保护之间的现代化困境，既探索绿色低碳的发展方式，也追求绿色低碳的生活方式，积极引导人民群众共同参与美丽中国建设，不断提升全社会的节约意识、环保意识、生态意识，成为应对新时代社会主要矛盾的重要战略突破。

Adapt to changes in the situation, lead the development of the times. When ecology thrives, civilization thrives; when ecology declines, civilization declines. Human society has experienced four stages: primitive civilization, agricultural civilization, industrial civilization, and ecological civilization. Ecological civilization is a product of industrial civilization reaching a certain stage of development. It is a new social form in which humanity respects, conforms to, and protects nature, achieving its own development through the rational use of nature and realizing the vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It is characterized by greenness, coordination, and fairness. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization inherits the ecological wisdom of fine traditional Chinese culture, highlighting features such as macro-level planning, holistic development, and comprehensive balance. It is a form of civilization formed by China in the process of advancing modernization, providing the fundamental guidance and action guide for the construction of ecological civilization in the New Era.

顺应时势变化，引领时代发展。生态兴则文明兴，生态衰则文明衰。人类社会经历了原始文明、农业文明、工业文明、生态文明四个阶段。生态文明是工业文明发展到一定阶段的产物，是人类尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，通过合理利用自然实现自身发展，达到人与自然和谐共生愿景的一种新的社会形态，具有绿色性、协调性、公平性等特点。习近平生态文明思想传承中华优秀传统文化中的生态智慧，凸显宏观谋划、整体发展、全面均衡等特点，是中国在推进现代化过程中形成的文明形态，为新时代我国生态文明建设提供了根本遵循和行动指南。

A Profound Understanding of the Practical Attributes of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization

深刻理解习近平生态文明思想的实践属性

Discovering truth through practice, and then verifying and developing truth through practice—this is the logic that any scientific theory must follow. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, as the guiding ideology jointly followed and upheld by the entire Party, the entire nation, and the whole society, is precisely because it is a truth that originates from practice, guides practice, and has been tested by practice, achieving a major transformation from practical exploration to scientific theoretical guidance.

通过实践而发现真理，又通过实践而证实真理和发展真理，这是任何一种科学理论都必须遵循的逻辑。习近平生态文明思想作为全党全国全社会共同遵循和坚持的指导思想，就是因为它是源于实践又指导实践、经过实践检验的真理，实现了由实践探索到科学理论指导的重大转变。

The understanding of ecological civilization originates from the practice of constructing ecological civilization. Dialectical materialism holds that practice is humanity's activity of transforming the objective world, while cognition is humanity's reflection of the objective world. Practice generates the need for cognition, provides the possibility for cognition, and enables cognition to emerge and develop. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [1]1 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in November 2012, marking the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping's leadership., General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to ecological and environmental protection work, personally planning, personally deploying, and personally driving it forward, leading the entire Party and society to focus on China's ecological and environmental pollution problems, anchor the goal of building a Beautiful China, and strengthen China's ecological and environmental protection work comprehensively, across all regions, and throughout the entire process. These great practices have not only promoted major achievements in building a Beautiful China but also driven the continuous development and enrichment of the connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.

对生态文明的认识源于生态文明建设实践。辩证唯物主义认为，实践是人们改造客观世界的活动，而认识则是人们对客观世界的反映。实践产生了认识的需要，为认识提供了可能，并使认识得以产生和发展。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记高度重视生态环境保护工作，亲自谋划、亲自部署、亲自推动，引领全党全社会聚焦我国生态环境污染问题，锚定美丽中国建设目标，全方位、全地域、全过程加强我国生态环境保护工作。这些伟大实践不仅推动了美丽中国建设取得重大成就，也推动了习近平生态文明思想不断发展、内涵不断丰富。

Develop from perceptual knowledge of ecological civilization to rational knowledge. Marxist philosophy holds that perceptual knowledge is the direct, concrete reflection of the external form of things by humans through their senses in practice; rational knowledge is the indirect, generalized reflection of the internal connections of things by humans through thought, and is the higher stage of cognition. The first leap in cognition is the leap from perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge. "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" is the core concept of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. It profoundly reveals the internal logic of the transformation between economic development and ecological environmental protection, achieving a major transformation in development from "short-term, quick, and fast" to "sustainable," from "thing-oriented" to "people-oriented," and from "contradiction theory" to "unity theory." It is an important sublimation of the view of cognition and development, and a major innovation in development thinking, values, and governance philosophy.

从生态文明的感性认识发展到理性认识。马克思主义哲学认为，感性认识是人在实践中通过感官对事物外部形态的直接的、具体的反映；理性认识是人通过思维对事物内部联系的间接的、概括的反映，是认识的高级阶段。认识的第一次飞跃，就是从感性认识到理性认识的飞跃。“绿水青山就是金山银山”是习近平生态文明思想的核心理念，深刻地揭示了经济发展与生态环境保护之间转换的内在逻辑，实现了发展从“短平快”到“可持续”、从“以物为本”到“以人为本”、从“矛盾论”到“统一论”的重大转变，是认识观和发展观的重要升华，是发展思维、价值观念和执政理念的重大创新。

From the law-based understanding of ecological civilization to guiding practice again. The second leap in the cognitive process is the leap from rational knowledge to practice. The vitality of Marxist theory lies not only in understanding the world but also in changing the world. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization profoundly answers major theoretical and practical questions such as why to build an ecological civilization, what kind of ecological civilization to build, and how to build an ecological civilization. It is a powerful ideological weapon that originates from practice and is used to guide practice. In the New Era, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China's construction of ecological civilization has made comprehensive efforts in ideological organization, legal systems, institutional mechanisms, technological innovation, and team building. Ecological and environmental protection has undergone historic, transformative, and comprehensive changes. Currently, China's ecological civilization institutional system has achieved a systemic reshaping, the level of modernization of the ecological environment governance system and governance capacity has been continuously improved, creating world-renowned ecological and green development miracles. The people's satisfaction with the ecological environment has been continuously increasing, fully demonstrating the truth and practical power of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.

由生态文明的规律性认识再到指导实践。认识过程的第二个飞跃是从理性认识到实践的飞跃。马克思主义理论的生命力不仅在于认识世界，更在于改造世界。习近平生态文明思想深刻回答了为什么建设生态文明、建设什么样的生态文明、怎样建设生态文明等重大理论和实践问题，是来源于实践、又用于指导实践的强大思想武器。新时代，在习近平生态文明思想的科学指引下，我国生态文明建设从思想组织、法律制度、体制机制、科技创新、队伍建设上全面发力，生态环境保护发生历史性、转折性、全局性变化。当前，我国生态文明制度体系实现系统性重塑，生态环境治理体系和治理能力现代化水平不断提升，创造了举世瞩目的生态奇迹和绿色发展奇迹，人民群众对生态环境的满意度不断提高，充分彰显了习近平生态文明思想的真理伟力、实践伟力。

A Profound Understanding of the People-Centered Sentiment of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization

深刻理解习近平生态文明思想的人民情怀

The people-centered nature is the essential attribute of Marxism, its most distinctive character, and also the principle and basis for all practical activities of the proletarian party. Adhering to putting people first and the supremacy of the people is the distinctive feature and fundamental value orientation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.

人民性是马克思主义的本质属性，是马克思主义最鲜明的品格，也是无产阶级政党一切实践活动的原则和依据。坚持以人为本、人民至上，是习近平生态文明思想的鲜明特征和根本价值取向。

Meet the people's needs for ecological well-being. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization regards the ecological environment as a major social issue related to the well-being of people's livelihoods. It takes responding to what the people think, hope for, and urgently need, providing more high-quality ecological products, and continuously meeting the people's growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment as the fundamental purpose of vigorously promoting the construction of ecological civilization. Under the guidance of this thought, all regions in China adhere to the principles of benefiting, enriching, and serving the people through ecology, making the resolution of prominent ecological and environmental issues a priority area for people's livelihoods, concentrating efforts to overcome the prominent ecological and environmental problems around the people, so that the people can have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security in the improvement of ecological environment quality.

满足人民群众生态福祉需要。习近平生态文明思想将生态环境当作关系到民生福祉的重大社会问题，把回应人民群众所想、所盼、所急，提供更多优质生态产品，不断满足人民群众日益增长的优美生态环境需要，作为大力推进生态文明建设的根本目的。在这一思想指导下，我国各地坚持生态惠民、生态利民、生态为民，把解决突出生态环境问题作为民生优先领域，集中力量攻克老百姓身边的突出生态环境问题，让人民群众在生态环境质量改善中有更多获得感、幸福感、安全感。

Achieving the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. Building an ecological civilization is not only about meeting the current needs of the people for a good ecological environment, but also about leaving sufficient space for future green and sustainable development. China’s environmental capacity is limited, its ecosystems are fragile, and the structural, root-cause, and trend-based pressures on ecological and environmental protection have not yet been fundamentally alleviated. The construction of an ecological civilization remains in a critical period of accumulating pressures and advancing with heavy burdens, requiring new concepts to guide ecological civilization construction and promote the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, from the heights of safeguarding national ecological security, the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, and responsibility for human civilization, places the building of a Beautiful China in a prominent position within the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It follows a civilized development path of production development, affluent living, and sound ecology, striving to leave for future generations a beautiful homeland with blue skies, green earth, and clear waters, thereby creating conditions for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.

实现中华民族永续发展。建设生态文明不仅是要满足当下人民群众良好生态环境的需要，也是要给今后绿色发展、可持续发展留足空间。中国环境容量有限，生态系统脆弱，生态环境保护结构性、根源性、趋势性压力尚未根本缓解，生态文明建设仍然处于压力叠加、负重前行的关键期，需要新的理念指引生态文明建设，推动实现人与自然和谐共生的现代化。习近平生态文明思想站在维护国家生态安全、中华民族永续发展和对人类文明负责的高度，把建设美丽中国摆在强国建设、民族复兴的突出位置，走生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路，努力为子孙后代留下天蓝、地绿、水清的美丽家园，为实现中华民族永续发展创造条件。

Building a community of life for humanity and nature. The Earth is the shared home of humanity. Faced with global ecological and environmental problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, humanity should face them together and share weal and woe. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization takes “jointly building a community of life for humanity and nature” as an important component of building “a community with a shared future for mankind,” adheres to multilateralism and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, strives to promote the construction of a fair, reasonable, and win-win global environmental governance system, jointly addresses global ecological and environmental challenges, and jointly builds a clean and beautiful world. This broad and profound global vision greatly expands the breadth and depth of the people-centered nature. Therefore, the people-centered nature manifested in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is both the people-centered nature of the unity of humanity and nature and the people-centered nature of a world of great harmony.

构建地球生命共同体。地球是人类共有的家园。面对气候变化、生物多样性丧失、环境污染等全球性生态环境问题，人类应共同面对、同舟共济。习近平生态文明思想将“共同构建地球生命共同体”作为构建“人类命运共同体”的重要内容，坚持多边主义和共同但有区别的责任原则，努力推动建设公平合理、合作共赢的全球环境治理体系，共同应对全球生态环境问题挑战，共同建设清洁美丽的世界。这种广袤深沉的天下情怀，大大拓展了人民性的广度和深度。因此，习近平生态文明思想彰显的人民性，既是天人合一的人民性，也是天下大同的人民性。

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧