Advancing the Theoretical Elaboration of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization

As an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization serves as the fundamental guidance and action guide for building a Beautiful China. Promoting its theoretical elaboration and systematic construction is not only an urgent need for deepening theoretical research but also the key to enhancing its ideological leadership and practical guidance. Theoretical elaboration means transcending the level of policy interpretation and empirical summarization, delving into the philosophical foundations of the thought, clarifying its core concepts, logical structure, theoretical origins, and innovative contributions, so that it becomes an academic system with rigorous logic, strong explanatory power, and broad recognition.

作为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要组成部分，习近平生态文明思想是指导美丽中国建设的根本遵循和行动指南。推动其学理化阐释、体系化建构，不仅是深化理论研究的迫切需求，更是增强思想引领力、实践指导力的关键所在。学理化，意味着超越政策解读与经验总结层面，深入思想的哲学根基，厘清其核心概念、逻辑结构、理论渊源与创新贡献，使之成为具有严密逻辑性、高度解释力和广泛认可度的学术体系。

Deeply excavate the philosophical foundations and theoretical origins. Theoretical elaboration requires us to penetrate the surface expressions of the thought and enter its philosophical core. This necessitates systematically explaining its ontology, epistemology, axiology, and methodology. For example, how should we understand the core concept of "a community of life for man and nature"? It transcends the long-dominant Western binary opposition between "anthropocentrism" and "ecocentrism," draws on the holistic cosmology of "unity of heaven and man" in Chinese culture, and creatively develops an ecological holist philosophical paradigm based on the Marxist fundamental principles that nature is man's inorganic body and that there is a material exchange between man and nature. This paradigm establishes the ecological axiology of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," emphasizes the epistemological foundation of respecting and grasping the laws of nature, and points to the methodological principles of systemic thinking and dialectical thinking. We need to conduct rigorous philosophical inquiries and systematic constructions on these fundamental issues, clarifying the philosophical connotations and interrelationships of core categories such as "community of life," "ecological value," "green development," and "ecological justice." Only in this way can we lay a solid and self-consistent philosophical foundation for the entire ideological system, form an ecological civilization theoretical paradigm with distinct Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner, and avoid falling into superficial slogan-based interpretations.

深入挖掘哲学底蕴与理论原点。学理化阐释要求我们必须穿透思想的表层表述，深入其哲学内核。这需要我们系统阐释其蕴含的本体论、认识论、价值论和方法论。例如，如何理解“人与自然生命共同体”这一核心概念？它超越了西方长期主导的“人类中心主义”与“生态中心主义”的二元对立，汲取了中华文化中“天人合一”的整体宇宙观，并在马克思主义关于自然是人的无机的身体、人与自然的物质变换等基本原理基础上，创造性地发展出一种生态整体主义哲学范式。这种范式确立了“绿水青山就是金山银山”的生态价值论，强调对自然规律的尊重与把握的认识论基础，指明了系统思维和辩证思维的方法论原则。我们需要对这些根本性问题进行严谨的哲学追问和体系化建构，厘清诸如“生命共同体”“生态价值”“绿色发展”“生态正义”等核心范畴的哲学内涵及其相互关系。唯有如此，才能为整个思想体系奠定坚实、自洽的哲学基础，形成具有鲜明中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的生态文明理论范式，避免流于表面化的口号解读。

Promote interdisciplinary cross-fertilization. Ecological civilization itself is a complex, dynamic, and giant system involving natural ecosystems and socioeconomic systems, and its construction practice covers almost all fields of human activity, including economy, politics, law, society, culture, and science and technology. The rich connotations contained in the "ten upholds" of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization cannot be fully carried and deeply analyzed by any single discipline. Promoting theoretical elaboration must break down the traditional "isolated island" state of rigid disciplinary boundaries and gather multidisciplinary wisdom for collaborative innovation. Centering on the core essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, carefully design interdisciplinary research agendas. For example, ecological economics should deeply study the scientific connotation and realization mechanism of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," explore key issues such as green GDP accounting, ecological product value realization (such as GEP accounting), green finance, and circular economy, providing solid economic support and quantitative tools for green development. Environmental political science should focus on studying how the institutional advantages of ecological civilization can be effectively transformed into governance effectiveness, studying the Party's comprehensive leadership mechanism for ecological civilization construction, the political logic and effectiveness of the central ecological environmental protection inspection system, the central-local relations in environmental governance, and the multi-subject collaborative governance models (such as the river chief system and forest chief system). Ecological jurisprudence needs to systematically construct a theoretical system for "protecting the ecological environment with the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law," studying the improvement and implementation of legal systems such as environmental codification, environmental public interest litigation, ecological compensation, compensation for ecological and environmental damage, and environmental risk prevention, building a solid legal barrier for ecological civilization construction. Ecological sociology should focus on the social foundation and cultural soil of ecological civilization construction, studying issues such as the cultivation of public environmental awareness, the promotion of green lifestyles, the development of environmental social organizations, environmental risk communication, and social stability. The key to achieving this integration lies in establishing high-level interdisciplinary research institutions, forming a "blockchain" of scientific research, and setting up major cross-cutting research projects focusing on complex issues such as the "dual carbon" path, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, and regional collaborative governance. Through in-depth dialogue, collision, and integration across multiple disciplines, comprehensively, three-dimensionally, and profoundly reveal the systematic nature and complexity of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, giving rise to original theoretical growth points.

推动跨学科交叉融合。生态文明本身就是一个涉及自然生态系统与社会经济系统的复杂动态的巨系统，其建设实践涵盖了经济、政治、法律、社会、文化、科技等几乎所有人类活动领域。习近平生态文明思想“十个坚持”所蕴含的丰富内涵，绝非单一学科所能承载和深入解析。推进学理化阐释必须打破传统学科壁垒森严的“孤岛”状态，汇聚多学科智慧进行协同创新。围绕习近平生态文明思想的核心要义，精心设计跨学科研究议程。例如，生态经济学要深入研究“绿水青山就是金山银山”的科学内涵与实现机制，探索绿色GDP核算、生态产品价值实现（如GEP核算）、绿色金融、循环经济等关键议题，为绿色发展提供扎实的经济学支撑和量化工具。环境政治学应着力研究生态文明制度优势如何有效转化为治理效能，研究党对生态文明建设的全面领导机制、中央生态环保督察制度的政治逻辑与效能、环境治理中的央地关系、多元主体协同共治模式（如河湖长制、林长制）等。生态法学需系统构建“用最严格制度最严密法治保护生态环境”的理论体系，研究环境法典化、环境公益诉讼、生态补偿、生态环境损害赔偿、环境风险预防等法律制度的完善与实施，为生态文明建设筑牢法治屏障。生态社会学应关注生态文明建设的社会基础与文化土壤，研究公众环境意识培育、绿色生活方式推广、环境社会组织发展、环境风险沟通与社会稳定等议题。实现这种融合，关键在建立高水平的跨学科研究机构，形成科学研究的“区块链”，设立聚焦“双碳”路径、生物多样性保护与可持续利用、区域协同治理等复杂问题的重大交叉研究项目。在多学科的深度对话、碰撞与融合中，全面、立体、深刻地揭示习近平生态文明思想的系统性和复杂性，催生原创性的理论增长点。

Systematically summarize and sublimate the rich experience of Chinese practice. The most distinctive character of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization lies in its practicality. It originates from a profound insight into the severe challenges of China's ecological and environmental problems, takes shape in the magnificent great practice of ecological civilization construction, and is continuously tested, enriched, and developed in this process. Theoretical elaboration must not detach from the Chinese land, engage in armchair theorizing, or fall into pure speculative games. On the contrary, it must be deeply rooted in the vivid practice of China's ecological civilization construction, systematically summarizing, theoretically refining, and sublimating the laws contained in its "practical wisdom," elevating it into a theoretical model and theoretical paradigm with universal explanatory power. This requires us to establish an effective mechanism for condensing "typical cases into theoretical models," conducting in-depth dissection and theoretical analysis of landmark successful cases such as the ecological miracle of Saihanba transforming desert into forest, the rural ecological revitalization led by Zhejiang's "Thousand Village Demonstration, Ten Thousand Village Renovation" project, the systematic governance and ecological restoration of river basins like Fujian's Mulan River, the construction of the national park system, the joint prevention and control of air pollution in key regions, and the construction of waste sorting and "zero-waste cities." What are the key factors for the success of these cases? What universal ecological and social laws do they follow? Which core concepts of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization are creatively applied? At the same time, great importance must be attached to the supporting role of data, integrating multi-dimensional and long-term data resources such as ecological and environmental quality monitoring, resource and energy consumption, green industry development, implementation of environmental policies and regulations, and public environmental satisfaction, to build a scientific, authoritative, and dynamic comprehensive database of China's ecological civilization construction, providing solid support for theoretical research and a scientific basis for policy formulation and effect evaluation. The results of theoretical elaboration must ultimately serve practice. The refined theoretical models, discovered universal laws, and constructed evaluation systems should be effectively transformed into core content for cadre training, vivid teaching materials for national education, and decision-making references for policy optimization, realizing the regular guidance of theory for higher-level practice.

系统总结升华中国实践的丰富经验。习近平生态文明思想最鲜明的品格在于实践性。它源于对中国生态环境问题严峻挑战的深刻洞察，形成于波澜壮阔的生态文明建设伟大实践，并在此过程中不断接受检验、得到丰富和发展。学理化阐释绝不能脱离中国大地，闭门造车，陷入纯粹的思辨游戏。相反，必须深深扎根于中国生态文明建设的生动实践，将其中蕴含的“实践智慧”进行系统总结、理论提炼和规律升华，使之上升为具有普遍解释力的学理模型和理论范式。这要求我们建立有效的“典型案例——理论模型”凝练机制，对塞罕坝荒漠变林海的生态奇迹、浙江“千万工程”引领的乡村生态振兴、福建木兰溪等流域的系统治理与生态修复、国家公园体系建设、重点区域大气污染联防联控、垃圾分类与“无废城市”建设等标志性成功案例，进行深度解剖和学理分析。这些案例成功的关键因素是什么？遵循了哪些普遍性的生态规律和社会规律？是对习近平生态文明思想中哪些核心理念的创造性运用？同时，必须高度重视数据的支撑作用，整合生态环境质量监测、资源能源消耗、绿色产业发展、环境政策法规执行、公众环境满意度等多维度、长时序的数据资源，构建科学、权威、动态的中国生态文明建设综合数据库，为理论研究提供坚实支撑，为政策制定和效果评估提供科学依据。学理化成果最终要服务于实践。要将提炼的理论模型、发现的普遍规律、构建的评估体系，有效转化为干部培训的核心内容、国民教育的生动教材、政策优化的决策参考，实现理论对更高水平实践的规律性指导。

Deeply participate in global academic dialogue. Ecological and environmental issues are common challenges facing all of humanity, and ecological civilization is a new form of human civilization development. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization belongs not only to China; the wisdom and solutions it contains for solving the global ecological crisis have universal world significance. Therefore, it must be placed within the broader context of global ecological thought and sustainable development theory. Through in-depth comparative research, precise academic translation, and active international dialogue, its unique contributions and universal value should be elucidated, making it an academic paradigm widely recognized, understood, and respected by the international academic community. The primary task is to solve the problem of precise academic translation and interpretation of key concepts. Core propositions such as "a community of life for man and nature," "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and "mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts are a community of life" contain profound Chinese cultural and philosophical implications. How to accurately and vividly translate them into academic language that the international academic community can understand while avoiding cultural discount, supplemented by accessible theoretical explanations, is a foundational task. It is essential to highlight the unique advantages of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization in solving the "development versus protection" dilemma commonly faced by developing countries. Promote the full incorporation and reflection of the core essence of the ecological civilization concept and the community of life concept in the research reports and assessment frameworks of authoritative international institutions such as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Through these efforts, effectively transform China's practical experience, institutional innovations, and theoretical reflections in the field of ecological civilization into academic discourse and public knowledge products with international influence, enhance China's voice and rule-making power in the field of global ecological and environmental governance, and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to solving the common ecological crisis facing humanity.

深度参与全球学术对话。生态环境问题是全人类面临的共同挑战，生态文明是人类文明发展的新形态。习近平生态文明思想不仅属于中国，其蕴含的解决全球生态危机的智慧方案，具有普遍的世界意义。因此，要将其置于全球生态思潮和可持续发展理论的大背景下，通过深入的比较研究、精准的学术译介和积极的国际对话，阐明其独特贡献和普遍价值，使其成为被国际学术界广泛认知、理解和尊重的学术范式。首要任务是解决关键概念的精准学术化译介与阐释问题。“人与自然生命共同体”“绿水青山就是金山银山”“山水林田湖草沙是生命共同体”等核心命题，蕴含着深刻的中国文化和哲学意蕴。如何将其准确、传神地翻译为国际学术界能够理解且避免文化折扣的学术语言，并辅以深入浅出的学理解释，是基础性工作。要重点阐明习近平生态文明思想在解决发展中国家普遍面临的“发展与保护”两难困境上的独特优势。推动在联合国生物多样性和生态系统服务政府间科学政策平台（IPBES）、联合国环境规划署（UNEP）等权威国际机构的研究报告、评估框架中，充分吸纳和体现生态文明理念、生命共同体理念的核心要义。通过这些努力，将中国在生态文明领域的实践经验、制度创新和理论思考，有效转化为具有国际影响力的学术话语和公共知识产品，提升中国在全球生态环境治理领域的话语权和规则制定权，为解决人类共同面临的生态危机贡献中国智慧和中国方案。

Advancing the theoretical elaboration of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is a systematic project of profound significance and arduous tasks. It requires us to forge Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization into an academic theoretical system with deep philosophical insight, solid disciplinary support, rich practical verification, and broad international recognition. Only in this way can this thought, which radiates the brilliance of truth, establish its due position in the academic hall, and its powerful vitality, explanatory power, and guiding force can be more fully demonstrated.

推进习近平生态文明思想的学理化阐释，是一项意义深远、任务艰巨的系统工程。它要求我们将习近平生态文明思想锻造成为具有深刻哲学洞见、坚实学科支撑、丰富实践验证和广泛国际认同的学术理论体系。唯有如此，这一闪耀着真理光芒的思想，才能在学术殿堂中确立其应有的地位，其强大的生命力、解释力和引领力才能得到更充分的展现。

(The author is Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Marxism, Lanzhou University)

（作者系兰州大学马克思主义学院党委书记）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心