Always Uphold the Principle That “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the proposition that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” In August 2005, Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, pointed out during an inspection tour of Yucun Village in Anji County, Zhejiang Province: “In the past we said we want both lucid waters and lush mountains and gold and silver mountains. In fact, lucid waters and lush mountains are themselves gold and silver mountains.” The “two mountains” proposition profoundly clarifies the relationship between economic development and ecological protection, telling people that we need both high-quality development and high-level ecological and environmental protection. Since the New Era, China has unswervingly followed a path of prioritizing ecological conservation and pursuing green development. Twenty years on, guided by the “two mountains” proposition, China’s achievements in ecological civilization construction have attracted worldwide attention. “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” has become a common consensus of the entire Party and the whole society, serving as a powerful driving force for advancing ecological civilization construction.

今年是“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念提出20周年。2005年8月，时任浙江省委书记的习近平同志在浙江省安吉县余村调研时指出：“我们过去讲既要绿水青山，又要金山银山，实际上绿水青山就是金山银山。”“两山”理念深刻阐明了经济发展和生态保护的关系，告诉人们既要高质量发展，也要高水平生态环境保护。新时代以来，我国坚定不移走生态优先、绿色发展之路。20年过去，在“两山”理念指引下，中国的生态文明建设成就举世瞩目，“绿水青山就是金山银山”已经是全党全社会的普遍共识，成为推动生态文明建设的强大动力。

I. A Profound Understanding of the Scientific Connotation and Core Essence of the “Two Mountains” Proposition

一、深刻认识“两山”理念的科学内涵、核心要义

“Lucid waters and lush mountains” refers to protecting the ecological environment; “gold and silver mountains” refers to developing the economy and creating material wealth. The “two mountains” proposition profoundly elucidates the inherent unity between economic development and ecological environmental protection, emphasizing the relationship of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. The proposition was put forward in response to the increasingly prominent severe challenges of worsening environmental pollution, tightening resource constraints, and ecosystem degradation that emerged during the rapid advance of industrialization and urbanization. The “two mountains” proposition is not only an important development concept but also one of the major principles that must be upheld in comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

“绿水青山”指保护生态环境，“金山银山”指发展经济和创造物质财富。“两山”理念深刻阐明了经济发展与生态环境保护的内在统一性，强调了人与自然和谐共生关系。“两山”理念的提出，回应了工业化、城镇化快速推进过程中日益凸显的环境污染加重、资源约束趋紧、生态系统退化等严峻挑战。“两山”理念既是重要的发展理念，也是以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业必须坚持的重大原则之一。

The “two mountains” proposition gradually matured in the practice of economic development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the construction and protection of the ecological environment. In April 1997, Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out during an inspection tour of Changkou Village in Sanming, Fujian Province: “Green mountains and clear waters are priceless treasures; mountainous areas must paint a good ‘landscape painting’ and do a good job on the articles of mountains, waters, and fields.” After Comrade Xi Jinping went to work in Zhejiang, he pointed out in “Environmental Protection Depends on Conscious Self-Action” that “caring only for gold and silver mountains while ignoring lucid waters and lush mountains” is in fact “eating the food of our ancestors while cutting off the path of our descendants.” In July 2004, Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out at the on-site work meeting of Zhejiang Province’s “Thousand Village Demonstration, Ten Thousand Village Renovation” project that this project, as an “ecological project,” is an effective vehicle for promoting the construction of an ecological province, both protecting “lucid waters and lush mountains” and bringing “gold and silver mountains.” In 2005, Comrade Xi Jinping first proposed the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” in Anji, Zhejiang. In 2013, when answering a student’s question at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We want both lucid waters and lush mountains and gold and silver mountains. We would rather have lucid waters and lush mountains than gold and silver mountains, and moreover, lucid waters and lush mountains are themselves gold and silver mountains.” In March 2015, the Opinions on Accelerating the Advancement of Ecological Civilization Construction, reviewed and approved by the Politburo, incorporated the principle of “upholding that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” In 2017, the 19th National Congress of the CPC wrote “we must establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” into its report, and the Revision of the Constitution of the Communist Party of China adopted by the Congress wrote “enhancing the awareness that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” into the Party Constitution. In 2022, the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC explicitly stated that “we must firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Style Modernization, adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, made arrangements for accelerating the improvement of the institutional mechanisms for implementing the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated ecological civilization construction together with economic, political, cultural, and social construction into the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, continuously deepening the understanding of the laws of ecological civilization construction, forming Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, with the “two mountains” proposition becoming an important part of it, achieving a major transformation from practical exploration to scientific theory.

“两山”理念在经济发展实践中逐渐成熟。习近平总书记高度重视生态环境的建设和保护。1997年4月，习近平同志在福建三明常口村调研时指出，“青山绿水是无价之宝，山区要画好‘山水画’，做好山水田文章”；习近平同志到浙江工作后，在《环境保护要靠自觉自为》中指出，“只要金山银山，不管绿水青山”，实则是“吃了祖宗饭，断了子孙路”；2004年7月，习近平同志在浙江省“千村示范、万村整治”工作现场会上指出，“千村示范、万村整治”作为一项“生态工程”，是推动生态省建设的有效载体，既保护了“绿水青山”，又带来了“金山银山”；2005年，习近平同志在浙江安吉首次提出“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念；2013年，习近平总书记在哈萨克斯坦纳扎尔巴耶夫大学回答学生问题时指出，“我们既要绿水青山，也要金山银山。宁要绿水青山，不要金山银山，而且绿水青山就是金山银山”。2015年3月，中央政治局审议通过的《关于加快推进生态文明建设的意见》，将“坚持绿水青山就是金山银山”写入其中。2017年，党的十九大将“必须树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山的理念”写入大会报告，大会通过的《中国共产党章程（修正案）》把“增强绿水青山就是金山银山的意识”写入党章。2022年，党的二十大报告明确提出“必须牢固树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山的理念”。党的二十届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》，对加快完善落实绿水青山就是金山银山理念的体制机制作出部署。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把生态文明建设与经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设一道列入“五位一体”总体布局，不断深化对生态文明建设规律的认识，形成习近平生态文明思想，“两山”理念成为其中的重要内容，实现由实践探索到科学理论的重大转变。

The “two mountains” proposition fully embodies the Marxist dialectical relationship between humanity and nature. Marxism holds that humanity is part of nature; humans transform nature through labor practice while also relying on nature for survival, which fully reveals the inseparable intrinsic connection between humanity and nature. The “two mountains” proposition concretizes this thought: “lucid waters and lush mountains” are the foundation of human survival, a gift from nature to humanity; “gold and silver mountains” are the material wealth created by humanity through labor practice. The two constitute a community of life. Upholding and practicing the “two mountains” proposition can both improve people’s livelihoods and in turn nourish ecological protection. The “two mountains” proposition emphasizes that economic development must not drain the pond to catch all the fish [1]1 “Draining the pond to catch all the fish” (竭泽而渔) is a Chinese idiom meaning to pursue short-term gains at the expense of long-term sustainability, originally from the historical text Lüshi Chunqiu. with regard to natural resources and the ecological environment, and emphasizes that environmental protection does not mean abandoning economic development and improving people’s livelihoods. Practice has proven that artificially separating and opposing ecological environmental protection and economic development is unsustainable; only by organically unifying the two can we build a modernization in which humanity and nature coexist harmoniously. The “two mountains” proposition provides epistemology and methodology for ecological civilization construction, enriching and developing the Marxist view of development.

“两山”理念充分体现了马克思主义关于人与自然的辩证关系。马克思主义认为，人是自然界的一部分，人类通过劳动实践改造自然，同时也依赖自然而生存，这充分揭示了人与自然之间不可分割的内在联系。“两山”理念将这一思想具体化，“绿水青山”是人类生存的基础，是自然界对人类的馈赠；“金山银山”则是人类通过劳动实践创造的物质财富，二者构成一个生命共同体，坚持和践行“两山”理念既能改善民生又能反哺生态保护。“两山”理念强调发展经济不能对自然资源和生态环境竭泽而渔，强调环境保护并不是舍弃经济发展和改善民生。实践证明，把生态环境保护和经济发展人为割裂与对立起来是不可持续的，把二者有机统一起来，才能建设人与自然和谐共生的现代化，“两山”理念为生态文明建设提供了认识论和方法论，丰富和发展了马克思主义发展观。

The “two mountains” proposition elucidates that a sound ecological environment itself can create material wealth. Human production and life must follow both the laws of economic development and the laws of natural development. When the laws of economic development conflict with the laws of natural development, following the laws of natural development must take precedence. Once economic development and ecological environmental protection come into conflict, the “two mountains” proposition emphasizes that ecological environmental protection must be placed first; this is an important principle for handling the relationship between economic development and ecological environmental protection. The value of a beautiful natural environment is incalculable; destroying lucid waters and lush mountains means destroying the basic conditions for economic development, thereby losing the foundation on which gold and silver mountains depend. When the ecological environment of a place is good, people will naturally be willing to come to invest, develop, work, live, and travel, and lucid waters and lush mountains can then become gold and silver mountains. For example, by developing eco-friendly industries such as ecotourism, organic agriculture, under-forest economy, and health and wellness industries, the added value of ecological products can be increased; by establishing and improving mechanisms for realizing the value of ecological products, such as ecological compensation, carbon sink trading, emission rights trading, and green finance, economic returns can be obtained for actions that protect and improve the ecological environment; by empowering green development through scientific and technological innovation, resource utilization efficiency and ecological environmental quality can be improved. It can be seen that ecological resources are the most precious resources; engaging in the economy and pursuing development must not come at the expense of the environment.

“两山”理念阐明了良好生态环境本身能创造物质财富。人类生产生活既要遵循经济发展规律，又要遵循自然发展规律，当经济发展规律与自然发展规律发生冲突时，要把遵循自然发展规律居于优先位置。一旦经济发展和生态环境保护发生冲突，“两山”理念强调必须把生态环境保护置于首位，这是处理经济发展与生态环境保护关系的重要原则。优美的自然环境价值不可估量，破坏了绿水青山就是在破坏经济发展的基本条件，进而会丧失金山银山赖以存在的根基。一个地方的生态环境好了，人们自然愿意来投资、来发展、来工作、来生活、来旅游，绿水青山就可以变成金山银山。例如，通过发展生态友好型产业，如生态旅游、有机农业、林下经济、康养产业，提升生态产品的附加值；通过建立健全生态产品价值实现机制，如生态补偿、碳汇交易、排污权交易、绿色金融，让保护和改善生态环境的行为获得经济回报；通过科技创新赋能绿色发展，提高资源利用效率和生态环境质量。可见，生态资源是最宝贵的资源，搞经济、抓发展不能以牺牲环境为代价。

The "two mountains" concept contributes Chinese wisdom to global sustainable development. The ideas of ecological priority, green development, and win-win cooperation embodied in the "two mountains" concept have contributed Chinese wisdom to solving global environmental problems and building a clean, beautiful, green, low-carbon, and eco-friendly world. The "two mountains" concept offers developing countries that both desire economic growth and face enormous environmental pressure a more sustainable development concept and path different from the Western "pollute first, treat later" model. China's "two mountains" concept has been incorporated into the practice cases of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting its global demonstration value. Through international development cooperation mechanisms, China showcases its innovative model of ecological governance to the world. As a key promoter and model implementer of the Paris Agreement, China has transformed ecological civilization ideas such as the "two mountains" concept into international public goods in global climate governance, biodiversity protection, desertification control, and other international processes. By advocating "nature-based solutions," the "principle of common but differentiated responsibilities," and others, China has turned the ecological wisdom contained in the "two mountains" concept into concrete actions to promote more just and reasonable global ecological governance. Through the "building a clean and beautiful world" initiative, China has promoted the "two mountains" concept from domestic ecological civilization construction to the international stage. This initiative emphasizes global joint response to environmental challenges and promotes the coordinated implementation of sustainable development goals and biodiversity protection. High-quality Belt and Road cooperation meets the actual needs of economic and social development in participating countries and regions. Through mechanisms such as the Belt and Road Green Development International Alliance, China places the "two mountains" concept in an important position, promotes environmental governance capacity building in developing countries, and treats ecological protection as a common cause that brings long-term benefits and benefits future generations, reflecting the responsibility and commitment to building a community of life for man and nature.

“两山”理念为全球可持续发展贡献中国智慧。“两山”理念所蕴含的生态优先、绿色发展、合作共赢的思想，为解决全球性环境问题，建设清洁美丽、绿色低碳、生态友好的世界，贡献了中国智慧。“两山”理念为那些既渴望发展经济、又面临巨大环境压力的发展中国家，贡献了一条不同于西方“先污染后治理”的、更可持续的发展理念和路径。中国的“两山”理念已被纳入联合国可持续发展目标实践案例，体现了其全球示范价值。中国通过国际发展合作机制，向世界展示其生态治理创新模式。作为《巴黎协定》的关键推动者和履约示范国，中国在全球气候治理、生物多样性保护、防治荒漠化等国际进程中，将“两山”理念等生态文明思想转化为国际公共产品。通过倡导“基于自然的解决方案”、“共同但有区别的责任原则”等，将“两山”理念蕴含的生态智慧转化为推动全球生态治理向更加公正合理方向发展的实际行动。中国通过“共建清洁美丽世界”倡议，将国内生态文明建设的“两山”理念推向国际舞台，该倡议强调全球共同应对环境挑战，推动可持续发展目标与生物多样性保护的协同实施。高质量共建“一带一路”，符合共建国家和地区经济社会发展实际需要。中国通过“一带一路”绿色发展国际联盟等机制，把“两山”理念放到重要位置，促进发展中国家环境治理能力建设，把保护生态环境当作长期受益、造福后代的共同事业，体现了推动构建人与自然生命共同体的责任与担当。

II. The "Two Mountains" Concept Has Profoundly Changed China

二、“两山”理念深刻改变了中国

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made ecological civilization construction a fundamental plan for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, carrying out a series of pioneering work. Ecological civilization construction has undergone historic, transformative, and overall changes from theory to practice. Guided by the "two mountains" concept, China has adhered to the integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts, coordinated the promotion of high-level protection and high-quality development, made the ecological civilization institutional system more complete, advanced the fight against pollution in depth, and taken major steps in building a beautiful China.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把生态文明建设作为关系中华民族永续发展的根本大计，开展了一系列开创性工作，生态文明建设从理论到实践都发生了历史性、转折性、全局性变化。以“两山”理念为指引，我国坚持山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和系统治理，协同推动高水平保护和高质量发展，生态文明制度体系更加健全，污染防治攻坚向纵深推进，美丽中国建设迈出重大步伐。

The ecological civilization institutional system has basically taken shape. China has formulated dozens of reform plans related to ecological civilization construction, and the institutional system with the "four beams and eight pillars" [2]2 "Four beams and eight pillars" (四梁八柱) is a Chinese architectural metaphor for a basic framework or main supporting structure, here referring to the core institutional framework of ecological civilization. of ecological civilization has basically taken shape. China has established and improved systems such as the target evaluation and assessment system for ecological civilization construction, the river and lake chief system, the pollutant discharge permit system, the ecological protection red line system, the system of joint Party and government responsibility for ecological and environmental protection, and the "dual responsibility for one post" [3]3 "Dual responsibility for one post" (一岗双责) means that officials are responsible for both their regular duties and the related Party building or, in this context, ecological protection responsibilities of their position. system. On April 28, 2025, the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council issued the "Regulations on Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspection Work," further improving the working mechanisms and systems for ecological and environmental protection inspections, deepening ecological and environmental protection inspection work, and comprehensively advancing the construction of a beautiful China. The constitutional amendment incorporated ecological civilization into the Constitution, the Civil Code established the "green principle" for civil activities, the Criminal Law amendment improved relevant provisions such as the "crime of environmental pollution," and more than 30 relevant laws have formed a "1+N+4" socialist ecological and environmental protection legal system with Chinese characteristics.

生态文明制度体系基本形成。我国制定几十项涉及生态文明建设的改革方案，生态文明“四梁八柱”性质的制度体系基本形成。建立健全生态文明建设目标评价考核制度、河湖长制、排污许可制度、生态保护红线制度、生态环境保护党政同责、“一岗双责”等制度。2025年4月28日，中共中央、国务院印发《生态环境保护督察工作条例》，进一步健全生态环境保护督察工作体制机制，深入推进生态环境保护督察工作，全面推进美丽中国建设。宪法修正案将生态文明写入宪法，民法典确立民事活动的“绿色原则”，刑法修正案完善“污染环境罪”等相关规定，相关法律30余部形成“1+N+4”中国特色社会主义生态环境保护法律制度体系。

Green development has achieved remarkable results. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the "gold content" and "green content" of China's economic development have significantly improved. In the decade of the New Era, an average annual energy consumption growth of 3% supported an average annual economic growth of over 6%, and energy intensity cumulatively decreased by 26.4%, making China one of the countries with the fastest reduction in energy intensity in the world. Carbon emission intensity cumulatively decreased by over 35%, reversing the trend of rapid growth in carbon dioxide emissions. China has built the world's largest carbon market and clean power generation system. As of 2024, coal's share in energy consumption had fallen to 53.2%, the share of clean energy consumption had increased to 25.9%, and the installed capacity of renewable energy accounted for 56% of the country's total installed power generation capacity, exceeding the installed capacity of coal power. The installed capacities of hydropower, wind power, solar power, and biomass power all ranked first in the world, and the production and sales of new energy vehicles ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years. Since the "dual carbon" goals [4]4 "Dual carbon" goals (双碳目标) refer to China's pledges to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. were proposed, China has incorporated the "dual carbon" work into the overall layout of ecological civilization construction and the overall situation of economic and social development, and the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy structure has achieved remarkable results. Data from the National Energy Administration shows that in 2024, the consumption of non-fossil energy surpassed that of oil for the first time, accounting for 19.7% of primary energy consumption.

绿色发展成绩显著。党的十八大以来，我国经济发展的“含金量”、“含绿量”明显提高，新时代10年以年均3%的能源消费增速支撑了年均超过6%的经济增长，能耗强度累计下降26.4%，是全球能耗强度降低最快的国家之一。碳排放强度累计下降超过35%，扭转了二氧化碳排放快速增长的态势。建成全球规模最大的碳市场和清洁发电体系。截至2024年，煤炭占能源消费比重下降至53.2%，清洁能源消费比重增长到25.9%，可再生能源装机占全国发电总装机的56%，超过全国煤电装机容量，水电、风电、太阳能发电、生物质发电装机都稳居世界第一，新能源汽车产销量连续8年稳居世界第一。“双碳”目标提出以来，我国把“双碳”工作纳入生态文明建设整体布局和经济社会发展全局，能源结构绿色低碳转型成效显著。国家能源局数据显示，2024年非化石能源消费量首次超越石油，占一次能源消费比重达到19.7%。

The ecological environment has improved. With unprecedented determination and intensity, China has deeply implemented action plans for the prevention and control of air, water, and soil pollution. First, air quality has significantly improved. In 2024, the average concentration of PM2.5 in 339 cities at the prefecture level and above was 29.3 micrograms per cubic meter, the average concentration of PM10 was 49 micrograms per cubic meter, the average proportion of days with good air quality was 87.2%, and the average proportion of days with heavy or above pollution was 0.9%, all showing substantial improvement compared with ten years ago. Second, water environment quality has continuously improved. In 2024, among 3,641 national surface water monitoring sections, the proportion of sections with good water quality reached 90.4%, the proportion of sections with劣Ⅴ类 [5]5 劣Ⅴ类 (劣五类) is the worst grade in China's five-tier surface water quality classification system, indicating water that is severely polluted and unfit for any direct use. water quality was 0.6%, and among 210 key lakes (reservoirs), the proportion of lakes and reservoirs with good water quality was 77.1%, all showing significant improvement compared with the past. Third, soil environment quality has remained stable. In 2024, the safe utilization of contaminated farmland and key construction land was effectively guaranteed; environmental remediation was newly completed in 25,000 administrative villages, and the rural domestic sewage treatment rate reached over 45%. Fourth, the area of desertified and sandified land has continuously decreased, achieving the goal of zero net land degradation by 2030 ahead of schedule. With the deepening of the national land greening action, China's forest coverage rate has exceeded 25%, forest stock volume has exceeded 20 billion cubic meters, and the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grasslands has exceeded 50%.

生态环境得到改善。我国以前所未有的决心和力度，深入实施大气、水、土壤污染防治行动计划。一是空气质量明显提升。2024年，全国339个地级及以上城市PM2.5平均浓度为29.3微克/立方米，PM10平均浓度为49微克/立方米，优良天数比例平均为87.2%，平均重度及以上污染天数比例为0.9%，各项数据均较10年前有大幅改善。二是水环境质量持续改善。2024年，3641个国家地表水考核断面中，水质优良断面比例达到90.4%，劣Ⅴ类断面比例为0.6%，210个重点湖（库）中，水质优良湖库个数占比为77.1%，均较以往有明显改善。三是土壤环境质量保持稳定。2024年，全国受污染耕地和重点建设用地安全利用得到有效保障；新增完成2.5万个行政村环境整治，农村生活污水治理率达到45%以上。四是荒漠化和沙化土地面积持续减少，提前实现到2030年土地退化零增长目标。随着国土绿化行动的深入推进，我国森林覆盖率超过25%，森林蓄积量超过200亿立方米，草原综合植被盖度超过50%。

III. Actively Explore the Transformation Path of "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets"

三、积极探索“绿水青山就是金山银山”的转化路径

The implementation of the "two mountains" concept is a long-term and arduous task that cannot be accomplished overnight. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must actively explore and promote the path of transforming lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets, select regions with suitable conditions to carry out pilot projects on the value realization mechanism of ecological products, and explore a sustainable path for realizing the value of ecological products led by the government, with participation from enterprises and all sectors of society, and market-oriented operation." To deeply practice the "two mountains" concept, we must adhere to the principle of protecting in development and developing in protection, gradually achieve coordination between economic and social development and population, resources, and the environment, and achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth in green transformation.

“两山”理念的贯彻落实是一项长期而艰巨的任务，不可能一蹴而就。习近平总书记指出：“要积极探索推广绿水青山转化为金山银山的路径，选择具备条件的地区开展生态产品价值实现机制试点，探索政府主导、企业和社会各界参与、市场化运作、可持续的生态产品价值实现路径。”深入践行“两山”理念，必须坚持在发展中保护、在保护中发展的原则，逐步实现经济社会发展与人口、资源、环境相协调，在绿色转型中实现质的有效提升和量的合理增长。

Improve the legal, regulatory, and institutional guarantee system to ensure the "two mountains" concept takes root. The practical transformation of the "two mountains" concept requires national strategic guidance, policy system support, and institutional innovation guarantees. The "Opinions on Comprehensively Advancing the Construction of a Beautiful China" issued by the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council clearly requires "firmly establishing and practicing the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and places ecological civilization construction in a prominent position in overall work. The newly revised "Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" provides a powerful legal weapon for ecological and environmental protection. In terms of institutional system construction, China has carried out a series of fruitful explorations. The establishment of the central ecological and environmental protection inspection system, with "supervision of government" as its core, has effectively consolidated the main responsibility of local Party committees and governments for ecological and environmental protection. The ecological compensation mechanism has been gradually rolled out nationwide, mobilizing the enthusiasm of ecological protection areas through fiscal transfer payments, interregional horizontal compensation, and other means.

健全法律法规和制度保障体系，保证“两山”理念落地生根。“两山”理念的实践转化需要国家战略引领、政策体系支撑和制度创新保障。中共中央、国务院印发的《关于全面推进美丽中国建设的意见》明确要求，“牢固树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山的理念”，并将生态文明建设摆在全局工作的突出位置。新修订的《中华人民共和国环境保护法》，为生态环境保护提供了强有力的法律武器。在制度体系构建方面，我国进行了一系列卓有成效的探索。中央生态环境保护督察制度的建立，以“督政”为核心，有效压实了地方党委、政府的生态环保主体责任。生态补偿机制在全国范围内逐步推开，通过财政转移支付、区域间横向补偿等方式，调动了生态保护地区的积极性。

Vigorously promote the greening and low-carbon transformation of economic and social development, and accelerate the green and low-carbon transition. Improve the system of functional zones, refine the territorial space planning system, and coordinate and optimize the spatial layout of agriculture, ecology, towns, and other categories. Strengthen law enforcement supervision and protection and restoration, so that the area of ecological protection red lines nationwide remains above 3.15 million square kilometers. Resolutely hold the red line of 1.8 billion mu [6]6 A traditional Chinese unit of area; 1 mu is approximately 1/15 of a hectare, or about 0.0667 hectares. 1.8 billion mu equals 120 million hectares. of arable land, ensuring that arable land that can be stably and permanently utilized is no longer reduced. Strictly control the spatial management of river and lake water areas and shorelines, strengthen the spatial management of marine and coastal territorial areas, establish a mechanism for withdrawing inefficient sea-use areas, and, except for major national projects, no new sea reclamation or enclosure projects will be added. Focus on controlling the consumption of fossil energy such as coal, strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal, and vigorously develop non-fossil energy. Implement an action plan for methane emission control, and study and formulate action plans for controlling other non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions. Further develop the national carbon market, enrich trading varieties and methods, and build and improve the national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market. Vigorously develop strategic emerging industries, high-tech industries, green environmental protection industries, and modern service industries; resolutely curb the blind launch of high-energy-consumption, high-emission, and low-efficiency projects; and vigorously promote the upgrading of technology, equipment, and processes in traditional industries to achieve a green and low-carbon transition. Vigorously accelerate the construction of dedicated railway lines, raise the level of clean transportation for bulk cargo, and promote the green transformation of railway stations, civil airports, ports and terminals, and logistics parks, as well as the electrification of railways. Implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, promoting energy conservation, water conservation, land conservation, materials conservation, and mineral conservation. Continue to deepen energy conservation in key areas and strengthen energy use management for new types of infrastructure. Deeply implement the national water conservation action, improve water use efficiency in key water-using industries and products, actively promote the resource utilization of sewage, and strengthen the allocation and utilization of non-conventional water sources. Improve the system for economical and intensive land use, and promote land-saving technologies and models. Establish a green manufacturing system and a green service system. Carry out an action to improve the quality and efficiency of comprehensive resource utilization. Accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system, promoting the recycling of waste such as used wind turbine blades, photovoltaic modules, power batteries, and express packaging. Promote the conservation of raw materials and the recycling of resources, and vigorously develop the remanufacturing industry. Comprehensively advance the construction of green mines.

大力推动经济社会发展绿色化、低碳化，加快绿色低碳转型。健全主体功能区制度，完善国土空间规划体系，统筹优化农业、生态、城镇等各类空间布局。强化执法监管和保护修复，使全国生态保护红线面积保持在315万平方公里以上。坚决守住18亿亩耕地红线，确保可以长期稳定利用的耕地不再减少。严格河湖水域岸线空间管控，加强海洋和海岸带国土空间管控，建立低效用海退出机制，除国家重大项目外，不再新增围填海项目。重点控制煤炭等化石能源消费，加强煤炭清洁高效利用，大力发展非化石能源。实施甲烷排放控制行动方案，研究制定其他非二氧化碳温室气体排放控制行动方案。进一步发展全国碳市场，丰富交易品种和方式，建设完善全国温室气体自愿减排交易市场。大力发展战略性新兴产业、高技术产业、绿色环保产业、现代服务业，坚决遏制高耗能、高排放、低水平项目盲目上马，大力推进传统产业工艺、技术、装备升级，实现绿色低碳转型。大力加快铁路专用线建设，提升大宗货物清洁化运输水平，推进铁路场站、民用机场、港口码头、物流园区等绿色化改造和铁路电气化改造。实施全面节约战略，推进节能、节水、节地、节材、节矿。持续深化重点领域节能，加强新型基础设施用能管理。深入实施国家节水行动，提升重点用水行业、产品用水效率，积极推动污水资源化利用，加强非常规水源配置利用。健全节约集约利用土地制度，推广节地技术和模式。建立绿色制造体系和服务体系。开展资源综合利用提质增效行动。加快构建废弃物循环利用体系，促进废旧风机叶片、光伏组件、动力电池、快递包装等废弃物循环利用。推进原材料节约和资源循环利用，大力发展再制造产业。全面推进绿色矿山建设。

Deepen the fight against pollution, and continue to win the battles for blue skies, clear waters, and clean soil. First, win the battle for blue skies. With the control of fine particulate matter as the main line, vigorously promote the coordinated reduction of multiple pollutants. Strengthen the comprehensive treatment of volatile organic compounds and implement source substitution projects. Take measures such as clean energy and central heating substitution according to local conditions, and continue to advance pollution control for bulk coal, coal-fired boilers, and industrial furnaces. Conduct research on oil product quality standards for a new phase, and strengthen joint departmental supervision and law enforcement. Strengthen regional joint prevention and control, and deepen the performance classification of key industries for heavy pollution weather. Focus on solving pollution problems such as odors and cooking fumes. Strengthen the environmental management of ozone-depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons, achieving constant fresh air and enduring blue skies. Second, win the battle for clear waters. Coordinate the management of water resources, water environment, and water ecology; deeply advance the protection and management of major rivers and lakes such as the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers; and optimize and adjust the zoning and management system for water functions. Basically complete the investigation and remediation of sewage outlets into rivers and seas, and fully establish a monitoring and supervision system for these outlets. Accelerate the filling of gaps in urban sewage collection and treatment facilities, build model areas for full coverage of urban sewage pipeline networks, strengthen the harmless treatment and resource utilization of sludge, and build benchmark green and low-carbon sewage treatment plants. Establish a water ecology assessment mechanism, strengthen the protection and restoration of water source conservation areas and ecological buffer zones, strengthen the unified dispatch of water resources, and ensure the ecological flow of rivers and lakes. Adhere to the coordination of land and sea and the linkage of rivers and seas, and continue to advance the comprehensive management of key sea areas. Strengthen the environmental remediation of mariculture, and actively respond to ecological disasters such as cyanobacterial blooms, red tides, and green tides. Advance the cleaning of floating debris in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and canals, and the management of marine garbage. Third, win the battle for clean soil. Carry out actions to prevent and control pollution at the source of soil, strictly prevent new pollution, and gradually solve the problem of severe long-term accumulated pollution of soil and groundwater. Solidly advance the safe utilization and risk control of contaminated agricultural land, and advance the tracing and remediation of heavy metal pollution in agricultural land in phases, achieving full coverage. Strengthen the joint supervision of land use change and risk control of contaminated plots in accordance with the law, and promote risk control and remediation of large contaminated sites. Comprehensively carry out environmental monitoring of soil and groundwater around key units subject to soil pollution supervision. Strengthen the environmental protection of groundwater-type drinking water sources, and strictly control environmental risks in key areas for groundwater pollution prevention and control.

深入推进污染防治攻坚，持续打好蓝天、碧水、净土保卫战。首先，打好蓝天保卫战。以细颗粒物控制为主线，大力推进多污染物协同减排。强化挥发性有机物综合治理，实施源头替代工程。因地制宜采取清洁能源、集中供热替代等措施，继续推进散煤、燃煤锅炉、工业炉窑污染治理。开展新阶段油品质量标准研究，强化部门联合监管执法。加强区域联防联控，深化重污染天气重点行业绩效分级。着力解决恶臭、餐饮油烟等污染问题。加强消耗臭氧层物质和氢氟碳化物环境管理，实现空气常新、蓝天常在。其次，打好碧水保卫战。统筹水资源、水环境、水生态治理，深入推进长江、黄河等大江大河和重要湖泊保护治理，优化调整水功能区划及管理制度。基本完成入河入海排污口排查整治，全面建成排污口监测监管体系。加快补齐城镇污水收集和处理设施短板，建设城市污水管网全覆盖样板区，加强污泥无害化处理和资源化利用，建设污水处理绿色低碳标杆厂。建立水生态考核机制，加强水源涵养区和生态缓冲带保护修复，强化水资源统一调度，保障河湖生态流量。坚持陆海统筹、河海联动，持续推进重点海域综合治理。加强海水养殖环境整治，积极应对蓝藻水华、赤潮绿潮等生态灾害。推进江河湖库清漂和海洋垃圾治理。再次，打好净土保卫战。开展土壤污染源头防控行动，严防新增污染，逐步解决长期积累的土壤和地下水严重污染问题。扎实推进受污染耕地安全利用和风险管控，分阶段推进农用地土壤重金属污染溯源和整治全覆盖。依法加强建设用地用途变更和污染地块风险管控的联动监管，推动大型污染场地风险管控和修复。全面开展土壤污染重点监管单位周边土壤和地下水环境监测。强化地下水型饮用水水源地环境保护，严控地下水污染防治重点区环境风险。

Enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of ecosystems, and consolidate the national ecological security barrier. Advance the protection and construction of national key ecological function zones and important ecological corridors. Comprehensively advance the construction of a system of protected areas with national parks as the main body, and complete the integration and optimization of national protected areas. Implement a national project for monitoring, evaluation, and early warning of natural ecological resources. Strengthen the construction of a regulatory system for ecological protection and restoration, and strengthen unified supervision. Strictly supervise owners, developers, and even regulators themselves, promptly detecting and investigating various incidents of ecological damage. Strengthen the monitoring and assessment of ecological conditions, and carry out assessments of the effectiveness of ecological protection and restoration. Continue to advance the “Green Shield” [7]7 A national-level environmental supervision campaign launched by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other departments to crack down on illegal activities within nature reserves. intensified supervision of nature reserves, and establish a supervision mechanism for ecological damage issues within ecological protection red lines. Accelerate the implementation of major projects for the protection and restoration of key ecosystems, and promote the recuperation of grasslands, forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other ecosystems. Continue to implement integrated protection and restoration projects for mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts. Scientifically carry out large-scale national land greening actions, increase efforts in grassland and wetland protection and restoration, strengthen the comprehensive management of desertification, stony desertification, and soil erosion, fully implement sustainable forest management, and strengthen forest and grassland fire prevention and control. Focus on sand source areas and transport pathways affecting key regions such as Beijing, and continue to advance the construction of the “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program [8]8 A large-scale ecological afforestation project covering northwest, north, and northeast China, initiated in 1978 to combat desertification and soil erosion. and the control of sand sources in Beijing and Tianjin. Strengthen the coordinating role of the coordination mechanism for biodiversity protection, and implement major projects for biodiversity protection. Improve the national biodiversity protection network, comprehensively protect wild animals and plants, and gradually establish a national botanical garden system. Deeply advance the rescue action for rare and endangered species in the Yangtze River, and continue to implement the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River. Fully implement the summer fishing moratorium system in marine areas, and build modern marine ranches.

提升生态系统多样性稳定性持续性，稳固国家生态安全屏障。推进国家重点生态功能区、重要生态廊道保护建设。全面推进以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系建设，完成全国自然保护地整合优化。实施全国自然生态资源监测评价预警工程。加强生态保护修复监管制度建设，强化统一监管。严格对所有者、开发者乃至监管者的监管，及时发现和查处各类生态破坏事件。加强生态状况监测评估，开展生态保护修复成效评估。持续推进“绿盾”自然保护地强化监督，建立生态保护红线生态破坏问题监督机制。加快实施重要生态系统保护和修复重大工程，推行草原森林河流湖泊湿地休养生息。继续实施山水林田湖草沙一体化保护和修复工程。科学开展大规模国土绿化行动，加大草原和湿地保护修复力度，加强荒漠化、石漠化和水土流失综合治理，全面实施森林可持续经营，加强森林草原防灭火工作。聚焦影响北京等重点地区的沙源地及传输路径，持续推进“三北”工程建设和京津风沙源治理。强化生物多样性保护工作协调机制的统筹协调作用，实施生物多样性保护重大工程。健全全国生物多样性保护网络，全面保护野生动植物，逐步建立国家植物园体系。深入推进长江珍稀濒危物种拯救行动，继续抓好长江十年禁渔措施落实。全面实施海洋伏季休渔制度，建设现代海洋牧场。

(Author: Professor of the Department of Society and Ecological Civilization Teaching and Research, Party School of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC [9]9 The provincial-level Party school of the Communist Party of China in Shanxi Province, responsible for training Party cadres.; Special Researcher of the Shanxi Provincial Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics)

（作者：中共山西省委党校社会和生态文明教研部教授，山西省中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心特约研究员）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心