Green Development Concept Leads Profound Transformation in Ecological Civilization Construction

*Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization*, Volume I, systematically reflects the rich connotation, scientific system, and original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, comprehensively presenting General Secretary Xi Jinping’s global vision, worldwide perspective, and civilizational responsibility in planning ecological civilization construction. It provides authoritative material for us to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and to profoundly understand its theoretical value, strategic role, and great significance from the integration of history and reality, the interconnection of domestic and international contexts, and the combination of theory and practice.

《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷系统反映了习近平生态文明思想的丰富内涵、科学体系和原创性贡献，全方位展现了习近平总书记谋划生态文明建设的天下情怀、全球视野、文明担当，为我们深入学习贯彻习近平生态文明思想，从历史和现实相贯通、国际和国内相关联、理论和实际相结合上深刻理解习近平生态文明思想的理论价值、战略作用、重大意义提供了权威教材。

In “Promoting the Modernization of Harmony between Humanity and Nature through the Construction of a Beautiful China,” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Accelerate the formation of green production

在《以美丽中国建设全面推进人与自然和谐共生的现代化》中，习近平总书记指出：“加快形成绿色生产方式和生活方式，厚植高质量发展的绿色底色。”党的二十届四中全会通过的《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》提出“绿色发展是中国式现代化的鲜明底色”，对“加快经济社会发展全面绿色转型，建设美丽中国”作出战略部署。我们要深入学习《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷，深刻认识绿色发展理念的真理力量、实践伟力和世界贡献，更加自觉地坚持以习近平生态文明思想为指导，全面贯彻落实党的二十届四中全会精神和中央经济工作会议精神，以绿色发展促进人与自然和谐共生，为基本实现社会主义现代化注入强劲绿色动力。

Bringing about a Profound Revolution in the Outlook on Development

带来发展观的深刻革命

Volume I of *Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization* comprehensively and vividly presents the formation and development process of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, embodying General Secretary Xi Jinping’s profound insights and deep reflections on ecological civilization construction, and serving as a programmatic document guiding ecological civilization construction in the New Era. The green development concept is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Multiple important works included in Volume I of *Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization* provide profound explanations of the green development concept from different perspectives, such as *Relying on Scientific and Technological Innovation to Solve Green Development Challenges*, *Leading Rural Revitalization with Green Development*, and *Systematically Carrying Out Ecological and Environmental Protection and Restoration to Build a Green Development Demonstration Belt*. These important works adhere to the worldview and methodology of Marxism, are grounded in the great practice of the Party leading the people in advancing Chinese-path modernization, and deeply analyze, research, and resolve a series of theoretical and practical issues concerning green development. At a critical period of consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically achieve socialist modernization, and at a critical stage where global ecological civilization construction still faces many challenges and uncertainties and destabilizing factors have markedly increased, they point the way forward and provide fundamental guidance for China to take the path of green development and promote the joint building of a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world.

《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷全面生动地呈现了党的十八大以来习近平生态文明思想形成和发展过程，凝聚着习近平总书记对生态文明建设的深刻洞察和深邃思考，是新时代指导生态文明建设的纲领性文献。绿色发展理念是习近平生态文明思想的重要内容，《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷收录的多篇重要著作从不同角度对绿色发展理念作出深刻阐释，比如《依靠科技创新破解绿色发展难题》《以绿色发展引领乡村振兴》《系统开展生态环境保护修复，建设绿色发展示范带》。这些重要著作坚持运用马克思主义的世界观和方法论，立足党领导人民推进中国式现代化的伟大实践，深入分析、研究、解决关于绿色发展的一系列理论和实践问题，在基本实现社会主义现代化夯实基础、全面发力的关键时期，在全球生态文明建设依然面临诸多挑战、不确定不稳定因素明显增多的关键阶段，为中国走好绿色发展之路，推动共建清洁、美丽、可持续的世界指明了前进方向、提供了根本遵循。

The green development concept vividly demonstrates General Secretary Xi Jinping’s forward-looking thinking and strategic foresight in planning to resolve major issues in the process of Chinese-path modernization. It possesses strong theoretical appeal and practical relevance, and is of great significance in guiding China’s ecological civilization construction to undergo historic, transformative, and holistic changes, achieving remarkable accomplishments that have attracted worldwide attention. China is the world’s largest developing country, with a population of over 1.4 billion. Although China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national power have been continuously enhanced, and the people’s living standards have steadily improved, the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development remains prominent, and the task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country remains arduous and heavy. In particular, to achieve high-quality development, China still faces severe challenges in multiple aspects, such as scarce per capita resources and increasing constraints on the ecological environment. Enabling the entire population of over 1.4 billion to enter modernization is a great undertaking that will completely rewrite the global map of modernization. Its difficulty and complexity are unprecedented, and only by achieving a profound revolution in the outlook on development can we lead ourselves to break through the bottlenecks on the path forward.

绿色发展理念生动彰显了习近平总书记谋划解决中国式现代化进程中重大问题的前瞻思考和战略远见，具有很强的理论感召力和现实针对性，对于指引我国生态文明建设发生历史性、转折性、全局性变化，取得举世瞩目的巨大成就具有重要意义。我国是有着14亿多人口的世界上最大的发展中国家，尽管我国经济实力、科技实力、综合国力持续增强，人民生活水平稳步提高，但发展不平衡不充分的问题仍然突出，全面建设社会主义现代化国家的任务仍然艰巨繁重。特别是实现高质量发展，我国还面临着人均资源少、生态环境约束加大等多方面的严峻挑战。让14亿多人口整体迈入现代化，这是彻底改写现代化世界版图的伟大事业，艰巨性和复杂性前所未有，必须在发展观念上实现深刻变革，才能引领我们突破前进道路上的瓶颈制约。

In *Achieving Sustainable Development Requires a Firm Grasp of Ecological Civilization Construction*, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “If we follow the old path of the United States and Europe in building a modern country, it will not work; even if we had several more Earths, they would not be enough for the Chinese people to consume.” Without resolving the various problems in the outlook on development inherent in the “old path of the United States and Europe,” such as “polluting first and treating later” and pursuing economic growth at the expense of the environment and by mortgaging the future, it would be impossible for us to achieve sustainable development under conditions of a huge population scale. In *Promoting the Formation of Green Development Methods and Lifestyles Is a Profound Revolution in the Outlook on Development*, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Humans and nature are a symbiotic relationship; harm to nature will ultimately harm humans themselves” and “We must resolutely abandon the practice of sacrificing the ecological environment for short-term local economic growth, making a good ecological environment a growth point for people’s lives, a support point for sustained and healthy economic and social development, and a focal point for showcasing China’s good image.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions profoundly indicate that harmony between humanity and nature is an inevitable requirement of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization clearly puts forward the green development concept, which transcends the traditional view that economic and social development and ecological environmental protection are contradictory and cannot be achieved simultaneously. It requires that the green development concept be implemented throughout the entire process and in all aspects of economic and social development, promoting the formation of green development methods and lifestyles, thereby bringing about a profound revolution in the outlook on development.

习近平总书记在《实现永续发展必须抓好生态文明建设》中指出：“我们建设现代化国家，走美欧老路是走不通的，再有几个地球也不够中国人消耗。”不解决“美欧老路”存在的“先污染、后治理”，以牺牲环境、透支未来的方式追求经济增长等发展观念上的种种问题，我们就不可能在人口规模巨大的条件下实现永续发展。习近平总书记在《推动形成绿色发展方式和生活方式是发展观的一场深刻革命》中指出：“人与自然是一种共生关系，对自然的伤害最终会伤及人类自身”“坚决摒弃以牺牲生态环境换取一时一地经济增长的做法，让良好生态环境成为人民生活的增长点、成为经济社会持续健康发展的支撑点、成为展现我国良好形象的发力点”。习近平总书记的重要论述深刻表明，人与自然和谐共生是中国式现代化的必然要求。习近平生态文明思想鲜明提出绿色发展理念，超越了那种认为经济社会发展和生态环境保护互相矛盾、不可兼得的传统观念，要求把绿色发展理念贯穿于经济社会发展全过程各方面，推动形成绿色发展方式和生活方式，带来了发展观的一场深刻革命。

Green development is a comprehensive and revolutionary transformation of production methods, lifestyles, ways of thinking, and values. Achieving green development means planning development from the perspective of harmony between humanity and nature, respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature, confining economic activities and human behavior within the limits that natural resources and the ecological environment can bear, “taking from them with restraint and using them with moderation,” changing the previous production and consumption models of “mass production, mass consumption, and mass emissions,” forming a spatial pattern, industrial structure, production methods, and lifestyles that conserve resources and protect the environment, better transforming lucid waters and lush mountains into mountains of gold and silver, transforming ecological advantages into development advantages, and achieving mutual promotion, mutual benefit, and organic unity between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection. Green development breaks through old development thinking, concepts, and models, and represents a profound grasp of the laws of nature and the laws of sustainable economic and social development. Green development is an important component of the new development concept. It can not only guide us in effectively solving ecological and environmental problems and meeting the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment, but it is also an inherent requirement for developing new quality productive forces and better achieving high-quality development.

绿色发展是对生产方式、生活方式、思维方式和价值观念的全方位、革命性变革。实现绿色发展，就是要站在人与自然和谐共生的高度谋划发展，尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，把经济活动、人的行为限制在自然资源和生态环境能够承受的限度内，“取之有度，用之有节”，改变以往那种“大量生产、大量消耗、大量排放”的生产模式和消费模式，形成节约资源和保护环境的空间格局、产业结构、生产方式、生活方式，更好把绿水青山变成金山银山、把生态优势转化为发展优势，实现经济社会发展和生态环境保护相互促进、相得益彰、有机统一。绿色发展突破了旧有发展思维、发展理念和发展模式，是对自然规律和经济社会可持续发展规律的深刻把握。绿色发展是新发展理念的重要组成部分，不仅能够指引我们有效解决生态环境问题，满足人民日益增长的优美生态环境需要，而且是发展新质生产力、更好实现高质量发展的内在要求。

Guiding the Creation of a Green Development Miracle

指引创造绿色发展奇迹

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,

党的十八大以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，在习近平生态文明思想指引下，以绿色发展理念为引领，我们创造了举世瞩目的生态奇迹和绿色发展奇迹。《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷收录的《新时代生态文明建设取得举世瞩目的巨大成就》一文，系统总结了我们牢固树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山理念，坚定不移走生态优先、绿色发展之路所取得的历史性成就。在这一重要著作中，习近平总书记精辟概括了新时代生态文明建设的“四个重大转变”，即实现由重点整治到系统治理的重大转变，实现由被动应对到主动作为的重大转变，实现由全球环境治理参与者到引领者的重大转变，实现由实践探索到科学理论指导的重大转变，指出：“新时代生态文明建设的成就举世瞩目，人民群众感受最直接最真切，国际社会也普遍认可，成为新时代党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革的显著标志。”深刻揭示了绿色发展理念的深远影响。

Green development methods are accelerating their formation. We have integrated the green development concept into all links and segments of industry, agriculture, and the service sector. This has not only made the production system cleaner, lower-carbon, and more sustainable, driving a marked improvement in the quality of the ecological environment, but has also given rise to new technologies, new business forms, and new models, accelerating industrial upgrading and green transformation. It has not only infused traditional industries with “green vitality,” but emerging industries have also achieved tremendous development, with green industries gradually becoming a new driving force for high-quality development. For example, in the field of green and low-carbon industries, China has achieved development accomplishments that astonish the world. China has built the world’s largest clean electricity supply system. In 2024, the installed capacity of renewable energy reached 56% of the nation’s total installed power generation capacity. In 2024, renewable energy power generation reached 3.46 trillion kilowatt-hours, approximately 1.6 times that at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Newly added renewable energy power generation accounted for about 60% of the global total increase. Renewable energy has shifted from a “supplementary energy source” to a “main energy source.” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Developing new energy vehicles is the only way for China to transition from a large automobile country to a powerful automobile country.” Today, from upstream mineral resource development, to midstream manufacturing of core components such as batteries and electric motors, and downstream to complete vehicle production and service systems, China has built a complete new energy vehicle industry chain. In 2025, the production and sales of new energy vehicles both exceeded 16 million units, leading the electrification, intelligentization, and low-carbon transformation of the automotive industry and reshaping the global automotive industry landscape. At the same time, the land of China has achieved bluer skies, greener mountains, cleaner water, and a more beautiful environment. From 2015 to 2024, the average concentration of PM2.5 in cities at the prefectural level and above nationwide decreased by more than one-third. By 2024, the national forest coverage rate had exceeded 25%, and the proportion of surface water sections with excellent and good quality exceeded 90% for the first time. The green dream of “wanting both gold and silver mountains and clear waters and lush mountains” is constantly becoming a reality.

绿色发展方式加快形成。我们将绿色发展理念融入工业、农业、服务业全链条各环节，不仅使得生产体系更加清洁、低碳、可持续，推动生态环境质量明显改善，更催生了新技术、新业态、新模式，加速了产业升级和绿色转型，不但让传统产业焕发“绿色生机”，新兴产业更是获得巨大发展，绿色产业逐渐成为高质量发展的新动能。比如，在绿色低碳产业领域，我国创造了惊艳世界的发展成就。我国建成世界上最大的清洁电力供应体系，2024年可再生能源装机规模达到全国发电总装机的56%，2024年可再生能源发电量达3.46万亿千瓦时，约为“十三五”末的1.6倍，新增可再生能源发电量占全球总增量约六成，可再生能源已从“补充能源”转为“主力能源”。习近平总书记指出：“发展新能源汽车是我国从汽车大国迈向汽车强国的必由之路”。如今，从上游的矿产资源开发，到中游的电池、电机等核心零部件制造，再到下游的整车生产及服务体系，我国已构建起完整的新能源汽车全产业链，2025年新能源汽车产量和销量均超过1600万辆，正引领汽车产业电动化、智能化、低碳化，改变全球汽车产业版图。与此同时，中华大地实现天更蓝、山更绿、水更清、环境更优美。从2015年到2024年，全国地级及以上城市PM2.5平均浓度下降超过1/3，2024年全国森林覆盖率已经超过25%，地表水优良水质断面比例首次超过90%。“既要金山银山，又要绿水青山”的绿色梦想不断成为现实。

Green lifestyles are taking root in people’s hearts. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in “Promoting the Achievement of Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Goals in a Scientific and Orderly Manner”: “Green and low-carbon development also requires revolutionary changes in lifestyles. We must advocate for simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized, and healthy lifestyles.” Green development methods are an important foundation and condition for green lifestyles, and green lifestyles are an important support and guarantee for green development methods. The connotation of green lifestyles is very rich, including consciously practicing green living concepts, using and promoting green products, green travel, and green living. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, guided by the green development concept, we have continuously promoted extensive and in-depth publicity and education on ecological civilization, advocating and promoting the firm establishment of thrifty and frugal consumption concepts and living habits throughout society. For example, content related to green development has been incorporated into the national education system. Thematic publicity activities such as National Energy Conservation Publicity Week, China Water Week, National Low-Carbon Day, National Tree Planting Day, and World Earth Day have been carried out, promoting green living concepts into families, communities, factories, and villages. Extensive green living creation actions have been carried out, such as conservation-oriented government offices, green families, green schools, green communities, and green buildings, promoting the electrification of terminal energy use in public institutions and prioritizing the procurement of green and energy-saving products. Today, the public’s awareness of conservation, environmental protection, and ecology continues to rise. The green consumer group continues to expand. Green lifestyles have become a common practice. More and more people consciously act as practitioners and promoters of green development. The good atmosphere for the whole society to jointly promote green development has become stronger. The concept of ecological civilization has become the mainstream culture of society. Green lifestyles are more deeply rooted in people’s hearts. The social foundation for green development is increasingly consolidated.

绿色生活方式深入人心。习近平总书记在《科学有序推进实现碳达峰碳中和目标》中指出：“绿色低碳发展还需要推动生活方式的革命性变化。要倡导简约适度、绿色低碳、文明健康的生活方式”。绿色发展方式是绿色生活方式的重要基础和条件，绿色生活方式是绿色发展方式的重要支撑和保障。绿色生活方式的内涵非常丰富，包括自觉践行绿色生活理念，使用和推广绿色产品、绿色出行、绿色居住等。党的十八大以来，以绿色发展理念为引领，我们持续推进广泛、深入的生态文明宣传教育，倡导推动全社会牢固树立勤俭节约的消费理念和生活习惯。比如，把绿色发展有关内容纳入国民教育体系，开展全国节能宣传周、中国水周、全国低碳日、全民植树节、世界地球日等主题宣传活动，推进绿色生活理念进家庭、进社区、进工厂、进农村。广泛开展节约型机关、绿色家庭、绿色学校、绿色社区、绿色建筑等绿色生活创建行动，推动公共机构终端用能电气化，优先采购绿色节能产品。如今，全民节约意识、环保意识、生态意识持续提升，绿色消费群体持续扩大，绿色生活方式蔚然成风，越来越多的人自觉做绿色发展的践行者、推动者，全社会共同推进绿色发展的良好氛围更加浓厚。生态文明理念成为社会主流文化，绿色生活方式更加深入人心，绿色发展的社会基础日益巩固。

China’s Contribution to Global Ecological Civilization Construction

为全球生态文明建设作出中国贡献

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in “Working Together for Global Ecological Civilization and Building a Clean and Beautiful World”: “The international community should join hands, work together for global ecological civilization, firmly establish the consciousness of respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature, and adhere to the path of green, low-carbon, circular, and sustainable development. In this regard, China has an unshirkable responsibility and will continue to make its own contribution.” The green development concept has guided China’s green development to achieve historic accomplishments, continuously using the “green content” of production and life to increase the “gold content” of development, demonstrating powerful truth and practical force. It has gained increasing recognition and approval in the international community, playing a tangible role in promoting the building of a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world, and making China’s contribution to global ecological civilization construction.

习近平总书记在《共谋全球生态文明建设之路，努力建设清洁美丽的世界》中指出：“国际社会应该携手同行，共谋全球生态文明建设之路，牢固树立尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然的意识，坚持走绿色、低碳、循环、可持续发展之路。在这方面，中国责无旁贷，将继续作出自己的贡献。”绿色发展理念指引我国绿色发展取得历史性成就，不断以生产生活的“含绿量”提高发展的“含金量”，展现出强大的真理力量和实践伟力，在国际社会得到越来越多的认可和赞同，对共建清洁、美丽、可持续的世界产生了实实在在的推动作用，为全球生态文明建设作出中国贡献。

The development concept is being referenced by the world. China has always been a firm action-oriented participant and an important contributor to global green development. Since the New Era, China’s ecological miracle and green development miracle have fully proven the scientificity and truth of the green development concept, and also demonstrated the effectiveness of China’s ecological environment governance. The international community pays close attention to China’s “green code” for development. Starting from the perspective that humans and nature are a community of life, the green development concept focuses on promoting harmony between humans and nature and achieving sustainable development, promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of production methods and lifestyles, which is conducive to solving ecological and environmental problems at the source. Today, many countries in the world, especially developing countries, face the dual tasks of developing the economy and protecting the environment. In the process of pursuing modernization, they may fall into one development trap or another. China’s green development practice under the guidance of the green development concept provides valuable experience and inspiration for many developing countries, promoting these countries to independently explore sustainable development paths that suit their own realities and development requirements. For example, former President of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, Aldo Rebelo, stated that China’s green transformation provides a realistic model for global energy transformation and explores a feasible path for developing countries that balances environmental protection and economic growth. Former UN Under-Secretary-General Erik Solheim believes that China’s practical innovation and global demonstration effect in green development and environmental protection provide key momentum for the world’s green transformation. The green development concept leads the transformation of development models, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global green development.

发展理念为世界所借鉴。中国始终是世界绿色发展的坚定行动派、重要贡献者。新时代以来，中国的生态奇迹和绿色发展奇迹充分证明了绿色发展理念的科学性和真理性，也彰显了中国生态环境治理的有效性。国际社会高度关注中国发展的“绿色密码”。绿色发展理念从人与自然是生命共同体的高度出发，聚焦促进人与自然和谐共生、实现永续发展，推动生产方式和生活方式绿色低碳转型，有利于从源头解决生态环境问题。当今世界，还有许多国家特别是广大发展中国家面临着发展经济与保护环境的双重任务，在追求现代化的进程中可能陷入这样或那样的发展陷阱。绿色发展理念指导下的中国绿色发展实践，为不少发展中国家提供了可资借鉴的经验与启示，促进这些国家独立自主探索符合自身实际和发展要求的可持续发展路径。比如，巴西众议院前议长阿尔多·雷贝洛表示，中国的绿色转型为全球能源变革提供了现实样本，为广大发展中国家探索出一条兼顾环境保护与经济增长的可行道路。联合国前副秘书长埃里克·索尔海姆认为，中国在绿色发展与绿色环保上的实践创新与全球示范效应，为世界绿色转型提供关键动能。绿色发展理念引领发展模式变革，为全球绿色发展贡献了中国智慧和中国方案。

Development achievements are shared by humanity. China’s promotion of green development has enabled over 1.4 billion Chinese people to enjoy continuously improving ecological environments while their living standards are constantly rising. The people’s needs for a better life are continuously being met, and their sense of gain, happiness, and security are constantly improving. This in itself is a major contribution to global ecological civilization construction. Furthermore, China’s green development achievements also benefit people of

发展成果为人类所共享。中国推动绿色发展，使14亿多中国人在生活水平不断提高的同时拥有持续改善的生态环境，人民美好生活需要不断得到满足，获得感、幸福感、安全感不断提升，这本身就是对全球生态文明建设作出的重大贡献。此外，中国的绿色发展成果也造福世界各国人民，为人类同走绿色发展之路作出重要贡献。比如，在推动绿色发展的过程中，依托产业体系完整、内部市场广阔、政策支持有力、战略规划科学等优势，中国的风电、光伏等新能源产业快速发展，创新层出不穷、质量日益提升，为全世界能源低碳转型提供了价优物美的产品，提高了全球发展的可持续性。目前，中国已与100多个国家和地区开展绿色能源项目建设合作。中企承建的阿尔舒巴赫光伏电站，将清洁电能送往沙特的千家万户；拉美多国街头奔驰的中国“100％电动”公交，引领全球清洁出行变革；中国生产的太阳能电池板，点亮津巴布韦的农村，让非洲人民也能用上绿电。中国的绿色发展成果推广到许多资金短缺、技术和能力建设滞后的发展中国家。使用中国技术生产的清洁能源有望推动当地降低化石能源依赖，实现能源结构转型，并改善数十亿发展中国家民众的生活。共享绿色发展成果，中国帮助发展中国家提升发展能力和发展水平，有效增强全球绿色发展的普惠性和包容性。

(The author is Director of the Institute of Resources and Environmental Policy at the Development Research Center of the State Council)

（作者为国务院发展研究中心资源与环境政策研究所所长）