Southern Metropolis Daily:

China piloted an eco-compensation mechanism during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. With lessons learnt and problems identified, what will the country do under the 14th Five-Year Plan? Thank you.

Zhao Yingmin:

The eco-compensation mechanism is a very important initiative of institutional innovation. People have been quite concerned about how to share responsibilities through a market approach while advancing ecological conservation. We have achieved much through pilot programs during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. From now, we will sum up experiences and introduce the mechanism more widely. Particularly, we will motivate all parties along both upstream and downstream areas, left and right banks, and in the areas producing ecological products, and clarify each party's rights and responsibilities. Pursuing a holistic approach to conserving mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, and grasslands in a coordinated way, we hope to realize joint protection and common development of all river basins through this mechanism.

www.dzwww.com:

Science and technology (S&T) innovation is the solution to prominent ecological challenges. Can you introduce some important research fruits in ecological S&T achieved during the 13th Five-Year Plan period? And what is the plan of the next five years? Thank you.

Zhao Yingmin:

Thanks for your questions. S&T indeed has become an important and effective means for improving the ecological environment, tackling climate changes, realizing green, low-carbon and high-quality development. 

In recent years, supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has been comprehensively implementing the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and undertaking reforms in the S&T system. Through problem-oriented, demand-oriented, and result-oriented approaches, we have made major progress as follows:

First, major research projects have been advanced in an orderly way. Not long ago, I introduced the national research project on air pollution to the public, expounding reasons for the smog blanketing in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. This is an example of S&T supporting environmental protection. We have also launched major research projects on water pollution control and treatment. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the central government allocated more than 10 billion yuan of scientific and technological inputs in improving the ecological environment. 

Second, S&T system reform has proceeded in a smooth manner. To better delegate powers, streamline administration and optimize services, we have introduced a series of documents such as the guidelines on deepening reforms of the system for ecological and environmental S&T to boost innovation, and measures for implementing and deepening reforms of S&T project assessment, talent evaluation, and institutional assessment.

Third, S&T research fruits have been significantly applied and promoted.

Fourth, S&T research and application organizations have made fresh innovations. Under the model of "1 plus X", we have set up a national air pollution control and treatment joint research center, and national joint research center on protecting and restoring ecological environment of the Yangtze River, enabling about 8,000 S&T staff from more than 500 institutions to coordinate their research. Specialists in different fields from different departments and regions are brought together to form a high-level joint research team and play an important role in advancing ecological S&T.  

Thanks to the joint efforts of ecology S&T staff, our research during the 13th Five-Year Plan period has been fruitful. In the area of water environment, we achieved eight important fruits including the development and application of a whole process water pollution control system in key industries. We have also established three major technology systems to control and treat river basin pollution, manage the water environment in river basins, and guarantee the safety of drinking water, contributing to improvement of the water environment of the Taihu Lake, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Three Gorges Reservoir region, Huaihe River and Liaohe River, supporting key projects such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and providing high-quality water to the venues of Beijing International Horticultural Exposition and Beijing Winter Olympics. We have launched demonstration projects to remediate soil contaminated by heavy metals such as chromium and arsenic, providing strong S&T support for the improvements therein and also in people's living environment, as well as quality of agricultural products.

In ecological conservation, we have set up a technological system to draw red lines for protecting the ecosystems, contributing to the establishment of a nature reserve management system composed mainly of national parks. In solid waste, we have achieved breakthroughs in turning bulk industrial solid waste into building materials, waste-to-energy incineration technology, and hazard-free treatment of heavy metals, giving the building of waste-free cities a boost. To protect aquatic life, we have also issued the country's first criteria on cadmium and ammonia nitrogen levels in water bodies.  

To win the fight against pollution and serve high-quality economic development, we will focus our efforts on improving the ecological environment, enhance scientific, precise, lawful, systematic and smart pollution treatment, deepen reforms of the system for ecological and environmental S&T, speed up upgrading the ecological and environmental S&T innovation system in the new era, and ultimately empower the building of a beautiful China. Thank you.