China Daily:

Over the years, we have seen environmental conditions becoming better and better. There are more lucid waters and lush mountains, and humanity and nature coexist in perfect harmony. I wonder, what has been done in the area of ecological and environmental protection to build beautiful homes featuring harmony between humanity and nature and accelerate green and low-carbon development? What has been achieved so far? And what measures will be taken next? Thank you. 

Zhao Yingming:

Thank you for your questions. Making eco-environmental progress and strengthening ecological and environmental protection should not only meet people's growing desire for a beautiful environment but also promote high-quality development as well as green and low-carbon development. With the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, we moved from firmly deciding to battle pollution to working on pollution control and making further progress in the battle against pollution. The past decade has witnessed unprecedented measures, efforts, and achievements in China's ecological and environmental protection. In summary, there are four key areas of work in building beautiful homes featuring harmony between humanity and nature and achieving green and low-carbon development. 

First, we have worked to resolve prominent ecological and environmental problems. We have adopted a targeted, scientific, and law-based approach to curb pollution; further addressed air, water, and soil contamination; and continued to improve China's ecology and environment. The average PM2.5 density in China's cities at prefecture level and above dropped from 46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 to 29 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022. China has made the fastest progress in air quality improvement in the world. Last year, the proportion of surface water at or above Grade III in the country's five-tier water quality system reached 87.9%. China has also effectively brought the threat of soil contamination under control and banned the import of foreign waste, fulfilling its goal of "zero import" of solid waste. We have also ramped up efforts to protect and restore ecosystems and made solid gains in biodiversity protection. Thus, the Chinese people have a stronger sense of gain, happiness, and security in terms of ecology and environment. 

Second, we have taken active steps to advance the Beautiful China Initiative. A series of measures have been adopted to strengthen environmental protection and build a beautiful China. Major strategies for regional development have been implemented concerning the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze Economic Belt, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Yangtze River basin and Yellow River basin. Joint protection of the regional eco-environment and joint prevention and control of pollution have been strengthened. Hubs for green development and pilot zones for building a beautiful China have been established. Coordinated efforts have been made to promote innovation demonstrations in key areas. The first branch of 18 beautiful rivers and lakes and eight beautiful bays have been built. The construction of "zero-waste cities" has been launched in 113 cities at and above the prefecture level and eight special areas. Demonstration initiatives have been launched for eco-environmental progress. Currently, 468 national demonstration zones for eco-environmental progress and 187 practice and innovation bases for turning natural resources into economic gains have been established, vividly demonstrating various examples of a beautiful China.

Third, we have made extensive efforts to advance green and low-carbon development. The pursuit of synergy in reducing pollution and carbon emissions has been taken as a key task in promoting green transition in all respects of economic and social development and the Implementation Plan on Pursuing Synergy in the Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emissions has been published and implemented. Pollution prevention has been strengthened at the source. The region-specific environmental management system of "three lines and one list" (i.e., enforcing red lines for ecological conservation, setting the threshold for environmental quality, imposing a ceiling on resource utilization, and implementing a negative list of environmental standards for market access) has been implemented. Environmental impact assessments and management have been further advanced. Moreover, strict environmental standards for project approval have been enforced. Synergy in reducing pollution and carbon emissions has been promoted in key fields such as industry, transportation, urban and rural construction and agriculture. Adjustment and improvement in industrial structures, the energy mix and transportation structure have been advanced. Construction has begun on the first collaborative innovation zone to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. The Environmental Code of Conduct for Citizens (for Trial Implementation) was published, and a green and low-carbon lifestyle has been strongly advocated.

Fourth, China has fully engaged in global environmental governance. China successfully hosted the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The U.N. biodiversity deal, entitled the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, was adopted in the second phase of the meeting earlier. Serving as the host of the COP15 is the first time China has held the presidency of an important international environmental convention and facilitated negotiations and the adoption of agreements among international communities. It is also a new practice for China to take a leading role in global environmental governance. China has worked to bring about positive results at the 27th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, promoted green development under the Belt and Road Initiative, and launched the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) and the BRI Environmental Big Data Platform. Pragmatic measures have been adopted to carry out multilateral and bilateral environmental cooperation, and active steps have been taken to promote South-South cooperation on ecological conservation and climate response, making positive contributions to maintaining sustainable global development. 

Next, we will thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and aim to build a beautiful China. We will coordinate industrial restructuring, pollution control, eco-environmental conservation, and climate response. We will take coordinated steps to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, and expand green development, while pursuing economic growth. We will promote high-quality development and a high-quality life through high-level environmental protection and make great efforts to achieve Chinese modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature. Thank you.