坚定不移推进生态文明建设

Committing to the Development of an Ecological Civilization

马凯

Ma Kai

党的十八大把生态文明建设放在突出地位，纳入中国特色社会主义事业总体布局，这是我们党又一次重大理论创新和实践深化，具有重大的现实意义和深远的历史意义。

The report to the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) gave strong emphasis to the development of an ecological civilization, incorporating it into the overall plan for advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Representing another major theoretical innovation of the CPC and the deepening of its initiatives in practice, this move has important implications for the present as well as far-reaching historical significance.

一、深入理解生态文明的内涵

I. The connotations of ecological civilization

深入理解和准确把握生态文明的内涵，是推进生态文明建设的重要前提。生态是自然界的存在状态，文明是人类社会的进步状态，生态文明则是人类文明中反映人类进步与自然存在和谐程度的状态。生态文明与物质文明、精神文明、政治文明等一样，都是历史范畴，伴随人类文明的发展经历着由低级向高级不断演进的过程。

A thorough and accurate understanding of what ecological civilization entails is essential for the promotion of ecological progress. The term ecological pertains to the state in which nature exists, whereas the term civilization refers to a state of human progress. Thus, ecological civilization describes the level of harmony that exists between human progress and natural existence in human civilization. Ecological civilization, like material civilization, cultural and ethical civilization, and political civilization, is a historical concept. As such, ecological civilization is constantly undergoing a process of evolution from a lower stage to a higher stage as human civilization progresses.

人与自然的关系自人类诞生就客观地存在着，但人类提出“生态文明”的概念，则是随着人们处理与自然界关系的实践不断发展、认识不断升华的产物。人类本身是自然界的产物，其一经产生便与自然发生关系，并在人类社会生产力发展的不同阶段呈现出不同特点。

The concept of “ecological civilization” is a response to the acute conflicts that play out between humans on the one hand and resources and the environment on the other, when industrial society reaches a certain stage of development. The introduction of this concept is the result of deep reflection over the relationship between humans and nature, and particularly over the escalating ecological crisis that traditional modes of industrialization have caused.

在原始社会，大约距今400万年左右，人类进入石器时代，劳动工具简陋，只能被动地依赖自然、顺从自然，从自然界获取很少的资源，维持着自身极低水平的生存和繁衍，人口规模和平均寿命都很低。这一阶段，人类主要生产方式就是捕猎和采摘，对自然的利用能力极为低下，其破坏作用也很小，没有也不可能产生生态危机，人与自然维持着以人对自然的完全被动服从为特征的天人混沌一体的共存关系。

在农业社会，大约距今八九千年左右，人类进入新石器时代，随着劳动工具的改进，生产力水平有了进步；大约距今5000年左右，人类进入青铜器时代，人类主动利用自然、开发资源的能力增强，相应地对自然有所破坏，局部地区甚至还较严重；同时，随着人口规模不断扩大，在当时的生产力水平下，局部地区出现过人口增长超过资源承载能力的状况，乃至引发争夺资源的战争。但从总体上看，人类开发利用自然的能力仍然低下，对自然的破坏也很有限；相对于人口规模和消费水平，资源环境还有较大容量，没有出现全面性的生态危机。这一阶段，人与自然维持着以局部性、阶段性不和谐但整体相对平衡为特征的融洽关系。

到了工业社会，距今300年左右，人类进入机器时代，科技进步加快，大工业生产迅猛发展，人类利用自然、改造自然的能力空前增强，创造了前所未有的巨大物质财富，人口数量大幅增加、人均寿命大幅提升、人们的生活水平大幅改善，工业化的这些成果都是历史的进步；但同时传统工业化道路也使得人与自然的矛盾越来越尖锐，自然资源日趋匮乏，环境污染日渐严重，生态系统恶化加剧，人类生存和发展面临生态危机的重大威胁，人与自然的关系全面紧张，变得很不和谐。

上世纪六七十年代以来，随着西方工业化国家环境公害事件频发，以及两次世界石油危机，引起了人类对传统工业化道路弊端的警醒。民间环保组织纷纷涌现，环保运动此起彼伏。有识之士不断发出呼吁，1962年出版的《寂静的春天》和1972年发表的《增长的极限》就是其重要代表。1992年联合国环境与发展大会发表《里约宣言》和《21世纪议程》，提出要走可持续发展道路，保护地球生态系统。与此同时，一些中外学者陆续提出并使用了“生态文明”的概念。可见，“生态文明”的理念是工业社会发展到一定阶段、人与资源环境矛盾日益尖锐的产物，是人们对人与自然的关系特别是传统工业化增长模式导致越来越严重的生态危机进行深刻反思的结果。

[注：上述段落未有英文译文]

我们党历来高度重视生态问题。上世纪80年代就提出了绝不能走“先污染、后治理”的老路，1983年中央将环境保护确定为基本国策；1994年中国政府首次提出把可持续发展战略纳入经济社会发展长远规划；2002年党的十六大提出“走新型工业化道路”，推动整个社会走上生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路；2003年党的十六届三中全会提出科学发展观，强调“统筹人与自然的和谐发展”；2007年党的十七大把“建设生态文明”作为实现全面建设小康社会的五大目标之一，并首次将人与自然和谐，建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会写入党章；2012年党的十八大则把“生态文明建设”纳入中国特色社会主义事业“五位一体”总体布局，系统阐述了加强生态文明建设的总体要求、重点任务和正确路径。可以说，“生态文明”的概念虽然不是我们党首先提出的，但揭示其本质、丰富其内涵，把它作为执政理念上升为国家战略在全社会加以推行，则是我们党前无古人的创举。

The CPC has always attached great significance to ecological issues. In the 1980s, the Party stated that in no way could China go down the “pollute first, clean up later” path of the past. In 1983, the Central Committee of the Party defined environmental protection as a basic state policy. In 1994, the Chinese government proposed the inclusion of sustainable development in China’s long-term plans for economic and social development for the very first time. In 2002, the report to the Sixteenth National Congress of the Party called for a “new approach to industrialization,” with a view to putting our society on track towards developed production, affluent standards of living, and sound environments. In 2003, the Third Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Central Committee of the CPC introduced the Scientific Outlook on Development, emphasizing the need to “ensure harmonious development between humans and nature.” In 2007, the report to the Seventeenth National Congress of the Party listed “developing an ecological civilization” as one of the five objectives for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In addition, the Seventeenth National Congress also saw the incorporation of “harmony between humans and nature” and “developing a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society” into the Party Constitution for the first time. In 2012, the report to the Eighteenth National Congress of the Party incorporated “ecological progress” into the overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics, which now consists of promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress. The report also presented a detailed explanation of the overall requirements, key tasks, and right approaches for promoting ecological progress. Although the CPC was not the first to propose the concept of “ecological civilization,” it has undoubtedly accomplished an unprecedented feat by revealing the essence of this concept, enriching its connotations, elevating it to the level of a national strategy, and promoting it throughout the whole society as a principle of the Party’s governance.

生态文明的核心问题是正确处理人与自然的关系。人与自然的关系是人类社会最基本的关系。一方面，人类与其他生物一样源于自然而产生、赖于自然而存在和发展，自然界是人类社会产生、存在和发展的基础和前提，因此人类绝不是可以任意支配自然的“主宰”；另一方面，人类与其他生物相比又有不同，人类可以通过社会实践活动有目的地利用自然、改造自然，不断改进人类的生存和发展方式，并创造着人类自身的文明，因此人类也绝不是只能被动适应自然的“奴仆”。大自然本身是极其富有和慷慨的，但同时又是脆弱和需要平衡的；人口数量的增长和人类生活质量的提高不可阻挡，相应地人类对自然界的影响也不断扩大，但人类归根结底也是自然的一部分，人类活动不能超过自然界容许的限度，即不能使大自然出现不可逆转地丧失自我修复的能力，否则必将危及人类自身的生存和发展。生态文明所强调的就是要处理好人与自然的关系，获取有度，既要利用又要保护，促进经济发展、人口、资源、环境的动态平衡，不断提升人与自然和谐相处的文明程度。

At its core, ecological civilization is about properly balancing the relationship between people and nature. The relationship between people and nature is the most fundamental relationship that exists in human society. Like all other creatures, people are creations of nature, and rely on nature for their survival and development. Nature is the foundation and the precondition for the emergence, existence, and development of human society. Therefore, humans are in no way the masters of nature, and in no way are they able to command nature as they please. On the other hand, humans are different from other creatures. Through their social activities, humans are able to purposefully utilize and transform nature in order to improve their modes of survival and development, which gives rise to human civilization. Therefore, humans are not mere “servants” of nature, capable only of passive adaption. Nature is both rich and generous. But at the same time, it is also vulnerable, and requires balance. With the growth ofpopulations and the improvement of living standards being irreversible trends, the impact that humans have on nature is becoming increasingly great. However, humans are, after all, a part of nature, and their activities should not go beyond the limits of what nature permits. In other words, the activities of people should not result in nature irreversibly losing its capacity for self-restoration; otherwise, people will risk undermining their own survival and development. Ecological civilization is all about striking a balance between humans and nature. It is about taking in moderation, engaging in exploitation as well as protection, and promoting dynamic balance between development, populations, resources, and the environment, so as to constantly raise the level of harmony that exists between humans and nature.

生态文明的本质要求是尊重自然、顺应自然和保护自然。尊重自然，就是要从内心深处老老实实地承认人是自然之子而非自然之主宰，对自然怀有敬畏之心、感恩之情、报恩之意，绝不能有凌驾于自然之上的狂妄错觉。顺应自然，就是要使人类的活动符合而不是违背自然界的客观规律。当然，顺应自然不是任由自然驱使，停止发展甚至重返原始状态，而是在按客观规律办事的前提下，充分发挥人的能动性和创造性，科学合理地开发利用自然。保护自然，就是要求人类在向自然界获取生存和发展之需的同时，要呵护自然、回报自然，把人类活动控制在自然能够承载的限度之内，给自然留下恢复元气、休养生息、资源再生的空间，实现人类对自然获取和给予的平衡，多还旧账，不欠新账，防止出现生态赤字和人为造成的不可逆的生态灾难。

The essential requirement of ecological civilization is that we respect, accommodate to, and protect nature. With regard to showing respect for nature, we need to acknowledge deep down in our hearts that we are nature’s children, not its dominators. Instead of arrogantly placing ourselves above nature, we should always revere, be grateful to, and reciprocate nature. With regard to accommodating to nature, we need to make sure that human activities comply with the objective laws of nature instead of violating them. Of course, accommodating to nature does not mean we should place ourselves at the mercy of nature, halt our development, or even return to a primitive state of living. Rather, accommodation means that we should give full play to our initiative and creativity, and exploit nature in a scientific and rational manner on the basis of objective laws. With regard to protecting nature, we need to take care of nature and give back to nature whilst we take what we need to survive and develop. Protecting nature means that we must confine human activities to the limits of what nature can cope with, and give nature the space that it needs to recover, to recuperate, and to regenerate its natural resources. To do this, we need to find a balance between taking from and giving back to nature. We need to repay old debts, avoid accruing new ones, and work to prevent the occurrence of ecological deficits and irreversible ecological damage as a result of human activities.

生态文明的特征。在空间维度上，生态文明是全人类的共同课题。人类只有一个地球，生态危机是对全人类的威胁和挑战，生态问题具有世界整体性，任何国家都不可能独善其身，必须从全球范围考虑人与自然的平衡。在时间维度上，生态文明是一个动态的历史过程。人类发展的各个阶段始终面临人与自然关系这一永恒难题，生态文明建设永无止境。人类处理人与自然的关系就是一个不断实践、不断认识的解决矛盾的过程，旧的矛盾解决了，新的矛盾又会产生，循环往复，促进生态文明不断从低级向高级阶段进步，从而推动人类社会持续向前发展。建设生态文明，就是要求人们要自觉地与自然界和谐相处，形成人类社会可持续的生存和发展方式。

Ecological civilization has two features. Firstly, ecological civilization is a common issue for people all over the world. As we only have one earth, ecological crisis naturally poses a threat and a challenge to all of humanity and ecological issues have a bearing on the whole world. Therefore, no country is able to achieve ecological progress without the ecological progress of other countries, and the balance between humans and nature must be approached on a global basis. Secondly, ecological civilization is a dynamic historical process. The relationship between humans and nature has been a challenging issue at every stage of human development. Therefore, the development of an ecological civilization is an undertaking that knows no boundaries. In seeking to balance our relationship with nature, our efforts represent a constant process of resolving clashes through the accumulation of experience and understanding. Very often, the resolution of old problems is followed by the emergence of new ones; this is a perpetual cycle that facilitates the advancement of ecological civilization from a lower level to a higher level, in turn promoting the constant development of human society as a whole. In developing an ecological civilization, people must make conscientious efforts to live in harmony with nature. Doing so will allow us to create sustainable modes for the survival and development of human society.

我们党所追求的生态文明，就是要按照科学发展观的要求，走出一条低投入、低消耗、少排放、高产出、能循环、可持续的新型工业化道路，形成节约资源和保护环境的空间格局、产业结构、生产方式和生活方式；它是人类社会与自然界和谐共处、良性互动、持续发展的一种高级形态的文明境界，其实质是要“建设以资源环境承载力为基础、以自然规律为准则、以可持续发展为目标的资源节约型、环境友好型社会”。这种高级形态的生态文明，是中国特色社会主义的本质要求和理性选择。社会主义制度和价值观的确立，摒弃了传统工业社会一切为了资本增值的观念，树立了一切为了人（包括当代和后代）的全面发展的观念，加之社会主义国家政府不是简单的“守夜人”，可以自觉地按照客观规律弥补市场经济的不足，从而使高级形态的生态文明不但成为发展的必需，而且成为经过努力可以实现的选择。

In order to achieve the kind of ecological civilization that the CPC proposes, we must act in accordance with the Scientific Outlook on Development by adopting a new approach to industrialization, one that is sustainable, that allows for the recycling of resources, and that is characterized by low input, low energy consumption, low emissions, and high output. In doing so, our aim will be to develop China’s geographical space, industrial structures, and modes of production and living that are conducive to the conservation of resources and the protection of the environment. The ecological civilization that the CPC advocates is an advanced form of civilization, one that is characterized by the harmonious coexistence, sound interaction, and sustained development of human society and nature. Its essence is “to build a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society that takes into consideration the capacity of resources and the environment, that complies with the laws of nature, and that aims for sustainable development.” This advanced form of ecological civilization is both an essential requirement as well as a rational choice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Through the establishment of the socialist system and socialist values, we have discarded the traditional notion that all initiatives in an industrial society exist for the purpose of capital appreciation, and have set forth the idea that all initiatives should be targeted towards promoting the overall development of people (of both current and future generations). In addition, being much more than a simple “night watchman,” the government of a socialist country is able to consciously make up for the shortcomings of the market economy in accordance with objective laws, making an advanced form of ecological civilization not just a necessity for development, but also a choice that can be realized through arduous efforts.

二、充分认识推进生态文明建设的战略重要性与现实紧迫性

II. The strategic importance and practical urgency of promoting ecological civilization

生态文明建设是关系我国全面建成小康社会、实现社会主义现代化和中华民族伟大复兴全方位全过程的一项神圣事业，我们必须从全局和战略高度，充分认识生态文明建设的战略重要性与现实紧迫性。

The development of an ecological civilization is a sacred cause, one that has a direct bearing on every aspect of China’s efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, to achieve socialist modernization, and to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Therefore, we must fully understand the strategic importance and practical urgency of developing an ecological civilization from an overall strategic perspective.

坚定推进生态文明建设是缓解资源环境压力，保持我国经济社会持续健康发展的现实需要。当今世界，全球性的生态难题不断增多，能源危机、淡水危机、气候异常、物种灭绝等等此起彼伏，在我国也有所反映。由于高投入、高消耗、高污染的传统发展方式没有根本改变，我国在经济快速增长的同时，也付出了很高的代价，人口、资源、环境的矛盾日益突出，对我国发展的制约日益增大。一是资源约束趋紧。我国人口众多，资源相对不足，淡水、耕地、森林、煤炭、石油、铁矿石、铝土矿等，很多重要资源人均占有量低于世界平均水平。改革开放以来，随着我国工业化、城镇化快速发展，以及发展方式粗放，消耗大、浪费多，能源、资源供给矛盾变得十分突出。随着我国工业化、城镇化的进一步发展，未来一段时期内，各类能源、资源的人均消费量还要增加，能源、资源对于经济社会发展的瓶颈约束将更加明显，粮食安全、能源安全、淡水安全面临严重挑战。二是环境污染严重。我国传统的发展方式导致主要污染物排放量过大，有的超过了环境容量，水、土壤、空气污染加重的趋势尚未得到根本遏制。饮用水安全受到威胁，有些地方农村人口还未喝上安全饮用水，部分城镇人口饮用水源水质不合格。土壤污染面积扩大，重金属、持久性有机物污染加重。京津冀、长三角、珠三角地区及部分大中城市大气污染问题突出，部分城市空气污染严重，雾霾等极端天气增多，环境污染给人民群众身心健康带来严重危害。三是生态系统退化。森林生态系统质量不高，草原退化、水土流失、土地沙化、地质灾害频发、湿地湖泊萎缩、地面沉降、海洋自然岸线减少等问题十分严峻。全国近80%以上草原出现不同程度的退化，水土流失面积占国土总面积37%，海洋自然岸线不足42%。资源开采和地下水超采造成土地沉陷和破坏。生物多样性锐减，濒危动物达258种，濒危植物达354种，濒危或接近濒危状态的高等植物有4000～5000种，生态系统缓解各种自然灾害的能力减弱。四是气候变化问题突出。温室气体排放总量大、增速快。上述情况表明，我国的资源、环境和生态系统已难以承载传统的发展方式，只有大力推进生态文明建设，努力走绿色循环低碳发展道路，才能从根本上缓解资源环境瓶颈制约，为我国经济社会持续健康发展奠定坚实基础。

The resolute promotion of ecological civilization is a necessary means of mitigating environmental and resource constraints and maintaining the sustained and sound development of China’s economy and society. At present, the world is experiencing an increasingly large number of global ecological issues, from energy and water crises to abnormal climatic phenomena and the extinction of species. These problems can all be felt in China to differing extents. Having yet to fundamentally change a traditional growth model characterized by high input, high energy consumption, and heavy pollution, China has paid a high price for its rapid economic growth. The escalating clashes between population, resources, and the environment are increasingly constraining China’s development. First, resource constraints are increasing. Due to its large population and relative shortage of resources, China’s reserves of important resources such as fresh water, farmland, forests, coal, petroleum, iron ore, and bauxite per capita fallshort of the world average. Since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, the rapid progression of China’s industrialization and urbanization and the country’s extensive growth model have given rise to increasingly prominent imbalances between the supply and demand of energy and resources. As China’s industrialization and urbanization progress further, the per capita consumption of various types of energy and resources will continue to increase for some time to come. As a result, energy and resources will become an increasingly prominent bottleneck constraining China’s economic and social development, and the country will face serious challenges with regard to food security, energy security, and water security. Second, environmental pollution is becoming more severe. China’s traditional growth model has led to the excessive discharge of major pollutants, with environmental capacity being exceeded in some cases. In addition, the worsening trend of water, soil, and air pollution has yet to be fundamentally curbed. Third, ecosystems are deteriorating. The quality of our forest ecosystems is not high. At the same time, we are facing a number of very serious problems such as grassland deterioration, soil erosion, desertification, the frequent occurrence of geological disasters, the shrinkage of wetlands and lakes, land subsidence, and natural coastline erosion. Fourth, climate change is an outstanding problem, with overall greenhouse gas emissions being at a high level and emissions still increasing rapidly. The above problems indicate that China’s resources, environments, and ecosystems are no longer able to cope with China’s traditional growth model. Only by promoting ecological progress and striving for green, circular, and low-carbon development can we fundamentally mitigate the resource and environmental constraints that threaten our development, and thereby lay down solid foundations for the sustained and sound development of our economy and society.

坚定推进生态文明建设是维护代际公平，实现中华民族世世代代永续发展的必然要求。大自然是整个人类的生命支持系统，不仅在久远的过去哺育了我们的祖先，还要养育我们以及我们的子孙后代直至遥远的未来。在历史长河中，我们每一代人都是宇宙的匆匆过客，是资源、环境的临时托管人。联合国曾提出这样一句寓意深刻的话来警告世人，“我们不只是继承了父辈的地球，而且是借用了儿孙的地球”。考虑生态的代际公平，既要注重当代人的福祉，也要顾及后代人的利益，不能“吃祖宗饭，断子孙路”。我们没有权利为了满足我们这一代的需要，剥夺子孙后代满足他们需要的权利，更不能让子孙后代承担我们过度使用资源和破坏环境的恶果。只有大力推进生态文明建设，才能维护资源环境对人类的长远供养能力，使后代具有生存和发展的公平机会，实现中华民族的永续发展和中华文明的代代相传。

The resolute promotion of ecological civilization is an essential requirement for guaranteeing inter-generational equity and achieving lasting and sustainable development for the Chinese nation. Nature is the support system for humanity’s life. In addition to having nurtured our ancestors before us, nature is sustaining us now, and will continue to give life to our later generations well into the distant future. During the long course of history, we are all just passersby; each generation is merely a temporary caretaker of our planet’s resources and environments. The United Nations once warned us with a very thought-provoking proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” In order to ensure inter-generational equity in ecological terms, we need to take into consideration both the wellbeing of the current generation and the interests of future generations. We can neither squander our heritage, nor can we leave future generations with nothing. We have no right todeprive future generations of their right to satisfy their own needs just to satisfy our own needs. Nor can we allow future generations to bear the consequences of our excessive resource consumption and the damage that we cause to the environment. Only by vigorously promoting ecological progress will we be able to preserve the capacity of the planet’s resources and environments to sustain humanity into the distant future. This is the only way to ensure that future generations have the same opportunities for survival and development, the only way to realize lasting and sustainable development for the Chinese nation, and the only way to guarantee that Chinese civilization is passed down from generation to generation.

坚定推进生态文明建设是坚持以人为本，不断满足人民群众日益增长的物质文化需要的内在要求。改革开放以来，我国城乡居民的物质文化生活水平有了很大提高，老百姓需求内容在不断升级变化；不仅要满足其对农产品、工业品和服务的需求，还要满足其对生态产品越来越迫切的需求。对人民群众日益增长的生态产品需求满足程度，日益成为衡量人民生活水平和质量的一个重要标志。生态环境的质量已经成为影响人们生活幸福的重要指标，生态产品短缺已经成为制约我国民生建设的“短板”，成为影响人民群众幸福感的制约因素。在城市，群众热切期盼的“舌尖上的安全”、清洁空气、洁净饮水、良好气候、优美环境等优质生态产品和健康需求还不能得到有效满足；在农村，生存条件简陋、环境脏乱差的问题还比较突出，相当一部分人喝不上干净水。大力推进生态文明建设，让老百姓喝上干净的水、呼吸新鲜的空气、享用绿色的植被，吃上放心的食物、生活在宜居的环境中，满足城乡广大人民群众的生态产品需求，是全面建成小康社会的应有之义。这既是我们党以人为本、执政为民理念的具体体现，也是对人民群众生态产品需求日益增长的积极回应，还是提高人民福祉，建设美丽中国、幸福中国的目的所在。

The resolute promotion of ecological civilization is an inherent part of our efforts to put people first and meet the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people. Since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, the material and non-material living standards of China’s urban and rural residents have improved significantly. At the same time, people’s needs have constantly been changing and becoming more advanced. In addition to meeting people’s needs for agricultural products, industrial products, and services, we also need to meet their increasingly pressing needs for ecological products. The satisfaction of people’s ever-growing demands for ecological products has increasingly become an important benchmark for gauging living standards, and the quality of ecological environments has become an important index for measuring public wellbeing. Despite this, however, the shortage of ecological products has undermined efforts to improve public wellbeing in China, having a negative impact on people’s sense of wellbeing. Our goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects dictates that major efforts must be made to promote ecological progress. In particular, we must guarantee the provision of safe food, clean drinking water, fresh air, green surroundings, and amicable living environments for the people, and satisfy the demands of both urban and rural residents for ecological products. These efforts not only demonstrate the Party’s principles of putting people first and exercising state power for the people, but also constitute an active response to the ever-growing needs of the people for ecological products. Moreover, these efforts represent what we aspire to in our goals of improving public wellbeing and building a beautiful and happy China.

坚定推进生态文明建设是中国特色社会主义理论的重大发展。党的十八大将生态文明建设纳入中国特色社会主义事业总体布局，表明了我们党对中国特色社会主义规律认识的不断深化。经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设和生态文明建设是一个有机的整体。经济建设是中心和基础，政治建设是方向和保障，文化建设是灵魂和血脉，社会建设是支撑和归宿，生态文明建设是根基和条件，它们相辅相成、相互促进，共同构筑起中国特色社会主义事业的全局。应该指出，生态文明建设是其他建设的自然载体和环境基础，并渗透、贯穿于其他建设之中而不可或缺，一切发展建设都应以不损害生态环境为底线。如果生态文明建设缺失或滞后，那么，由于经济发展与人口、资源、环境关系失衡，经济建设将不可持续；由于一部分当代人与另一部分当代人以及当代人与后代人关系失衡，政治建设和文化建设也将有失公平和偏颇；由于生存和发展条件恶化，以保障和改善民生为宗旨的社会建设也是难以实现的。当然，生态文明建设也离不开经济建设、政治建设、文化建设和社会建设。“五位一体”建设中国特色社会主义，就要五个建设一起抓，五个轮子一起转。这样，才能正确处理人与人、人与自然的关系，形成人与自然和谐相处、经济社会协调发展的现代化建设新格局，努力走向社会主义生态文明的新时代。这不仅是对中国特色社会主义理论的完善、丰富和重大发展，也是对人类文明形态和文明理念、道路认识的升华，不仅是对中国的发展有重大而深远的意义，而且是对人类文明的重要贡献。

The resolute promotion of ecological civilization represents a major advancement in the theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress come together to form an organic whole. Economic progress represents the central task and the foundation; political progress represents the direction, and also serves as a guarantee; cultural progress represents the soul and the lifeblood; social progress represents a supporting pillar, and also the final objective; and ecological progress represents the groundwork and a precondition for success. These five mutually reinforcing aspects form the overall layout for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It should be pointed out that ecological progress represents a natural housing and an environmental foundation for progress in other aspects. Playing an indispensable role in this layout, ecological progress permeates and runs through the entire process of economic, political, cultural, and social progress, emphasizing the bottom line that development should not inflict damage on the ecological environment. The absence or lagging behind of ecological progress will give rise to a number of problems: imbalances between population, resources, environment, and development will render our economic growth unsustainable; intra-generational and inter-generational imbalances in ecological terms will lead to inequity and imbalance in political and cultural progress; and the degeneration of living and development conditions will make it impossible to achieve social progress, the aim of which is to guarantee and improve people’s wellbeing. Of course, ecological progress cannot be achieved without economic, political, cultural, and social progress. Therefore, we need to devote efforts to all five aspects in order to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only then will we be able to balance the relationships that exist between people, and the relationship that exists between humans and nature. By accomplishing this balance, we will be able to achieve a new approach to modernization that is characterized by the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature and the coordinated development of economy and society, and stride towards a new era of socialist ecological civilization. Our efforts to promote ecological progress not only represent the improvement, enrichment, and major advancement of the theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also constitute a refinement of the form and concepts of human civilization, as well as the way that we perceive our path. These efforts not only have a major and profound bearing on the development of China, but also represent important contributions to human civilization as a whole.

我们一定要增强忧患意识和危机意识，以对国家和人民高度负责、对子孙后代高度负责、对中华民族高度负责的精神，下大决心以壮士断腕的气魄抓紧抓好生态文明建设。

It is essential that we heighten our sense of danger and crisis. Driven by a strong sense of responsibility towards our country, our people, our future generations, and the Chinese nation, we must devote ourselves to the promotion of ecological progress with bitter resolve.

三、推进生态文明建设的基本原则和重点任务

III. Priority tasks in promoting the development of an ecological civilization

党的十八大对生态文明建设作出了全面部署，明确要求要把生态文明融入经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设各方面和全过程，加快建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会，努力建设美丽中国，实现中华民族永续发展，并为全球生态安全作出贡献。

A comprehensive plan for the promotion of ecological progress was outlined in the political report to the Eighteenth National Congress of the CPC. The report clearly states that we must incorporate the idea of ecological civilization into every aspect of economic, political, cultural, and social progress; step up efforts to develop a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society; and strive to build a beautiful China, so as to realize lasting and sustainable development for the Chinese nation and make due contributions to global ecological security.

建设生态文明必须坚持以科学发展观为指导，遵循以下重要原则。一是坚持把尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然作为本质要求，着力提高资源利用效率和生态环境质量，形成人与自然和谐发展的现代化建设新格局。二是坚持把节约优先、保护优先、自然恢复为主作为基本方针，着力推进绿色发展、循环发展、低碳发展，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。三是坚持把以人为本、可持续地满足人民群众日益增长的物质文化需要作为出发点和落脚点，坚持生态文明建设为了人民，生态文明建设依靠人民，为人民创造良好生产生活环境，为子孙后代留下天蓝、地绿、水净的美好家园。四是坚持把改革开放和科技创新作为根本动力，建立和完善生态文明制度体系，形成生态文明建设长效机制。当前和今后一个时期，推进生态文明建设必须突出抓好重点工作。

In order to promote ecological progress, we must observe the following important principles whilst taking the Scientific Outlook on Development as our guide. First, we must continue to regard respecting, accommodating to, and protecting nature as essential requirements, work to use resources in a more efficient way, and improve the quality of our ecological environments, thereby achieving a new approach to modernization that is characterized by the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Second, adhering to the fundamental principles of giving priority to conservation, protection, and natural restoration, we should strive to achieve green, circular, and low-carbon development. In doing so, we need to develop China’s geographical space, industrial structures, and modes of production and living that are conducive to the conservation of resources and the protection of the environment. Third, continuing to put people first, we must regard meeting the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people ina sustainable manner as the purpose and ultimate goal of our initiatives. On that basis, we must ensure that our efforts to achieve ecological progress are made for the people, and dependent on the people. We need to create sound working and living environments for the people, and leave to our future generations a beautiful homeland with green fields, clean waters and blue skies. Fourth, we must continue to draw on reform and opening up, and scientific innovation as fundamental driving forces, establish a sound framework of institutions with regard to ecological progress, and develop a long-term mechanism to ensure the progression of ecological civilization. At present, and for a period of time to come, we must lay emphasis on the following key initiatives as we work to promote ecological progress.

切实推进主体功能区战略实施，优化国土空间开发格局。国务院已颁布《全国主体功能区规划》，实施好这一规划，有利于整体把握和系统推进生态文明建设。当前要加强顶层设计，逐步建立和完善与之相配套的法律法规和政策，加快形成人口、资源、环境相协调的国土空间开发格局。一是加强规划实施监督。推动各地区按照主体功能定位完善区域规划，厘清中央、省、市、县各自的责任。国务院各部门根据规划精神落实相关工作，加强规划实施的监督检查，进一步统筹人口分布、经济布局、国土利用，使规划落到实处。二是完善政策保障。加快落实促进主体功能区建设的财税、投资、产业、土地等政策，中央要加大对农产品主产区、中西部地区、贫困地区、重点生态功能区、自然保护区等的均衡性转移支付力度，增强限制开发和禁止开发区域的政府公共服务保障能力，促进区域协调发展。三是构建科学合理的“三大战略格局”。把生态文明建设融入新型城镇化发展的全过程，形成功能定位明晰、产业布局合理、体现区位优势特色，与资源环境承载能力相适应的城镇化格局。促进农业区域化布局、专业化生产和规模化经营，保障全国耕地数量、质量和农产品供给，形成既体现我国主要农产品向优势产区集中的新变化，又结合我国农业自然资源现实状况和特点的农业发展格局。切实保护好关系国家生态安全的区域，恢复和提升重点生态功能区的生态功能，形成以森林植被为主体、林草结合的国土生态安全格局。四是坚持陆海统筹协调。强化海洋大国意识，把握好陆地空间与海洋国土空间统一性，以及海洋系统的相对独立性，处理好陆地开发与海洋开发以及海岸带保护的关系。加快发展现代海洋产业，不断壮大海洋经济实力，保护好海洋生态环境，增强多样化海洋生态产品供给能力，坚决维护国家海洋权益，建设海洋强国。

1. We need to effectively promote the implementation of our strategy of development priority zones and optimize our country’s developmental layout. The State Council has promulgated the National Plan for Developing Priority Zones. The sound implementation of this plan will allow us to approach ecological progress in a comprehensive and systematic manner, thereby ensuring that our national development is characterized by coordination between population, resources, and the environment. First, we need to strengthen supervision over the implementation of the plan. We need to ensure that local authorities make the appropriate regional plans in accordance with the strategy of development priority zones, and we also need to clearly define the respective responsibilities of the central government and governments at the provincial, municipal, and county levels. The departments of the State Council need to carry out their respective initiatives under the guidance of the plan, strengthen their supervision and inspection of the plan’s implementation, and coordinate overall considerations concerning population distribution, economic layout, and land use in order to fully implement the plan. Second, we need to provide stronger policy assurances. We need to accelerate the implementation of fiscal and tax, investment, industrial, and land policies that facilitate the development of priority zones. The central government needs to increase transfer payments designed to equalize access to basic public services in major agricultural production areas, central and western regions, poverty-stricken areas, key ecological function areas, and nature reserves. In addition, it also needs to enhance the capacity of governments to provide public services in areas where development activities are prohibited or limited, with a view to promoting balanced development between regions. Third, we need to create a scientific and rational framework of urbanization, agricultural development, and ecological security strategies. By integrating the notion of ecological progress throughout our new approach to urbanization, we need to pursue a mode of urbanization that is characterized by clearly defined functions, the rational distribution of industries, prominent regional advantages and features, and accommodation to the capacity of resources and the environment. We need to promote regionalization, specialized production, and large-scale operation in agriculture. In addition, we need to maintain the quantity and the quality of farmland in our country, and ensure adequate supply of agricultural products. By doing so, China’s agricultural development will not only demonstrate the new trend of centralizing the farming of major agricultural products in areas where they are ideally suited, but will also reflect the actual state and features of our natural agricultural resources. In addition to the above, we need to effectively protect areas that have a bearing on national ecological security, restore and enhance the ecological functions of key ecological function areas, and form an ecological security layout that is comprised primarily of forest vegetation, and also includes grasslands. Fourth, we need to make overall plans for land and sea development. Based on a stronger awareness that we are a major maritime nation, we must attach equal importance to our terrestrial territory and territorial sea while bearing in mind the relatively independent nature of the maritime system, and strike a balance between land exploitation, maritime exploitation, and the protection of coastal belt. We also need to step up the development of modern marine industries, make constant efforts to boost the marine economy, protect the marine ecological environment, enhance our capacity to provide diversified marine ecological products, and resolutely safeguard China’s maritime rights and interests, with a view to establishing China as a leading maritime nation.

加快转变经济发展方式，促进生产方式转型。只有加快转变发展方式，才能从源头上减少资源消耗过度和污染排放问题，从根本上缓解经济增长与资源、环境之间的矛盾。一是调整产业结构。大力发展服务业和战略性新兴产业，提高其在国民经济中的比重。坚决抑制高耗能、高排放行业过快增长，加快淘汰落后产能，促进产业向优势企业集中，推动过剩产能向海外有序转移。二是节约集约利用资源。从破解资源约束出发，加强全方位全过程资源节约和综合利用，大幅降低能源、水、土地消耗强度，有效控制用水总量，合理开发矿产资源，严格管制土地用途。推动能源生产和消费革命，大力发展新能源和可再生能源，控制能源消费总量，保障国家能源安全。三是推行绿色循环低碳的生产方式。各行各业都要按照节约资源、保护环境的要求实现生产方式的根本转变，工业生产要彻底抛弃高投入、高污染的粗放式增长模式，持续推动节能减排，按照减量化、再利用、资源化的原则，推行清洁生产，发展循环经济。农业生产要积极发展生态农业和有机农业，稳定提高农业综合生产能力，保障粮食安全。大幅度降低农药、化肥使用量，改善农业生态环境。

2. We need to accelerate the change of our growth model and promote the transformation of modes of production. Only by accelerating the transformation of our growth model will we be able to address the root cause of excessive resource consumption and the discharge of pollutants, and fundamentally mitigate the conflicts that exist between economic growth, the conservation of natural resources, and the protection of the environment. First, we need to adjust our industrial structure. We need to make major efforts to develop service industries and strategic emerging industries so as to raise their share in the national economy. At the same time, we must work faster to eliminate backward production capacity, center industries around competitive enterprises, and encourage the overseas relocation of surplus production capacity in an orderly manner. Second, we must use resources economically and intensively. In a bid to overcome resource constraints, we need to step up the conservation and comprehensive utilization of resources in all regards, significantly lower the intensity of our energy, water, and land consumption, effectively cap our total water usage, exploit mineral resources in a rational manner, and strictly control the use of land. At the same time, we need to revolutionize the way that we produce and consume energy, devote major efforts to the development of new and renewable energies, and cap our overall energy consumption, with a view to guaranteeing China’s energy security. Third, we need to promote green, circular, and low-carbon modes of production. All industries are expected to make fundamental changes to their modes of production in line with the requirements of conserving resources and protecting the environment. In industrial production, we need to completely discard an extensive growth model that is characterized by high input and heavy pollution, and make constant efforts to promote energy conservation and emissions reduction. At the same time, in accordance with the principles of reducing wasteand resource consumption, reusing resources, and recycling waste, we need to promote clean production and develop a circular economy. In agricultural production, we need to actively develop ecological agriculture and organic agriculture, and steadily enhance our overall agricultural production capacity in order to guarantee food security. Moreover, we need to drastically reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers with a view to improving agricultural ecologies.

合理引导消费行为，形成文明生活方式。消费行为和生活方式看似小事，实则是全社会的大问题，每时每刻都会对资源环境产生直接影响，同时也会间接影响生产方式。我们每个人都要从自己做起，从一点一滴做起。一是树立健康的消费理念。持续开展资源短缺、环境脆弱的国情宣传和深度教育，强化全体国民的环保理念和生态意识，引导人们自觉节约每一滴水、每一度电、每一张纸、每一粒粮，在全社会形成节约光荣、浪费可耻的新风尚，使节约资源和保护环境成为13亿中国人的主流价值观。二是形成合理的消费行为。倡导绿色消费、集约消费，引导人们理性消费、科学消费，形成节俭办事、减少污染、有益健康的生活方式。加强城乡公共服务能力建设，运用价格手段调节引导居民绿色居住和出行，扩大节能、低碳、环保的绿色产品消费。执行强制性的节能标准，推进可再生能源、环保材料的广泛应用。加强绿色低碳社区建设，鼓励个人、家庭和单位遏制浪费现象和不文明行为。三是创造整洁的生活环境。大力扶持绿色交通，推广天然气、沼气、太阳能、风能等清洁能源，减少机动车尾气、工业排放和建筑扬尘，推行垃圾分类回收和循环利用，改造地下排污管网，提高危险废弃物集中处理能力，绿化、美化、净化生活环境。特别要加强农村环境治理，实施乡村清洁工程，推行“户集、村收、镇运、集中处理”的垃圾处理方式，深入实施秸秆禁烧和综合利用，建设“居住集中化、环境生态化、服务功能化”的农村新社区。

3. We need to urge rational consumption habits in order to foster civilized lifestyles. Though consumption habits and lifestyles may appear to be trivial, they are in fact significant social issues, not only having a direct impact on resources and the environment at all times, but also having an indirect bearing on modes of production. Therefore, each and every one of us needs to make an effort in this regard, bearing in mind that every little thing counts. First, we need to establish sound consumer attitudes. By carrying out publicity and educational initiatives, we must ensure that China’s resource shortages and fragile environments are known to the people. This will help us to raise public awareness with regard to environmental protection and ecological issues. With that as a basis, we must urge the people to save every drop of water, every unit of electricity, every piece of paper, and every grain of rice. By fostering a social atmosphere in which frugality is applauded and wastefulness is looked down upon, we will strive to make resource conservation and environmental protection a mainstream value for 1.3 billion Chinese people. Second, we need to develop rational consumer habits. Advocating green and resource-conserving modes of consumption, we must urge people to consume in a way that is both rational and scientific, so as to bring about healthy and frugal lifestyles that are conducive to the reduction of pollution. At the same time, we need to improve the capacity of urban and rural areas to provide public services, use price leverage to encourage people to adopt green lifestyles and commuting in an environmentally friendly way, and boost the consumption of energy-conserving, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly products. Moreover, we need to enforce mandatory standards on energy saving, and promote the wide use of renewable energies and environmentally friendly materials. We also need to step up our efforts to develop green and low-carbon communities, and encourage individuals, households, and enterprises to curb waste and uncivilized behavior. Third, we need to create clean living environments. In order to make our living environments greener, cleaner, and more beautiful, we should engage in major efforts to support green transportation; widen the use of clean energy sources such as natural gas, methane, solar energy, and wind power; reduce vehicle exhaust emissions, industrial discharges, and wind-borne dust from construction sites; promote the sorting and recycling of garbage; and strengthen the concentrated disposal of hazardous waste. A particular emphasis should be placed on the rectification of rural environments. We will carry out rural cleanup projects, and adopt a garbage disposal mode in which domestic waste is gathered on a per household basis, collected by village authorities, and transported by town level authorities for concentrated disposal. These efforts will allow us to create new rural communities characterized by centralized residence, sound ecological environments, and function-based public services.

着力加强生态保护与修复，营造良好生态环境。生态既要保护又要修复，要加大对已遭到破坏生态的修复和对生态脆弱地区的投入，促进形成自然生态和人居环境的良性循环。一是加强监测预防。加大环境监测力度，实行严格的环境质量控制标准，强化监督手段，为污染防治奠定基础。加强气象、地质、地震灾害监测预警预报和信息发布系统建设，完善防灾减灾体系，提高防御能力。二是加强自然生态系统保护。推进天然林资源保护，巩固和扩大退耕还林还草、退牧还草等成果，保护好林草植被和河湖、湿地，加强野生动植物和生物多样性保护。加强水源地保护，加快病险水库水闸除险加固、农田水利等重点工程建设，加快实施搬迁避让。扎实推进城乡造林绿化工作，构建重要生态屏障，提高生态系统稳定性。三是实施重大生态修复工程。加快解决损害群众健康的水、土壤、大气污染等突出环境问题。推进荒漠化、石漠化、水土流失综合治理。加强重点流域和区域水污染防治、生态脆弱河湖和地区水生态修复与治理。加大治理重金属污染和土壤污染的力度。通过多种手段有效控制温室气体排放。四是增强生态产品生产供给能力。生态产品直接惠及百姓，要大力加强林地、水源、湿地、草原等绿色生态资源的保护，增强生态产品供给能力。

4. We need to strengthen ecological protection and restoration in order to create a sound ecological environment. We need to lay emphasis on both protection and restoration, do more to repair ecological damage, devote more resources to ecologically fragile areas, and work to achieve a sound balance between natural ecosystems and human habitations. First, we need to strengthen the monitoring of the environment and the prevention of natural disasters. In strengthening our monitoring of the environment, we need to impose strict standards on environmental quality control, and improve the means by which we conduct monitoring in order to lay down foundations for the prevention and control of pollution. We also need to strengthen the development of monitoring, early warning, and information release systems for meteorological, geological, and seismic disasters. By improving measures for the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, we will be better able to respond to such adversities. Second, we need to strengthen the protection of ecosystems. Particular emphasis should be given to the protection of natural forests, and to building upon advances that have already been made in the restoration of forests and grasslands from farmland and the restoration of grasslands from grazing land. At the same time, we also need to give particular emphasis to the protection of forest and grass vegetation, rivers, lakes, and wetlands, and to safeguarding wildlife and biodiversity. We need to strengthen our protection of water sources, and take steps to accelerate the reinforcement of aging reservoirs and sluices, the implementation of key projects for farmland irrigation, and the relocation of people in disaster-prone areas. Moreover, solid steps should be taken to promote urban and rural afforestation and develop major ecological screens, in order to make ecosystems more stable. Third, we need to carry out major ecological restoration projects, and step up efforts to resolve outstanding environmental problems that are detrimentalto public health, such as water, soil, and air pollution. At the same time, we need to take comprehensive steps to control desertification, rocky desertification and soil erosion; work harder to prevent and control water pollution in key watersheds and areas; make efforts to restore and improve the water ecosystems of ecologically fragile rivers, lakes, and areas; and intensify our efforts to control heavy metal pollution and soil pollution. By adopting a range of measures, we also need to effectively control greenhouse gas emissions. Fourth, we need to enhance our capacity to produce and supply ecological products. Considering that ecological products are of direct benefit to the general public, we need to intensify our protection of ecological resources, such as forests, water sources, wetlands, and grasslands, and by doing so enhance our capacity to supply ecological products.

大力推进科技进步，支撑生态文明建设。解决资源环境面临的问题，归根结底要靠科技进步，不断提高资源利用效率、污染物排放的控制能力和废弃物的资源化利用能力。一是加快重点技术创新。在跟踪国际新技术新进展的基础上，加强基础研究和应用研究，重点在节能技术、清洁能源技术、循环经济技术方面取得突破，力争抢占国际新技术竞争的制高点。积极发展先进煤电、核电等重大装备制造核心技术，主要耗能领域的节能关键技术、重污染行业清洁生产集成技术等，使主要工业产品单位能耗指标和排放指标达到或接近世界先进水平。适应国际发展潮流，突破城市群大气污染控制、非常规污染物控制、废弃物等资源化利用的关键技术，减少排放并节约排放空间。二是加大先进技术推广应用。加强技术创新和应用推广的有机衔接，建立以企业为主体的产学研合作机制。制定配套政策，促进太阳能、风能、生物质能源等可再生能源低成本、规模化开发利用。运用价格调节、加速折旧、财政补贴等措施加快落后产能技术的淘汰更新，促进节能产业、资源循环利用产业、环保产业、可再生能源产业等绿色产业发展，使企业从技术的转化和应用中获利，使人们广泛享受到科技进步带来的生态效益。

5. We need to devote major efforts to promoting progress of science and technology in order to underpin ecological progress. Above all else, we will need to rely on progress of science and technology to resolve the problems that we face with regard to resources and the environment. Progress of science and technology will allow us to constantly enhance our capacity to use resources efficiently, control pollutant discharge, and recycle waste. First, we need to accelerate innovation with regard to key technologies. Keeping pace with new technological advances around the world, we need to strengthen basic research and applied research, and place an emphasis on making key breakthroughs in regard to energy conservation, clean energy, and circular economies, so as to gain the edge in international new technological competition. We need to make active efforts to develop technologies in several areas, such as core technologies with regard to the manufacturing of major equipment for advanced coal-fired power plants andnuclear power plants, key energy-conserving technologies in major energy-intensive industries, and integrated technologies for clean production in heavy-polluting sectors, in order to ensure that our energy consumption and pollutant discharge per unit of GDP in the manufacturing of major industrial products reaches or comes close to world-class standards. In response to new trends in international development, we need to make breakthroughs in key technologies with regard to air pollution control in city clusters, non-conventional pollutant control, and waste recycling, thereby reducing pollutant emissions and leaving China with more room to maneuver in cutting carbon emissions. Second, we need to promote the widespread use of advanced technologies, establish closer links between innovation, application, and promotion, and establish a mechanism for collaboration between enterprises, universities and research institutes, with enterprises playing the dominant role. We need to formulate supporting policies to promote the low-cost and large-scale exploitation and utilization of renewable energies such as solar power, wind power, and bioenergy. By employing measures such as pricing, accelerated depreciation, and government subsidization, we need to step up our efforts to eliminate or upgrade backward production capacity and backward technologies, and promote the development of green industries such as the energy conservation industry, resource recycling industry, environmental protection industry, and renewable energy industry. Through these efforts, we will ensure that enterprises are able to benefit from the industrial application of new technological advances, and that people are able to widely enjoy the ecological benefits brought about by progress of science and technology.

不断创新体制机制，完善生态文明制度。推进生态文明建设是个长期的过程，依赖于一个规范的、长期的、稳定的制度环境，形成“硬约束”的长效机制。一是深化资源性产品价格改革。合理调整资源性产品价格，引导资源节约利用。创新资源性产品价格形成机制，优化水电、核电及可再生能源发电定价机制，完善居民阶梯电价改革方案，有序推进竞价上网和输配电价改革。继续探索价格形成机制改革试点，完善政府、企业、消费者共同参与协商的定价机制。二是加大资源环境税费改革。按照价、税、费、租联动机制，适当提高资源税税负，加快开征环境税，完善计征方式。积极探索运用税费手段提高环境污染成本，降低污染排放。三是健全资源补偿和交易制度。按照谁开发谁保护、谁受益谁补偿的原则，加快建立生态补偿机制，研究设立国家生态补偿专项资金，推行资源型企业可持续发展准备金制度。培育节能量和碳排放量第三方核证机构，鼓励企业积极参与节能量交易和碳交易。健全水权制度，开展水权交易，规范水权转让。深化排污权有偿使用和交易制度改革。四是完善统计评价体系。建立体现生态文明要求的目标体系，把资源消耗、环境损害、生态效益纳入经济社会发展评价体系。强化领导干部的生态文明意识，根据主体功能区定位探索设立不同的考核目标，增加生态文明相关指标权重，逐步完善干部考核任用制度。五是加强法律法规建设。健全生态环境保护责任追究制度和环境损害赔偿制度。加强环境监管，完善信息公开与公众参与制度，健全最严格的环境执法体系，提高环境违法成本，依靠强有力的法制调节和规范社会行为。

6. We need to continue to make innovations with regard to institutions and mechanisms in order to improve the institutional framework of ecological civilization. The promotion of ecological civilization is a lengthy process, one which requires a standardized, permanent, and stable institutional environment that can give rise to binding long-term mechanisms. First, we need to deepen pricing reform for resource products. We need to make appropriate adjustments to the prices of resource products in order to encourage the economical use of resources. In working to renew mechanisms for the pricing of resource products, we need to optimize mechanisms for the pricing of electricity from hydro, nuclear, and renewable energy sources; improve reform schemes for the tier-based pricing of household electricity; take steady steps to promote public bidding among power plants for the right to supply electricity to power grids; and proceed with price reforms for electricity transmission in an orderly manner. In addition, wealso need to continue with trials for pricing reforms, thereby improving a mechanism whereby prices are determined through consultation between the government, enterprises, and consumers. Second, we need to intensify the reform of resource and environment taxes and fees. Taking into consideration the interrelated relationship between prices, taxes, fees, and rent, we need to appropriately raise resource tax, promptly introduce environmental taxes, and improve the means by which these taxes are calculated. In addition, we need to actively explore ways of increasing the cost of environmental pollution through the collection of taxes and fees, with a view to reducing the discharge of pollutants. Third, we need to improve resource compensation and trading systems. On the basis of having project developers take responsibility for environmental protection while end-users assume responsibility for compensation, we need to step up efforts to establish an ecological compensation mechanism, look into setting up a dedicated national fund for ecological compensation, and promote the establishment of a reserve fund system for the sustainable development of resource-based enterprises. We need to develop third-party agencies to verify energy savings and carbon emissions, and encourage enterprises to actively participate in energy efficiency trading and carbon emission trading. We also need to improve the water rights system, launch water rights trading, and standardize the transfer of water rights. In addition, we need to deepen the reform of a cap-and-trade system for pollutant discharge rights. Fourth, we need to establish a sound statistical evaluation system. We need to establish a system of goals that demonstrate the requirements of an ecological civilization, and integrate resource consumption, environmental damage, and ecological benefits as criteria in our systems for the appraisal of economic and social development. We also need to raise awareness of ecological civilization among leading officials, look into setting different evaluation goals for different priority zones, attach more weight to ecological performance indexes in appraisals, and gradually improve systems for the performance assessment and appointment of officials. Fifth, we need to strengthen relevant laws and regulations. We need to improve the system of accountability for ecological and environmental protection and the system of compensation for environmental damage. Moreover, we need to strengthen environmental monitoring, improve systems for information release and public participation, establish the strictest possible system for environmental law enforcement, and increase the cost of violating environmental law, thereby regulating social behavior on the basis of a strong legal system.

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