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E-mail China.org.cn, April 3, 2024
Chen Wenjun:
Due to time constraints, we'll take the last two questions.
CNR:
We have noticed that last year's inaugural National Ecology Day event was held in Huzhou. As the birthplace of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," how does Zhejiang give full play to its ecological value and turn "green" into "gold?" Thank you.
Xu Wenguang:
Thank you for your question. As Mr. Wang mentioned earlier, Zhejiang holds the distinction of being China's first ecological province. On Aug. 15, 2023, the first National Ecology Day event was held in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. Over the years, under the guidance of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," Zhejiang has continuously pursued development paths focused on economic transformation and upgrading, efficient resource use, continuous environmental improvement, and balanced and harmonious development between urban and rural areas. This approach is mainly reflected in the following four aspects:
First, we have pursued high value-added economic growth. We have continued to restructure and upgrade industries with persistence by constantly phasing out small, poorly managed, and heavily polluting enterprises and cultivating high-tech, high-precision and advanced industries. This allows for the development of eco-friendly industries and the industrialization of environmental protection, improving the quality of growth through the replacement of old growth drivers with new ones. We took the lead in the construction of collaborative innovation zones to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. Starting with cities, parks, enterprises, and other areas, we have promoted the integrated planning, deployment, promotion, and assessment of carbon emission and pollution reduction efforts to accelerate the realization of win-win environmental, climate, and economic benefits.
Second, we have focused on ecological conservation to improve the environment. We strengthened the synergistic effect of pollution and carbon reduction, rolled out a series of combined measures to advance water management, improve soil conservation, and reduce gas, waste and plastic pollution. In 2023, the proportion of excellent and good quality surface water controlled at the national level reached 97.5%, and air quality was good or excellent on 91.6% of the days over the past year. Over the past two years, we have made great efforts to address environmental problems that concern the public, including noise, odor, and black and malodorous water bodies. As a result, the public satisfaction rate for environmental protection has continued to improve for 12 consecutive years.
Third, we cultivated "new strengths" in governance. As the nation's first province to pilot the digital transformation of the ecological environment, we have established an integrated decision-making command platform covering the whole processes. We strived to achieve precise control to guarantee environmental quality, pinpointing and accurately managing issues. Notably, with the launch of the digital system for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in Zhejiang, we strived to use the least costs and time to ensure effective oversight while streamlining regulation, so as to facilitate enterprises to accelerate project construction. Presently, the EIA system has been accessed and used by enterprises for 270,000 times.
Fourth, we nurtured green "growth points." We prioritized leveraging social capital, market-oriented approaches, and third-party collaboration to catalyze the transformation of ecological value. This involved promoting ecological products' diversified development, multi-tiered utilization, and value increment at various links. For example, the Blue Circle environmental initiative was recognized with the United Nations Champions of the Earth Award for addressing marine plastic pollution. It engages fishermen, shipowners, and enterprises and mobilizes coastal communities to collect marine plastic waste. By establishing funds for secondary value distribution, this model not only offers a Chinese solution to the global challenge of marine plastic pollution but also boosts income for local fishermen. We firmly believe that through technological, model, and institutional innovations, we can undoubtedly transform more "lucid waters and green mountains" into even more valuable assets in the future.
That's all from me. Thank you.
