Latest Policy | Government Report (Excerpt) – Strengthening Ecological and Environmental Protection and Promoting Green and Low-Carbon Development

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 14

Government Work Report
- Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council at the first session of the 14th National People's Congress on March 5, 2023

On March 5, Li Keqiang, on behalf of the State Council, delivered the "Government Work Report" at the first session of the 14th National People's Congress. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Rao Aimin

Delegates,

Over the past five years, we have thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, and have mainly done the following work.

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(8) Strengthen ecological and environmental protection and promote green and low-carbon development. Adhere to the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, improve the system of ecological civilization, handle the relationship between development and protection, and continuously improve the ability of sustainable development.

Strengthen pollution control and ecological construction. Adhere to precise pollution control, scientific pollution control, and pollution control in accordance with the law, and further promote pollution prevention and control. Focusing on the coordinated management of multiple pollutants and regional joint prevention and control, the proportion of days with good air quality in cities at and above the prefecture level reached 86.5%, an increase of 4 percentage points. Basically eliminate black and odorous water bodies in cities at and above the prefecture level, and promote the prevention and control of pollution in important rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Intensify the prevention, control, and restoration of soil pollution risks, and strengthen the treatment of solid waste and new pollutants. Comprehensively delineate the red line for the protection of cultivated land and permanent basic farmland, the red line for ecological protection, and the boundary of urban development. Adhere to the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands and sands, implement a number of major ecological projects, and comprehensively implement the system of river and lake chiefs and forest chiefs. Promote the joint protection of the Yangtze River, and thoroughly implement the 10-year fishing ban in key waters of the Yangtze River basin. Strengthen biodiversity conservation. Improve the compensation system for ecological protection. The forest coverage rate reached 24%, the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grasslands and the protection rate of wetlands reached more than 50%, and the areas of soil erosion, desertification and desertification decreased by 106,000, 38,000 and 33,000 square kilometers respectively. More and more people enjoy the blue sky and white clouds, green waters and green mountains.

Steadily promote energy conservation and carbon reduction. Coordinate the safe and stable supply of energy and green and low-carbon development, and promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality in a scientific and orderly manner. Optimize the energy structure, achieve ultra-low emission coal-fired power units of more than 1.05 billion kilowatts, increase the installed capacity of renewable energy from 650 million kilowatts to more than 1.2 billion kilowatts, and increase the proportion of clean energy consumption from 20.8% to more than 25%. Comprehensively strengthen resource conservation, develop green industries and circular economy, and promote the research and development and application of energy-saving and environmental protection technologies and products. Improve the carbon sink capacity of ecosystems. Strengthen financial support for green development. Improve the energy consumption assessment method. China has actively participated in international cooperation on climate change and made China's contribution to promoting global climate governance.

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This year is the year of the change of government, and the work in various fields and aspects of economic and social development reported earlier will require unremitting efforts in the future.

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(7) Promote the green transformation of development mode. We will further promote the prevention and control of environmental pollution. Strengthen the comprehensive management of river basins, strengthen the construction of urban and rural environmental infrastructure, and continue to implement major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems. Promote the clean and efficient use of energy and technology research and development, accelerate the construction of a new energy system, and increase the proportion of renewable energy. We will improve policies and financial tools to support green development, develop a circular economy, promote the conservation and intensive use of resources, promote energy conservation, carbon reduction and pollution reduction in key areas, and continue to fight the battle to defend the blue sky, clear water and pure land.

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Delegates,

Struggle creates brilliance, hard work wins the future. We must unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, forge ahead, promote sustained and healthy economic and social development, and make unremitting efforts to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way, promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way, and build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country!

Source: Xinhua News Agency