Cai Xuexiong and Qiu Shuilin: Promoting Green and Low-Carbon Economic and Social Development through the "Four Transformations" [1]
High-quality development is the primary task of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of economic and social development is a key link in achieving high-quality development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized "accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development." In August 2024, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development, further clarifying the timetable, roadmap, and blueprint [1] for this process, and requiring adherence to comprehensive transformation, collaborative transformation, innovative transformation, and secure transformation. On the new journey, we must persist in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, thoroughly implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and fully implement Xi Jinping's economic thought and Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization [2]. We must persist in using these "four transformations" to drive green and low-carbon economic and social development, providing solid support for constructing Chinese-path modernization characterized by harmony between humanity and nature.
Strengthening the Foundation of Green Development through Comprehensive Transformation
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has stood at the height of building a community of life for humanity and nature [3]. It has unswervingly followed a path of high-quality development characterized by ecological priority, conservation, intensification, and green low-carbon principles, driving significant achievements in the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Persisting in comprehensive transformation requires firmly establishing the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" [4]. We must integrate the requirements of green transformation into the overall situation of economic and social development, advancing green transformation across all dimensions, sectors, and regions to strengthen the foundation of green development.
Accelerate the green transformation of development modes. We must coordinate the promotion of high-quality development and high-level protection, implementing green planning, design, investment, construction, production, and circulation throughout the entire process and in all directions. We will promote green industrial upgrading, accelerate green agricultural development, improve the level of green development in the service sector, and enhance the circularity of industrial parks and clusters. We will improve the system for total resource management and comprehensive conservation, and build a comprehensive, efficient, standardized, and orderly waste recycling system. Practice green and low-carbon lifestyles. We will promote concepts of simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized, and healthy living and consumption patterns in schools, homes, communities, factories, and government agencies, enhancing the entire population’s awareness of conservation, environmental protection, and ecology. We will increase green government procurement, guide enterprises and residents to purchase green products, and strengthen the certification management of green products and services. We will encourage the public to prioritize green travel methods such as public transportation, walking, and cycling. Improve the modern environmental governance system. We will fully implement the pollutant discharge permit management system, accelerate the greening of production services, and strengthen the building of enterprise responsibility systems. We will persist in targeted, scientific, and law-based pollution control, continue to fight the battles to keep our skies blue, waters clear, and land spotless, and strengthen the treatment of solid waste and new pollutants. We will adhere to a systems perspective and coordinate the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts [5], building a grand pattern of protection and governance extending from mountaintops to the oceans.
Merging the Forces of Green Development through Collaborative Transformation
To promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, we must fully consider the developmental realities of different regions and industries, accurately grasp the problems of "unbalanced and inadequate" [6] development in the green field, and simultaneously grasp the reform tasks in key areas and crucial links. Collaborative transformation means combining coordinated advancement with breakthroughs in key areas, scientifically setting the timetable, roadmap, and blueprint for green transformation, and encouraging regions and industries with the right conditions to explore first. This ensures that different regions and industries move in lockstep, merging the forces of green development through collaborative transformation.
Promote spatial synergy in green and low-carbon development. We will improve a national territorial space planning system that is unified, clear in responsibilities, scientific, and efficient, refining the division of major function zones, strengthening regional environmental control, and promoting the sustainable, coordinated development of land and sea. Promote industrial synergy in green and low-carbon transformation. We will vigorously promote the upgrading of processes, technologies, and equipment in traditional industries, and accelerate the development of strategic emerging industries, high-tech industries, green environmental protection industries, and modern service industries, while nurturing future industries such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and biomanufacturing. We will promote the synergistic enhancement of pollution reduction and carbon sequestration in key areas such as industry, energy, transportation, urban-rural construction, and agriculture. We will encourage qualified enterprises to establish green supply chains, leading upstream and downstream enterprises in collaborative transformation. Accelerate the synergistic transformation of digitalization and greening. We will promote the expansion and acceleration of green low-carbon digital infrastructure, such as green data centers and green base stations, gradually phasing out "old, small, and scattered" facilities. We will deepen the application of digital technology in power systems, industrial and agricultural production, transportation, and ecological environmental governance. We will establish a sound technological and industrial system for the integration of digitalization and greening, leveraging the leading role of digital technology enterprises in green supply chains, energy transformation, and the empowerment of traditional industries.
Releasing the Momentum of Green Development through Innovative Transformation
Innovation is the primary driver for leading the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. To drive this transformation, we must strengthen innovations in science and technology, policies and systems, and business models. We must advance the green and low-carbon technological revolution, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and improve the institutional system of ecological civilization, providing stronger innovative momentum and institutional guarantees to move economic and social development fully onto a green and low-carbon track.
Strengthen the leading role of scientific and technological innovation. We will innovate talent cultivation models, assemble a group of national key laboratories and national innovation platforms, and focus on strengthening basic research for applications in green and low-carbon fields. We will reinforce the dominant position of enterprises in technological innovation, focusing on key core technologies in fields such as green energy transformation, resource conservation and recycling, and new pollutant control. We will steadfastly promote the deep integration of scientific and industrial innovation, developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions. Leverage the safeguarding role of policy and institutional innovation. We will strengthen the legal and regulatory support for green transformation, accelerate the legislative process for the comprehensive utilization of resources, and deepen law enforcement supervision. We will improve the fiscal, tax, financial, investment, and price policies and standard systems that support green development. We will improve the market-based allocation system for resource and environmental elements, and advance the construction of national carbon emission rights and voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading markets. We will improve ecological protection compensation mechanisms and values-realization mechanisms for ecological products. Explore new models for the development of green and low-carbon industries. We will deeply promote the action of the circular economy to assist in carbon reduction, promoting resource-circulating production and reuse models. We will drive enterprises to establish and improve management mechanisms for energy saving and carbon reduction, supporting the exploration and application of "diagnosis + transformation" models. We will vigorously promote models such as energy management contracting, water management contracting, and third-party treatment of environmental pollution, as well as environmental stewardship services oriented toward environmental governance outcomes.
Consolidating the Foundation of Green Development through Secure Transformation
The comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development covers various fields, including regional development, industrial structure, energy, transportation, urban-rural construction, consumption patterns, and technological innovation, and faces many internal and external risks and challenges. We must attach great importance to security issues within this transformation, ensuring energy security, industrial and supply chain security, and food security while reducing carbon. We must persist in consolidating the foundation of green development through secure transformation.
Enhance energy security guarantee capabilities. We will improve the regulation of total energy consumption and intensity, focusing on controlling fossil fuel consumption and promoting the clean, low-carbon, and efficient use of energy. We will accelerate the construction of clean energy bases, develop new energy sources such as biomass, geothermal, and ocean energy according to local conditions, and promote the integrated development of hydro, wind, and solar power. We will strengthen the coordination between clean energy bases, regulatory resources, and power transmission channels, scientifically arranging pumped storage, new types of energy storage, and concentrated solar power while building smart grids. Elevate the resilience and security levels of industrial and supply chains. We will focus on creating self-controllable green industrial and supply chains, promoting orderly cooperation and healthy competition. We will enhance the capabilities for risk assessment, monitoring, early warning, and response for green industrial and supply chains, forming a security protection system with full-chain linkage. We will explore interest adjustment and coordination mechanisms for the orderly gradient transfer of industries between regions and improve the national reserve system. Firmly hold the bottom line of national food security. We will establish a "big food" concept [7], expanding direct and indirect food sources, tapping into new types of food resources, and building a diversified food supply system. We will increase investment in agricultural infrastructure, promote the development of green and ecological agriculture, and deeply implement the seed industry revitalization action. We will improve the grain reserve system and the long-term mechanism for grain and food conservation.
(Authors: Cai Xuexiong and Qiu Shuilin are, respectively, a specially invited researcher at the Fujian Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with New Era and a researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences; and an assistant researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences)
Source: Guangming Daily (November 29, 2024, Page 06)