Gao Shiji: The Concept of Green Development Leads the Profound Transformation of Ecological Civilization Construction
Volume I of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization systematically reflects the rich connotations, scientific system, and original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. It offers a comprehensive display of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s concern for the world, his global vision, and his civilizational responsibility in planning ecological civilization construction. It provides an authoritative textbook for us to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and to gain a profound understanding of its theoretical value, strategic role, and major significance through the lens of connecting history and reality, correlating international and domestic spheres, and combining theory with practice.
In "Comprehensively Promoting the Modernization of Harmony Between Humanity and Nature Through the Construction of a Beautiful China," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Accelerate the formation of green production methods and lifestyles, and thicken the green backdrop of high-quality development." The "Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," adopted by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [1], proposed that "green development is the defining backdrop of Chinese-path modernization," and made strategic deployments for "accelerating the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development and building a beautiful China." We must deeply study Volume I of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization, profoundly recognize the power of truth, the great strength of practice, and the global contribution inherent in the concept of green development. We must more consciously persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization as our guide, fully implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the Central Economic Work Conference, promote harmony between humanity and nature through green development, and inject strong green momentum into the basic realization of socialist modernization.
Bringing About a Profound Revolution in the Concept of Development
Volume I of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization comprehensively and vividly presents the formation and development process of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization since the 18th National Congress [2]. It encapsulates General Secretary Xi Jinping’s deep insight and profound thinking regarding ecological civilization construction and serves as a programmatic document guiding ecological civilization construction in the New Era. The concept of green development is a vital component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Several important works included in Volume I of the Selected Works provide profound explanations of the green development concept from different perspectives, such as "Relying on Scientific and Technological Innovation to Solve Green Development Problems," "Leading Rural Revitalization Through Green Development," and "Systematically Carrying Out Ecological Environmental Protection and Restoration to Build a Green Development Demonstration Belt." Relying on the application of the Marxist worldview and methodology, these important works are rooted in the great practice of the Party leading the people to promote Chinese-path modernization. They deeply analyze, study, and solve a series of theoretical and practical issues regarding green development. At a critical period when the basic realization of socialist modernization is consolidating its foundation and exerting full force, and at a crucial stage where global ecological civilization construction still faces many challenges and a significant increase in uncertain and unstable factors, they point out the way forward and provide the fundamental compliance for China to walk the path of green development and promote the joint construction of a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world.
The concept of green development vividly demonstrates General Secretary Xi Jinping's forward-looking thinking and strategic foresight in planning to solve major issues in the process of Chinese-path modernization. It possesses strong theoretical appeal and practical relevance, and is of great significance for guiding China’s ecological civilization construction toward historic, transitional, and global changes and achieving world-renowned accomplishments. China is the world’s largest developing country with a population of over 1.4 billion. Although China’s economic strength, scientific and technological prowess, and comprehensive national power have continued to increase, and the people's living standards have steadily improved, the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development remains prominent. The task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country remains arduous and heavy. In particular, to achieve high-quality development, China still faces severe challenges such as low per capita resources and increasing constraints on the ecological environment. Bringing a population of over 1.4 billion into modernization as a whole is a great undertaking that will completely rewrite the map of modernization in the world. Its difficulty and complexity are unprecedented. We must achieve a profound transformation in our concepts of development to lead us through the bottlenecks and constraints on our path forward.
In "To Achieve Sustainable Development, We Must Successfully Manage Ecological Civilization Construction," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In building a modern country, the old path of the US and Europe is a dead end for us; even several more Earths would not be enough to sustain the consumption of the Chinese people." If we do not solve the various conceptual problems of development that existed in the "old path of the US and Europe"—such as "pollution first, treatment later" and pursuing economic growth by sacrificing the environment and overdrawing the future—it will be impossible for us to achieve sustainable development under the condition of a massive population scale. In "Promoting the Formation of Green Development Methods and Lifestyles is a Profound Revolution in the Concept of Development," General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "Humans and nature share a symbiotic relationship; damage to nature will eventually harm humanity itself." He emphasized, "Firmly reject the practice of sacrificing the ecological environment for temporary and localized economic growth. Let a good ecological environment become the growth point for the people's lives, the support point for sustained and healthy economic and social development, and the leverage point for showcasing our country's good image." General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions profoundly demonstrate that harmony between humanity and nature is an inevitable requirement of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization explicitly proposes the concept of green development, transcending the traditional notion that economic and social development and ecological environmental protection are contradictory and mutually exclusive. It requires that the concept of green development be integrated throughout all processes and aspects of economic and social development, promoting the formation of green production methods and lifestyles, and bringing about a profound revolution in the concept of development.
Green development represents an all-encompassing, revolutionary transformation of production methods, lifestyles, ways of thinking, and values. Realizing green development means planning development from the height of harmony between humanity and nature: respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature. It means restricting economic activities and human behavior within the limits of what natural resources and the ecological environment can bear, ensuring that we "take with restraint and use with temperance" [3]. It means changing the previous production and consumption models of "mass production, mass consumption, and mass discharge," and forming spatial patterns, industrial structures, production methods, and lifestyles that conserve resources and protect the environment. This better transforms "lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets" [4], turning ecological advantages into development advantages, and realizing the mutual promotion, mutual benefit, and organic unity of economic-social development and ecological environmental protection. Green development breaks through old developmental thinking, concepts, and models; it is a profound grasp of the laws of nature and the laws of sustainable economic and social development. As a vital component of the New Development Philosophy, green development not only guides us to effectively solve ecological environmental problems and meet the people's growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment, but it is also an inherent requirement for developing new quality productive forces and better achieving high-quality development.
Guiding the Creation of Green Development Miracles
Since the 18th National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization—with the green development concept as its lead—we have created world-renowned ecological miracles and green development miracles. The article "Ecological Civilization Construction in the New Era Has Achieved World-Renowned Great Success," included in Volume I of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization, systematically summarizes the historic achievements we have made by firmly establishing and practicing the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and unswervingly following the path of ecological priority and green development. In this important work, General Secretary Xi Jinping incisively summarized the "Four Major Transformations" [5] of ecological civilization construction in the New Era: namely, the major transformation from key rectification to systematic governance; the major transformation from passive response to proactive action; the major transformation from being a participant in global environmental governance to becoming a leader; and the major transformation from practical exploration to scientific theoretical guidance. He pointed out: "The achievements of ecological civilization construction in the New Era are world-renowned; the people feel them most directly and truly, and the international community widely recognizes them. They have become a prominent hallmark of the historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state in the New Era." This profoundly reveals the far-reaching influence of the green development concept.
Green production methods are accelerating. We have integrated the green development concept into all links of the industrial, agricultural, and service industry chains. This has not only made the production system cleaner, lower-carbon, and more sustainable—promoting a significant improvement in the quality of the ecological environment—but has also catalyzed new technologies, new formats, and new models. It has accelerated industrial upgrading and green transformation, not only giving traditional industries "green vitality" but also allowing emerging industries to achieve immense development. Green industries are gradually becoming the new momentum for high-quality development. For example, in the field of green and low-carbon industries, China has created development achievements that have stunned the world. China has built the world's largest clean power supply system. In 2024, the installed capacity of renewable energy reached 56% of the country's total installed power generation capacity. In 2024, renewable energy power generation reached 3.46 trillion kWh, about 1.6 times that of the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan [6] period. The newly added renewable energy power generation accounted for about 60% of the total global increase. Renewable energy has transitioned from "supplementary energy" to "mainstay energy." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Developing new energy vehicles is the only way for our country to move from being a large automobile country to a powerful automobile country." Today, from upstream mineral resource development to midstream manufacturing of core components such as batteries and motors, and then to downstream vehicle production and service systems, China has built a complete new energy vehicle (NEV) industrial chain. In 2025, the production and sales of NEVs both exceeded 16 million units, leading the electrification, intelligence, and low-carbonization of the automobile industry and changing the global industrial map. Meanwhile, the land of China has seen bluer skies, greener mountains, clearer waters, and a more beautiful environment. From 2015 to 2024, the average concentration of PM2.5 in cities at the prefecture level and above nationwide dropped by more than one-third. In 2024, the national forest coverage rate exceeded 25%, and the proportion of surface water with excellent quality sections exceeded 90% for the first time. The green dream of "wanting both invaluable assets and lucid waters and lush mountains" is continuously becoming a reality.
Green lifestyles are taking root in people's hearts. In "Scientifically and Orderly Promoting the Goal of Reaching Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Green and low-carbon development also requires promoting revolutionary changes in lifestyles. We must advocate for simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized, and healthy lifestyles." Green production methods are an important foundation and condition for green lifestyles, while green lifestyles are an important support and guarantee for green production methods. The connotation of green lifestyles is very rich, including consciously practicing green living concepts, using and promoting green products, green travel, and green housing. Since the 18th National Congress, led by the green development concept, we have continued to promote extensive and in-depth publicity and education on ecological civilization, advocating and encouraging the entire society to firmly establish consumption concepts and living habits characterized by diligence and thrift. For example, we have included content related to green development in the national education system and carried out thematic promotional activities such as National Energy Saving Publicity Week, China Water Week, National Low Carbon Day, National Tree Planting Day, and World Earth Day. We have promoted green living concepts into families, communities, factories, and rural areas. We have extensively carried out green living creation actions such as thrift-oriented government agencies, green families, green schools, green communities, and green buildings, promoting the electrification of terminal energy use in public institutions and prioritizing the procurement of green and energy-saving products. Today, the awareness of conservation, environmental protection, and ecology throughout the population continues to rise; the green consumer group continues to expand, and green lifestyles have become a common practice. More and more people are consciously becoming practitioners and promoters of green development, and the favorable atmosphere for the entire society to jointly promote green development has become stronger. The concept of ecological civilization has become part of mainstream social culture, green lifestyles have become more deeply rooted in the people's hearts, and the social foundation for green development is becoming increasingly consolidated.
Making Chinese Contributions to Global Ecological Civilization Construction
In "Jointly Seeking the Path of Global Ecological Civilization Construction and Striving to Build a Clean and Beautiful World," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The international community should work together to seek a path of global ecological civilization construction, firmly establish the awareness of respecting, conforming to, and protecting nature, and persist in following a green, low-carbon, circular, and sustainable development path. In this regard, China has an undeniable responsibility and will continue to make its own contribution." Guided by the concept of green development, China's green development has achieved historic accomplishments, continuously increasing the "gold content" of development by improving the "green content" of production and life. This demonstrates powerful truth and practical strength, gaining increasing recognition and approval from the international community. It has played a tangible role in promoting the joint construction of a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world, making Chinese contributions to global ecological civilization construction.
China’s development concepts are being used as a reference by the world. China has always been a staunch man of action and an important contributor to global green development. Since the New Era, China's ecological miracles and green development miracles have fully proved the scientific and truthful nature of the green development concept, and have also showcased the effectiveness of China's ecological environmental governance. The international community is paying close attention to China's development...
The "green code." Starting from the elevated perspective that humanity and nature are a community of life [7], the concept of green development focuses on promoting the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature and achieving sustainable development. By driving the green and low-carbon transformation of the modes of production and lifestyles, it facilitates the resolution of ecological and environmental problems at their source. In today's world, many countries—particularly the vast number of developing nations—face the dual task of developing their economies while protecting the environment; in their pursuit of modernization, they may fall into one development trap or another. Chinese green development practices, guided by the concept of green development, provide experiences and insights that can serve as a reference for many developing countries, encouraging them to independently explore sustainable development paths that align with their own realities and developmental requirements. For instance, Aldo Rebelo, former President of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, stated that China's green transformation provides a realistic model for global energy change and has explored a viable path for the broad ranks of developing countries to balance environmental protection with economic growth. Erik Solheim, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, believes that China's practical innovation and global demonstration effects in green development and environmental protection provide key momentum for the world's green transition. The concept of green development leads the transformation of development models, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global green development.
Development results are shared by humanity. By promoting green development, China ensures that more than 1.4 billion Chinese people enjoy a continuously improving ecological environment while their living standards steadily rise. As the people's needs for a better life are constantly met, their sense of gain, happiness, and security [8] is continuously enhanced. This in itself constitutes a major contribution to the global construction of ecological civilization. Furthermore, China's green development achievements also benefit people of all countries, making important contributions to humanity's collective journey toward green development. For example, in the process of promoting green development, China has relied on advantages such as a complete industrial system, a vast domestic market, strong policy support, and scientific strategic planning to achieve rapid growth in new energy industries such as wind and solar power. Innovations emerge in an endless stream and quality improves daily, providing the world with high-quality, affordably priced products for the low-carbon energy transition and enhancing the sustainability of global development. Currently, China has engaged in green energy project construction cooperation with more than 100 countries and regions. The Al Shuaibah solar PV plant, constructed by Chinese enterprises, sends clean electricity to thousands of households in Saudi Arabia; Chinese "100% electric" buses running on the streets of many Latin American countries lead the global revolution in clean travel; and solar panels produced in China light up the rural areas of Zimbabwe, allowing the African people to access green electricity. China's green development achievements are being extended to many developing countries that suffer from capital shortages and lagging technology and capacity-building. Clean energy produced using Chinese technology is expected to help local areas reduce fossil fuel dependence, achieve energy structural transformation, and improve the lives of billions of people in developing countries. By sharing the fruits of green development, China helps developing countries enhance their development capacity and level, effectively strengthening the universality and inclusiveness of global green development.
(The author is the Director of the Institute for Resources and Environmental Policy at the Development Research Center of the State Council) Source: People's Daily (January 30, 2026) Editor: Huihui