The Fundamental State Policy of Conserving Resources and Protecting the Environment

Through the rational allocation, efficient recycling, effective protection and substitution of resources, the economic and social development is adapted to the carrying capacity of the resources and environment, the generation of pollutants is minimized, and the waste is harmlessly treated to achieve maximum utilization of resources. Environmental protection refers to the collective term for various actions taken by human beings to solve realistic or potential environmental problems, coordinate the relationship between humans and the environment, protect human living environment, and ensure the sustainable development of the economy and society.

Basic national policy refers to major plans and policies formulated by the central government that have an overall, long-term, and decisive impact on national economic construction, social development, and people’s lives. Resource conservation and environment protection is one of the basic national policies of New China. Environmental protection, as a basic national policy, was proposed for the first time in the official document—the “Decision of the State Council on Further Strengthening Environmental Protection” in 1990. The “Decision” takes the protection and improvement of the production environment and eco-environment, the prevention and control of pollution and other public hazards as a basic national policy of China, and requires units that produce environmental pollution and other public hazards to incorporate environmental protection into their plans and establish an environmental protection responsibility system; and take effective measures to prevent the environmental pollution and harm from waste gas, waste water, waste residue, dust, malodorous gas, radioactive substances, noise vibration, electromagnetic wave radiation, etc. generated in production and construction or other activities. Environmental protection means that human beings consciously protect natural resources and use them reasonably to prevent the natural environment from being polluted and destroyed; comprehensive treat the polluted and destroyed environment so as to create an environment suitable for human life and work, coordinate the relationship between people and nature, and let people live in harmony with nature.

Resource conservation, as a basic national policy, was proposed in the “Energy Conservation Law of the People’s Republic of China” adopted by the National People’s Congress in 1997. The Report of the 17th CPC National Congress in 2007 emphasized that adherence to the basic national policy of resource conservation and environmental protection is related to the vital interests of the people and the survival and development of the Chinese nation. In 2012, the Report of the 18th CPC National Congress further proposed to vigorously promote the construction of ecological civilization, adhere to the basic national policy of resource conservation and environmental protection, adhere to the principles of conservation priority, protection priority, and natural restoration priority, and focus on promoting green development, circular development, and low-carbon development, forming spatial pattern, industrial structure, production modes and lifestyles that conserve resources and protect the environment. To implement the basic national policy of resource conservation and environmental protection, we must take the fundamental transformation of economic growth as the focus, and build a low-input, high-output, low-consumption, low-emission, recyclable and sustainable national economic system and a resource-saving, and environment-friendly society. Taking resource conservation and environmental protection as China's basic national policy is conducive to enhancing awareness of resource conservation and environmental protection, enhancing investment attractiveness and economic competitiveness, realizing transformation and leapfrogging, building a conservation-oriented society, achieving sustainable development, as well as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.