Ecological Civilization Awareness

It reflects the idea of taking the lead in promoting ecological civilization construction and carrying out ecological civilization system reform. The essence is to handle the relationship between people, economic development and ecology, and ultimately achieve harmony between man and nature. In 2007, the Report of the 17th CPC National Congress for the first time included the concept of “ecological civilization” in its program of action, and proposed to “build an ecological civilization”. The Report of the 18th CPC National Congress for the first time discussed ecological civilization with the theme of "vigorously promoting the construction of ecological civilization”, and proposed that in the face of the severe situation of tight resource constraints, serious environmental pollution, and degradation of the ecosystem, we must establish an ecological civilization concept that respects nature, conforms to nature, and protects nature. In September 2015, the “Overall Plan for the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System” issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council emphasized that to promote the reform of the ecological civilization system, the correct concept should be used to lead the ecological construction. It clearly proposed to establish “six concepts”: the concept of respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature; the concept of the integration of development and protection; the concept of lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets; the concept of natural value and natural capital; the concept of spatial balance; and the concept of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands and lakes are a community of life.

Respecting nature, conforming to nature and protecting nature are the primary attitudes, basic principles and important responsibilities that people should uphold to live in harmony with nature. The construction of ecological civilization not only affects the sustainable and healthy development of the economy, but also relates to political and social construction, which must be placed in a prominent position and integrated into all aspects and the whole process of economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, and social construction. While adhering to the strategic thinking that development is of overriding importance, we must adhere to green development, circular development, and low-carbon development, balance the relationship between development and protection, control the development intensity according to the main function positioning, adjust the spatial structure, leave a beautiful home with blue sky, green land and clean water for future generations, and realize the internal unity and mutual promotion of development and protection. Fresh air, clean water, beautiful mountains, fertile land, and biodiversity are the eco-environment necessary for human survival. We must persist in development is the first priority, while protecting forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, wetlands, oceans and other natural ecology. Natural ecology is valuable, and protecting nature is the process of adding value to natural value and natural capital, that is, protecting and developing productive forces, and reasonable returns and economic compensation can be obtained. We must grasp the balance of population, economy, resources and environment, so as to ensure that development, population size, industrial structure, growth rate don’t exceed the local water and soil resources carrying capacity and environmental capacity.

According to the integrity, systematicness and inherent laws of the ecosystem, we shall consider the elements of natural ecology, mountains and plains, ground and underground, land and sea, and the upper and lower reaches of the river basin for overall protection, systematic restoration, and comprehensive management, so as to enhance the circulation capacity of the ecosystem and maintain ecological balance. The concept of ecological civilization is of great significance. In theory, it puts forward the guiding ideology of ecological civilization system construction and puts the concept in a more prominent position. This is for the first time to systematically elaborate the concepts that should be followed in the process of ecological civilization construction, and it has a supporting role to play in building socialist ecological civilization values with Chinese characteristics. In practices, the concept of ecological civilization proposes how to understand and deal with the relationship between ecological construction and economic development, which is conducive to unifying thoughts and leading actions in the construction of ecological civilization, thereby accelerating the construction of ecological civilization and enhancing the systematicity, integrity, and synergy of ecological civilization system reform.