Introduction to an Article on Advancing Ecological Progress and Contributing to Key Environmental Issues

The first issue of Qiushi Journal in 2024 features an article by the CPC Leadership Group of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which stresses that the Committee attaches great importance to ecological and environmental protection and actively carries out political consultation, democratic supervision and deliberation of critical issues.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPPCC National Committee has rigorously fulfilled its responsibilities in significant ecological issues including the “air pollution prevention and control in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region,” “protection and restoration of grassland ecosystems,” and “issues and suggestions for establishing an eco-environmental conservation compensation system.”

With a profound comprehension of its roles and objectives, the CPPCC National Committee has undertaken in-depth investigations, conducted effective consultations, exercised democratic supervision and built a broad social consensus, greatly contributing to the advancement of the Beautiful China Initiative.

After the national conference on ecological and environmental protection, both the CPC Leadership Group of the National Committee of the CPPCC and the Leading Group of CPC Committee of the National Committee of the CPPCC conducted intensive studies on the conference's instruction to ensure a profound comprehension of General Secretary Xi Jinping's pivotal discourses on the “Four Major Transformations,” “Five Major Relationships,” and “Six Major Tasks.”

Consequently, “The Guidelines of the CPC Leadership Group of the CPPCC National Committee on Implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Speech and the Instructions of the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection” were developed.

The Committee has then been dynamically involved in consultation and deliberation, contributing high-quality insights and recommendations on crucial issues such as further promoting the nationwide battle to prevent and control pollution, speeding up the transformation of development patterns and adhering to green and low-carbon development, robustly advancing the holistic and systematic approach to the protection and conservation of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, and actively and steadily moving towards carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

The 14th CPPCC National Committee has orchestrated various thematic consultations such as an online consultation on advancing the development of a value-realization mechanism for ecological products, biweekly symposiums dedicated to accelerating the construction of a recycling system for renewable resources in the new energy sector, and an expert consultation on enhancing the security of strategic mineral resources.

Members of the Chairperson's Council spearheaded teams in conducting targeted and in-depth field studies on critical issues such as enhancing domestic sewage treatment in rural areas, building of a Beautiful China, advancing the treatment of emerging pollutants, comprehensively driving the growth of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and accelerating the development of the national water network.

Consultations on important proposals have been organized on themes like promoting the conservation of water resources in the Yellow River Basin, reinforcing the conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems, refining green and low-carbon financial standards and policy frameworks, and optimizing the environment-related public interest litigation system. These consultations yielded a series of well-researched and practical recommendations.

CPPCC members have earnestly fulfilled their role. They have submitted over 700 proposals related to eco-environmental protection and contributed more than 1,400 reports on public opinions, providing relevant departments with valuable input.

Drawing from their professional backgrounds in areas such as theoretical research, scientific and technological development, energy resources, and industrial manufacturing, CPPCC members have been fulfilling ecological and environmental duties and advancing the transition to green and low-carbon development. They have also actively engaged in the initiative of “serving the people,” immersing themselves in their respective participating groups to disseminate policies and advocate the principles of green development.

Editor: Nie Qiaoyu