Unprecedented industrial and scientific development that is consistent with human demands has brought great prosperity. But at the same time, it has done great damage to the Earth's ecosystems.

Shifting the focus toward ecological protection has therefore become a necessity. As Chinese President Xi Jinping has observed, humans have realized the development of primitive, agricultural and industrial civilizations, now is the time to establish an ecological civilization that focuses on the higher-level goal of promoting the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.

China has proposed and is implementing the concept of an ecological civilization and exploring approaches to green and sustainable development, especially through furthering the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Action.

But to realize an ecological civilization for humanity requires both developed and developing countries to upgrade their ethical values, production and consumption modes.

Guided by President Xi's ideas on an ecological civilization, China is exploring ways to achieve green development that can provide a reference for other countries.

First, the country has integrated the construction of an ecological civilization into its economic development plans. In the latest technological revolution, major breakthroughs in the fields of information technology, smart manufacturing, new materials, energy conservation and clean energy, ecological restoration and environmental protection technologies as well as recycling have become key driving forces for improving and upgrading domestic industries, and meeting people's demands for ecological protection and technological development. Green industries are helping to drive China's economic transition to becoming a green power.

Second, China has attached great importance to ecological protection through institutional improvement. It has stepped up its efforts to change the traditional evaluation system that prioritizes GDP growth by including indicators of ecological protection such as resource consumption, environmental damage and ecological benefits into the evaluation system for economic and social development. It has also accelerated developing ecological and environmental legislation as well as the regulatory framework for overseeing the exploitation of land and a paymentbased mechanism for the use of resources. More emphasis has also been laid on launching an ecological compensation system and improving the laws and regulations to hold involved sides accountable and solve practical problems such as the difficulty in obtaining evidence in environmental litigation to safeguard environmental rights and interests.

Third, it has combined the construction of an ecological civilization with its culture. The integration of humans and nature is a core value of Confucianism, which has been adopted by the Chinese people over the past 2,000 years. The philosophical thought of Taoism also focuses on following natural laws, laying the foundation for the development of an ecological civilization highlighting the harmonious coexistence between humans and the nature. The traditional Chinese philosophy embodies the principle of following natural laws and living in harmony with the natural environment.

Fourth, China has combined the construction of an ecological civilization with its efforts to promote social development. In recent years, severe air, water and soil pollution has been exposed in various areas, which has raised great social concern. China is striving to implement all-around pollution control with the participation of all members of society. It has been focusing on the prevention and control of fine particulate matter to reduce air pollution, promoting comprehensive treatment of heavy metal soil pollution and pushing ahead with the treatment of pollution in water basins, drinking water and underground water, as well as curbing the underground and secret discharging of industrial sewage.

Only in a good natural environment can people live a high-quality life. With the significance of ecological protection deeply rooted in the public's minds, people will act proactively to protect the environment.

China has also focused on global environmental issues by coping with the effects of climate change into its economic and social development plans and strongly promoting its green growth.

An ecological civilization is formed by the practices of ecological and environmental protection and needs to be steadily furthered along with the development of natural sciences. An ecological civilization highlights the issue of harmony between people and nature and fairness between people, including how contemporary people leave the Earth to future generations and the current development gaps between the East and the West as well as those between the North and the South. China's efforts to construct an ecological civilization and promote green development can offer inspiration for the rest of the world and contribute to humanity's transition from an industrial civilization to an ecological civilization.

The author is director of the Theory Research Department of the Think Tank for Ecological Civilization at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The author contributed this article to China Watch exclusively. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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