2021-06-15 11:26
Guidelines on Strengthening Environmental Protection in Pilot Free Trade Zones to Promote High-Quality Development (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines") was developed and issued jointly by eight government authorities including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, People's Bank of China, General Administration of Customs, National Energy Administration, and National Forestry and Grassland Administration. This document was released to implement the decisions and planning of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council regarding the construction of pilot free trade zones, strengthen environmental protection in these zones, and strive to build them into model areas in terms of pursuing both high-quality economic development and high-standard environmental protection.
The Guidelines, in line with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, proposes five initiatives and twenty-two tasks that will help construct leading zones of high-quality economic development, low-carbon pilot zones, ecological and environmental security zones, demonstration zones for institutional innovation, and model zones for international environmental cooperation. Pilot free trade zones will be guided to utilize their role as testing grounds to their full extent, reform to delegate power, streamline administration and optimize government services in the ecological and environmental fields, strengthen the system integration of environmental reform initiatives, deepen international ecological and environmental cooperation and exchanges, and explore optimal approaches in the institutional innovation of environmental protection.
The Guidelines is to promote the optimization of economic structure and development planning in pilot free trade zones, improve environmental protection and risk prevention, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption, and strengthen the modernization of environmental governance system and governance capacity. Pilot free trade zones will also be guided towards achieving replicable management and institutional innovation results in promoting green and low-carbon development, environmental governance, and international cooperation, making the development of pilot free trade zones greener.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment and seven other authorities are set to actively guide the implementation of the Guidelines in pilot free trade zones, strengthen support and assistance, summarize and promote the application of institutional innovations in a timely manner, and tell China’s stories of ecological conservation in a more compelling way to the international community.