Opinions of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council on Strengthening the Control of Ecological Environment Zoning

General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and General Office of the State Council

Opinions on strengthening the zoning control of the ecological environment

(6 March 2024)

The zoning control of the ecological environment is an important measure to improve the modernization level of ecological environment governance with the goal of ensuring ecological functions and improving environmental quality, and the implementation of an environmental management system with differentiated and precise control in sub-regions. It is of great significance to promote high-quality development and build a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony by implementing zoning control of the ecological environment, strictly abiding by the red line of ecological protection, the bottom line of environmental quality, and the upper line of resource utilization, and scientifically guiding all kinds of development, protection and construction activities. In order to strengthen the zoning and control of the ecological environment, with the consent of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the following opinions are hereby put forward.

1. General requirements

To strengthen the zoning and control of the ecological environment, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, implement the deployment of the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and coordinate the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, Growth, fully respect the laws of nature and regional differences, fully implement the strategy of main functional zones, fully connect land spatial planning and use control, promote high-quality development and create high-quality life with high-level protection, and strive to build a beautiful China where man and nature coexist in harmony.

-- Ecological priority and green development. Adhere to respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature, maintain the boundary of natural ecological security and the bottom line of environmental quality, implement the responsibility of natural ecological security, and promote green and low-carbon development.

——Prevention at the source, system protection. Improve the source prevention system of the ecological environment, coordinate the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands and sands, strengthen the conservation of biodiversity, and strengthen the coordinated control of multiple pollutants and regional coordinated governance.

-- Precise science, control in accordance with the law. Focus on regional and watershed outstanding ecological and environmental problems, implement precise and scientific policies, and establish zoning and categorical control strategies from problem identification to solutions in accordance with laws and regulations.

——Clarify responsibilities and coordinate linkage. At the national level, do a good job of top-level design, local party committees and governments implement the main responsibility, relevant departments strengthen communication and coordination, establish a working mechanism for division of labor and cooperation, and improve policy uniformity, rule consistency, and implementation coordination.

By 2025, the zoning control system of the ecological environment will be basically established, and a precise and scientific zoning control system of the ecological environment with global coverage will be initially formed. By 2035, a comprehensive ecological environment zoning management and control system with a sound system, smooth mechanism and efficient operation will be fully established, providing strong support for the fundamental improvement of the ecological environment and the basic realization of the goal of Beautiful China.

2. Comprehensively promote the zoning and control of the ecological environment

(1) Formulate a zoning control plan for the ecological environment. Thoroughly implement the strategy of main functional zones, fully implement the "National Outline of Land and Spatial Planning (2021-2035)", and formulate an ecological environment zoning control plan focusing on the implementation of ecological protection red lines, environmental quality bottom lines, and hard constraints on resource utilization, based on ecological environment management and control units, with ecological environment access lists as a means, and with information platforms as the support. Adhere to the principles of national guidance, provincial-level overall planning, and municipal-level implementation, and compile and publish ecological and environmental zoning control plans within their respective administrative regions at different levels. The provincial-level and municipal-level ecological and environmental zoning control plans shall be organized and compiled by the government at the same level, and shall be fully connected with the "one map" system of land and spatial planning, and shall be issued and implemented after being reported to the competent department of ecology and environment at the next higher level for the record.

(2) Determine the ecological environment management and control unit. Based on the regional characteristics of the ecological environment, such as the structure, function, and quality, through environmental assessment, and on the basis of the management and zoning of various ecological and environmental elements such as air, water, soil, ecology, sound, and ocean, the results of the delineation of "three zones and three lines" are implemented, and the protected areas are demarcated on the basis of the ecological protection red line, and the priority protection units of the ecological environment are determined. Areas with high environmental risks are the main body, and areas with prominent contradictions between development and protection are identified, and key ecological environment management and control units are determined.

(3) Compile a list of ecological and environmental access. Implement the negative list for market access, focus on solving outstanding ecological and environmental problems according to the positioning of ecological environment functions and the requirements of land and space use control, systematically integrate existing ecological environment management regulations, accurately compile differentiated ecological environment access lists, and put forward requirements for controlling pollutant emissions, preventing and controlling environmental risks, and improving resource and energy utilization efficiency. Implement the refined management of "one unit and one strategy" according to local conditions, the priority protection unit of the ecological environment should strengthen the protection and functional maintenance of the ecosystem, the key control unit of the ecological environment should strengthen the control of pollutant discharge and the prevention and control of environmental risks for outstanding ecological and environmental problems, and the quality of the ecological environment should be basically stable in other regions. Where there is great pressure to improve the quality of the ecological environment, and where problems and risks are prominent, more precise management and control requirements should be formulated.

(4) Strengthen the sharing of information on the zoning and control of the ecological environment. Promote information sharing and business collaboration between the national and provincial ecological environment zoning management and control systems and other business systems, and strengthen the supporting role of data management, adjustment and updating, implementation and application, tracking and assessment, and supervision and management. Promote the integration and innovation of the new generation of information technology, artificial intelligence, etc., with the zoning and control of the ecological environment, improve the functions of online government services and intelligent decision-making, and improve service efficiency.

(5) Coordinate and carry out regular adjustments and dynamic updates. In principle, the zoning control plan for the ecological environment shall remain stable, and shall be adjusted regularly every five years in combination with the national economic and social development plan and the assessment of land and spatial planning. If it is really necessary to update within 5 years, in accordance with the principle of "who publishes, who updates", on the basis of fully connecting the national economic and social development plan and the territorial spatial plan, carry out dynamic updates, and at the same time report to the competent department of ecology and environment at the next higher level for the record. Where updates are made due to changes in major strategies, ecological and environmental protection objectives, and so forth, scientific demonstrations should be organized, and where legally designated protected areas such as ecological protection red lines, drinking water source protection zones, and nature reserves are established, adjusted, or merged in accordance with laws and regulations, as well as where there are new provisions in laws and regulations, they are to be updated simultaneously.

3. Promote high-quality economic and social development

(6) Serve major national strategies. Through the zoning and control of the ecological environment, we will strengthen overall protection and systematic governance, support and optimize the layout of major productive forces, serve the construction of major national infrastructure, and ensure the implementation of major national strategies. Implement the development strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, promote the refined zoning control of the entire Yangtze River basin by unit, strengthen the prevention and control of water pollution and environmental risks in heavy chemical industries along the Yangtze River, and prevent the transfer of heavily polluting enterprises and projects to the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Implement the strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, implement differentiated zoning control in the upper, middle and lower reaches, optimize the layout of energy, chemical and new energy industries in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, and promote the green, low-carbon and circular development of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Strengthen the application of ecological environment zoning control in the adjustment of industrial, energy and transportation structures in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, establish an ecological environment management and control mechanism with land-shore-sea linkage and regional integration, and guide the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industries and the rational layout of strategic emerging industries.

(7) Promote green and low-carbon development. Implement the relevant systems and policy requirements of the national project management of high energy consumption, high emissions, and low levels, and guide key industries to transfer scientifically and orderly to areas with large environmental capacity, strong market demand, and good market security conditions. Strengthen the management of key control units of the ecological environment, and promote the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of traditional industries such as petrochemicals, iron and steel, and building materials, as well as the transformation of cleaner production. Improve the construction of environmental infrastructure in industrial parks, promote the development of industrial agglomeration and centralized pollution control. In line with the ecological environment access list, guide the orderly retreat of traditional industrial functional space in the central urban area with high population density. Optimize the management of priority protection units of the ecological environment, encourage the exploration of models and paths for realizing the value of ecological products, and improve the capacity of ecological carbon sinks. On the premise of ensuring the diversity, stability and sustainability of ecosystems, support the construction of major national strategies, major infrastructure, people's livelihood guarantees and other projects. Implement the construction of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases in deserts, Gobi and desert areas.

(8) Supporting comprehensive decision-making. Strengthen the application of the results of ecological and environmental zoning management and control, and provide decision-making support for local party committees and governments. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the implementation of ecological environment zoning management and control should be taken as an important basis for optimizing the management of environmental impact assessment. Strengthen the guidance of ecological environment zoning control on enterprise investment, and set up public access authority on the ecological environment zoning control information platform in accordance with laws and regulations, so as to facilitate enterprises to analyze the compliance of projects with ecological environment zoning control requirements, and stimulate the development vitality of business entities.

Fourth, the implementation of high-level protection of the ecological environment

(9) Maintain the pattern of ecological security. Strictly implement the requirements for the management and control of ecological protection redlines. Focusing on ecological protection redlines, we should improve the quality of ecosystems and enhance their stability and service functions. Strengthen biodiversity conservation and improve biodiversity conservation networks. Strengthen monitoring and early warning, and take the initiative to adapt to climate change. For the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecological barrier area, the Yellow River key ecological region, the Yangtze River key ecological region, the northeast forest belt, the northern sand control belt, the southern hilly and mountainous area, the coastal zone and other key areas, identify outstanding environmental problems by unit, and implement the requirements of differentiated management and control of environmental governance.

(10) Promote the improvement of environmental quality. Strengthen the implementation of zoning control of the ecological environment, form a closed loop of problem identification, accurate traceability, and zoning policy, promote the resolution of outstanding ecological and environmental problems, prevent structural and layout environmental risks, and make room for capacity and expansion for high-quality development. Deepen the zoning management and control of the water environment in the basin, coordinate the management of water resources, water environment, and water ecology, strengthen the management of important water ecological spaces such as water conservation areas, river and lake waters and their buffer zones in the basin, and strengthen the prevention and control of agricultural non-point source pollution. Strengthen the zoning management and control of the ecological environment in coastal waters, and coordinate the management of key estuaries and bays on land and sea. Comprehensively consider the transmission law of atmospheric regions and the sensitivity of spatial layout, and strengthen the differentiated collaborative control of regional classification. In accordance with the degree of soil pollution and relevant standards, implement classified management of agricultural land and management of access to construction land. Strengthen the management of the sound environment, and promote the coordination of the layout of land use in areas where large-scale transportation infrastructure and industrial concentration areas are concentrated with noise-sensitive buildings. Explore and carry out the zonal control mode of groundwater pollution prevention and control, coordinate the aboveground and underground, and formulate differentiated requirements for ecological environment access and pollution risk control.

(11) Strengthen the coordination of ecological and environmental protection policies. Give full play to the basic role of ecological environment zoning control in the source prevention system, and realize the refined management of global coverage, cross-departmental coordination, and multi-factor integration. Strengthen the dynamic connection between the zoning control of the ecological environment and the territorial spatial planning, focus on the improvement of the quality of the ecological environment according to the characteristics of the development, protection and construction activities in different regions, and implement differentiated ecological environment management by unit. Carry out coordinated pilot projects for pollution reduction and carbon reduction in ecological and environmental zoning control, and study and implement differentiated regulation and control policies based on carbon emissions and pollutant emissions. Strengthen the coordination of policies related to ecological and environmental protection and the ecological environment zoning control system, and incorporate the requirements for ecological and environmental zoning management and control into the formulation and revision of relevant standards and policies for the ecological environment. Encourage all localities to focus on industrial parks, pilot free trade zones, etc., to carry out coordinated and linked reform pilots such as ecological and environmental zoning control and environmental impact assessment, pollutant discharge permits, environmental monitoring, and law enforcement supervision, and explore the construction of a full-chain ecological environment management system.

5. Strengthen supervision and evaluation

(12) Strengthen supervision and management. Relevant departments should follow the division of responsibilities, rely on relevant regulatory platforms, make full use of big data, satellite remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles and other technical means to carry out dynamic monitoring, carry out on-site inspections of outstanding problems and risks and hidden dangers discovered, and strictly investigate and deal with them in accordance with law. Strengthen supervision and law enforcement of priority ecological environment protection units where ecological functions have been significantly reduced, key ecological environment management and control units with prominent ecological and environmental problems, and other areas where environmental quality has clearly declined, and promote rectification within a set period of time in accordance with laws and regulations. Incorporate outstanding problems in the implementation of the ecological environment zoning control system into the central and provincial ecological and environmental protection inspections.

(13) Improve evaluations and evaluations. The implementation of ecological and environmental zoning management and control should be included in the evaluation of the effectiveness of pollution prevention and control, and the assessment results should be used as an important reference for the comprehensive evaluation and evaluation of local leadership groups and relevant leading cadres, as well as the appointment and removal of rewards and punishments. The competent department of ecology and environment under the State Council, in conjunction with relevant departments, shall follow up and understand the implementation of the work, and the effectiveness of the work shall be used as an important reference for the construction of the practice and innovation base of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".

6. Organizational safeguards

(14) Strengthen organizational leadership. Adhere to the party's leadership over the zoning and control of the ecological environment. Local party committees and governments at all levels should strictly implement the "party and government have the same responsibility, one post has two responsibilities" for ecological and environmental protection, improve the work promotion mechanism, regularly study the zoning control of the ecological environment, normalize the promotion of sharing and sharing, adjustment and updating, supervision and implementation and other matters, timely report on the progress of important work, and form a good pattern of linkage between the upper and lower levels, each performing its own duties, and working together. Each region can formulate supporting documents in combination with the actual situation.

(15) Strengthen departmental linkage. The competent department of ecology and environment under the State Council shall, in conjunction with relevant departments, formulate and improve policies related to the zoning and control of the ecological environment. Development and reform departments should actively promote the full connection between the results of ecological and environmental zoning management and control and the preparation and implementation of relevant plans and regional plans for national economic and social development. The competent departments of natural resources should rely on the "one map" system of territorial spatial planning, share data such as ecological protection red lines, strengthen the connection between ecological and environmental zoning control plans and territorial spatial planning, and jointly do a good job in relevant research and pilot projects. The administrative department in charge of water resources is responsible for the management of water resources, the management of water shorelines and other related work, the implementation of differentiated management of water resources, the reasonable control of the scale of water resources development and utilization, and the ecological environment zoning control linkage. The competent departments of forestry and grassland should strengthen the coordination and linkage between the management of various nature reserves and the zoning and control of the ecological environment. The relevant competent departments of industry and information technology, housing and urban-rural construction, transportation, agriculture and rural affairs shall, in accordance with the division of responsibilities, strengthen the coordination and linkage of relevant work in this field and the zoning control of the ecological environment, and fully consider the requirements of zoning and control of the ecological environment when formulating policies and plans for the development and development of the industry, so as to reduce the negative impact on ecosystem functions and environmental quality. Relevant departments should introduce policies that are conducive to the implementation and application of ecological and environmental zoning control, and promote the coordination and linkage of ecological environment zoning control, supervision, and law enforcement.

(16) Improve laws and regulations. Promote the inclusion of ecological and environmental zoning management and control requirements in the formulation and revision of relevant laws and regulations. Encourage localities with legislative power to research and formulate local regulations related to the zoning and control of the ecological environment. The competent department of ecology and environment under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the competent department of natural resources, study and formulate requirements for the division of ecological and environmental zoning control units and related standards and specifications.

(17) Strengthen capacity building. Strengthen the construction of relevant disciplines, scientific research and personnel training in the field of ecological and environmental zoning control, and accelerate the establishment of a professional team. Improve the construction of information platforms for ecological and environmental zoning control. Financial departments at all levels should comprehensively consider the work objectives and tasks, and implement financial guarantees in accordance with the principle of division of financial powers and expenditure responsibilities.

(18) Actively publicize and guide. Incorporate the zoning and control of the ecological environment into the education and training content of party and government leading cadres. Strengthen publicity and interpretation, promptly summarize and promote positive examples, expose negative cases, and create a positive atmosphere for the entire society to pay attention to and participate together.