Green symbolizes life and nature. Promoting eco-friendly development models and green ways of life is like a profound revolution in people's outlook on development. Xi Jinping points out that the purpose of green development, fundamentally speaking, is to achieve harmony between humanity and nature. This revolution will bring about overall changes to the models of production, ways of life, and thinking and values of the people. Abandoning the old mindset, approaches and growth models, it is reflective of the laws governing nature and sustainable economic and social development.
Green development means to take from nature at the proper time and to the proper extent. To this end, we as human beings have to regulate our behaviors, correct our wrongdoings, and shift from the previous activities of utilizing, conquering and transforming nature to respecting, accommodating and protecting nature. We must change the traditional model characterized by massive production, massive consumption and massive emissions, keep economic and human activities within the carrying capacity of natural resources and the eco-environment, thus leaving time and space for nature to recuperate.
Green determines the quality of development. GDP is no longer a simple gauge of economic development. Quality is more important, so we ought to achieve economic prosperity through green development.
Green development was written into China's 13th Five-year Plan for 2016-2020. Greater efforts were made to prevent and control pollution, resources utilization efficiency was raised, and the eco-environment saw notable improvement. The strategic status of green development in China's overall modernization landscape was underscored, again, in its current 14th Five-year Plan for 2021-2025, which devotes a whole chapter to the subject of expediting the green transformation from four aspects: resource utilization efficiency, recycling system, green economy and policy system.
Green development that accommodates nature and protects the ecology bears on the future of humanity. Building a green home is a shared dream of humanity and the global trend of sustainable development.
As an important participant, contributor and trailblazer in developing a global eco-civilization, China advocates jointly building a clean, beautiful world that respects nature and favors green development. It is ready to work with other countries to protect our planet, preserve what gives our planet life, and embrace green development, so as to ensure that future generations can continue to access material wealth and enjoy the wonders of the natural world.