China Green Development Index Report 2011

With the rapid growth of global industrialization, there has been substantial consumption of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas along with growing carbon dioxide emissions. Unprecedented environmental and ecological crisis clouded the world. Fortunately, the Climate Conference in Copenhagen signaled hope amid the sluggish global economic recovery. Countries worldwide have been braced for developing their scientific and industrial strategies in the era of post financial crisis with a green and low-carbon philosophy. In 2008, the UN unveiled a plan for green politics and green economy, which is well-received and carried out by countries worldwide. China’s 30-year rapid economic development has attracted worldwide attention. However, how to develop in a sustainable manner when faced with acute contradictions between economic growth, resources and environment has posed great challenges to China. Therefore, it is of great significance for us to speed up the study of green development and find a rational growth model. This study is completed by Prof. Li Xiaoxi and the dedication of other leading thinkers in economics, management, environment and resources together with the help of China Economic Monitoring and Analysis Center (CEMA).

The report was launched during China’s Twelfth Five-year Period (2011-2015). After revising the measurement system of the Green Development Index 2011, the report measures the green development level of 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions as well as 38 large and medium-sized cities in China. A Public Satisfaction Survey of the Urban Residents is first introduced into the report. Both the province and the city Green Development Index systems consist of three parts, the green degree of economic growth, the carrying potential of natural resources and environment, and the support degree of government policies. The three parts reflect the production and resource usage efficiency, the situation of environment and resources protection and pollutants emission, and government’s related investment and management respectively. The China Green Development Index Report 2012 has the comprehensive evaluation of the green economy development in China and its importance to China’s rational development and switch in economic development model.

This book approaches Green Civilization based on the background of international initiative on sustainable development and in-depth analyzes the valuable era consensus reached by 193 countries on the UN Sustainable Development 2030 Agenda. The Author expounds own point of view to debate the well-known book Clash of Civilizations by the method of contradictory debate dialectically. In addition, it demonstrates the development of Human Green Civilization systematically by Multi-dimensional history material of human civilization. This book covers the academic, political, and business in the world. It is suitable for scholars, researchers, students and university degree readers for economics, eco-environment, political science, sociology and anthropology. It aims at promoting the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, at promoting the dialogue between the East and the West, working for facilitating peace for mankind and spreading the advanced concept of sustainable human development to the people of all countries.

The Asian Development Bank and the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China (PRC) undertook a study on eco-compensation regulations development in the country, on which this publication is based. The study examined the PRC's theory, practice, and legislation governing eco-compensation in selected ecological areas to map out the scope and content of a national eco-compensation regulation. Pursuit of its higher agenda of ecological civilization and development of its national eco-compensation regulation will require the PRC to capture the diversity that subnational projects have tapped, integrate its experience with eco-compensation at all levels of government into a coherent national regulatory framework, and harmonize this framework with existing laws and other legal instruments.

This book is particularly concerned with China’s path to green development and how it can be understood, exploring questions such as how the goal of Chinese-led green development can be achieved. The book provides systematic explanations of the theory of green development, exploring its background, its theoretical basis, the areas it covers, the stages it encompasses and the constraining and favorable factors involved. We see how humankind is at a period of transition from the traditional black industrial civilization to a modern green ecological civilization. The author gives a profound critique of the traditional Western model of development, provides a comprehensive analysis of the crisis and the opportunities presented by green development and depicts the grand goal of green modernization in a creative, bold, forward-looking manner. A three-step strategy to design and promote green development is proposed. Readers will discover why China must become an innovator, practitioner, and leader of green development, and how green planning is an important means to establish green development. The book explores how local governments can become green innovation practitioners, and how enterprises can become the main arena of green development. This book is a creative and innovative work that will appeal to scholars interested in the long-term development of humankind in general and China in particular. It also serves well as a green development textbook, presenting related scientific knowledge and important information for decision-making in a concise, easy-to-understand form.

For the purpose of preparing for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 20-22, 2012, the Chinese government established a Preparatory Committee in April 2011. This Committee consists of 29 organizations including five core ones—the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. In July 2011, the Preparatory Committee set up a team to compile “the People's Republic of China National Report on Sustainable Development” (hereinafter referred to as “the National Report”), symbolizing the full launch of the preparation of the National Report. Given that the Chinese government compiled similar reports on two earlier occasions—the 19th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1997 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, this National Report focuses on the efforts and progress China has made since 2001 in implementing the strategy of sustainable development, analyzing existing gaps and challenges, putting forward future strategic initiatives, and clarifying China's positions on the issues in the forthcoming 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

This book introduces the concept of Eco-civilization, highlights the construction and development of eco-cities in China, and assesses the achievements and shortcomings of China’s eco-city construction projects. As both China and Western countries face an impending ecological crisis, responding to that crisis is a common challenge for all human beings. There is an overwhelming consensus among Chinese scholars that in order to successfully address the ecological crisis successfully we must establish an eco-civilization, and one important step toward accomplishing that goal is to plan and construct eco-cities.

The scope of this book is to map China’s city clusters and their individual directions for the national-level strategies in line with the 2060 carbon neutrality plan. Since China announced the carbon neutrality plan in autumn 2020, no study has looked at the role of city clusters in achieving this long-term plan. Hence, this study is believed to be the first attempt to explore this important topic from the city cluster perspective. It explores the challenges, opportunities, and directions of all 19 city clusters, allowing readers to have a clear picture of China’s historical and ongoing progress, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In a short time, China’s city clusters have helped boost regional economic development, infrastructure development, trade and business, and better urban–rural integration. With enhanced coordination of connection and transport networks in and between the city clusters, we see a growing number of initiatives beyond just the initial economic strategies. The dual approach of top-down policies and infrastructure systems and bottom-up governance and investments has helped China consider urban–rural development strategies and regional sustainable development. These factors are essential to be explored from the city cluster perspective and in line with China’s sustainable development and carbon neutrality directions. Hence, the book covers these points holistically, ensuring that regional planning and development are favored in the face of uneven urbanization trends. We anticipate this book to be a valuable resource for local governments and authorities, urban planners and practitioners, developers, and urban researchers. While the focus is on China’s city clusters, we believe there are similar examples elsewhere. Hence, lessons learnt from this book could apply to other countries, regions, and subregions. Lastly, the book aims to put regional sustainable development at the heart of longer-term strategies and plans, such as the case of China’s carbon neutrality plan.