张高丽：大力推进生态文明　努力建设美丽中国（中英对照）

大力推进生态文明　努力建设美丽中国

Vigorously Promoting Ecological Progress to Build a Beautiful China

张高丽

Zhang Gaoli

党的十八大把生态文明建设纳入中国特色社会主义事业五位一体总布局。党的十八届三中全会通过《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》（以下简称《决定》），提出紧紧围绕建设美丽中国深化生态文明体制改革，加快建立生态文明制度，健全国土空间开发、资源节约利用、生态环境保护的体制机制，推动形成人与自然和谐发展现代化建设新格局。《决定》关于生态文明建设的新思想、新论断、新要求，充分表明了以习近平同志为总书记的党中央高度重视推进生态文明建设，决心团结带领全国各族人民努力建设美丽中国、走向社会主义生态文明新时代，为全面建成小康社会、不断夺取中国特色社会主义新胜利、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而奋斗。

The report to the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) incorporated the notion of ecological civilization into China’s overall plan for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, placing it alongside economic, political, cultural, and social progress to formulate a new, five-pronged approach to building socialism. As stated in the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform (hereinafter referred to as the Decision on Comprehensively Deepening Reform), which was adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (hereinafter referred to as the Third Plenary Session), efforts must be made to deepen institutional reforms related to ecological progress with a view to building a beautiful China. These efforts include establishing systems to underpin ecological progress; improving systems and mechanisms for national spatial planning, the economical use of resources, and the protection of ecological environments; and promoting a new state of modernization in which humans and nature are able to exist in harmony. The new ideas, statements, and requirements on ecological progress that are presented in the Decision fully demonstrate the high level of priority that the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping as General Secretary attaches to the promotion of ecological progress in China. They demonstrate the determination of the CPC Central Committee to rally together people of all ethnic groups in China and lead them in a concerted effort to build a beautiful China, usher in a new era of socialist ecological civilization, build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, constantly claim new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics, and realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. 

一、推进生态文明建设的重大意义

I. The significance of promoting ecological progress

生态文明是人类文明发展到一定阶段的产物，是反映人与自然和谐程度的新型文明形态，体现了人类文明发展理念的重大进步。建设生态文明，不是要放弃工业文明，回到原始的生产生活方式，而是要以资源环境承载能力为基础，以自然规律为准则，以可持续发展、人与自然和谐为目标，建设生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明社会。

An ecological civilization emerges when human society reaches a certain stage of development. As a new mode of civilization that reflects a level of harmony between humans and nature, ecological civilization represents a major conceptual advance for the development of human civilization. Building an ecological civilization does not mean that we must abandon industrial civilization and return to a primitive way of living. Rather, it means building a civilized society with developed production, affluent standards of living, and sound ecological environments in accordance with the goals of realizing sustainable development and achieving a state of balance between humans and nature. Therefore, this is a society in which human activities are based on the carrying capacity of resources and the environment, and in which human development is governed by the objective laws of nature. 

我国经济正处于增长速度换挡期、结构调整阵痛期叠加阶段。我们用几十年的时间走过了西方国家几百年的发展历程，在经济社会发展取得巨大成就的同时，各种矛盾和问题也开始集中显现。我们党把握规律，审时度势，及时作出大力推进生态文明建设的战略决策，对建设中国特色社会主义具有重大现实意义和深远历史意义。

At present, China’s economy is experiencing the combined effects of a gear change in the pace of economic growth coupled with the pains of structural adjustment. In the space of mere decades, we have traversed a process of development that took place over the course of several centuries in Western countries. Yet, while we have made incredible achievements in our economic and social development, various problems have also begun to surface in close succession. Under these circumstances, our Party has grasped the objective laws of development, accurately assessed the situation, and promptly committed itself to a strategy of promoting ecological progress. This commitment to ecological progress will have important implications for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics at the present as well as far-reaching historical implications for its development in the future. 

第一，推进生态文明建设是保持我国经济持续健康发展的迫切需要。一直以来，人口多、底子薄、发展不平衡是我国的基本国情。现在还应看到，能源资源相对不足、生态环境承载能力不强也已成为我国的基本国情。经过30多年快速发展，粗放的发展方式已难以为继。2012年，我国经济总量约占全球的11.5%，却消耗了全球21.3%的能源、45%的钢、43%的铜、54%的水泥；原油、铁矿石对外依存度分别达到56.4%和66.5%，排放的二氧化硫、氮氧化物总量已居世界第一。我们必须更加自觉地推动绿色发展、循环发展、低碳发展，加快转变经济发展方式，改变资源消耗大、环境污染重的增长模式，努力走出一条代价小、排放低、效益好、可持续的发展路子。

Firstly, promoting ecological progress is a pressing demand that must be met if the healthy development of China’s economy is to be sustained. For many years, a large population, weak economic foundations, and uneven development have been the constituents of China’s basic national conditions. Now, it is important to realize that relative energy and resource shortages and the weak capacity of our ecological environments to cope with development have also become constituents of our basic national conditions. After more than 30 years of rapid economic growth, China’s extensive mode of development is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. In 2012, China’s economy accounted for approximately 11.5% of global economic output, yet its consumption of energy, steel, copper, and cement accounted for 21.3%, 45%, 43%, and 54% of global totals for that year respectively. In the same year, China’s dependence on imported oil and iron ore reached 56.4% and 66.5% respectively, while its total emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides ranked first in the world. Therefore, we must engage in more conscientious efforts to promote green, circular, and low-carbon development, accelerate the transformation of our means of development, and shift away from growth modes that involve heavy resource consumption and serious environmental pollution, so as to pave a sustainable development path that is characterized by minimal development costs, low emissions, and high efficiency.

第二，推进生态文明建设是坚持以人为本的基本要求。坚持以人为本，首先要保障好人民群众的身心健康。人民群众过去“求温饱”，现在“盼环保”，希望生活的环境优美宜居，能喝上干净的水、呼吸上清新的空气、吃上安全放心的食品。民之所望，施政所向。我们必须下大气力解决突出的环境问题，不断改善人民群众生产生活条件，以实际效果取信于民。

Secondly, promoting ecological progress is a basic requirement of putting people first. In maintaining a commitment to putting people first, the first thing we must do is to guarantee the mental and physical wellbeing of the people. In the past, the public were concerned with having adequate shelter, warm clothes, and enough to eat; now, they have a greater demand for environmental protection. Specifically, they long for agreeable living environments, clean water, fresh air, and safe food that they can trust. The job of the government is to orient its policies towards the wishes of the people. Therefore, we must devote major efforts to resolving prominent environmental issues, work constantly to improve the working and living conditions of the people, and continue to win the people’s trust by delivering solid results in our environmental initiatives. 

第三，推进生态文明建设是实现中国梦的重要内容。拥有天蓝、地绿、水净的美好家园，是每个中国人的梦想，是中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦的重要组成部分，美丽中国正是承载着这一美好愿景。必须把生态文明建设放在突出地位，融入经济、政治、文化、社会建设的各方面和全过程，推动形成人与自然和谐发展现代化建设新格局。

Thirdly, promoting ecological progress is an important aspect of the Chinese dream. Every single Chinese person dreams of a beautiful homeland with blue skies, green hills, and clear waters. As an inseparable part of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, this is what we hope to achieve through our efforts to build a beautiful China. Therefore, it is essential that we give particular emphasis to promoting ecological progress, incorporate the concept of ecological civilization into all aspects of economic, political, cultural, and social development, and work to bring about a new state of modernization in which humans and nature are able to exist in harmony. 

第四，推进生态文明建设是实现中华民族永续发展的必然选择。生态文明既关系民生福祉，也关系民族未来。大自然哺育了我们的祖先，给予了我们生存与发展条件，还将养育我们的子孙后代。“既要金山银山，更要绿水青山”，我们要在发展经济的同时，把资源利用好、环境治理好、生态保护好，切实维护大自然对人类的永续供养能力，让大自然能够更好地休养生息，给子孙后代留下更大的发展空间。

Fourthly, promoting ecological progress is a choice that must be made if we are to achieve the lasting development of the Chinese nation. Ecological progress has a bearing not only on people’s wellbeing at present, but also on the future of the entire nation. Mother Nature nurtured our ancestors. It has provided us with the conditions we need to survive and develop, and will continue to nurture our future generations in years to come. Blue waters and green hills cannot be replaced by mountains of gold and silver. As we are developing our economy, it is important that we make economical use of resources, manage environments well, and protect ecosystems. We must take substantial steps to preserve nature’s capacity to sustain humans permanently, allow nature to recuperate and recover, and leave more room for the development of future generations.

第五，推进生态文明建设是应对全球气候变化的必由之路。当前气候变化已成为全球面临的重大挑战，维护生态安全日益成为全人类的共同任务。中国已与世界紧密联系在一起，我们必须同国际社会一道积极应对气候变化，尽自己所能承担应尽的责任和义务，大力推进生态文明建设，有效控制温室气体排放，更好地彰显负责任大国形象，为全人类的可持续发展作出贡献。

Fifthly, promoting ecological progress is an approach that must be taken if we are to address the problem of global climate change. Climate change is one of the largest global challenges that we are facing at present. Faced with this challenge, the preservation of ecological security is increasingly becoming a common mission of humanity as a whole. Having become closely integrated into the international community, China must mount an active response to climate change alongside the other countries of the world, and fulfill its due responsibilities and obligations to the best of its ability. In doing so, we must engage in major efforts to promote ecological progress, effectively control the emission of greenhouse gasses, do more to present China as a major country with a strong sense of responsibility, and contribute to the sustainable development of humankind.