Changes in Environmental Policy in the Past 40 Years of Reform and Opening-Up

The past 40 years have seen China, with a population of nearly 1.4 billion, grow from a poor country to the second largest economy in the world. China’s environmental protection policy has also changed, with emphasis shifting from the control of wastewater, exhaust gas, and solid waste to the development of ecological civilization. China has gradually become a participant, contributor, and leader in global sustainable development. Looking back on China’s past environment protection practices, we find that environment protection is closely related to social and economic development. We have different environmental problems at different stages of social and economic development. A country’s environment management system and structure depend on its stage of economic development and the needs of its society. China’s environment governance system and model have been continuously improved to keep up with the time. In the future, as socialism with Chinese characteristics advances into a new stage, China should step up its efforts to build the ecological civilization, strive for a beautiful China, work with other countries to build a clean and beautiful world, and contribute to global sustainable development.