Progress in and Prospects of the Reform of the System for Developing an Ecological Civilization

The Master Plan for Reform of the System for Developing an Ecological Civilization, introduced in 2015, systematically charts the framework and reform path of China’s system for building an ecological civilization, clarifies eight institutional areas and 47 items, and is a fundamental guideline for advancing the reform of the system for developing an ecological civilization. It is followed by a series of special plans for the reform, numbered nearly 50 so far, and covering the main areas of ecological conservation such as general affairs, resources, environment, ecology, and space. These plans are directional and pioneering documents to advance the system reform and construction for building an ecological civilization from different angles and aspects. Especially those about performance evaluation and accountability play an extremely important role in transforming the mindset about development and the assessment methods, and increasing efforts in accountability for environmental protection. At the same time, more and more supporting policies have been rolled out to accelerate ecological progress. While continuing to advance the reform of system for building an ecological civilization, departments and localities have continuously introduced their own supporting policies in the form of notices and decisions for the effective implementation of the system reform.