China's Action Programme for Sustainable Development in the Early 21st Century

Author: Office of the National Leading Group for Advancing the Strategy of Sustainable Development
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: This outline, formulated jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Civil Affairs, is divided into four parts and consists of more than 13,000 words. The outline summarizes the achievements and challenges of China's implementation of sustainable development over the past decade, proposes guiding principles, goals, and principles for sustainable development, identifies key areas for sustainable development, and puts forward measures to achieve sustainable development goals. It serves as an important policy document for further advancing sustainable development in China. The outline points out that after ten years of effort, China has made remarkable achievements in economic development, social progress, ecological construction, environmental protection, and the rational development and utilization of resources. However, many contradictions and issues still remain in the implementation of the sustainable development strategy. The outline proposes the overall goals of China's sustainable development in the early 21st century: continuously enhanced sustainable development capacity, significant achievements in economic restructuring, effective control of population growth, improved ecological environment, significantly higher resource utilization rates, promoting harmony between humans and nature, and advancing a civilized development path with prosperous lives, sound ecology, and sustainable production. In terms of key areas for sustainable development implementation, the outline provides detailed regulations on economic development, social progress, optimized resource allocation, rational utilization and protection, ecological conservation and construction, environmental protection and pollution control, and capacity building. The outline finally states that in the face of the international and domestic environment of the new century, to achieve the goals outlined in the outline, administrative, economic, technological, and legal measures must be adopted to implement practical and effective safeguards, including strengthening departmental coordination, broadening financing channels, relying on technological support, and improving legal and regulatory systems. All government departments at all levels must, in line with the requirements of the Important Thought of "Three Represents," advance the implementation of the sustainable development strategy with a strong sense of responsibility and mission.