Dreams and Expectations – The Past and Future of Environmental Protection in China

Author: Qu Geping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Dreams and Expectations collects speeches, presentations, reports, and Q&A sessions with domestic and international media by Professor Qu Geping from June 1998 to May 2000. Although each chapter is relatively independent, the book is comprehensive, coherent, thematically focused, and highly contemporary. , the author celebrates the development of China's environmental protection efforts after the reform and opening-up through personal experiences, elaborating on the journey of environmental protection work in China. Without the new era of reform and opening-up, there would be no spring of environmental protection. The most striking aspect of the book for me is the story of how environmental protection was established as a fundamental national policy in 1983. A national policy is the strategy for building a nation and governing it. Only those plans and strategies that have a global, long-term, and decisive impact on national economic construction, social development, and people's lives can be called national policies. Establishing environmental protection as a fundamental national policy was proposed after extensive brainstorming, overcoming objections, and meticulous planning by Director Qu Geping, and was supported and affirmed by leaders of the Party and the State. Making environmental protection a fundamental national policy and placing it on the important agenda of national leadership marked the entry of China's environmental protection work into a new era. 17 years of practice have proven that environmental protection has indeed had a global, long-term, and decisive impact on China. Today, the fundamental national policy has taken root in people's hearts and will continue to guide China's environmental protection into the new century.
Second, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress stated in a congratulatory message on October 21, 1999, upon Professor Qu Geping receiving the Blue Planet Award: "Mr. Qu Geping has long been committed to environmental protection work and has made important contributions to the establishment and development of China's environmental protection cause." I believe one of Professor Qu Geping's greatest contributions is the promotion of the formation and development of China's environmental policies. The book elaborates in detail on China's policy thinking on environmental protection (page 13) and establishes China's environmental protection system based on this guiding ideology. During his tenure as Chairman of the Committee on Environmental and Resource Protection of the National People's Congress, Professor Qu further developed China's policy thinking on environmental protection and proposed basic principles to be followed in environmental legislation (page 75). How China's environmental protection policies adapt to the socialist market economy system is a major issue for China's environmental protection as it moves into the 21st century. Professor Qu Geping conducted in-depth research and bold exploration in this area, comprehensively and systematically discussing the relationship between the market economy and environmental management, and proposing the issues and countermeasures China needs to address (Third Part).
Third, Professor Qu Geping served as the Chief Representative of China to the United Nations Environment Programme and visited industrialized countries multiple times for visits and inspections. He conducted in-depth investigations into the laws, policies, environmental technologies, development of the environmental industry, measures to control environmental pollution and protect ecological environments, and trends in environmental protection in these countries. In the book, the author extensively introduces the experiences and lessons of industrialized countries in addressing environmental issues, such as policies to solve environmental problems, green economy, green consumption, sustainable transportation systems, sustainable energy utilization systems, clean production, and environmental management under the market economy. Reading these contents broadened my horizons, not only showing us how developed countries solve environmental problems but also providing reference ideas, countermeasures, and solutions for environmental issues in China. For example, the series of countermeasures and measures proposed by Professor Qu Geping, such as "replacing coal with electricity," "replacing coal with natural gas," "environmental cars," "establishing a water-saving society," and "biomass gasification," were refreshing and innovative.
Fourth, Professor Qu Geping's "dreams" are not fantasies but rather aspirations for the future, which, in academic terms, is called "forecasting." Forecasting involves exploring the intrinsic laws of things based on their historical development and current status, using scientific knowledge and methods to estimate future trends, make judgments, and adjust or guide actions to avoid major mistakes. In the book, Professor Qu Geping provides scientific forecasts on the development of environmental protection at home and abroad, proposing the assertion that "the 21st century will ultimately become a green century." From "the new industrial revolution of the 21st century" to "learning from nature to create a new human civilization" (New Era of Green Revolution, Second Part), he provides insightful elaborations. In "Creating a New Era of Ecological Environment Construction," Professor Qu Geping proposes policy ideas for accelerating the implementation of the strategy for developing the western regions: "We should look to the world and the future, transcend traditional resource views, and break away from traditional industrialization and urbanization models, actively exploring new development paths characterized by the knowledge economy and green civilization." Professor Qu Geping attaches great importance to forecasting. As Director of the State Environmental Protection Administration in 1984, he organized and guided the "Research on the Environment of China in the Year 2000 and Countermeasures," many of whose key conclusions have been proven by practice. It can be asserted that the author's "dreams" will certainly come true.
Fifth, as a senior leader, Professor Qu Geping not only possesses a high level of policy expertise but also extensive knowledge and capabilities, making him an expert in engineering management (especially in major layouts involving planning, industry, engineering, and technology, as well as the research and management of strategic development). He highly respects knowledge and talent and values the development and construction of knowledge resources. In Dreams and Expectations, he proposes that "knowledge resources are the most important development resources, and the biggest bottleneck in the development of the western regions is the lack of knowledge resources." Therefore, the development of knowledge resources should accelerate the construction of "knowledge absorption capacity," "knowledge exchange capacity," and "knowledge innovation capacity." "The biggest gap between the east and the west is actually the gap in knowledge resources," and "the knowledge development strategy should be placed in the most important position." These arguments are insightful and to the point. Valuing the construction of knowledge resources is a consistent guiding principle of Professor Qu Geping. As Director of the State Environmental Protection Administration in the early 1980s, when China's environmental protection work was just beginning and only a few universities had just established environmental engineering programs, Professor Qu Geping strongly supported and guided the cultivation of high-level environmental protection professionals in China. Even when the national financial situation was tight, the State Environmental Protection Administration allocated funds to establish comprehensive environmental teaching and experimental buildings at Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Tongji University. For example, thanks to Professor Qu Geping's support and guidance, the conditions for running the Department of Environmental Engineering at Tsinghua University were greatly improved, making it the only environmental engineering key discipline in China. Over the past 20-30 years, it has trained approximately 1,600 high-level professionals, who have spread across the country and many have become key figures in the development of China's environmental protection cause.
In China, environmental protection is a long-term and arduous task that will accompany the entire process of modernization. It requires the efforts of several generations to realize its "dream." Especially, it is essential to let the younger generation understand the past, recognize the present, and look to the future, so that they can all strive to achieve this "dream." This is probably Professor Qu Geping's most urgent "expectation." Dreams and Expectations is an excellent book, a great textbook, and a must-read for all engaged in environmental protection. It is a new chapter of China's environmental protection facing the 21st century. After reading it, not only do you gain rich knowledge but also feel inspired and filled with hope for the future. I would like to recommend this book to undergraduate, master's, doctoral students, and faculty of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University, to all faculty and students at Tsinghua University, and to the broad readership across the country who care about and support the development of China's environmental protection cause.