China’s environmental protection goals for the 12th Five-Year Plan finalized

Thread Content

“The main objectives of environmental protection work during the 12th Five-Year Plan period are: by 2015, a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, a marked decrease in the total emissions of major pollutants, noticeable improvement in ecological and environmental quality, and the gradual improvement of the environmental protection system. The total national emissions of chemical oxygen demand, sulfur dioxide, ammonia nitrogen, and nitrogen oxides will be reduced by certain percentages compared to 2010. This is information revealed at the 2011 National Environmental Protection Work Conference held last weekend. Zhou Shengxian, Minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said that during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, despite both the economic growth rate and total energy consumption exceeding the planned targets, China achieved its sulfur dioxide emission reduction target one year ahead of schedule, and its chemical oxygen demand reduction target half a year ahead of schedule. The tasks related to pollution reduction were fulfilled beyond expectations, and environmental quality continued to improve. Preliminary estimates indicate that in 2010, China’s emissions of chemical oxygen demand decreased by about 12% compared to 2005, while sulfur dioxide emissions dropped by around 14%. Both figures exceeded the emission reduction targets set. It is reported that during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, China strengthened structural emission reduction, engineering-based emission reduction, and management-driven emission reduction measures, implemented strict assessment and accountability systems, and established a pollution reduction framework characterized by coordination between different levels and among various parties involved. Among them, the new sewage treatment capacity exceeds 50 million tons per day, and the national urban sewage treatment rate increased from 52% in 2005 to over 75%. China has made unprecedented efforts to phase out outdated production capacity. Over the past five years, a total of 93 million tons of outdated coke production capacity, 1.8 million tons of outdated alcohol production capacity, and 300,000 tons of outdated monosodium glutamate production capacity have been eliminated. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment made decisions such as not accepting, denying approval, or postponing approval regarding the environmental impact assessment documents for 813 projects that failed to meet the requirements. These projects involved investments totaling over 2.9 trillion yuan, thereby establishing an insurmountable “firewall” against projects involving “two high and one resource-intensive” industries, low-level redundant construction, and overcapacity. Zhou Shengxian stated that the 12th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial time for China to overcome difficulties in environmental protection. It faces four major challenges: the pressure to control pollution and reduce emissions, the pressure to improve environmental quality, the pressure to prevent environmental risks, and the pressure to address global environmental issues. He said that issues such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, soil contamination, hazardous waste, and chemical pollution are becoming increasingly prominent. The public’s expectations for a good living environment continue to rise, and the task of improving the quality of water, air, and soil environments is extremely complex. Zhou Shengxian pointed out that during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China will adhere to a people-oriented approach and give priority to environmental protection, fully reflecting the requirements for building an ecological civilization and exploring new paths for environmental protection. It will coordinate the relationships between overall emission reduction, quality improvement, and risk prevention, focusing on addressing prominent environmental issues that affect sustainable development and harm public health. By protecting the environment, it aims to optimize economic development and further ensure and improve people’s livelihoods. For more content, please visit the China Chemical Industry News digital edition (http://ipaper.ccin.com.cn)