It is a well-known fact that China has been moving in the right direction by implementing a broad range of effective strategies in various development undertakings.
As a government work report delivered at the National People Congress stated that with the implementation of the action plan for continuous improvement of air quality, we will continue to support the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta, the Fenhe-Weihe River Plain, and other key regions in strengthening control of air pollution, make a coordinated push to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides among other pollutants, and promote use of clean energy sources for winter heating in northern China and ultra-low emission retrofitting in key industries. We will also continue with the campaign against noise pollution.
The report continued by stating that we will advance the conservation of major rivers such as the Yangtze and Yellow river s and major lakes and step up efforts to clean up sewage outfalls into rivers and seas. We will carry out initiatives to tackle black, malodorous water bodies in cities and county seats and build model sewage treatment plants for green, low-carbon operation. We will continue with our efforts to prevent and control soil contamination at the source and promote the safe use of contaminated farmland and the management and restoration of land for construction.
It went on to say that we will work out an action plan for comprehensive treatment of solid waste and advance the building of waste-free cities. We will facilitate the scaled-up utilization and disposal of typical massive industrial solid waste, promote the comprehensive management of phosphogypsum, and intensify efforts to identify environmental hazards and prevent risks in key areas such as hazardous waste, mine tailings, and heavy metals.
We will accelerate the implementation of the national shelterbelt program in northeast, north, and northwest China and the major projects for protecting and restoring key ecosystems. We will provide greater support to major programs for ecological conservation and restoration in key areas such as the Qinling Mountains, protection of protected areas and wildlife species, and prevention and fighting of forest and grassland fires. We will carry out major biodiversity conservation programs and improve the protection and support system for the Sanjiangyuan area, which is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers and is regarded as China’s “Water Tower.”
The report clarify that we will further refine the institutions and mechanisms for managing national parks, ensuring that everyone contributes to and benefits from the construction of national parks. We will continue with reforms of collective forest tenure and coordinate the high-quality development of state forestry areas and farms. We will strengthen the comprehensive control of soil erosion and desertification, advance the mother river restoration initiative, and continue to address over-extraction of groundwater.
We will implement region-specific environmental management systems featuring differentiated, targeted regulation. We will improve the mechanisms for realizing the market value of ecosystem goods and services, launching the second batch of trials to this end, and we will advance comprehensive compensation for ecological conservation as well as compensation for environmental damage. Surveys and assessments of national ecological conditions will continue.
It emphasized that we will continue to develop the system for controlling the total amount and intensity of carbon emissions, work out methods for the comprehensive evaluation of performance in peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, establish sound systems pertaining to carbon emissions statistics and accounting, carbon budget management, carbon footprint management, and carbon labeling and certification, and reinforce the national database of greenhouse gas emission factors. Efforts will be made to promote development of the China Carbon Emission Trade Exchange, the market for voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and the market for green electricity certificates.
We will release the second list of demonstration programs for the latest green and low-carbon technologies, steadily advance the second batch of pilot projects for peaking carbon emissions, and formulate a plan for building zero-carbon industrial parks. We will extend the duration of instruments for supporting carbon emissions reduction to the year of 2027, develop new carbon financial products and derivatives in an orderly manner, and develop green insurance.
The report affirmed that we will take robust and effective measures to regulate energy-intensi projects with high emissions and accelerate energy conservation and carbo emission reduction retrofitting and energy-consuming equipment upgrading key sectors. We will strengthen energy conservation management of major energy consumers, improve the standards for energy conservation and carbon emission reduction, and continue to implement energy efficiency labeling. We will improve the system for market-based allocation of resources and environmental factors, create a sound environment for the healthy development of green and low-carbon industries, and foster green buildings and other new drivers of growth.
We will support green and smart development and clean and efficient use of coal. We will coordinate new energy development and grid integration, vigorously promote the sound and orderly development of both concentrated and distributed new energy sources, accelerate construction of bases for new energy sources in desert areas, the Gobi, and other arid areas, develop offshore wind bases in an orderly manner, and coordinate local grid integration and the construction of outward power transmission routes. Strong steps will be taken in implementing renewable energy substitution initiatives. We will advance demonstration of low-carbon retrofitting of coal-fired power. We will further regulate the grid integration management of new types of energy storage and continuously refine relevant dispatch mechanisms.
It discussed that adhering to the comprehensive conservation strategy, we will coordinate conservation of energy, water, food, land, minerals, and other materials and persist with the national water conservation campaign. We will boost the circular economy and intensify efforts to recycle waste and used materials and expand the use of regenerated materials.
We will make more efforts to ensure that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs, and provide a cushion for those most in need. We will work to resolve the pressing difficulties and problems that concern the people most, so that more fruits of development will be enjoyed by all in a more equitable fashion.
It also revealed that we will focus on structural employment problems and launch initiatives to support employment in key fields and sectors, urban and rural communities, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. We will fully leverage the policies on unemployment insurance premium refunds, tax and fee cuts and exemptions, and employment subsidies to ease burdens on enterprises and thus help them keep employment stable. In particular, we will support labor-intensive industries in creating jobs and maintaining stable employment.
The report indicates that we will provide better services to those seeking employment or looking to start a business. We will develop more channels through which college graduates and other young people can find a job or start a business, support ex-service personnel in settling into society and finding employment, ensure employment for people lifted out of poverty and rural migrant workers, and provide more assistance to those facing difficulty in finding jobs due to a disability, age, or a long period of unemployment. We will move faster to develop infrastructure for vocational skills training, further support enterprises in growing strong through skill training, and provide high-quality project-based training according to the needs of each sector.
We will better protect the rights and interests of people in flexible employment and new forms of employment and expand trials of occupational injury insurance. We will provide support to those who return or move to the countryside to start businesses and thus create jobs and increase prosperity for the local community. We will give full play to the role of venture capital funds in supporting business startups and employment.
We will further reform the income distribution system to raise the share of personal income in the distribution of national income and give more weight to work remuneration in primary distribution. We will refine the policy system for distribution based on factors of production and explore multiple avenues to help low- and middle-income groups earn more from production factors. We will guide enterprises in developing sound salary systems for skilled workers based on posts, competence, and contributions. We will also guide local governments in adjusting minimum wages appropriately. We will take earnest action to address wage arrears and ensure workers get paid. We will optimize the dividend incentive and constraint mechanisms for listed companies.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 19 MARCH 2025
