Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu answers questions at the Ministers' Corridor following the second plenary meeting of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 8, 2025. /VCG
Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu answers questions at the Ministers' Corridor following the second plenary meeting of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 8, 2025. /VCG
The relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection is one of mutual integration, mutual support and mutual achievement, Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said on Saturday.
Huang made the remarks while answering questions at the Ministers' Corridor following the second plenary meeting of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
In the past decade, China's ecological environment has undergone significant transformation, Huang said, noting that in 2024, the quality of the country's ecological environment continued to improve.
The proportion of surface-water bodies nationwide classified as having excellent water quality reached 90.4 percent in 2024, marking the first time this figure has exceeded 90 percent, he added.
"Without green and low-carbon development, there can be no high-quality development," Huang said, summarizing the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's work in four key areas.
To date, more than 44,000 environmental control units have been designated across the country, he said.
The ministry has enhanced efforts to cultivate and develop new quality productive forces, launching a package of policy measures last year to support the development of these forces in the ecological environment. Additionally, 22 measures have been introduced to support private enterprises.
Meanwhile, the ministry has promoted the development of the carbon market, resulting in a cumulative decrease of 8.78 percentage points in the country's carbon emission intensity in the coal-fired power generation sector, which has helped enterprises save 35 billion yuan (about $4.8 billion) in carbon reduction costs.
He also mentioned that the ministry launched a regulation on pollutant discharge permit management and carried out supervision and assistance for enterprises to ensure they meet emission standards.