Spring in China Photo: PROVIDED TO CSST

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The fundamental logic behind the construction of a beautiful China lies in the interaction between human activities and the natural environment. In essence, it is collective actions of all towards achieving a better and more sustainable living environment.

Actions by all the people

Conceptually, “all” encompasses not only individual citizens, but also government entities, enterprises, social organizations, communities, schools, and various other institutions and groups. “Actions” entail two aspects: one involves ceasing high-pollution, high-carbon emissions, while the other involves promoting low or zero-pollution, low-carbon emissions. 

Therefore,  collective actions of all for the construction of a beautiful China entails at least two objectives: firstly, addressing the imbalance between humans and nature caused by the process of large-scale transformation and utilization of natural resources respecting and conforming to natural laws, repairing damaged ecosystem, and reducing negative environmental impacts caused by human activities; secondly, striving to achieve a balance between improving people’s livelihoods and protecting the ecosystem, deepening our understanding of natural laws, consciously guiding our actions based on this understanding, and endeavoring to produce neutral or even positive environmental impacts through actions, thereby supporting high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment. 

The building of a beautiful China must be oriented towards the people, rely on the people, learn from the people, and accept public supervision. Currently, the participation of the public, enterprises, and social organizations in the construction of a beautiful China is in its initial stages, but there is still a certain gap from the new requirements of conscious and full participation. First, public participation is mainly driven by self-interest, with the public welfare field characterized as “high willingness, insufficient actions.” Second, the participation of enterprises is in its early stages, but the initiative for participation needs to be further strengthened. Third, social organizations are relatively active, but the areas of their participation are scattered, and their abilities are differentiated, resulting in insufficient involvement in new issues such as advocating for green lifestyles, climate change and carbon emissions reduction. In international cooperation and exchanges, common practice is the “going global” of environmental protection organizations. 

Next, it is suggested to translate the goal of building a beautiful China into conscious actions by all, ensuring that the achievements of construction benefit all more fairly.This requires grasping three key mechanisms.

Three key mechanisms

First and foremost, the consensus mechanism should be stressed. The key to this mechanism lies in moving away from the presupposition of a “rational man” and “individual interests first” towards the creation of common social value. The concept of ecological civilization guides national actions. 

In the process of building consensus, the government serves as both an important initiator and the most significant influencer. From an individual perspective, research in environmental psychology also suggests using a “superordinate concept” as a common social value foundation, packaging various individual pro-ecological behaviors into a comprehensive behavioral norm, thereby advancing individual behaviors collectively. In addition, traditional Chinese culture believes in the “unity of heaven and man,” and advocates for seeking inwardly through promoting the Dao (the way) to reflect the highest realm of life, which provides a cultural basis for building consensus. 

Secondly, the co-governance mechanism should be highlighted. The key of this mechanism is to protect the rights of citizens, enterprises, other social organizations and other subjects to access environmental information, participate in and supervise environmental protection efforts, strengthen their obligations and responsibilities, respond to their key interest demands, and establish a set of institutional arrangements based on trust and mutual benefit. 

Finally, the sharing mechanism should be upheld. The key to this lies in enhancing interest alignment by internalizing the environmental costs for individuals, enterprises or sectors. This implies making the polluters financially responsible, ensuring the benefit of protectors and contributors, and enabling businesses to obtain reasonable returns from the protection of the ecological environment. For the government, this entails strengthening external constraints through a series of policy tools based on administrative logic to create institutional pressures from government entities. For enterprises and the public, it mainly entails stimulating individual intrinsic motivation through a series of policy tools based on market logic. 

In addition, there are policies that combine administrative leadership with market incentives. For individuals, it is more necessary to stimulate individual demand and motivation at the practical level of daily practices, enabling individuals’ green living behaviors to yield material or social benefits. It is worth mentioning that digital technologies enhance personalized interest alignment, such as innovative practices like carbon coins, green coins, carbon credits, personal carbon accounts, and garbage classification credits for an ecological civilization.

Wang Xiaoli is a professor from the Department of Social and Ecological Civilization at the Party School of the Central Committee of C.P.C (National Academy of Governance).

Edited by ZHAO YUAN