First Observation: Understanding the Dialectics of Xi Jinping's Ecological Civilization Thought | Ecological Environment

This is a very important meeting——

After a 5-year hiatus, the National Conference on Ecological Environment Protection was held in Beijing from July 17th to 18th, 2023.

The important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the meeting contains profound dialectics. It is a new interpretation and new development of Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought, and provides a powerful ideological weapon for continuing to promote the construction of ecological civilization.

Observing the construction of ecological civilization in the new era requires a dialectical perspective——

In his speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward four "major changes", namely: "to achieve a major change from key rectification to systematic governance", "to achieve a major change from passive response to active action", "to achieve a major change from a participant in global environmental governance to a leader" "to achieve a major change from practical exploration to scientific theory guidance".

This is not only a systematic summary of the tremendous achievements in the construction of ecological civilization in the new era, but also a highly condensed reflection of the theoretical innovation, practical innovation, and institutional innovation of ecological civilization in the new era.

There is also constancy in change.

At the National Ecological Environment Protection Conference 5 years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the construction of ecological civilization is in a critical period of superimposed pressure and heavy load. It has entered the provision of more high-quality ecological products to meet the people's growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment. The critical period has also reached a window period when the conditions and ability to solve outstanding problems in the ecological environment.

At this conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping once again emphasized that my country's economic and social development has entered a high-quality development stage of accelerating greening and low-carbonization, and the construction of ecological civilization is still in a critical period of pressure superposition and heavy load.

Looking at the macro situation: The structural, root cause, and trend pressures on China's ecological environment protection have not been fundamentally alleviated.

Looking at specific indicators: In the first half of this year, the proportion of days with good air quality in China decreased by 3.2 percentage points year-on-year, while the proportion of days with average severe or above pollution increased by 1.4 percentage points year-on-year; Last year, the proportion of coal consumption to total energy consumption has rebounded; Moderately or above ecologically fragile areas in China account for 55% of the country's land spatial area

How to plan and promote ecological and environmental protection work in the face of new situations and problems?

Here also shines the wisdom of dialectics.

——Properly handling the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection, and occupying a leading position in the overall management.

Dealing with the relationship between development and protection is a global challenge, but it is not without solutions. The development practice of China in the new era has proven and is continuing to prove that high-level protection is an important support for high-quality development. High quality development can only be achieved through high-level protection, and the two can complement each other and complement each other.

"Through high-level environmental protection, we will continue to shape new kinetic energy and new advantages for development, focus on building a green and low-carbon circular economy system, effectively reduce the resource and environmental costs of development, and continue to enhance the potential and stamina of development." General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed at the meeting.

——Properly handling the relationship between key challenges and collaborative governance tests the profound practice of contradiction theory and systems theory.

On the one hand, we must adhere to a systematic concept and strengthen goal collaboration, multi pollutant control collaboration, departmental collaboration, regional collaboration, and policy collaboration.

——Properly handling the relationship between natural restoration and artificial restoration reflects the philosophy of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, which requires the exercise of human subjective initiative while respecting objective laws.

The General Secretary has explicitly requested the comprehensive use of both natural restoration and artificial restoration methods, tailored to local conditions and classified into different zones, in order to find the best solution for ecological protection and restoration.

——To properly handle the relationship between external constraints and endogenous forces, it is necessary to achieve an organic unity of internal and external factors.

In this regard, the general secretary clearly pointed out that "we should always adhere to the strictest system and the strictest rule of law to protect the ecological environment, maintain normal external pressure, and at the same time stimulate the endogenous power of the whole society to jointly protect the ecological environment".

——Properly handling the relationship between "dual carbon" commitments and independent actions requires both internal and external integration, as well as stability and progress.

At the Central Economic work Conference in December 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an in-depth exposition on the correct understanding and grasp of carbon neutrality, and made it clear that "to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, we should be unswerving" and "we should adhere to the goal of seeking progress in stability and gradually achieve it".

Promoting carbon peak and carbon neutrality is a solemn commitment of China to the international community and an inherent requirement for achieving high-quality development. On different occasions, General Secretary repeatedly emphasized that achieving the "dual carbon" goal is not something others ask us to do, but something we must do ourselves.

At this meeting, the General Secretary further made an important exposition: "the 'double carbon' goal we have promised is unshakable, but the path, method, rhythm and intensity of achieving this goal should and must be decided by ourselves and will never be influenced by others."

Just like the two sides of a coin and the two ends of a balance, the relationship between ecological environment protection and economic and social development itself is a dialectical unity.

The next five years will be an important period for the construction of a beautiful China.Only by applying dialectical thinking well and deeply understanding the profound connotation of General Secretary's important speech can we better implement and implement it.