Chinese report by CENEWS
The State Council announced a statement on the assignment of the 41 key missions specified by this year’s government work report among the State departments. Specifically, MEP is to lead and take part in plural tasks, including, inter alia, deepening the institutional reform for ecological civilization, putting up a good fight for a blue sky, strengthening the water and soil pollution control, and promoting the ecological protection and progress.
According to this document, the mission of “putting up a good fight for a blue sky” is to be headed by MEP, with the cooperation of other relevant State departments, and the main tasks included: cut down the SO2 and NOx emission each by 3 percent, and significantly reduce the PM2.5 concentration in key regions; work faster to address the pollution by coal burning; advance the treatment of pollution sources in all respects; step up the control of vehicle exhausts; respond to heavy air pollution effectively; and tighten the environmental enforcement, inspection, and accountability.
The mission “to strengthen the water and soil pollution control” is to be undertaken by MEP and other departments based on respective responsibilities, with the main tasks as: cut down the COD and NH3-N discharge each by 2 percent; pay close attention to the control of water pollution in key watersheds, regions, and sea areas and of the pollution by non-point sources in agricultural sector; launch detailed survey on soil pollution, and work out category-specific treatment measures.
The mission to “promote ecological conservation and progress” is to be taken charge by NDRC, MEP, and other departments in accordance with respective responsibilities, and the main tasks are: race against the time to delineate and strictly observe the ecological conservation red lines; actively respond to climate change; and launch pilot projects on improving the quality of forests, and the ecological restoration of the Yangtze River economic belt, and the second batch projects on ecological conservation of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, and lakes.
The mission to “deepen the institutional reform for ecological civilization” is to be undertaken by NDRC, MEP, and other departments based on the division of responsibilities, and the main tasks are: improve the system of the main functional areas and the eco-compensation mechanism, and establish resource and environment monitoring and early warning mechanisms.
Moreover, the Ministry is also part of the efforts to cut overcapacity, expand valid investments, and optimize regional development frameworks.
