Timeline

June 1972: Organized by Premier Zhou Enlai, China sends its largest delegation since the restoration of its lawful seat at the United Nations to take part in the UN Conference on the Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, the first global conference to make the environment a major issue.

August 1973: China holds the first-ever national conference on environmental protection. Afterward, environmental structures are set up at national and regional level. To date, China's central authorities have held eight national conferences on environmental protection.

August 1992: Shortly after the UN Conference on Environment and Development, the Chinese government puts forward 10 major measures the nation will adopt to enhance its environment and development, clearly pointing out that the road to sustainable development is a logical choice for the nation now and in the future.

October 2007: Delivering a report to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, former president Hu Jintao said the nation will promote an ecological civilization by basically forming an energy- and resource-efficient and environmentally friendly structure for industries, growth and consumption.

November 2012: Hu, delivering a report to the 18th CPC National Congress, said promoting ecological progress is a vitally important long-term task for the people's wellbeing and China's future. "We must give high priority to making ecological progress and incorporate it into all aspects and the whole process of advancing economic, political, cultural and social progress, work hard to build a beautiful country, and achieve lasting and sustainable development for the nation," Hu said. Ecological civilization was enshrined in the Party's Constitution at the conference.

October 2017: In a report to the 19th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "Building an ecological civilization is vital to sustain the Chinese nation's development." Ensuring harmony between humans and nature is listed at the conference as one of 14 points forming the basic policy underpinning the Party's efforts to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

March 2018: Ecological civilization is incorporated into the nation's Constitution.

May 2018: Addressing the National Environmental and Ecological Protection Conference, Xi said China will channel more resources into promoting ecological civilization and resolving environmental problems, backed by the political advantages of the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC and the socialist system, as well as the achievements made during 40 years of reform and opening-up.

October 2020: The fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee proposes that China make new progress in building ecological civilization, optimize the development and protection of its territorial space, and achieve notable results in transforming green production and lifestyles for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

April 2021: Delivering a speech via video link in Beijing during the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by the United States, Xi calls for "unprecedented ambition and action" from the international community to build a community of life for mankind and nature in order to jointly cope with climate change challenges.