China hosts national symposium to advance ecological civilization and green transformation

A national symposium on ecological civilization development convened Wednesday in Anji county in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, the birthplace of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".

The event brought together government officials, scholars, and international organizations to chart the course for China's green transformation during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

The conference highlighted the pivotal role of the Ministry of Natural Resources as the "main force" in building ecological civilization and as the "steward" of the nation's natural resources. It emphasized the critical mandate the ministry faces, as the 15th Five-Year Plan identifies major new progress in the construction of a Beautiful China as a key development goal.

Participants discussed advancing systematic research on ecological civilization theory, with the construction of an independent knowledge system identified as a core task. They pointed out that this approach calls for translating fresh practices in natural resources management into theoretical foundations while building academic disciplines, scholarly frameworks, and discourse systems aligned with China's ecological development path.

The meeting emphasized distilling Chinese solutions and wisdom from practical case studies, enhancing international communication of the vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, and developing new concepts and expressions that resonate with the international community.

Keynote speeches included briefings on the implementation of the ecological and environmental code, reports on building an independent ecological civilization knowledge system, and presentations from provincial and local officials sharing reform outcomes.

In addition, the International Union for Conservation of Nature presented its engagement in China's ecological civilization initiatives, while the Ant Foundation highlighted a decade of ecological public welfare action through its Ant Forest program.

The symposium called for consolidating research capacity across the natural resources system, think tanks, and academic institutions to advance ecological civilization studies and foster a coordinated, well-managed, and innovation-encouraging work framework.