On Aug. 18, 2019, the Central Government unveiled a detailed guideline on supporting Shenzhen in building a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We are publishing a series of reports on what Shenzhen is doing to implement the strategy.
Over the past year, Shenzhen has made great efforts to take more innovative measures to solve ecological problems that the people are generally concerned about, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.
The year 2020 is not only a key year for pushing forward the construction of “Beautiful Shenzhen,” but also a year for winning the battle against pollution.
Adhering to the green development concept, Shenzhen achieved remarkable results in the construction of “Beautiful Shenzhen” last year.
The city won the title of national ecological civilization construction demonstration city, becoming the country’s first and currently the only sub-provincial city to have obtained the honor.
The concentration of PM2.5 of the whole city was 19 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020, a decline of 5 micrograms per cubic meter year on year. It also marked the first time that the concentration of the fine air pollution particles in Shenzhen has dropped below 20 micrograms per cubic meter.
The water quality of the five major rivers in Shenzhen have met both national and provincial standards. Meanwhile, the city has completed its annual tasks on schedule for the national waste-free city campaign. The city’s forest coverage rate reached 39.78 percent, and 1,206 parks have been built across the city.
Shenzhen insists on creating green spaces according to high standards. At present, the city plans to designate 404.6 square kilometers of land for ecological protection, accounting for 20.26 percent of the city’s land area.
In August 2020, Shenzhen officially adopted the use of gross ecosystem product (GEP), a measure that summarizes the value of the contributions of nature to economic activity, to guide investments in ecosystem conservation and restoration.
Shenzhen has also taken the lead in exploring a set of replicable judicial experiences for scientifically defining the liabilities for air pollution in the country.
Recently, a draft regulation on ecological protection was submitted to the city’s legislature. The formulation of the regulation indicates that the city will build a comprehensive, multileveled, ecological protection system.