The System for Efficient Utilization of Resources

The exploitation and utilization of resources should meet the current generation's desire for a happy life, and also leave a solid foundation for future generations.

The report to the CPC's 19th National Congress in 2017 announced the decision to encourage conservation across the board and promote recycling. The 19th CPC Central Committee, at its fourth plenary session in October 2019, decided to establish a system for efficient utilization of resources. This is a far-sighted top-level institutional design of importance to China's long-term development. 

The system for efficient utilization of resources means changing the traditional model featuring massive production, massive consumption and massive emissions, keeping economic and human activities within the carrying capacity of natural resources and the eco-environment, and balancing resources, production, consumption and other factors, thus generating the maximum economic and social benefits at the minimum cost to resources and the environment. This will lead to new models of resource utilization and new thinking on work and lifestyle, which are obviously different from the traditional models that often result in occupation of large natural space, massive consumption of resources, and serious eco-environmental damage.

In establishing this system, people need to save and recycle resources, improve the system of property rights of natural resource assets, and implement the system for total consumption control and comprehensive resource conservation. The management of obligatory targets should be reinforced, and a sound resource pricing mechanism should be set up to fully reflect market supply and demand, scarcity of resources, ecological value, and cost of environmental damage. A system for market-oriented green technology innovation will be adopted to support energy-saving and eco-friendly industries. The system for resource recycling will be improved, and waste sorting will be spread across the whole society. Efforts are also needed to champion rational consumption, diligence and frugality.

資源高效利用制度

人類對資源的開發利用既要考慮服務于當代人過上幸福生活，也要為子孫后代留下生存根基。中共十九大報告指出，推進資源全面節約和循環利用。中共十九屆四中全會《決定》進一步強調，要全面建立資源高效利用制度。這是一個關乎全局和長遠的頂層制度設計，即改變傳統的“大量生產、大量消耗、大量排放”的生產模式和消費模式，把經濟活動、人的行為限制在自然資源和生態環境能夠承受的限度內，使資源、生產、消費等要素相匹配相適應，用最少的資源環境代價取得最大的經濟社會效益，形成與大量占有自然空間、顯著消耗資源、嚴重惡化生態環境的傳統發展方式明顯不同的資源利用和生產生活方式。

全面建立資源高效利用制度，要樹立節約集約循環利用的資源觀，健全自然資源產權制度，實行資源總量管理和全面節約制度。要強化約束性指標管理，加快建立健全充分反映市場供求和資源稀缺程度、體現生態價值和環境損害成本的資源環境價格機制。要構建市場導向的綠色技術創新體系，大力發展節能環保產業。要完善資源循環利用制度，實行垃圾分類回收，構建覆蓋全社會的資源循環利用體系。要倡導合理消費，推動形成勤儉節約的社會風尚。