China issues guideline on green development in urban, rural areas

BEIJING -- The general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have issued a guideline underpinning green development in urban and rural areas.

The guideline sets a target that by 2025 the institutional mechanisms and policy systems for green development in urban and rural areas will be basically established.

The country will also make substantial progress on the green transformation of construction and solidly advance carbon reduction during the period, according to the guideline.

Incidence of "urban diseases" should be reduced, the quality of ecology and environment improved and green lifestyle widely promoted, it says.

It sets another target that by 2035 green development will cover urban and rural areas in a comprehensive way, with an increased cut in carbon emissions. By the target date, the living environment will improve and institutions of governance and capacity will basically achieve modernization in terms of urban and rural construction.

As part of promoting integrated urban-rural development, the guideline stresses green development of various regions and city clusters, pledging to build beautiful cities where man and nature coexist in harmony and a beautiful countryside which is green, ecologically rich and livable.

It calls for improving development patterns involving high-quality green construction and better infrastructure in rural and urban areas.

The country should strengthen the protection and inheritance of history and culture in cities and rural areas, adhere to green construction in the process and promote the formation of a green lifestyle, according to the guideline.

China should also coordinate the planning and construction of cities and rural areas, establish an evaluation system, intensify innovation during the process and promote the building of smart cities, said the guideline.

The guideline pledges to add fiscal and financial input, improve the green financial system, and provide more support for major projects on green development in urban and rural areas.