[Commentary] On October 21, the State Council Information Office held a press conference in Beijing to introduce the environmental protection work during the 13th Five-Year Plan.

At the press conference, Zhao Yingmin, deputy minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said that by the end of 2020, the goals and tasks set in the "13th Five-Year" ecological environment protection plan are expected to be fully completed.

　　[Explanation] The "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" period is the last five years of building a well-off society in an all-round way, and it is also the five years in which the fight against pollution has been fully launched.

Zhao Yingmin said that compared with five years ago, the overall quality of China's ecological environment has improved, and the interim goals of pollution prevention have been successfully achieved.

By the end of 2019, 8 of the 9 binding indicators in the ecological environment field defined in the "13th Five-Year Plan" have been completed ahead of schedule.

　　[Concurrent] Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

　　From January to September this year (2020), these 8 indicators will continue to develop well on the basis of having completed ahead of schedule at the end of last year.

The proportion of days with good air quality in cities at prefecture-level and above across the country reached 87.2% from January to September this year. It is expected that the binding target of 84.5% will be completed by the end of this year.

In other words, by the end of this year, the 9 binding indicators in the field of ecological and environmental protection specified in the "13th Five-Year Plan" outline will be fully completed.

　　[Explanation] Zhao Yingmin said that taking the construction of environmental rule of law as an example, during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, China has established a framework of regulations and standards that are compatible with the battle for pollution prevention around the environmental management needs of water, gas, soil, and solids.

　　[Concurrent] Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

　　Up to now, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we have completed the formulation and revision of 551 national ecological and environmental standards, including 4 environmental quality standards, 37 pollutant discharge standards, 8 basic environmental standards, 305 environmental monitoring standards, and 197 Technical specifications for environmental management.

Among them, to support the implementation of the ten atmospheric regulations, 122 gas-related standards were issued.

To support the implementation of the "Ten Water Regulations", 107 wading standards were issued.

To support the implementation of the "Ten Articles of Soil", 49 soil-related standards and 40 solid waste standards were issued.

　　[Explanation] When talking about the remarkable results achieved in tackling climate change, Zhao Yingmin revealed that China has already fulfilled the 2020 carbon emission reduction target promised to the international community ahead of schedule.

　　[Concurrent] Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

　　As of the end of last year (2019), carbon emission intensity had dropped by 18.2% compared to 2015, and the "Thirteenth Five-Year" binding target was achieved ahead of schedule.

The carbon intensity was reduced by 48.1% compared with 2005, and the proportion of non-fossil energy in energy consumption reached 15.3%. All of these have already fulfilled China's 2020 target and tasks promised to the international community ahead of schedule.

　　[Explanation] Zhao Yingmin pointed out that while the quality of the ecological environment is improving, we should be soberly aware that the domestic ecological environment in China is still severe.

In the next step, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will put ecological restoration and environmental protection in a more important position, and coordinate the normalized epidemic prevention and control, economic and social development, and ecological environmental protection work, and make a good start for the "14th Five-Year Plan". Good game.

　　Reporter Liu Chao reports from Beijing

Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】