The ecological and environmental protection industry has become an important force in the green economy

"Green and low-carbon" is one of the important topics of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

At the 2nd China Ecological and Environmental Protection Industry Service "Dual Carbon" Strategy Academician Forum of the China Fair for Trade in Services held on September 5th, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhao Yingmin said that China's ecological and environmental protection industry has become an important force in the green economy, playing an important role in promoting economic and social development and comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation.

In 2022, the operating income of China's ecological and environmental protection industry was about 2.22 trillion yuan, an increase of about 372.3% compared to 10 years ago, with an annual compound growth rate of 15.1%. A comprehensive industrial system with extended chains, optimized structure, and fine division of labor has been basically formed.

Promoting the healthy development of the environmental protection industry

"The decade of the new era is not only the one with the deepest understanding, the strongest efforts, the most practical measures, the fastest promotion, and the most significant results of China's ecological civilization construction and environmental protection, but also the one with important development achievements in China's ecological and environmental protection industry." Zhao Yingmin said.

As of the end of 2022, the daily treatment capacity of urban sewage in China was 215 million cubic meters per day, an increase of 83.2% compared to 2012; The harmless treatment capacity of household waste has reached 1.092 million tons per day, an increase of 144.8% compared to 10 years ago... Behind these changes in environmental governance capabilities, they cannot be separated from the support and guarantee of the ecological and environmental protection industry.

"At present, China's ecological and environmental protection industry is in a critical period of transformation from a scale speed oriented to a quality efficiency oriented." Zhao Yingmin said that we must adhere to innovation leadership and enhance the competitiveness of industrial development. Next, China needs to strengthen its efforts in environmental technology innovation, green finance innovation, and industrial model innovation, enhance the competitiveness of the ecological and environmental protection industry, and effectively transform the potential market of the ecological and environmental protection industry into practical needs; Vigorously promote the self-reliance and self-improvement of ecological and environmental technology, carry out cutting-edge leading technology reserves, key technology breakthroughs, actively develop collaborative governance, deep governance, and full process governance technology integration and demonstration, accelerate the integration of new generation material technology, biotechnology, information technology with the ecological and environmental protection industry, and actively cultivate outstanding young and middle-aged scientific and technological and industrial talents.

Zhao Yingmin stated that the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will innovate environmental governance models, promote technological innovation and achievement transformation, accelerate the construction of an environmental credit supervision system, regulate the environmental governance market, and promote the healthy development of the environmental protection industry and environmental service industry.

Developing the fourth industry of ecological products

At the forum, Wang Jinnan, an academician of the CAE Member and president of the Environmental Planning Institute of the Ministry of Ecological Environment, proposed to vigorously develop the fourth industry of ecological products and boost the construction of a beautiful China.

What is the fourth industry of ecological products? Wang Jinnan said that this refers to the industrial collection that aims to achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, with ecological resources as the core element and ecosystem processes as the main ecological productivity. Through ecological protection and restoration construction, market transactions, development and operation, the inherent value contained in ecological products is transformed into economic value. Its industrial system includes all economic activities formed by the protection, production, processing, manufacturing, circulation, and service of ecological products.

"The fourth industry of ecological products is an important industry that supports high-quality development through high-quality ecological environment and expands the path of transforming green mountains and clear waters into golden mountains and silver mountains," said Wang Jinnan.

Currently, China has launched pilot projects for the fourth industry of ecological products at the provincial, municipal, and county levels in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and other regions. For example, Huzhou City in Zhejiang Province was the first city to include the fourth industry of ecological products in government documents. Currently, Huzhou is cultivating and developing a fourth industry of ecological products that is "resource rich, active and orderly, and characterized by high efficiency.".

According to statistics, from 2017 to 2021, the added value (GDP) of the fourth industry of ecological products in Huzhou increased from 49.508 billion yuan to 60.105 billion yuan, an increase of 21.4%. The contribution rate of the fourth industry of ecological products to GDP remained stable at 17% to 19%, and the development level steadily improved.

"The fourth industry of ecological products in Anji County, Huzhou has begun to take shape, and the benefits of enriching and benefiting the people have emerged. From 2012 to 2020, the gross domestic product of Anji County increased from 25.3 billion yuan to 58.2 billion yuan, and the per capita disposable income of farmers increased from 16000 yuan to 42000 yuan. We believe that the fourth industry of ecological products has made great contributions," said Wang Jinnan.

生态环保产业成绿色经济重要力量

“绿色低碳”是2023年中国国际服务贸易交易会（以下简称服贸会）的重要议题之一。

在9月5日举行的服贸会第二届中国生态环保产业服务“双碳”战略院士论坛上，生态环境部副部长赵英民说，我国生态环保产业已成为绿色经济中的重要力量，为推动经济社会发展、全面绿色低碳转型发挥了重要作用。

2022年，我国生态环保产业营业收入约2.22万亿元，比10年前增长约372.3%，年均复合增长率达15.1%，基本形成了领域齐全、链条延伸、结构优化、分工精细的产业体系。

促进环保产业健康发展

“新时代的十年，既是我国生态文明建设和生态环境保护认识最深、力度最大、举措最实、推进最快、成效最显著的十年，也是我国生态环保产业取得重要发展成效的十年。”赵英民说。

截至2022年底，我国城市污水日处理能力2.15亿立方米/日，较2012年增长83.2%；生活垃圾无害化处理能力达109.2万吨/日，比10年前增长144.8%……这些环境治理能力变化的背后，都离不开生态环保产业的支撑和保障。

“当前，我国生态环保产业正处于规模速度型向质量效益型转变的关键时期。”赵英民说，必须坚持创新引领，增强产业发展竞争力。接下来，我国还要加强环境科技创新、绿色金融创新、产业模式创新的力度，提升生态环保产业竞争力，切实把生态环保产业的潜在市场转化为现实需求；大力推进生态环境科技自立自强，开展前沿引领技术储备，关键技术攻关，积极发展协同治理、深度治理、全过程治理技术成果集成与示范，加快新一代材料技术、生物技术、信息化技术与生态环保产业融合，积极培育优秀中青年科技和产业人才。

赵英民表示，生态环境部将创新环境治理模式，推进科技创新和成果转化，加快构建环保信用监管体系，规范环境治理市场，促进环保产业和环境服务业健康发展。

发展生态产品第四产业

在论坛上，中国工程院院士、生态环境部环境规划院院长王金南提出，大力发展生态产品第四产业，助推美丽中国建设。

何为生态产品第四产业？王金南说，这是指为了实现人与自然和谐共生，以生态资源为核心要素，以生态系统过程为主要生态生产力，通过生态保护修复建设、市场交易、开发经营等方式，将生态产品所蕴含的内在价值转化为经济价值的产业集合。其产业体系包括生态产品保护、生产、加工、制造、流通、服务等环节形成的全部经济活动。

“生态产品第四产业是通过高品质生态环境支撑高质量发展、拓宽绿水青山转化为金山银山路径的重要产业。”王金南说。

当前，我国已在江苏、浙江、福建等地开展了省市县等层面的生态产品第四产业试点。比如浙江省湖州市是第一个把生态产品第四产业写入政府文件的城市，目前，湖州正在培育发展“资源富集、活跃有序、特色高效”的生态产品第四产业。

据统计，2017—2021年，湖州生态产品第四产业增加值（GDP4）从495.08亿元增长到601.05亿元，增长了21.4%，生态产品第四产业对GDP的贡献率稳定在17%—19%，发展水平稳步提升。

“湖州安吉县的生态产品第四产业已初具规模，富民、惠民效益显现出来。从2012年到2020年，安吉县生产总值从253亿元增加到582亿元，农民人均可支配收入从1.6万元增加到4.2万元，我们认为生态产品第四产业作出了很大贡献。”王金南说。