Editor's note: Lu Jianfei, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a senior consultant and specializes in energy, state-owned enterprise reform and corporate governance. She holds a doctorate in management from Renmin University of China. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the city of Jiujiang in east China's Jiangxi Province, on October 10, 2023. Xi also visited a section of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park located in the urban area of Jiujiang and Sinopec Jiujiang Company, where he learned about local efforts in the construction of the park, the ecological restoration along the Yangtze River shoreline, and the petrochemical company's transformation and upgrading toward green development.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has adhered to the notion that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" to fully promote the development of ecological civilization, advance afforestation and improve the living environment in both urban and rural areas. 

According to the White Paper on China's Green Development in the New Era released by China's State Council, China planted 64 million hectares of trees from 2012 to 2021, carried out desertification prevention and control over 18.53 million hectares of land, and added or restored more than 800,000 hectares of wetland. The proportion of clean energy sources in China's total energy consumption increased from 14.5 percent in 2012 to 25.5 percent by the end of 2021, while the proportion of coal decreased from 68.5 percent to 56 percent over the same period.

China has made important achievements in green development, especially in industry. In terms of the renewable energy industry, China leads the world in the manufacture of clean energy generation facilities for wind and photovoltaic power. Taking the steel industry for example, 47 steel mills, with a total of 243 million tons of steel capacity, were recorded to have achieved whole-process ultra-low emissions by 2022. Member mills of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) invested 37.14 billion yuan for energy conservation and environmental protection in 2022, up by 11.95 percent year on year.

The question of how to balance decarbonization with green development is still vital to advance Chinese modernization. From the perspective of energy substitution, green development can be achieved only by breaking away from the strong correlation between carbon emissions and economic growth.

Based on experience, the key to achieving low-carbon emissions is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Gradually replacing fossil fuels with green energy can mitigate the impacts of economic growth and ultimately achieve the balance between decarbonization and economic growth. And the key to advancing decarbonization is to promote green energy technology innovation which will improve the efficiency of new energy to a large extent.

From the perspective of industrial substitution, replacing traditional industries with green industries will solve the dilemma of green growth and carbon emissions. Industry development is mainly based on energy consumption. As a country with a great demand for resources, China faces challenges in upgrading its energy mix. Only by replacing traditional industries with green industries can the path of economic development be transformed. This is the key to achieving sustainable development of China's economy as well as Chinese modernization.

It is important to implement the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." To pursue green and low-carbon development will be the strategic pillar to promote Chinese modernization.

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