How to promote the implementation of technological innovations in ecological and environmental protection? Ministry of Ecology and Environment: Establish diversified financing channels and strengthen central-local cooperation.

Every Daily Business reporter | Zhang Huishui    Every Daily Business editor | Dong Xingsheng

On March 30, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment held its March regular press conference, focusing on hot topics such as scientific and technological innovation in the ecological and environmental field, industry matching, and the transformation of scientific and technological innovation achievements. The main responsible persons of relevant departments and bureaus responded.

Journalists from the Economic Daily learned at the press conference that in 2025, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 15 other departments, issued the “Implementation Opinions on Strengthening Scientific and Technological Innovation in the Ecological and Environmental Field and Promoting the Building of a Beautiful China” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”), which clarified the tasks and goals for scientific and technological innovation in the ecological and environmental field for 2035. The implementation and progress of the “Opinions” have attracted widespread attention.

In response, Wang Zhibin, Director of the Science and Technology and Finance Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said that the “Opinions,” as a guiding document for implementing the building of a Beautiful China and a country strong in science and technology, and for the mid-term level as viewed from 2035, is designed to pool efforts from all quarters, jointly promote scientific and technological development in the ecological and environmental field, and provide a basis and guidance for local governments, relevant scientific research institutes, universities, and enterprises to advance scientific and technological innovation in the ecological and environmental field.

Building a high-level science and technology think tank for ecological and environmental engineering

Regarding specific implementation progress, Wang Zhibin introduced: “More than a year after the implementation of the ‘Opinions,’ we have actively planned and promoted the landing of related tasks. In general, it can be summarized as three ‘haves.’”

The first “have” is that key tasks have been effectively broken down. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment is organizing the drafting of the “15th Five-Year Plan” ecological and environmental science and technology innovation plan. According to the relevant arrangements of the “Opinions,” it is planned to focus during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period on refining and deploying more than 20 key tasks such as air pollutant multi-component cross-media system treatment technologies, as well as more than 80 priority directions. It will organize research on the medium- and long-term development strategies for science and technology in the ecological and environmental field, further break down key tasks into 27 sub-fields such as green and low-carbon technologies in key industries, hold in-depth discussions one by one, and form a series of special research reports and a general report—turning the “Opinions” into concrete, executable blueprints.

The second “have” is that major actions are being advanced in an orderly manner. Focusing on the needs of major national strategies, we will steadily promote the predetermined tasks specified in the “Opinions,” for example, further strengthen the forward layout for basic research and tackle key core technology research, organize the refinement of major scientific and technological demands such as new pollutants, system governance for environmental pollution, and nuclear and radiation safety, compile special project proposals, and advance in depth the organization and implementation of major national science and technology projects.

It formulated and issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Regulating and Promoting the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Ecological and Environmental Protection,” deepened the construction of a comprehensive national service platform for transforming ecological and environmental science and technology achievements, accelerated the application and conversion of scientific and technological achievements, and jointly with the Chinese Academy of Engineering co-built the China Ecological and Environmental Engineering Science and Technology Development Strategy Research Institute, carried out research on strategic issues for the development of major engineering science and technology, and established a high-level science and technology think tank for ecological and environmental engineering.

The third “have” is that institutional and mechanism guarantees are in place. We will actively explore diversified science and technology investment mechanisms in the ecological and environmental field, promote in-depth docking between more than 10 financial institutions and the units undertaking major national science and technology projects, establish diversified financing channels for investment, deepen cooperation with the National Natural Science Foundation of China, promote the establishment of an ecological and environmental joint fund, and strengthen basic research in the ecological and environmental field. In addition, we will further strengthen central-local cooperation. By adopting a multi-department coordinated approach involving the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangxi, and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangxi, and using a central-local linkage model, we will systematically deploy a cluster of projects and carry out focused breakthroughs and demonstrations for major scientific and technological demands in typical areas such as heavy metal pollution in Hechi.

Focusing on the key considerations and deployment arrangements during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, Wang Zhibin said that first, it is to closely follow one main line. That is, with supporting management and guiding frontier directions as the main line, and in accordance with the tasks and arrangements set in the “15th Five-Year Plan” ecological and environmental science and technology innovation plan and the “Opinions,” we will intensify research into key fields and directional technologies.

Second, clarify one guiding orientation. That is, with a focus on regulation with high efficiency and transformation for application, we will advance in depth the organization and implementation of major national science and technology projects, ensuring that the organization is more efficient, achievements are more effective, and applications yield more fruitful and more concrete effectiveness, thereby promoting deep integration between scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation.

Third, seize one focus point. That is, with focusing on addressing shortcomings and optimizing and upgrading as the focus, we will strengthen the construction of scientific research innovation platforms and basic capacity building, and continuously enhance the support and service capacity of platforms, bases, and talent in the building of ecological civilization.

Fourth, grasp one direction. That is, with the direction of innovation across the entire chain and systemic innovation, we will optimize the institutional system for scientific and technological innovation, and give full play to the incentive and guiding role of mechanism and policy measures for scientific and technological innovation.

Achieving effective connection from the “lab” to the “production line”

Regarding how to promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, Wang Zhibin said that first, in terms of front-end scientific and technological innovation, we should focus on deepening reforms in scientific research management, and promote a shift away from the thinking of “results first, then transformation,” so that innovation starts aiming at industry needs and national strategic needs from the source, truly achieving integrated planning, integrated deployment, and integrated advancement of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation.

For example, in organizing and implementing major national science and technology projects, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment widely collects needs from user units such as relevant departments, localities, and enterprise industry sectors. These are used as an important reference for deploying R&D tasks, and at the same time it establishes an approval and assessment mechanism of “the market sets the questions, scientific research answers, and industry reviews,” ensuring that research directions and industry needs resonate at the same frequency, thereby achieving effective connection from the “lab” to the “production line.”

Second, stimulate innovation vitality in the intermediate link. “Enterprises are the point where the innovation chain and the industrial chain connect. We support more enterprises to put forward technology needs, take on tackling tasks, participate in project acceptance, further strengthen direct landing and application of results, and promote enterprises’ green and low-carbon development to form new quality productive forces. For example, in major national science and technology projects for which the Ministry of Ecology and Environment is the primary responsible body, the number of participating enterprises reaches more than 300, accounting for more than half of the total number of project undertaking units. At the same time, we will also, with regard to common problems in key industries, entrust leading industry enterprises to take the lead in organizing technical R&D, to help solve the industry’s difficult issues.”

Meanwhile, in terms of industrial innovation at the back end, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment adheres to combining “a government that can deliver outcomes” with “an effective market.” It strengthens policy and funding support, helping cultivate environmental protection industries with core competitiveness. This March, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the “Application Submission Guide for Projects for Promoting and Applying New Technologies in the Ecological and Environmental Field (Trial),” providing central ecological and environmental funding support for promoting and applying new technologies. These include 7 categories of governance technologies such as ultra-low emissions for multiple pollutants, and 4 categories of monitoring and regulatory technologies such as comprehensive three-dimensional monitoring of air pollution. By cultivating real application scenarios for advanced technologies, we help good technologies find good markets and help good projects obtain good support, thereby accelerating the iteration and upgrading of environmental governance and monitoring technologies.

Regarding plans for the next step, Wang Zhibin pointed out that we will resolutely implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the deployment of the “15th Five-Year Plan” outline, continue to deepen the reform of the science and technology system in the ecological and environmental field, and focus on building a market-oriented green technology innovation system. With greater efforts, we will more strongly promote the deep integration between the innovation chain and the industrial chain, accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces in the ecological and environmental field, and provide strong scientific and technological impetus for building a Beautiful China in which humanity and nature coexist in harmony.

Cover image source: Every Daily Media Resource Database