Ecological and environmental zoning management, the ecological and environmental access list, and the delineation of three categories of ecological and environmental control units... Today, China’s journey toward a beautiful country is becoming increasingly concrete, with continuous strengthening of ecological and environmental zoning management to set clear boundaries and define limits for high-quality development.
　　Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Strengthening Zonal Management and Control of the Ecological Environment" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). The "Opinions" propose that by 2025, a basic system for zonal management and control of the ecological environment will be established, and a preliminary framework for a comprehensive, precise, and scientifically-based zonal management and control system covering all regions will be in place. By 2035, a fully developed system featuring sound mechanisms and efficient operations will be comprehensively established, providing strong support for fundamentally improving the ecological environment and achieving the goal of a Beautiful China.
　　A relevant official from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment stated that ecological and environmental zoning management is an environmental governance system aimed at safeguarding ecological functions and improving environmental quality through differentiated, precise management tailored to specific regions. It is an important measure for enhancing the modernization of ecological and environmental governance.
　　“China’s ecological and environmental issues are complex and diverse, with significant spatial variations in their manifestations and underlying mechanisms across different regions, river basins, marine areas, and other spatial domains and scales—exhibiting distinct spatial heterogeneity,” said Liu Yi, a professor at the School of Environment at Tsinghua University. He believes that the “Opinions” play a crucial role in supporting the construction of a Beautiful China by focusing on establishing and improving an ecological and environmental zoning management system, promoting precise, differentiated, and high-level governance of ecological and environmental units, and fostering green, low-carbon, and high-quality economic and social development.
　　The “Opinions” clearly state that a regional ecological and environmental management plan will be formulated. We will deepen the implementation of the national functional zone strategy, fully carry out the “National Land and Space Planning Outline (2021–2035),” and develop a regional ecological and environmental management plan that focuses on enforcing strict constraints on ecological protection redlines, environmental quality bottom lines, and resource utilization ceilings; is based on ecological and environmental management units; employs an ecological and environmental access list as a tool; and is supported by an information platform.
　　Liu Yi stated that ecological and environmental zoning management is oriented toward the objects of ecological and environmental protection. Based on the structural, processual, and functional characteristics of ecological and environmental systems, it establishes a differentiated spatial management system consisting of “quality targets – management units – access lists.” The core of ecological and environmental zoning management lies in spatialization, integration, and refinement—integrating and implementing ecological and environmental management requirements for each element into different management units, thereby defining ecological and environmental management units and developing differentiated ecological and environmental access lists.
　　After reviewing the document, reporters found that the “Opinions” categorize these control units into priority ecological protection units, key ecological and environmental control units, and general control units.
　　A relevant official from the Department of Environmental Impact Assessment and Emission Management of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment introduced that China has currently delineated more than 40,000 environmental control units, which are managed in a categorized manner according to three levels: priority protection, key control, and general control. By fully leveraging the results of the ecological protection redlines and overlaying other ecologically significant areas explicitly protected under laws and regulations outside the redlines—such as drinking water source protection zones and important wetlands—these areas have been designated as priority protection units. The resulting priority protection units generally align with China’s overall ecological security framework.
　　“Areas characterized by significant pressure to improve environmental quality, high intensity of resource and energy consumption, concentrated pollutant emissions, prominent ecological damage, and high environmental risks will be designated as key control units, aligning broadly with the nation’s overall economic and social development strategy. Other areas—those not classified as either priority protection units or key control units—will be designated as general control units.” The official explained that, in accordance with the principle of “one unit, one strategy,” differentiated ecological and environmental access lists will be precisely formulated to provide scientific guidance for various development and construction activities.
　　It is reported that, as of the end of 2021, the ecological and environmental zoning management plans at the provincial and municipal levels nationwide had been fully completed and released for implementation, initially establishing a comprehensive ecological and environmental zoning management system that covers the entire territory, involves cross-departmental collaboration, and integrates multiple factors.
　　Liu Yi stated that ecological and environmental zoning management, as a new institutional arrangement, should adhere to the principle of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, guided by the vision of building a Beautiful China. In the context of green development and the “dual carbon” strategy, it should adapt to the strategic shift required in ecological and environmental governance for the new era, further standardize, deepen, and refine the existing technical methods and standards system, and strengthen the technical system’s support and guarantee for the effective implementation of the ecological and environmental zoning management system.