立足全球生态文明建设，谋划2035年“美丽中国”目标
9月22日，中国国家主席习近平在第七十五届联合国大会一般性辩论上的讲话中宣布“中国将提高国家自主贡献力度，采取更加有力的政策和措施，二氧化碳排放力争于2030年前达到峰值，努力争取2060年前实现碳中和”。
10月26日，第十九届五中全会在京召开。会议将研究关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十四个五年规划和二〇三五年远景目标的建议。
与此同时，中国日报今日刊发了美国环保协会北京代表处首席代表张建宇撰写的文章Torchbearer for climate governance （《立足全球生态文明建设，谋划2035年“美丽中国”目标》），从国内国际两个层面就制定合理的2035气候目标的重要意义和作用进行了阐述（英文原文附于文后）。
生态环境保护进入全面建成小康社会目标体系是“十八大”以来中国生态文明建设的重要推动力。在提到小康社会建设时，习近平总书记曾提出 “小康全面不全面,生态环境质量是关键”。为此，中国打响了三年污染防治攻坚战，并实现了生态环境质量的总体改善。随着2020年全面建成小康社会目标的实现，实现“十九大”提出的2035年“美丽中国”目标成为下一个生态文明建设的重要任务。与以全面建成小康社会为驱动的生态环境治理不同，2035年“美丽中国”目标的制定需要更多的考虑国际形势与趋势，从全球生态文明建设、“美丽地球”的高度来谋划。
2035年世界可持续发展进程
从全球生态环境治理进程来看，2035年是检验《巴黎协定》2030年目标能否与2050年全球长期低排放发展目标有效衔接的关键时间点。为应对气候变化，2035年世界需要一个强有力的国际环境治理体系，以确保人类社会的可持续发展。
当前《巴黎协定》的签署国还在为2030年自主贡献目标而努力，但在2035年这个关键的时间节点上，一些世界主要国家和地区已经开始推出自己的行动目标。虽然美国总统特朗普退出了《巴黎协定》，但美国民主党籍众议院议长南希·佩洛西提出要在“2050碳中和”目标下，到2035年实现新销售乘用车100%零排放；2020年民主党总统候选人拜登则提出，到2035年使美国电力系统实现零排放、建筑部门的碳足迹减半。
在气候行动更为积极的欧洲，欧盟计划在“欧洲绿色新政”的框架下，提出更具雄心的2035年气候目标。欧洲一些国家也提出了自己2035年这个时间点上的行动目标。比如，德国将逐步淘汰煤炭的时间由2038年调整到了2035年；英国计划在2035年前禁止销售新生产的汽油和柴油车；芬兰计划于2035年达到碳中和，并随后实现温室气体负排放。
2035年将是实现世界可持续发展目标的一个重要时间节点，而共建全球生态文明是中国生态文明建设的重要组成部分。因此“美丽中国”目标应是一个开放的目标。中国不仅要考虑自身的生态环境保护进程，还需要融入到国际环境治理进程中，统筹国内国外两个大局，在此基础上制定和实现“美丽中国”目标。
更加紧密的中国与世界
2035年中国的经济总量将有望成为世界第一，国家的经济实力进一步增强。因此，中国在国际环境治理方面的责任也将更大。中国的生态文明建设不仅仅是实现国内“美丽”，同样也影响着世界的可持续发展进程。更为重要的是，作为全球命运共同体的成员，中国的生态文明建设离不开世界，中国要深化和维护本国的生态文明成果，就必须与世界更加紧密的一起解决全球面临的环境与气候挑战。
2020年9月22日，国家主席习近平在第七十五届联合国大会一般性辩论上的讲话中提出，中国将“努力争取2060年前实现碳中和”。作为世界上最大的发展中国家，这一承诺体现了中国应对气候变化的国际担当，也体现了坚定不移的走绿色低碳发展路道的决心。如何实现这一目标，是中国需要考虑的一个问题，也是全球瞩目的大事件。2035年目标将上承碳达峰、下启碳中和，将在很大程度上决定了中国未来温室气体控制的速度和轨迹。
一方面，2035年“美丽中国”目标决定着中国2030年国际承诺能否兑现。2030年，中国要面对两个重要的国际承诺目标，即《巴黎协定》承诺的达峰目标以及联合国可持续发展（SDG）目标。2035年美丽中国目标对全球可持续发展目标和气候目标的实现路径、时间和实现程度将产生重大影响。
另一方面，2035年美丽中国目标决定着碳中和的轨迹。在温室气体排放达峰之后，中国如何把国内的美丽中国目标与履行国际碳中和的承诺，如何定位国际气候治理体系中发挥引领性的角色， 2035年美丽中国的目标设定将会给出答案。
共建全球生态文明
从全球生态文明建设的视角谋划“美丽中国”目标，需要协调多时空维度与多目标任务。在国内，需统筹经济、环境与社会发展多个发展目标，建立与中国经济与社会发展相适应的环境目标，从保护健康的角度，提高环境质量标准，推动实现生态环境质量的根本改善。在国际上，要对标与中国发展水平相匹配的可持续发展目标和温室气体控制目标，搭建起国际2030年与2050年气候与可持续发展目标之间的桥梁，成为真正的国际气候治理的引领者。在制定和研究“美丽中国2035”过程中，应该坚持开放和包容的原则，博采国内外不同利益相关方的观点。
制定“美丽中国”目标的关键是坚持和坚信绿色发展理念。面对复杂的国际政治局势，要坚持绿色发展的战略定力。用“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念指导气候变化行动，将国际温室气体减排负担转变为提升自身绿色发展竞争力的契机，把气候变化行动从成本分担驱动转化为利益分享驱动，从而制定一个具有雄心的2035美丽中国目标。
疫情和逆全球化为生态文明建设带来了很大的不确定性。但也孕育着巨大的机遇。疫情之下，5G通讯技术加速布局，数字技术快速发展和应用，加速了中国经济的数字化进程，为实现能源、制造业的绿色和低碳转型带来了新的动能。在全球化的新趋势下，中国确定以国内大循环为主体的双循环发展格局，将有利于进一步加速国内高质量发展的进程。利用抗击疫情、恢复经济的机遇，加快绿色基础设施投资，调整全球产业链，推动国内绿色消费，可以为中国制定和实现更高的“美丽中国”目标奠定坚实的基础。
Torchbearer for climate governance
By ZHANG JIANYU | China Daily Global |
'Beautiful China' goals should maintain domestic focus on green growth but also promote the building of a global ecological civilization
The incorporation of ecological protection into China's goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects has been the major driver of the country's efforts to realize our ecological civilization since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. As the country is set to realize the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in 2020, achieving the "Beautiful China "goals by 2035 will become the next priority task. Different from the goal of building a moderately prosperous society, the Beautiful China 2035 goals need to be developed from a perspective of global ecological civilization.
Facing the threat of climate change, a well-functioning global environmental governance system is needed by 2035 to ensure a smooth transition from the Paris Agreement's 2030 goals to its 2050 long-term low-emission development goals.
Under the Paris Agreement countries are expected to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions outlining their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience to climate change by 2030.While countries that have signed the agreement are stepping up efforts to hold true to their NDCs, action plans with even greater commitments by 2035 have already been unveiled.
The European Union plans more ambitious 2035 climate targets under the framework of the European Green Deal. A number of European countries have also unveiled action plans with goals to be achieved by 2035. For instance, Germany was inclined to bring forward its deadline to fully phase out the use of coal from 2038 to 2035; the United Kingdom plans to end the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars by 2035 and Finland has vowed to become carbon neutral by 2035 and carbon negative soon after that.
China is expected to be the world's largest economy by 2035, with even greater economic power and therefore a bigger responsibility in global environmental governance. China's pursuit of an ecological civilization is not just important for its own sustainable development, it will also exert an impact on the progress of sustainable development worldwide. Since its ecological civilization cannot be separated from the rest of the world, China needs to work more closely with countries, regions and organizations to address the grave environmental and climate challenges facing the whole of humanity.
On Sept 22, President Xi Jinping stated in his speech at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly that China aims to "achieve carbon neutrality by 2060". As the world's largest developing country, this commitment reflects China's international responsibility to address climate change and also China's unwavering determination to follow the path of green and low-carbon development. However, how to achieve this goal? That is a question needed to be considered by China and it also attracts global attention.
The goal of 2035, which connects the CO2 emissions peak and carbon neutrality, will determine to what extent the speed and path of China's greenhouse gas control in the future. By 2030, China needs to fulfill two major climate commitments－bringing national carbon emissions to a peak, as stated in the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 2035"Beautiful China" goals will exert a great impact on their implementation path and progress. The "Beautiful China "goals will also decide which path the country can take to fulfill its carbon neutral pledge. After the peak of CO2 emissions, how China will align its domestic goal of a "Beautiful China "with its international commitment of carbon neutrality, and how to position itself to play a leading role in the international climate governance system. The goal-setting of 2035"Beautiful China" will give an answer.
China has made notable progress in ecological and environmental protection, making concerted efforts to realize an ecological civilization. From the development concept of "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" to the idea of building a shared future for all life on Earth with a holistic approach to conserving the mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands, China's vision of an ecological civilization has shifted from being merely an abstract concept to practical actions to realize it.
Indeed, the construction of China's ecological civilization for 2035 should be planned from the perspective of strengthening global endeavors to form an ecological civilization for humanity, with broadened scope and integrated solutions for both domestic and global environmental issues.
Domestically, the 2035 "Beautiful China" environmental protection goals should be set to match China's social and economic development goals. The quality of the ecological environment should be substantially improved with stricter environmental standards from the perspective of safeguarding health.
Internationally, China should have sustainable development goals and emissions control targets matched with China's development level. China should ensure a smooth transition from the 2030 climate goals to the 2050 and sustainable development goals and become a torchbearer for global climate governance.
The key to formulating the "Beautiful China" goals lies in upholding the concept of green development and maintaining a strategic focus of green growth in the face of the complex international political landscape. China needs to use the concept of "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" to guide its climate actions, turn the "burden" of emissions reduction into a precious opportunity to enhance its competitiveness in green development and make climate actions benefit sharing rather than cost sharing as before. These will ensure that China formulates ambitious 2035"Beautiful China" goals.
The COVID-19 pandemic and rise of anti-globalization sentiment have brought about great uncertainties to the construction of a global ecological civilization, but also created opportunities. We are currently seeing a rapid acceleration in the development pace of 5G communications technology and other digital technology and their application, which has quickened the process of digitalization of the Chinese economy and provided new momentum for the green and low-carbon transformation of energy and manufacturing sectors. Since May, China has introduced a dual-circulation development pattern, in which the domestic market takes a dominant role while the domestic and global markets boost each other. Beefing up investment on green infrastructure, adjusting the global industrial chain and promoting green consumption domestically when fighting against the pandemic and restoring economic growth will help China lay a solid foundation to formulate and achieve more ambitious "Beautiful China" goals.