(Photo/Wu Sheng)

Jiangsu convened the provincial ecological and environmental protection conference in Nanjing on September 13.

Yin Rongyao, deputy director of the provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, said Jiangsu’s environmental quality is at its best in recent years. The province is embracing a comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation and has achieved a positive relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection.

Addressing water quality, Wuxi’s vice mayor Ma Liangliang noted that expenditure for cleaning up Taihu Lake averaged over 10 billion yuan in the past two years and the 2023 outbreak of blue-green algae is the least severe since 2007. Ma added that Wuxi will fully implement a 3-year cleanup campaign to reduce major pollutants in Wuxi’s portion of the lake, and the goal is to achieve a stable water quality at Grade III by 2030.

Jiangsu will take a holistic approach to conserve and restore the mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands and lakes, and ensure comprehensive progress in programs from the land to sea areas, said Sun Weidong, deputy director of the provincial Natural Resources Department.

Ji Ming, deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission, said Jiangsu will expedite the green transformation of traditional and energy-intensive enterprises, and pursue high-quality development while aligning with the “dual carbon” goal.

Chen Haodong, deputy director of the provincial Housing and Urban-rural Development Department, stated plans of integrating urban public space with green corridors, enhancing the “sponge city” construction and flood response, and converting idle urban plots to small parks for residents during the urban renewal.

At the meeting, the province’s Department of Finance announced that it will increase government spending for environment protection, particularly for the Yangtze River and Taihu Lake, improve biodiversity protection, and advance the green transformation of economic and social development on all fronts.