Green fight "goes beyond pollution"

Environmental protection is about choosing the right path for economic growth and the right consumption model, beyond pollution control, environment minister Zhou Shengxian said on Friday.

"We have not successfully put the brakes on severe pollution - a result of the country's vulnerable ecosystems, large population, extensive economic growth that relies heavily on resource consumption and unsound environmental supervision systems," said Zhou at a ceremony to mark World Environment Day, which falls on Saturday.

The country needs to step up its green economic policies to facilitate the shift to a "highly effective and low-emission" growth mode, Zhou said.

To that effect, the Ministry of Environmental Protection will continue to promote the reform of energy use and pricing to reflect market demand and supply, resource shortages and environmental prices, he said.

A tax system that encourages energy saving and environmental protection will be established, and the existing environmental economic policy tools, such as green security, green purchase and green trade, will be improved, Zhou said.

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