IX. Improving Ecological Conservation Performance Evaluation and Accountability Systems

47. Establishing ecological conservation targets

Research will be conducted into developing practicable and visually representable indicators for assessing green development. Measures will be put in place to evaluate the attainment of ecological conservation targets, and indicators for resource consumption, environmental damage, and ecological benefit will be incorporated into a comprehensive evaluation system for economic and social development. Different performance evaluation criteria will be applied to different regions on the basis of their functional zoning.

48. Establishing monitoring and early-warning mechanisms for environmental and resource carrying capacity

Research will be undertaken into developing indicators and applying the right technology for monitoring and producing early warnings about resource and environmental carrying capacity. Monitoring and early-warning databases and IT platforms will be created for resources and the environment. Reports on monitoring and early-warning about resource and environmental carrying capacity will be prepared at regular intervals, and warnings will be issued and measures taken to place restrictions on regions which have exceeded or are approaching their carrying capacity in terms of resource consumption and environmental capacity.

49. Exploring the creation of balance sheets for natural resource assets

Guidelines will be formulated on preparing balance sheets for natural resource assets. Asset and liability accounting methods will be developed for use with water, land, forest, and other types of resources; accounts will be established for accounting natural resources in physical terms; classificatory criteria and statistical standards will be clearly laid out; and changes in natural resource assets will be regularly assessed. The preparation of balance sheets for natural resource assets will take place on a trial basis at the municipal (county) level, with physical accounts of major natural resource assets being assessed and results released.

50. Auditing outgoing officials' management of natural resource assets

On the basis of the preparation of balance sheets for natural resource assets and making reasonable allowance for objective natural factors, active efforts will be made to explore the objectives, content, methods, and appraisal indicators for auditing outgoing officials' management of natural resource assets. Based on the changes in natural resource assets within their area of jurisdiction during their term of office, through auditing, an objective evaluation will be carried out of the outgoing official' s management of natural resource assets; an official' s liability will be determined in accordance with the law, and auditing results will be put to better use. Trials for preparing balance sheets for natural resource assets and for audits of the management of natural resource assets by outgoing officials will be conducted in the cities of Hulun Buir in Inner Mongolia, Huzhou in Zhejiang, Loudi in Hunan, Chishui in Guizhou, and Yan' an in Shaanxi.

51. Establishing a lifelong accountability system for ecological and environmental damage

Leaders of local CPC committees and governments will be responsible for both economic development and ecological progress. On the basis of the results of the natural resource asset audits of outgoing officials and ecological and environmental damage, the circumstances under which the principal leaders of local CPC committees and governments, related leaders, and departmental leaders will be held accountable and the procedures for confirming accountability will be made clear. Those responsible for ecological and environmental damage will, on the basis of the severity of misconduct, be reprimanded, required to make a public apology, or dealt with through organizational, Party, or disciplinary action. For circumstances which constitute a criminal act, criminal liability will be pursued in accordance with the law. A system of lifelong accountability will be put into effect for major ecological and environmental damage which becomes apparent after an official has left office and for which he or she is found liable. A national supervision and inspection system for environmental protection will be established.