中国人权——环境治理保人权

我是罗伯特·劳伦斯·库恩，这是我正在关注的：环境保护在中国的“十四五”规划和2035远景目标中至关重要。中国计划在2035年基本实现现代化，成为一个富强、民主、文明、和谐、美丽的社会主义国家。

I'm Robert Lawrence Kuhn, and here's what I'm watching: the critical importance of environmental protection in China's 14th Five-Year Plan and in the country's long-range, 15-year roadmap to 2035, when China intends to become, basically, a fully modernized socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful. 

但如果一个国家的空气、水、土壤存在严重污染，就称不上“美丽”。经济发展不能以牺牲环境为代价，可持续发展是中国实现国家发展目标的必然要求。

But a country cannot claim to be "beautiful" if its air, water and soil is severely polluted. No amount of economic development is worth the cost of environmental degradation. Sustainable development is an absolute requirement for China to achieve its national goals.

过去中国政府一直推崇清洁环境理念。但是当企业出现污染问题时，叫停企业排污行为却困难重重。地方官员更关心GDP增速，毕竟他们的仕途与经济效益直接挂钩，贪污受贿也会削弱执法效力。

In the past, the Chinese government always lauded the ideals of a clean environment, but when actual enterprises polluted, there were obstacles in making them stop: local officials were more concerned about GDP growth rates to bolster their careers, and corruption and bribery could divert or halt the enforcement. 

此外，当企业被查出有污染行为时，即使情节恶劣，罚款也极少。对比整改费用，罚款金额简直九牛一毛。处罚如此之轻，简直是变相鼓励企业继续排污。

Moreover, when enterprises were caught polluting, even when egregious, the fines were extremely low, a small fraction of what it would cost to stop the polluting. In fact, the fines were so tiny that they were, in essence, a financial incentive to continue to pollute!

现在情况完全变了。各级官员和企业高管们都明白，如今排污的代价要远高于既往收益，罚款金额之多足以让涉事者感到切肤之痛，其职业生涯也会因此陷入危机。

No longer. Officials at all levels, along with enterprise executives, now know that the new costs of polluting far outweigh the old benefits: financial fines will be punitive and painful, and careers can be put in immediate jeopardy. 

通过重罚若干家涉事企业，所有人都能体会到政府的治污决心。习主席提高了非法排污的成本并清楚地传达了治污决心。

It takes only a few expensive examples for everyone to get the message. Credit President Xi for making the cost prohibitive and the message unambiguous.

我们可以透过“新发展理念”来看中国的环境保护。它推动着“十四五”规划的落实。在五大“新发展理念”中，“绿色发展”居第三位，位居中间。政府不断出台指导意见，寻找绿色发展的突破口。

One lens through which to view China's environmental protection is that of the New Development Concepts, which drives the 14th Five-year Plan. Of the five Concepts, "green development", at number three, is right in the middle. Government directives call for breakthroughs. 

到2025年，绿色产业取得显著发展，主要污染物排放总量持续减少，碳排放强度明显降低，产业结构、能源结构、运输结构明显优化，绿色产业比重显著提升，基础设施绿色化水平不断提高。到2035年，重点行业和重点产品能源资源利用效率达到国际先进水平。

By 2025, a marked rise in green industries, a continued drop in major pollutants, and a slashed carbon emission intensity; the industrial, energy, and transportation structures significantly optimized; the proportion of green industries increased significantly; and the quality of green infrastructure enhanced. By 2035, energy and resource utilization efficiency in key industries and for key products reaching world-class standards.

相关指导意见还包括：推广风能和太阳能以及天然气基础设施；限制新增煤电产能；强制性清洁生产审核；控制高污染和高耗能产品；提供地方补贴刺激绿色消费；减少食品浪费；建立生活垃圾分类制度。

The directives also include: promoting wind and solar power, and natural gas infrastructure; limiting new coal power capacity; mandatory clean production audits; controlling highly polluting and energy-intensive products; local subsidies to stimulate green consumption; reducing food waste; and improved waste classification. 

但是具体目标尚未明确。我认为具体目标迟早要明确，这很有必要。

But specific targets are not yet specified. They need to be – and I expect they will be.

我在持续观察，我是罗伯特·劳伦斯·库恩。

I'm keeping watch. I'm Robert Lawrence Kuhn.