On July 15, at an executive meeting chaired by Minister Huang Runqiu, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) approved in principle four important documents. These cover improving ecological and environmental standards over the next five years, strengthening local standards work, tackling rural small water body remediation, and conducting a nationwide groundwater pollution investigation and assessment.
The approved Work Plan for Ecological and Environmental Standards (2026-2030) aims to continuously improve the ecological and environmental standards system. The meeting noted that such standards play a fundamental and guiding role in protecting the environment and promoting green development. It called for implementing relevant provisions of the ecological and environmental code, steadily advancing the development and revision of standards in key areas, promptly updating pollutant discharge and environmental quality standards, and enhancing coordination among various standards. It also stressed strict project management, improved technical support, and higher work quality and efficiency to support the construction of a Beautiful China.
Another document, the Opinions on Local Ecological and Environmental Standards, focuses on the relevance and applicability of local standards. The meeting emphasized tailoring measures to local conditions, providing guidance by category, and helping localities determine control items, limits, and monitoring and evaluation requirements based on actual circumstances. It also called for a problem-oriented approach, legally formulating local standards, actively exploring cross-provincial coordinated standards, and promoting full-chain closed-loop management to provide a basis for differentiated, precise, and region-specific control.
The meeting also approved the Rural Small Water Body Remediation Action Plan. The remediation of rural small water bodies is seen as key to building a beautiful countryside. The meeting required prioritizing densely populated areas, areas with many public complaints, areas near livestock and poultry breeding, and areas with intensive aquaculture, conducting thorough inspections, establishing a dynamically updated remediation list, and enhancing information sharing. It proposed developing remediation plans on a water-body-by-water-body basis, systematically carrying out source control and pollution interception, internal source treatment, and ecological restoration, strictly accepting and closing out problems, and strengthening routine supervision. It also stressed adhering to a people-centered approach to ensure remediation outcomes meet public needs and gain public recognition.
Lastly, the Master Plan for Nationwide Groundwater Pollution Investigation and Assessment was approved. This is a foundational task for comprehensively understanding groundwater pollution conditions in China. The meeting pointed out the need to form a clearly tiered and complementary investigation system, coordinating overall regional assessments with analyses of typical local problems. Scientific technical routes will be determined, sampling points will be reasonably set up, modern investigation methods and information tools will be used, and whole-process quality management will be implemented. Strengthening organizational implementation and technical support was also highlighted to ensure the orderly progress of the work.
In addition to these documents, other matters were also studied. Vice Ministers Guo Fang and Xu Bijiu, Liao Xiyuan, head of the discipline inspection and supervision team at MEE from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, attended the meeting, along with relevant heads from various departments and affiliated centers.