“2011 China Green Development Index Report & Green Economics Theory Seminar” was held in the Great Hall of the People at nine o’clock on September 24th, 2011.The seminar was jointly hosted by Scientific Outlook on Development and Economic Sustainable Development Research Base of Beijing Normal University, Green Economy and Economic Sustainable Development Research Base of Southwest University of Finance and Economics and National Bureau Statistics China Economic Prosperity Monitoring Center. “2011 China Green Development Index Report: Regional Comparison” was released at the conference, covering green development index of 30 provinces (regions, cities) and 34 large and medium-sized cities. The report has been published by Beijing Normal University Press.

The seminar was presided over by Professor Li Xiaoxi, Vice Director of BNU Academic Committee, and Dr. Pan Jiancheng, Vice Director of National Bureau Statistics China Economic Prosperity Monitoring Center. Ge Jianping, Vice President of BNU, Ye Zi, Chief Editor of Beijing Normal University Publishing Group, and other leaders from Southwest University of Finance and Economics and National Bureau Statistics gave speeches at the seminar. Lu Yuan, Vice Director of Development Research Center of the State Council, Wang Zhenyao, president of One Fund Public Welfare Institute, Wei Jie, Director of China Economic Research Center of Tsinghua University and other experts made splendid interpretation regarding theory and practice of China’s green development, proposed important discourse of “looking for the balance point among environment, resource and economic development”, “searching the balance between industrial and regional green development”, and highly praised the report. Throughout China this report has been attached great importance. Yan Aoshuang, Director of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Chen Yueliang, mayor of Ya’an of Sichuan Province, and Tian Junliang, Director of Environmental Protection and Research Center in Qinghai Province made in-depth speeches regarding local green development practices.

The report was completed in the first year of the twelfth five-year plan period. Guided by the principle of “green development”, the report, revised based on green development index evaluation system last year, estimates the green development in 30 provinces (regions, cities) and 34 big and medium-sized cities. Estimation of city green development is a new part, aimed at reflecting the difference in green development in different regions. The first-class index consists of green economic growth, bearing capability of resource and environment, and support of government policy, respectively reflecting production efficiency and resource utilization rate in economic growth, resource and ecological protection and pollution discharges, and government’s investment, management and governance of green development. In addition, 2011 green development index system contains 9 second-class indexes and 60 third-class indexes, a fruit of supplementing and revising 2010 system.

This report summarizes and analyzes the progress of China’s green development during Eleventh Five-Year Plan period, and launches 11 researches closely related to green development. 30 experts of relevant fields evaluate the report and conclude that it plays a positive role in driving green development, building a resource-conserving and environmentally-friendly society, and transforming economic growth pattern. Wu Jinglian, a well-known economist, regards the report “detailed and accurate in data, objective in judgment, and rich in content; conductive to grasping the dynamic process of China’s economic growth pattern transformation, leading local government to update development philosophy, and boosting green development practice.”

According to the estimation, regional difference in green development is apparent in China. Among the 30 provinces (regions, cities), Top 10 include Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hainan, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Fujian, Jiangsu, and Guangdong, and 18 provinces are below the average level. Among the 34 cities, top 10 include Shenzhen, Haikou, Kunming, Beijing, Hefei, Guangzhou, Dalian, Changsha, and Fuzhou, and 19 cities are below the average level. Eastern region has reached a high level in green development and western region has gained comparative advantage in resource and environment, while central region has born great pressure. Research team points out that the report is not aimed at demonstrating the ranking of green development in different regions, but promoting the transformation of local economic structure and economic growth pattern.

Professor Li Xiaoxi and Dr. Pan Jiancheng, in the last 20 minutes, answered questions from four media including “China Youth Daily” and Sina, and emphasized the importance of “structural analysis of urban green development”, “accelerating transformation of economic development pattern” and integrating “three indexes” in research.

It is reported that this report has been selected by General Administration of Press and Publication into 2011 “Classics China International Publication Project”. Its English version is about to publish and participate in international exchange next year. As written in the report preface by Zhong Binglin, President of Beijing Normal University, “Beijing Normal University, an important force of national scientific and technological renovation, is committed to boosting economic development and social progress”, and continues research and makes contributions to sustainable development of national economy.