Development Of Circular Economy In China And Countermeasures

The objective of building a well-off society in an all-round way within the first twenty years of the 21st century was put forward at the sixteenth national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The objective includes: continuously enhancing the ability to develop stably, improving ecological environment, obviously increasing resource utilization efficiency, facilitating harmony between human and the nature and promoting the entire society onto a civilized development road with developed production, rich life and sound ecology. According to analysis and estimation of experts, there are three possible ways to realize the 2020 economic development goal: first, maintaining the current resource utilization way and emission level of pollutants, then the influence of economic and social development on environment will be three to four times greater than that at present;second, maintaining the present environment quality, then the resource productivity must be increased to four to five times the level at present;third, realizing an obvious improvement of environment quality at the same time when realizing economic development goal, then the resource productivity must be increased to eight to ten times the level at present. Under the tradition development mode, however, these difficulties are no way to be solved. Just as Professor Qu Geping put it, "To realize the economic development goal of quadrupling China's GDP by 2020, we must unswervingly adhere to the strategy of sustainable development and follow the development way of circular economy. It's out of the question to realize the goal with the traditional development mode------which has come to the end."Circular economy refers to social production and reproduction activities carried out under the guidance of the thought of sustainable development with a view of effectively utilizing resources and being friendly to the environment. The difference between the circular economy and the traditional growth mode is: under the traditional economic growth mode, the earth is regarded as an immense resource warehouse and pollutant stack. People draw the substance and energy in the earth in large amount through production and consumption, then desert the pollutant and waste in large amount intothe air, water, soil and other natural environment on which the human lives. This growth mode is represented by "resource-product-pollutant" and is a linear growth mode. Circular economy focuses on effective utilization of resources and circular utilization of waste. It is featured by low consumption, low emission, and high efficiency and represented by "resource-product-waste-regenerated resource". Thus, it is an intensive growth mode consistent with the scientific development concept.The paper is divided into four parts:In the first part, the author outlines basic theories of circular economy. The thought of circular economy was put forward in 1960s when the environmental protection movements rose, grew in 1970-1980s and came into being in 1990s.Circular economy refers to social production and reproduction activities carried out with a view of effectively utilizing resources and being friendly to the environment. Theoretical basis of circular economy is ecological economy. In practice, circular economy needs to follow the principle of reducing quantity, reuse and recycle. Development of circular economy is an important measure to alleviate the resource constraint and increase resource utilization efficiency, an important way to basically reduce pollution and protect environment and an essential requirement to be human-oriented and realize sustainable development.In the second part, the author discusses the development of circular economy in China and problems. Grope of circular economy in China can be roughly divided into three phases: the 1990s observes the initial introduction of the thought of circular economy;from 1990s to 2002, people's understanding of the theory of circular economy got deepened under the environment pressure;and, since 2003, both the theory and practice of circular economy has begun to be promoted. In recent years, China promulgated a series of laws and regulations. But, the Law on Circular Economy is still absent as a general basis for developing circular economy. Main problems found out the process of developing circular economy in China include: lack of effective incentive mechanism;weak basis for the constraint mechanism to play its role;the system of recycling and reusing waste yet to be established;and seriousmisunderstanding for the development of circular economy.In the third part, the author explains the practices and experiences of developing circular economy in developed countries with the examples of Germany, Japan and the United States. Circular economy is a revolution in pattern. There are many deficiencies in the governance pattern on the end of the production process. With environmental problems becoming more and more severe around the globe, the end governance pattern is gradually replaced by the circular economy pattern. In the development of circular economy, Germany is in a leading position in the world. It focuses on disposal and reuse of wastes. Substance Cycle and Waste Management Law is its major law. Japan is the first developed country to put forward the concept of circular economy and promote it and obtain an obvious effect. Its legislation with regard to circular economy is the most complete in the world. The Basic Law for Establishing the Recycling-based Society is its major law. The United States is one of the pioneers of circular economy. Though it hasn't promulgated a national law on circular economy up to now, it has had its own distinctive features in promoting recycling and circular consumption through lawmaking and energy policies. There are many experiences in the development of circular economy in developed counties, such as, gradually improving legislation of circular economy, improving various policies promoting the development of circular economy;actively establishing the production organization system at different levels;and creating new system, new culture and new ethic and promoting all the people to participate in the building of a circular society.In the fourth part, the author discusses the general thought and countermeasures to promote the development of circular economy in China. In this part, the author first points out the guideline, basic principle, major field and general thought of developing circular economy in China;then, the author puts forward several countermeasures to promote the development of circular economy in China. In the author's opinion, to promote the development of circular economy in China, we must promote a transformation in concept, enhance public awareness and education of circular economy, actively advocate green consumption;carry out the Eleventh Five-year Plan with anemphasis on developing circular economy;establish and improve a system of laws and regulations to promote the development of circular economy;deepen reform, establish a supporting system of economic policies and form an incentive mechanism to promote the development of circular economy;establish the system of extending the responsibility of producers as soon as possible;keep adjusting and optimizing the economic structure according the development requirement of circular economy;establish a technical supporting system for circular economy based on scientific and technological advancement;and develop the circular economy with Chinese characteristics based on the situation of China.