BEIJING - Green is the defining feature of China's development in the new era and remarkable progress has been made in the country's green and low-carbon transformation, said Tian Chunxiu, deputy director of the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

She made the remarks during the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk platform hosted by Xinhua News Agency, on Friday.

In the energy sector, for example, China's annual energy consumption growth averaged 3 percent in the new era since the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress in 2012, while its average annual economic growth exceeded 6 percent and its energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped by 26.8 percent, making it one of the countries with the fastest reduction in energy intensity worldwide, she revealed.

The installed capacity of renewable energy currently exceeds that of thermal power plants in China, and China's scale of development and utilization of renewable energy ranks first in the world.

China, in the new era, has created many successful practices, as the world's largest developing country has managed to effectively protect its ecological environment, while also achieving rapid economic and social development, Tian said, citing significant improvements in China's ecological environment.

China has witnessed steady improvement in its air quality, with average PM2.5 density, a key indicator of air pollution, dropping to 30 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 from 46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015, she said.

In terms of water quality, the proportion of surface-water bodies nationwide classified as having "fairly good" water quality had reached 89.4 percent in 2023, she added.

Using key rivers as examples, Tian said the Yangtze River's main stream has maintained Grade II water quality for four consecutive years, while the main stream of the Yellow River has maintained the same level for two successive years.

China has a five-tier water quality system, with Grade V representing the lowest level.

China has steadfastly advanced its "Beautiful China" initiative, emphasizing ecological and environmental protection as a top priority in its social and economic development.

During the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July 2024, Chinese leadership pledged to "prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development."