国合会：连接中国与世界

文/郝小然

中国环境与发展国际合作委员会（简称“国合会”）成立于1992年，是经中国政府批准的国际性高层政策咨询机构。国合会成立以来，见证并参与了中国发展理念和发展方式的历史性变迁，在中国可持续发展进程中发挥了独特而重要的作用，成为连接中国与国际社会在环境与发展领域交流与互鉴的重要平台。

运行机制：参与广泛和高效有力

国合会的成立具有独特的时代背景，涉及政治、国际等多方面因素。首先是改革开放的必然要求。20世纪90年代初我国的改革开放进入了一个关键时期，更全面、更深入的对外开放既是中国政府需要坚持的方针，也是国际社会的期待。其次是中国多边合作意愿强烈。1992年联合国在里约热内卢召开环境与发展会议前夕，环境与发展问题已经成为世界各国关注的焦点，中国环境状况关系到世界环境的健康和人类的福祉。以1987年发布的《我们共同的未来》特别是1992年里约环发大会为标志，世界开始步入追求可持续发展的时代。里约环发大会呼吁为实现可持续发展建立全球伙伴关系，呼吁发达国家帮助发展中国家解决环境与发展的问题与矛盾。中国在这一历史时期迫切需要全面深入地向国际社会学习，这是成立国合会的实际需求。在此情况下，中国政府于1992年正式批准成立国合会，作为中国环境与发展领域的国际性高级政策咨询机构，为中国的高层决策者提供有关解决环境与发展领域重大问题的政策建议。

自成立以来，国合会创建了中国与世界在环境与发展领域的独特品牌，不仅将可持续发展理念带入中国，促进中国与国际社会在环境与发展领域的交流与互鉴，而且提出百余项具有前瞻性、战略性、预警性的政策建议，对中国的环境与发展进程产生深刻影响。

国合会的成功发展主要得益于其独特机制，迄今为止在世界范围内也鲜有相同范例，主要体现在以下几个方面。

国合会年会会场

一是组织层次高，参与广泛。国合会从建立开始，一直得到中国政府的高度重视和大力支持，国合会主席一直由中国国务院主管环保工作的领导人担任。每届国合会由约50名中外方委员组成，一届任期5年，今年是第六届国合会的最后一年，第七届国合会将于2022年启动。国合会委员主要由政要、知名学者、商界领袖、国际组织和环保非政府组织代表组成。国合会每年举办环境领域的最高级别会议国合会年会，邀请中外委员参加，向中国政府提出政策建议。此外，每年还有200多名中外专家学者参与国合会的研究工作。事实表明，没有哪个国家有类似的拥有众多国际性高级别人士广泛持久参与的机制。高层次、多元化的委员，优秀的研究团队和众多优质的参与方，使得国合会具备了提供高质量、多样性和包容性政策咨询的基本条件。

二是主题鲜明，成果直达高层。国合会根据国内环境与发展政策迫切需求，选取并设立交叉研究课题，邀请中外专家共同开展政策研究活动。经过国际与国内两个不同视角的交流碰撞形成共同成果，再通过年会上中外委员多次讨论和修改后上报中国政府高层。国家领导人每年出席国合会年会或其他重大活动，当面听取政策建议；国合会以书面形式提交给国务院和有关政府部门供决策参考。“直通车”机制确保国合会政策建议直达国家领导人，这种政策咨询机制吸引了众多中外顶尖专家的参与。政策建议还会通过国合会网站、圆桌会议、出版物等形式向中央、地方政府和社会相关者发布。

三是内部机制高效有力，不断创新提升。国合会的内部管理层次清晰、分工明确：设立主席团对重大事项和工作规则进行决策；设在生态环境部的国合会秘书处和秘书处国际支持办公室是国合会的具体办事机构；中外首席顾问及其专家支持组负责拟定国合会的主题和研究方向，指导课题组研究工作，起草每年的关注问题报告和给中国政府的政策建议。此外，国合会在中外委员组成、研究主题的识别、研究工作的组织形式和运行机制等多方面进行了多次改革和阶段性调整，以提高政策咨询的质量。

百余份研究报告，近千余条政策建议

向中国政府提供政策咨询并产生实质性影响是国合会的宗旨和价值所在。国合会始终深度参与中国环境与发展综合决策支持进程，坚持从战略高度倡导环境与经济、社会的和谐以及可持续发展，通过战略性、前瞻性、预警性的研究提出了大量具有重大价值的政策建议，对中国的政策发展作出了积极、有益、意义深远的贡献。国务院总理李克强在2013年会见国合会委员时指出：“国合会针对中国环境与发展面临的重大问题提出的政策建议有不少为中国政府所采纳，在实践中取得积极成效。”

自创建以来，国合会建立了近百个课题组、专题组或工作组，组织了上千名专家学者对中国环境与发展领域的主要问题展开较全面和深入的研究工作，形成了百余份政策研究报告，向中国政府提交了近千余条政策建议，并向相关部门提供更多更加具体的建议。国合会的政策建议通过多种渠道对中国环境政策实践产生重要影响。有些政策建议或者被直接采纳，或者引发国内对某项政策议题讨论，以间接的方式加速或改变了政策进程；有些政策建议在当年就引起决策者的注意，而有些建议则在几年后逐步变成政策现实。国合会确定新的政策研究项目主要有两个依据：一是国际环境与发展的进程和相对于中国在知识和经验方面的比较优势；二是中国环境与发展的形势及其迫切需求。

国合会政策研究相关报告

第一届国合会（1992—1996年）和第二届国合会（1997—2001年）主要以学习和借鉴国际理论和研究经验为主。第一届国合会正值里约峰会将世界带入追求可持续发展的新纪元，国际环境与发展合作也进入新阶段。中国政府积极提出《环境与发展十大对策》，率先发布了《中国21世纪议程》，首次将可持续发展概念和战略纳入国家经济社会发展的长远规划。因此，第一届国合会的政策研究主要围绕一些重点领域开展基础性研究展开，以引进基本理论和借鉴实践经验为主，涉及生物多样性保护、能源战略与技术、科学技术、资源核算与定价、环境监测、污染控制、环境与贸易、经济计划和环境保护等方面。第二届国合会期间全球环境合作取得阶段成果，联合国千年发展目标发布。国内首次提出转变经济增长方式的要求，并努力于2001年加入世界贸易组织。在这一形势下，国合会的研究项目在第一届的基础上增加了超前性、预警性研究，涉及清洁生产、环境与交通、经济计划与环境保护、西部开发中的林草问题、可持续农业等方面。

第三届国合会（2002—2006年）和第四届国合会（2007—2011年）处于转型升级时期。第三届国合会基于国际环发观念的转变和中国的战略转型，成为国合会重要改革时期。主要体现在两个方面：更新了大批委员，增加了一名国际副主席，国际支持显著增加；实行首席顾问制度，为国合会研究和其他实际工作提供指导和建议。研究队伍经过改革更具系统性，第三届国合会主要集中在可持续农业、可持续工业、可持续城市化、环境管理四个领域。第四届国合会较前三届取得了长足发展，最关键的因素是准确判断出中国环境与发展进程开始发生战略转型的形势，更加注重从整体上和宏观层面把握中国的需求，增强了研究主题的针对性、前瞻性和战略性，增加了政策研究成果的集成度和系统性。准确地把握了中国和环境与发展战略转型的新形势，针对关键性的重大问题，先后确立了创新与环境友好型社会，机制创新与和谐发展，能源、环境与发展，生态系统管理与绿色发展，经济发展方式的绿色转型等五大主题。在此阶段，一些国合会前瞻性政策建议最终被中国政府采纳并产生重要影响：如早在2008年国合会就开展了基于市场的碳价研究，并对碳交易的设计、范围、监测和实施提出建议，就建议在7个省份开展排放交易系统试点项目。2013年，中国在7个省市开展了碳排放权交易试点。

第五届国合会（2012—2016年）和第六届国合会（2017—2021年）处于稳步发展阶段。第五届国合会的时间段恰好与“十二五”时期中国大力推进生态文明建设相吻合，也与全球重新审视环境与发展、推动实施2030年可持续发展议程的时机相契合，将绿色发展和绿色转型作为核心关注贯穿始终，对国家治理体系改革、治理能力提升予以充分关注，设置了区域平衡与绿色发展、面向绿色发展的环境与社会、绿色发展的管理制度创新、绿色转型的国家治理能力、生态文明——中国与世界五大主题。正在进行的第六届国合会期间在环境政策与实施方面发生了一系列重要转变，这也是国合会成立以来最具挑战性的时期。受新冠肺炎疫情影响，世界经济面临艰难复苏的局面，为国合会的运行和转变带来多重挑战。第六届国合会更加密切地关注国家、地方和国际层面的环境与发展治理创新，与中国“十三五”规划中实现国家治理能力现代化的目标联系起来，同世界环境与发展进程的互动显著增强，紧紧围绕气候变化巴黎协定、联合国2030可持续发展目标、生物多样性框架公约等全球目标开展工作。研究领域包括碳中和、气候变化承诺、“一带一路”倡议绿色发展、自然保护、国内治理体系在政策与实施方面的变化等。此阶段国合会也提出诸多具有影响力的政策建议并被中国政府采纳：如2021年，中国全国碳交易市场正式启动，生态环境部新闻发布会中引用了国合会外方首席顾问的观点。又如，2018年，国合会建议中国同其他国家合作应对塑料污染。同年，中国、加拿大和法国签订了鼓励相关行动的联合声明。2018年，国合会建议制定《长江保护法》，2020年12月中国通过了《长江保护法》，并于2021年3月1日起正式实施。类似的成功案例还有很多。

价值与前景：为建设清洁美丽的世界贡献智慧和力量

全球性挑战需要全球性解决方案。从国合会的组成结构和运行机制、主要政策活动以及对中国的政策影响可以看出其存在的独特价值。国合会已经推动形成了一个关于中国环境与发展以及如何应对多重挑战的独特知识体系，并且已经对中国国内甚至国外环发进程产生重要的正面影响，且这种影响也必将延续下去。

对于国合会的价值，中外高层人士给予了高度评价。

国合会主席、国务院副总理韩正在出席2018年年会时讲道：“中国政府将一如既往地支持国合会发展和壮大，支持国合会发展成为全球包容、开放合作、互惠发展的新型环境与发展国际合作平台，在推进中国生态文明建设和全球可持续发展方面发挥更大的作用。”

对于国合会研究成果和政策建议的评价，国合会外方副主席、联合国开发计划署署长阿齐姆·施泰纳在2007年年会上评价道：“我相信，当今中国对于推动世界可持续发展背景下的环境问题走在前列——环境更是发展的驱动力。”

国合会成立以来，得到不同国家和国际机构的关注与支持。加拿大、挪威、瑞典等对国合会及其政策研究工作提供了资助，是国合会的重要捐助方；国际组织和跨国公司也为国合会提供了资金支持，支持国合会各项活动的推进。同时，中国政府有关部门对国合会工作的支持也是不可或缺的。

几十年的发展历程表明，国合会的独特价值在于其发挥了以下四个方面的作用。一是连接中国与国际社会、政府与社会的桥梁，共同推进中国乃至世界的可持续发展；二是向中国各级政策制定者传播先进国际经验的智库；三是供中国和国际专家坦率交换意见的一个国际高级咨询机构；四是中国向国际社会介绍其成功经验和解决方法的媒介和双向交流的平台。

2022年是国合会成立三十周年，同时也是启动第七届国合会的关键节点。在当前国内外形势下，第七届国合会将继续秉持服务中国生态文明建设和全球可持续发展、推动实现美丽中国和绿色繁荣世界的目标，建设成为中国和世界环境与发展领域双向交流平台、促进生态文明建设协作平台、推动完善全球环境治理体系创新平台。通过与各方合作积极应对当前“三大环境危机”（气候变化、生物多样性和生态、污染）、疫后复苏以及与联合国2030年可持续发展议程相关的其他重大问题，促进国际合作，实现互利共赢，为推动构建人类命运共同体作出积极贡献。

The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) was founded in 1992 as a high—level international advisory body with the approval of the Government of China. Since its inception, the CCICED has witnessed and participated in many historical changes in China’s developmental philosophy. It has played a unique and essential role in China’s sustainable development process. It has become a necessary platform for communication and mutual learning between China and the international community in environment and development.

Highly efficient and effective operation mechanism with extensive broad participation

The establishment of the CCICED has a unique historical background, involving political and international factors. The first is the inevitable need for considering environmental factors in the context of China’s reform and opening—up policy. In the early 1990s, China’s reform and opening entered a critical period. Therefore, a more comprehensive and in—depth introduction to the outside world became a policy that the Chinese government needs to adhere to and the international community’s expectations. The second is China’s strong willingness for multilateral cooperation.

On the eve of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, environmental and development issues became the focus of world attention. China’s environmental conditions are related to the health of the world’s environment and the well—being of human beings. The 1987 report Our Common Future and the 1992 Rio Earth Summit marked a new era of sustainable development for the world. The Summit called for a global partnership on sustainable development and North—South assistance on environmental and development issues. In this historical period, China urgently needed to learn from the international community, which is the actual demand for establishing the CCICED. Under such circumstances, the Chinese government formally approved the establishment of the CCICED in 1992 as an international high—level policy advisory body in the field of environmental and development in China, providing policy advice to China’s senior policymakers on solving major issues in the field of environment and development.

Since its establishment, the CCICED has created a unique brand in environmental development between China and the world. It has promoted exchanges in mutual learning between China and the international community. In addition, It has produced more than a hundred forward—looking, strategic, and early warning policy recommendations, which profoundly impacted China’s environment and development process.

The successful development of the CCICED is mainly due to its unique mechanism, and there are few similar examples in the world so far, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

First, High—level and diverse committee. Since its establishment, the CCICED has been highly valued and strongly supported by the Chinese government. The Council Chairperson is the Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China with responsibility for environmental protection. CCICED is comprised of around 50 members, each with a team of five years. This year is the last year of the CCICED Phase 6, and the CCICED Phase 7 will be launched in 2022. CCICED members are mainly composed of key political leaders, business leaders, representatives from international organizations, and Non—Governmental Organizations (NGOs). In addition, the CCICED holds the highest—level Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the environmental field. The meeting invites national and international members to participate in making policy recommendations to the Chinese government. In addition, more than 200 national and international experts are engaged in CCICED activities every year. Facts have shown that no other country has similar high—level and diverse committees with extensive and sustained participation of many high—level international members, excellent research teams, and many high—quality participants.

Second, Expressway to senior policymakers. According to critical national environmental and development policies topics, CCICED selects and sets up cross—research issues and invites national and international experts to carry out policy research activities jointly. Their studies consider both domestic Chinese needs and international experience. The studies and recommendations can be submitted to the State Council of the People’s Republic of China at AGM or through other ways. The unique “Expressway” for the CCICED findings and policy recommendations to reach the national leaders has attracted many top experts from national and international groups. Policy recommendations are also disseminated to local governments and relevant stakeholders through the CCICED website, roundtable meetings, and publications.

Third, Promoting innovation with efficient mechanism. The secretariat is based under the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the secretariat international support office are the CCICED administrative bodies. The Chinese and International Chief Advisors and their expert support teams are responsible for formulating the theme and research direction of the CCICED, guiding the research work, drafting the annual issues paper and policy recommendations for the Chinese government. In addition, the CCICED has carried out many reforms and adjustments in many aspects, such as identifying research topics, the composition of national and international members, the organizational form and operation mechanism of research work, to improve the quality of policy recommendations.

More than a hundred research reports, nearly a thousand policy recommendations

Provision of policy recommendations to the Chinese government that can have a substantive impact on policy formulation and outcomes is the ultimate objective and value of the CCICED. The CCICED has always been deeply involved in China’s environment and development’s comprehensive decision—making and support process. It consistently advocates for the sustainable development of the environment, economy, and society strategically. Many valuable policy recommendations are put forward through strategic prospective and early warning research, making positive, beneficial, and far—reaching contributions to China’s development policy.

Premier Li Keqiang mentioned in a meeting with CCICED members in 2013 that: Many of CCICED policy recommendations on China’s significant issues of environment and development have been adopted by the Chinese government and yielded practical positive results.

Since its inception, the CCICED has established nearly 100 research groups, organized thousands of experts and scholars to conduct comprehensive and in—depth research on significant issues in the field of environmental development. As a result, they have produced more than 100 policy research reports in China and submitted nearly 1,000 policy recommendations to the Chinese government. In addition, more detailed proposals are circulated to the relevant departments. Identification of new policy study topics is based on two considerations: international environment and development agendas and their relative value in terms of knowledge and experiences; the other is the situation of environment and development in China and urgency of need.

CCICED Phase 1 (1992—1996) and CCICED Phase 2 (1997—2001) mainly focused on learning and drawing on international concepts and experiences. CCICED Phase 1 started just at the time of the new global era was ushered in by the Rio Earth Summit, with its latest proposals for international cooperation on environment and development. In addition, China issued its

Ten Strategic Policies for China’s Environment and Development and produced China Agenda 21

. Therefore, the CCICED Phase 1 topic was mainly related to fundamental studies in critical areas with an emphasis on the introduction of essential theory and practical experiences, including biodiversity conservation, energy strategies and technologies, science and technology, resource accounting and pricing, environmental monitoring, pollution control, environment and trade, economic planning and environmental conservation. During the CCICED Phase 2, significant progress was made in global environmental cooperation and UN Millennium Development Goals was adopted. In addition, China adopted a new economic growth model and joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. Under this situation of rising growth, but also taking into account both challenges and new economic opportunities, CCICED expanded its Phase 2 to include not only those topics covered in Phase 1, but also others: foresight and early warning topics related directly to the economy and environmental protection, western forests and grasslands, and sustainable agriculture.

CCICED Phase 3 (2002—2006) and CCICED Phase 4 (2007—2011) were in a period of transformation and upgrading. Based on the change of the international perception of environment and development and transformative change within China, Phase 3 had become a critical reform period for the CCICED. Thus, its members had a broader range of expertise and backgrounds. Furthermore, the CCICED implemented the Chief Advisors mechanism to provide guidance and advice on studies and other substantive aspects. These changes allowed the research team to established more systematically with carefully drawn themes and focus of work. Phase 3 mainly focused on sustainable agriculture, sustainable industrialization, sustainable urbanization, and environmental governance.

CCICED Phase 4 had made even more significant progress. The most critical factor included accurate judgments about China entering a strategic, transformative change period in its environment and development relationship, more emphasis on overall and macro—level needs of China, enhanced focus on the work, better foresight and strategy analysis of topics, increased integration among the research products, and recognized the new situation of environment and development in China. Furthermore, over the five years of Phase 4, they addressed the following themes:

Innovation and environmentally friendly society, institutional innovation and harmonious development, energy environment and development, ecosystem management and green growth, and green transformation of economic development. At this stage, some recommendations of the CCICED were adopted by the Chinese government. For example, as early as 2008, the CCICED carried out a market—based carbon price study and suggested monitoring and implementing the design scope of carbon trading. In addition, it offered to carry out pilot projects of emissions trading systems in seven provinces and cities. Then in 2013, China carried out pilot projects of carbon emission trading in seven provinces and cities.

CCICED Phase 5 (2012—2016) and Phase 6 (2017—2021) are in the stage of steady development. Phase 5 coincided with China’s efforts to promote ecological civilization during the 12Five—Year Plan (2011—2015), fitted the global re—examination of the environment and development process, and promoted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the Agenda). Green development and green transition remained a core concern. Therefore, the CCICED paid more attention to the interaction among environment, economy, society and national governance system reform and capacity building. In Phase 5, five themes were explored, including regional balance and green development, environmental protection and green development, management and institutional innovation in green growth, enabling governance capacity for green transformation, and China’s ecological civilization and the world. Significant changes have occurred in environmental policy and implementation during the ongoing CCICED Phase 6, the most challenging period. Affected by the COVID—19 pandemic, the global economy is struggling to recover, bringing multiple challenges to the operation and transformation of the CCICED. The current phase 6 focuses more closely on environmental and development governance innovation at the national, local, and international levels. It related to China’s 13Five—Year Plan to realize national governance capabilities and significantly enhances its interaction with the world environment and development process. CCICED’s work is closely about the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Agenda, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Research areas include carbon neutrality, climate change commitments, green development of Belt and Road Initiatives, nature protection, and changes in domestic governance systems in terms of policy and implementation. At this stage, the CCICED also puts forward many influential policy recommendations adopted by the Chinese government. On this, CCICED recommended that China mobilize international partnerships for action on plastic pollution. The same year Canada and China issued a joint statement on marine litter from plastic pollution. In 2018, the CCICED recommended the formulation of the “Yangtze River Protection Law”. In December 2020, China passed the “Yangtze River Protection Law”, formally implemented on March 1, 2021. There are many similar success stories.

Value and prospect: Contribute wisdom and strength to building a clean and beautiful world

Global challenges require global solutions. The unique value of the CCICED can be seen from its constituent institutions, operational mechanisms, major policy activities, and its policy impact on China. The CCICED has contributed to the formation of a unique knowledge system about China’s environment and development and how to deal with multiple challenges, and has had a significant and positive impact on the process of environmental action at home and abroad.

Various high—level figures have given their appraisal on the value of CCICED:Vice—premier and current CCICED Chair Han Zheng mentioned in 2018 AGM that: “

The Chinese government will, as always, support the development and growth of the CCICED and its development into a new international cooperation platform for environment and development featuring inclusive, open, cooperative and mutually beneficial development in the world, so as to play a greater role in promoting China’s ecological civilization and global sustainable development

.”Concerning CCICED findings and policy assessment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator and CCICED Vice—Chairperson Achim Steiner said at the 2007 AGM: “

I believe that China is now in the forefront of helping the world to interpret the environment in the context of development

——

more as a driver for development

.”

Since the establishment of the CCICED, it has received attention and support from different countries and international organizations. Canada, Norway, Sweden, and other countries have provided funding to the CCICED and its policy research work and are essential donors of the CCICED; international organizations and multinational companies have also provided financial support and supported various CCICED activities. The support of the relevant departments of the Chinese government to the work of the CCICED is also indispensable.

Decades of experience show that the unique value of CCICED is reflected through four critical roles of the CCICED:

Acting as a bridge between China and international communities, the government and society, and between intergovernmental agencies and environmental care. A think tank to disseminate new ideas and advanced international experience on sustainable development to policymakers at various levels in China. A high—level international advisory body in which Chinese and international experts exchange views frankly. Facilitator to China in introducing its achievements, expertise and solutions to international communities.

2022 marks the 30anniversary of the establishment of the CCICED, and it is also a crucial moment for the launch of the CCICED Phase 7. Under the current national and international situation, the CCICED will continue to uphold the goal of serving China’s ecological civilization and global sustainable development, promoting the realization of a beautiful China and a green and prosperous world. It hopes to build China and the world into a two—way exchange platform in environment and development, promote cooperation in ecological civilization, and improve the innovation platform of the global environmental governance system. Furthermore, by cooperating with all parties, CCICED will actively respond to three major environmental crises: climate change, biodiversity, and environmental pollution; focus on significant issues related to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, promote international cooperation, and make positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for humankind.