9.      While continuing to pursue the overall objectives identified by the previous three phases, CCICED Phase IV will support China’s bid to build a harmonious and a well-off society by 2020 and will relate its work to the Five-Year plans for socio-economic development for this period. CCICED will offer practical policy recommendations, technical support, demonstration experiences and early policy warnings; promote the further implementation of the sustainable development strategy of the Chinese Government. CCICED will support the Chinese government in building a resource-saving and environmentally-friendly society, achieving sustained growth of the national economy and the betterment of environmental quality, and continuing to assume the obligations of a responsible power in a bid to create a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future for both China and the world.

10.  The specific objectives of CCICED Phase IV are to:

1)        Provide strategic advice, policy recommendations and early policy warnings to the Chinese Government, in terms of ensuring the sustainable growth of China’s national economy, protecting and preserving China’s environment, ensuring the long-term supply and safety of energy and natural resources and promoting harmonious development between people and nature.

2)        Foster international cooperation between China and the international community on critical issues of environment and development, such as relevant planning, programs, scientific development, technology transfer, trainings, etc.

3)        Provide advisory service to the Chinese Government on important decision making in the fields of environment and development and assess the economic, social and environmental impacts of such decision-making.

4)        Provide the Chinese Government with international experience in the fields of environment and development in the context of globalization, information society and S&T innovations, and at the same time assist China in introducing its accomplishments and experience to other countries.

5)        Help to enhance China’s capacity to accede to or implement international programs and to negotiate in international conventions aiming to alleviate global environmental problems.

6)        Play an advisory and assisting role in promoting public awareness and public participation in environmental protection and in training programs for officials at central and local government departments in order to enhance their awareness of policy-making on sustainable development.

11.  While basing itself on the accomplishments and policy recommendations of the previous three phases, CCICED (Phase IV) will make the policy recommendations of the Council more practical, carry out more in-depth and more extensive demonstrations, and propose new recommendations for strategy adjustment in light of the changing situation. Phase IV should concentrate on further improving the quality of its advisory services in terms of the Council’s operation and policy study work. Meanwhile, the Council will provide its advice while taking into account the interaction between China’s long-term development and global environmental issues. Priority areas for research at the starting period of Phase IV could include, but are by no means limited to, the following: long-term strategic options for energy and environment including the response to climate change; environment and public health; long-term national eco-safety strategy and ecological service and management system; technical innovation for an environmentally friendly society; sustainable trade policies, consumption and investment policy; sustainable marine environment; regional development including the policy to balance environment and development in the western development drive; environmental issues related to the new rural development strategy; long-term strategy for China to implement international environmental conventions; public participation; the implication on the global environment and development imposed by China’s development; and the social implications of policy decisions on issues such as gender equality and poverty alleviation.