33.28 million yuan! The country's first value conversion transaction for water and soil conservation ecological products was recently signed in Anji, Zhejiang. The transaction target is the six-year management rights of water and soil conservation eco-tourism resources in the Yuanshimen Keng Ecological Clean Small Watershed of Huangpu River in Anji County. This "first order" has important demonstration significance for exploring the transformation path of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and expanding channels for social capital to participate in soil erosion control.

A good ecological environment contains infinite economic value. 但并不是说，绿水青山自然而然就会变成金山银山，“捧着金饭碗挨饿”的情况并不少见。推动绿水青山向金山银山转化，需要发挥生态产品价值实现机制的纽带、桥梁作用，通过生态保护补偿、市场经营开发等手段，将生态产品所具有的生态、经济和社会价值体现出来，让生态环境“高颜值”和经济发展“高价值”协同并进。

Taking this transaction as an example, since 2012, the local area has carried out a series of actions to prevent, protect and control soil erosion, and the ecological environment has been significantly improved. According to calculations, the annual eco-tourism value of Hegai block can reach 4.5 million yuan. Under the market mechanism of "the highest bidder gets", the six-year management right is sold at a premium of 6.28 million yuan higher than the starting price. The transaction funds will be used specially for the consolidation and improvement of water and soil conservation functions and the common prosperity of villagers to generate income.

Baidi City and its surrounding scenery in Fengjie County, Chongqing. Photo by Xiao Yijiu (Xinhua Agency)

Establishing a value realization mechanism for ecological products is a major institutional arrangement for comprehensively deepening reform of China's ecological civilization construction. In recent years, relevant policy systems have been accelerated and practical exploration has been continuously deepened. In 2021, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the "Opinions on Establishing and Improving the Value Realization Mechanism of Ecological Products". In 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Bureau of Statistics jointly studied and issued the "Specifications for Accounting the Total Value of Ecological Products (Trial)". At the local level, more than 20 provinces have successively issued implementation plans and action plans on establishing and improving the value realization mechanism of ecological products, and a number of vivid practical cases have emerged in various places. Although certain results have been achieved, on the whole, this work is still in the early stages of exploration. Basic work such as ecological product catalog and property rights definition, value accounting and application, ecological product certification and development is still weak. Ecological products are "difficult to measure and transaction. Difficult to realize, and difficult to mortgage" have not yet been substantively solved.

今年的《政府工作报告》提出，完善生态产品价值实现机制，健全生态保护补偿制度，充分调动各方面保护和改善生态环境的积极性；《中共中央 国务院关于全面推进美丽中国建设的意见》提出，健全生态产品价值实现机制，推进生态环境导向的开发模式和投融资模式创新；习近平总书记在新时代推动中部地区崛起座谈会上要求，完善流域横向生态保护补偿机制和生态产品价值实现机制，推进产业生态化和生态产业化。 A series of intensive deployments show that China will promote the deepening of the value realization mechanism of ecological products and continuously transform ecological advantages into development advantages.

Establishing and improving the value realization mechanism of ecological products is a groundbreaking reform task and a systematic project. It involves multiple stakeholders such as the government, society, and the public. It is inseparable from the close integration of top-level design and practical exploration. It requires overall planning and continuous advancement., we must also grasp key breakthroughs in key links.

Priority protection and reasonable utilization are prerequisites. 要加强生态环境保护和修复，严格守住自然生态安全边界，厚植生态产品价值实现的根基，加快生态产品价值实现机制与主体功能区、自然保护区、生态保护红线等重要制度设计的统筹衔接。彻底摒弃以牺牲生态环境换取一时一地经济增长的做法，真正形成保护生态环境就是保护生产力、改善生态环境就是发展生产力的价值追求。

Finding the foundation and finding the right way is the foundation. 加快完善自然资源与生态环境调查监测体系，及时跟踪掌握生态产品数量分布、质量等级、功能特点、权益归属、保护和开发利用情况等信息，扎实开展生态产品价值核算工作，推进GEP核算成果进规划、进考核、进政策、进项目。鼓励各地利用资源禀赋、比较优势和发展潜力，因地制宜拓展生态产品价值实现路径。

Government-led and multi-party participation are the key. 一方面，更好发挥政府在制度设计、经济补偿、绩效考核和营造社会氛围等方面的主导作用，建立健全生态产品确权、核算、评估、交易等政策体系。另一方面，充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，建立生态环境保护者受益、使用者付费、破坏者赔偿的利益导向机制，打通资源变资产、资产变资本的通道，使对绿水青山的保护“有利可图”，进一步提高社会各界参与生态保护修复和生态产品供给的积极性。