中国生态文明建设（中英对照）连载之十七
从快速GDP到绿色GDP
本书由北京语言大学出版社出版，2014（教学课件光盘版） 作者 蒋高明
2.4.1 From rapid growth-oriented GDP to green GDP
“先污染，后治理”，这个人类工业化过程中犯下的错误，不幸在中国的发展过程中重演了。实际上，有了发达国家的历史教训，本章开头提到的环境污染问题是可以避免的，至少是可以很大程度上缓解的。遗憾的是，在盲目追求GDP的发展热情下，生态环境问题被忽略了，中国原本美丽的自然环境遭到污染，原本多姿多彩的生态遭到严重破坏。在当前的发展模式不变的情况下，生态恢复是非常被动的，大量的艰苦努力和资金投入，也很难遏制生态破坏的速度。要想从根本上改善生态环境，建设美丽中国，必须转变经济发展方式，从单方面重视GDP，向重视环境可容的绿色经济发展，从一味追求快速GDP，向追求绿色GDP发展。这就是中共“十八大”在生态文明建设方面提出的“绿色发展”理念。
“Pollution first, treatment later”. The human error committed in the course of industrialization unfortunately is being repeated in the process of China’s development. Indeed, if we learn from the lessons of developed countries, environmental pollution mentioned earlier in this chapter can be avoided, or at least largely mitigated. Unfortunately, in the senseless pursuit of GDP growth, environmental issues are ignored. China’s natural environment has been polluted, and the original colorful ecosystem has been severely damaged. If the current model of development remains unchanged, ecological restoration is beyond any hope. The large amount of hard work and investment alone are difficult to curb the speed of ecological destruction. To radically improve the ecological environment and build a beautiful China, we must change our mode of economic development, from unilateral emphasis on GDP to a green economic development without harming the environment, and from the blind pursuit of rapid growing GDP to the pursuit of green GDP. This is the concept of “green growth” proposed at the 18th CPC National Congress in terms of ecological progress.
第一次听说“绿色GDP”这个概念，是在2003年11月中国社会科学院的一次学术研讨会上。
It was in a symposium at CASS in November 2003 that I first heard of “green GDP”.
2005年3月，国家环保总局和国家统计局，在北京等10个省市率先启动以环境核算和污染经济损失调查为内容的绿色GDP试点工作；同时宣布，与绿色GDP相对应，中国有望在领导干部的政绩考核中加入环保因素。当时，我隐约感觉到，在经济发展与生态环境发生冲突的时候，环境保护再也不是软道理了。这是个很令人鼓舞的消息，我兴奋不已，第一时间撰文，为这个绿色GDP叫好。[1]
In March 2005, the State Environmental Protection Administration and the State Statistics Bureau initiated pilot work in a survey of environmental accounting and economic losses inflicted by pollution in Beijing and 9 other provinces and cities; they also announced that, to correspond with green GDP, China was expected to take into consideration environmental factors in the performance examination system of leading cadres. At the time, I felt intuitively that when economic development and ecological environment were in conflict, environmental protection would not budge. Greatly encouraged, I began to write articles singing in praise of this green GDP.
2006年9月，国家环保总局和国家统计局联合公布《2004年度绿色GDP核算报告》。该报告指出，全国因环境污染造成的经济损失为5118亿元，占当年GDP的3.05%。中国官方首次核算了环境污染对经济的影响。这个核算工作如果持续下去，必定对中国经济和社会的健康发展起到重要的指引作用。当年两部门都表示，正在研究的2005年的数据会很快向公众发布。但遗憾的是，直到今天，第二份绿色GDP核算报告依然紧锁在抽屉里，未能向社会公布。
In September 2006, the State Environmental Protection Administration and the National Bureau of Statistics released the Accounting Report of Green GDP 2004. The report noted that the economic loss caused by environmental pollution was 511.8 billion Yuan, accounting for 3.05% of GDP. It was the first such official accounting of the impact of environmental pollution on the economy. If continued, this work of accounting would certainly be conducive to China’s economic and social development. The two departments involved in the survey stated that data of 2005 was under review and would soon be released. But until today, the second green GDP report is still locked in a drawer somewhere, denied to the public.
充满希望的绿色GDP核算报告夭折了，但是绿色GDP的理念没有破灭。越来越多的人意识到GDP不是发展的终极目的，随着环境保护意识的提高和科学发展观的树立，绿色GDP一定会再次登上舞台，发挥作用。实际上，早在1968年，美国总统候选人罗伯特•肯尼迪就说过：“GDP并没有考虑我们孩子的健康、他们的教育质量，或者他们游戏的快乐……它衡量一切，但并不包括那些使我们的生活有意义的、同样十分重要的其他事物。”GDP衡量了经济发展，但是并不是发展的全部。
The promising green GDP accounting report aborted, but the concept is still alive. More and more people have realized that GDP is not the ultimate goal of development. Along with the improvement of environmental awareness and the establishment of scientific development, green GDP will still play its role. In fact, as early as 1968, the then US President candidate Robert Kennedy said: “GDP does not consider the health of our children, their education quality, or the joy of their games... It measures everything, but does not include those things that make our lives meaningful or things which are equally important”. GDP measures economic development, but not everything that is meant by development.
2013年7月18日，中国国家主席习近平给“生态文明贵阳国际论坛年会”写了一封贺信，信中说道：“中国将按照尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然的理念，贯彻节约资源和保护环境的基本国策，更加自觉地推动绿色发展、循环发展、低碳发展，把生态文明建设融入经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设各方面和全过程，形成节约资源、保护环境的空间格局、产业结构、生产方式、生活方式，为子孙后代留下天蓝、地绿、水清的生产生活环境。”习主席再次表达了中国生态文明建设的决心，发出了发展绿色GDP的政治信号，令人欢欣鼓舞。
On July 18, 2013, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping wrote a message of congratulations to the Eco-Forum Annual Global Conference Guiyang 2013, stating “China will raise its ecological awareness of the need to respect, accommodate and protect nature, remain committed to the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment, and more consciously promote green, circular and low-carbon development. China will incorporate the construction of ecological civilization into all aspects of the whole process of economic, political, cultural and social construction, seeking to form spatial pattern for resource conservation and give environmental protection high priority in building the spatial pattern, industrial structure, mode of production, and lifestyle, to leave a living environment for future generations with blue sky, green earth and clear water.” Chairman Xi once again expressed determination to promote China’s ecological civilization construction, sending a political signal of the development of green GDP. His letter is encouraging indeed!
绿色GDP，是扣除环境的代价后的GDP，即减去当年环境污染和生态破坏带来的损失后，社会产出的经济增长。绿色GDP的提出，突破了过去仅以经济为标准衡量社会发展的局限，把过去广大基层官员忽略的生态环境问题摆到了重要的位置。
Green GDP is the GDP that remains after deducting the environmental costs—the losses caused by environmental pollution and ecological damage. The concept of Green GDP breaks through the limitation of measuring social development solely by economic growth prevailing in the past, and attaches much importance to environmental problems previously ignored by governmental officials.
从上一节我们知道，生态恢复工程成效喜人，与生态环境相协调的发展大有作为。将绿色GDP纳入官员考核机制，下决心转变发展方式，开展生态功能规划，规范开发活动，发展循环经济，中国的生态环境改善工作一定能够创造现在很难想象的奇迹，就像30年前的中国人无法想象当前中国经济创造的奇迹一样。
From the last chapter, we know that the achievement of any ecological restoration project is gratifying, and only the development that is in accordance with environmental requirements has a bright prospect. If we take into consideration environmental factors for the performance examination system of leading cadres, make up our minds to transform the growth mode, carry out ecological functional planning, standardize development activities, and develop a circular economy, China’s environment will be incredibly improved like the present economic miracle which could hardly be imagined 30 years ago.
[1] 蒋高明. 2005. 为绿色GDP叫好. 科学网. http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=475&do=blog&id=5042
[1] Jiang Gaoming. 2005. Applause for Green GDP. http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=475&do=blog&id=5042