Sichuan Nanchong: Government, Enterprises, and Citizens Jointly Paint a Green Answer Sheet for Ecological Governance

On June 5, 2025, the main event for World Environment Day in Nanchong City was held at Nanchong Guorun Water Drainage Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Guorun Water Services"). Through immersive ecological experiences, the event silently interpreted the theme of "Building a Beautiful China, I Take the Lead," allowing participants to deeply feel the transformative achievements of Nanchong's "ecological priority, green development" approach.

Upon entering Guorun Water Services, a flowchart illustrating the "Three Reductions, Three Specializations, and Three Reviews" for environmental impact assessment (EIA) approvals immediately caught the eye. This reform, derived from the municipal "1558" work plan, has become a core hallmark of Nanchong's environmental services—reducing procedures, materials, and timeframes, while offering dedicated teams, specialized windows, and special channels, along with a coordinated process of preliminary, joint, and final reviews. Staff from the municipal ecological and environmental department explained that, combined with the "Six Ones" service guarantee mechanism and "23 Work Measures," the efficiency of handling corporate applications has improved by over 40%.

In the advanced treatment workshop of Wenfeng Water Purification Plant, water flows through precision filtration before merging into the Jialing River. A representative from Guorun Water Services noted that the company has invested more than 1.7 billion yuan in water projects in Nanchong, constructing 64 plants and stations that connect the entire regional water network, covering both industrial wastewater and domestic sewage. As the first "refined, socialized, and low-carbon" benchmark plant in Sichuan, it handles an average of 350,000 tons of water daily. The innovative practice of "photovoltaic + water services" reduces annual carbon emissions equivalent to planting 120,000 trees.

During the subsequent "Law Delivery to Parks" propaganda activity, the new Environmental Protection Law was broken down into "Ten Questions on Corporate Emission Reduction," with representatives from park management committees and electronics and auto parts companies discussing each clause in detail. "During the critical period for ozone control, staggered production is inevitable," said one participating corporate representative, adding that while short-term costs had risen due to staggered production earlier in the year, it had secured long-term development space.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the proposal of the "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets" concept and the fifth anniversary of the "Dual Carbon" goals. Guided by the municipal "1558" work plan, Nanchong has achieved remarkable results in adhering to ecological priority and green development. The city has built a 23-kilometer ecological restoration belt along the river, eight wetland parks, and 12 water quality monitoring stations. Air quality continues to improve, with the Jialing River (Nanchong section) and Shengzhong Reservoir maintaining Class II water quality. All 12 national and provincial assessment sections meet or exceed Class III standards, while forest coverage has reached 41.8%. The beautiful Nanchong now enjoys frequent blue skies, white clouds, and lush green mountains.

Currently, Nanchong's 12 major industrial parks form a trillion-yuan industrial matrix, linking specialized clusters such as aviation hubs, auto parts, and electronic information to create a new industrial highland in northeastern Sichuan. Each park, with its differentiated positioning, fosters complementary and interconnected development, serving as the core driver of Nanchong's "Strong Manufacturing City" strategy. As the main battleground for the city's industrial economic development, these parks have established a practical path of "ecological priority, green development," steadily enhancing the public's sense of gain, happiness, and security in the ecological environment.

On Nanchong's green answer sheet, the strokes of government, enterprises, and citizens never cease—from the "subtraction" in EIA approvals to the "addition" in photovoltaic water services, from the governance logic on the Jialing River model to the consensus-building of "Law Delivery to Parks." Nanchong is writing a new chapter in ecological civilization with wisdom and responsibility, making green the most captivating color of the city and ecology the most inclusive well-being for its people. (By Yi Qinghai and Tang Min)