Ambitious goals for 2030 aim to elevate national ecological standards through improved conservation, forest expansion, and environmental quality indices.
China outlines new targets for ecological protection by 2030
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On Monday, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, alongside five other government departments, unveiled a comprehensive ecological protection strategy for the 15th Five-Year period, running from 2026 to 2030.
The directive establishes rigorous objectives to bolster national environmental quality, broaden woodland areas, and refine soil and water preservation efforts by the close of the decade, China Daily reports.
[See more: Brazil’s deforestation hits a six-year low as Lula campaigns on environmental protection]
The ecological protection roadmap aspires to significantly elevate the nation’s Ecological Quality Index (EQI) to 86.5 by 2030, a substantial increase from the 60.3 recorded in 2025.
This index, which rates natural ecosystems on a scale of 0 to 100 based on factors including biodiversity, ecological stress, function, and pattern, serves as a primary metric for assessing environmental health and pollution levels, China Daily says.
Ecological protection: forest, soil and water targets
In addition to the EQI target, the authorities have set sights on increasing national forest coverage to 25.8 percent, up from the 25.09 percent reported in 2025. Simultaneously, the objective for soil and water conservation is to exceed 74 percent, building upon the 73.09 percent rate observed last year.
The ecological protection plan is designed to optimise the nation’s ecological spatial framework, curb biodiversity loss, and strengthen national ecological security, reports China Daily.
