To enhance the comprehensive benefits of ecological protection compensation, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance have issued an implementation plan.

According to the plan, by 2030, the integrated ecological compensation mechanism will be improved, key stakeholders in ecological conservation will have a greater sense of fulfillment, and the capacity for green and sustainable development in key regions will be improved. This will provide a strong foundation for accelerating the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development and building a "Beautiful China."

Integrated ecological compensation is an approach that coordinates the use of various ecological compensation policies to strengthen the protection of key regions and important ecosystems and motivate the entities engaged in ecological protection.

The establishment of a tiered and categorized horizontal compensation mechanism will be accelerated.

For the main streams of key river basins, a unified river basin horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism will be established at the central level.

For existing inter-provincial river basin horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanisms, efforts will be made to shift compensation agreements from short-term to long-term, form a stable and predictable mechanism for benefit sharing and responsibility sharing, and improve the aquatic ecological environment quality at cross-border monitoring sections.

For key drinking water sources, mechanisms such as paired assistance and cooperation in areas such as the transfer and undertaking of appropriate industries will be fully utilized. Transfer and commercialization of green scientific and technological achievements will be promoted.

The plan seeks to balance protection and sustainable use in protected natural areas, ending the "one-size-fits-all" ban on all human activities in general control zones that has stifled local value creation.

A tiered protection model and a positive access list specifying permitted industries and projects in general control zones will be introduced. The biodiversity survey and assessment system will be improved and trends in wildlife reproduction and development monitored and analyzed. Wildlife habitats, migration corridors and wild plant environments will be better protected.

The reforms aim to build a diverse ecosystem product system while consolidating China's national ecological security barrier. There will be differentiated compensation policies and increasing support for areas with a high proportion of ecological conservation red lines.

Based on regional characteristics and advantageous resource endowments, support will be given to developing ecological industries in light of local conditions in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China, grassland and meadow areas on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, inland river basins in northwest China, karst rocky desertification areas in southwest China and key state-owned forest areas. The objective is to promote ecological and environmental protection and high-quality development.

Local production methods that overexploit natural resources will be transformed, and external compensation converted into self-accumulation and self-development capacity.

The plan also outlines requirements for fostering and expanding ecological industry business entities, increasing support for ecological protection entities, and improving the market-based allocation system for resource and environmental factors. Establishing an ecological protection compensation fund will be explored.