Newman HuoSHENZHEN is moving to transform itself into an eco-city, according to the theme speech delivered by Shenzhen Vice Mayor Zhuo Qinrui at yesterday’s plenary session of the Fifth International Eco-city Conference.In recent years, Shenzhen has received awards such as the National Garden City, National Environmental Protection Model City, Habitat Environment City, International Garden City and the Roll of Honor of Global 500 by the United Nations Environment Program.“We have been paying much attention to strengthening environmental protection and ecological conservation, and actively exploring the road to sustainable development for a newly developed city,” Zhuo said.Answering questions by foreign guests and reporters, Zhuo summarized and clarified what Shenzhen has done in the course of building itself into an eco-city in three major areas.Since its establishment, the city had been paying great attention to high standard urban planning. In the Master Plan for Shenzhen City 1996-2010, about half the total of 2,000 square km of land is earmarked for leisure and tourism, excursions, natural ecological and water protection areas, Zhuo said.Secondly, the city had been carrying out high standard urban construction.

　　The road to sustainability

  To maintain the high standard, Shenzhen had waited for over 20 years and only when the time was right in 1999 did it begin to develop the new city center area.Thirdly, the city had been carrying out efficient urban management according to relevant laws and regulations.Last year, the city vetoed more than 1,000 applications for new investments that violated local laws and regulations regarding environmental protection.“Chinese inland cities can draw some lessons from Shenzhen’s experiences. In the course of economic development, they must pay high attention to overall environmental protection and follow the sustainable way of development,” Zhuo said.