According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, China has now established over 1,000 national‑level and more than 4,500 provincial‑level green mines nationwide.
Notable progress has been made in ecological restoration of mining areas. On one hand, the Ministry of Natural Resources advances ecological restoration for historically abandoned mining sites to accelerate the resolution of existing problems. On the other hand, it strengthens whole‑chain management of ecological restoration for operating mines to resolutely curb new damages. During the 14th Five‑Year Plan period, the Ministry of Natural Resources, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, launched 68 demonstration projects for ecological restoration of historically abandoned mines. These initiatives drove the restoration and treatment of 3.35 million mu of historically abandoned mine land across the country, exceeding the restoration target set for the 14th Five‑Year Plan period by 19.6%. Meanwhile, technical support has been reinforced, and the standard system for mining area ecological restoration has been refined, guiding mining enterprises to implement the requirement of “restoration concurrent with mining”. Typical cases of ecological restoration for operating mines covering different mineral types, mining methods and regions have been summarized and promoted to offer replicable practical experience.
Green mine development has been advanced in an all‑round manner. The newly revised Mineral Resources Law explicitly puts forward requirements for green mine construction for the first time at the legal level. The Ecological Environment Code and the Regulations for the Implementation of the Mineral Resources Law also contain provisions on green mine development. The Ministry of Natural Resources, together with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other departments, issued the Notice on Further Strengthening the Construction of Green Mines. The national standard General Principles for Evaluation of Green Mines has been released and implemented. A working system for green mine construction featuring “government guidance, inter‑departmental collaboration, enterprise‑led development and public oversight” has taken initial shape.
Going forward, the Ministry of Natural Resources will fully implement the requirements of the newly revised Mineral Resources Law and its implementing regulations, continuously step up ecological restoration in mining areas, and comprehensively advance green mine construction. It will play a positive role in advancing the protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources and building a Beautiful China.
