Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the successful integration of ecological civilization construction with pollution prevention efforts in Mengyin County, demonstrating that environmental governance can coexist with high-quality economic development [1][2][4]. Group 1: Ecological Civilization and Pollution Prevention - Mengyin County has established a comprehensive approach to pollution prevention by integrating it into the overall planning and annual goals of ecological civilization construction, elevating environmental responsibilities to a strategic level [1][3]. - The county's leadership has prioritized ecological initiatives as a key project, ensuring accountability through strict assessments and responsibilities for pollution control across all levels of government [1][3]. Group 2: Industrial and Energy Structure Transformation - The ecological civilization initiative has led to significant transformations in industrial and energy structures, including the elimination of outdated production capacities and the promotion of green development [2][4]. - Mengyin County has actively pursued clean energy alternatives, phasing out coal facilities and encouraging enterprises to adopt cleaner energy practices, thereby facilitating a shift from "green mountains and clear waters" to "golden mountains and silver mountains" [2][4]. Group 3: Comprehensive Environmental Governance - A systematic assessment framework has been established to improve air quality, focusing on precise pollution control measures across various sources, including industrial emissions and urban pollution [3]. - The county has implemented a full-chain governance system for water resources, integrating protection measures from source to end, including wastewater treatment and rural sanitation improvements [3]. Group 4: Innovative Ecological Compensation Mechanisms - Mengyin County is exploring innovative ecological compensation and market mechanisms, such as horizontal ecological protection compensation, to incentivize environmental protection and engage social capital in ecological restoration projects [4]. - The county has adopted measures to enhance public participation in environmental governance, transforming citizens from passive observers to active participants and beneficiaries in pollution prevention efforts [4].

Group 1 - The year marks the 20th anniversary of the "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" concept, with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment reporting significant progress in ecological protection and restoration efforts under Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought [1] - Since 2017, the Ministry has organized seven batches of ecological civilization demonstration creation work, resulting in the establishment of 572 ecological civilization demonstration zones and 240 "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" practice innovation bases [1][2] Group 2 - Demonstration areas have shown significant improvements in ecological quality, with air and water quality ranking among the best in their provinces, and nearly half of the "two mountains" bases achieving "excellent" ecological status [2] - The regions are leading in green development, transitioning from energy consumption control to carbon emission control, with unit GDP energy consumption and carbon emission intensity being among the best in their provinces [2] - Various transformation paths have been identified, including "protecting green for gold," "gathering green to create gold," and "borrowing green to generate gold," along with seven transformation models such as ecological compensation, ecological agriculture, ecological tourism, and ecological finance [2] Group 3 - The selection process for the 2025 ecological civilization construction demonstration zones and "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" practice innovation bases is currently underway, with new changes including optimized indicators and simplified procedures [3] - The frequency of selection has been adjusted from annually to every three years, focusing on quality over quantity to enhance the demonstration effect of selected areas [3] - Enhanced supervision measures have been implemented, including warnings for significant ecological issues and re-evaluations for areas that have held their designation for six years [3]