Policy Digest

Plan puts focus on Yellow River Basin environment

The Yellow River Basin environment should be improved markedly by 2030, and carbon emissions in the area should peak before then, according to a plan issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and three other departments.

Under the plan, authorities in the nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River are to plan the development of cities and industries in accordance with water resources and promote green industries.

It emphasized the need to protect water resources, as well as the riverine ecosystem, and to economize on water use, increase treatment of water pollution and restore the ecosystems of rivers and lakes.

The plan laid out specific requirements for reducing air pollutants, including PM2.5, particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less－and levels of ozone and sulfur dioxide, and called for better coordination between regions to tackle pollution.

Furthermore, authorities are urged to promote the low-carbon transition of the energy sector and come up with practical and feasible timetables for achieving peak carbon emissions.

Epidemic insurance urged at provincial level

Provincial-level authorities should hasten efforts to introduce epidemic prevention and control insurance, which, according to a notice released on Friday, is "an important innovation in sharing epidemic prevention and control costs in a marketized way".

They should fully promote insurance as a means to help companies and individuals protect themselves against COVID-related risks and boost confidence in the fight against the virus, according to the notice jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission.

Authorities are also encouraged to deepen cooperation with insurance companies, the notice said, suggesting that regions with favorable conditions come up with preferential policies for insurers offering coverage to companies in battered sectors like logistics, catering, retail, and culture and tourism.

Officials should promote jobs at grassroots-level

Provincial authorities in human resources and social security, education and civil affairs departments should collect and publish information about jobs on offer at grassroots-level organizations suitable for graduates, according to a statement released in June.

The statement, jointly issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, asked authorities to explore job opportunities for graduates in fields such as social security, residential community management, healthcare, elder care, agricultural technology and social work.

They are to conduct surveys of companies and grassroots-level government agencies and institutions to learn about job vacancies and recruitment plans before updating the information for the public.

Detailed information about the vacancies, including job titles, salaries, requirements, terms of service, locations and the proper avenues of application should be published, with recruitment activities organized in an open, fair, just and orderly manner.

The statement called on authorities to implement favorable policies for graduates who take on grassroots-level jobs, noting that effort to encourage graduates to work at the grassroots-level is key to stabilizing employment.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and Education, along with six other departments, issued a statement asking universities affiliated with the ministry, as well as research institutes and State-owned companies under the administration of the central government, to take on more graduates as research assistants.