Mr. Chairman, ladies and Gentlemen,

　　We have achieved fruitful results in the three days of meetings. During this time, with a very strict scientific attitude and a high sense of responsibility, the members of the Council have made some very good recommendations for the next phase of the work of the Council. I believe that your excellent opinions will be fully reflected in China's great cause of environment and development. The success of this meeting has demonstrated your rich knowledge and far-sightedness in the field of environment and development, and it has also shown that this Council can play a big role.

　　We unanimously agree that the Council has completed the general policy discussions on environment and development and should enter the stage of implementation. To deepen and implement the recommendations of the Council members, it is necessary not only to have the active efforts of China, but also to have the full support of the members of the Council. This should be the focus of the work of this Council in the future. On the way to achieving sustainable development, China is facing the dual challenges of both developing its economy and protecting its environment. China has a large population with little per capita resource possession, and its economy and technology are relatively backward. This grave situation determines that China's sustainable development must maintain a fairly fast speed. Therefore, the work of the Council should put forward achievable policy recommendations and programs for their implementation, and seek broader international support, basing itself on China's actual situation and focusing on the main issues that China faces in the field of environment and development.

　　Raising the level of environment and development relies mainly on the improvement of macro policy decisions of the government and effective enforcement of the laws on environmental and resource management. Meanwhile, it also depends on the progress of science and technology to continuously improve the quality of economic performance and therefore to gradually reduce the pressure of economic growth on the environment. The Council should put forward more policy recommendations for the strengthening of capacity building in China, in the development of a policy system and a legal system, and in the establishment of mechanisms for comprehensive policy decision and coordinated management for sustainable development, an d so froth. More active international cooperation should be carried out in the areas of cleaner production, the improvement of energy efficiency and utilization rate, the strengthening of the conservation of biological diversity, the strengthening of pollution control and its monitoring, the establishment of resource ac counting and a pricing system, ecological farming and so forth, in order to draw on international financial and technological support.

　　Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, the successful completion of this meeting marks the shift of the work of the Council to the second phase. At the closing oft his meeting, I wish to express my sincere thanks to all the Council members for their hard work in the past five year. It is my hope that you will continue to support China's cause of environment and development in the future to ensure that this Council will play an even greater role in China's environmental protection and modernization drive.