Shanxi province made significant strides in ecological protection and high-quality development in 2025 by balancing carbon reduction, pollution control, greening efforts, and economic growth. It presented an impressive ecological report card that highlights the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

The province completed 3.41 million mu (227,333 hectares) of afforestation, achieving 131.15 percent of its annual target. Additionally, soil and water conservation increased to 66.26 percent, with a continued decline in the area of soil erosion.

The province's "Clear Water into the Yellow River" ecological protection project has been central to its efforts. Focusing on restoring the ecosystems of rivers, lakes, and springs, Shanxi implemented tailored strategies for 32 groundwater-overdraft counties and targeted management for 19 major karst springs.

October 2025 marked the launch of China's first digital twin platform for spring areas – the Shanxi Jinci Spring Area Digital Twin Platform – bridging a gap in digital protection for large karst springs. The soon-to-launch "Shanxi Forest and Grass Management Service Information Platform" will further support ecological protection and industrial development through digital and intelligent means.

Shanxi also integrated ecological protection with rural vitalization, fostering four major industries: under-forest planting, breeding, forest product harvesting, and forest landscape utilization. This paved the way for realizing the value of ecological products, allowing locals to share the benefits of ecological protection.

This year, Shanxi remains committed to taking more practical measures to advance high-level environmental protection and high-quality development, contributing more to the implementation of the "Beautiful China" initiative.