1972: China dispatches the largest delegation since the restoration of China's lawful seat in the United Nations to participate in the UN Conference on the Human Environment, which is the first international conference to make environmental protection a major issue.

1973: China holds its first national conference on environmental protection, which lifts the curtain on China's environmental protection endeavors.

1982: The ministry of urban and rural development and environmental protection is established, and the environmental protection agency becomes one of its departments.

1988: The State environmental protection agency is established as an independent vice-ministerial-level subordinate body of the State Council, China's Cabinet.

1998: The State environmental protection agency is upgraded to become the State environmental protection administration, which is a ministry-level government body.

2006: The National People's Congress passes the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), which requires the government to incorporate environmental protection in every aspect of its socioeconomic development.

2008: The State environmental protection administration is further upgraded to become the ministry of environmental protection. The new body is designated as a constituent department of the State Council.

2012: The 18th Communist Party of China National Congress sees ecological civilization inscribed into the CPC's Constitution.

2018: In the latest institutional reshuffle of the State Council, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment is formed and absorbs the ministry of environmental protection. Aside from assuming the duties of the now-defunct ministry of environmental protection, the new government body integrates environment-related responsibilities from six others.

2018: The eighth national environmental and ecological protection conference is held. The conference marks the official establishment of the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.

2020: To achieve fundamental improvement in environmental quality by 2035, the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC proposes that the nation endeavor to make production and lifestyles green throughout all areas of society.

2021: The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issue a notice on Green Development Guidelines for Foreign Investment and Cooperation.

2022: The National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issue the Implementation Plan for Promoting Green Consumption.

2023: At the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, President Xi Jinping emphasizes the importance of thoroughly implementing the thought on socialist ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics for a new era, adhering to the people-centered principle, acting on the idea that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", and making the development of a beautiful China a key component of the nation's rejuvenation efforts.