Editor's note: The State Council Information Office held a group interview recently featuring representatives from environmental protection and green development sectors to discuss ecological conservation and improving the living environment.

Over more than 30 years in the coking industry, I witnessed the worst scenes of pollution — countless chimneys, billowing smoke and unbearable stench. But what was even more troubling was our misunderstanding of environmental protection. In the past, smoking chimneys were seen as signs of thriving production and business growth. Yaxin also went through that stage. But growing public concern over pollution and the limits of extensive development made us realize that proactive transformation was far better than passive response. That is why we chose green development, gradually transforming from a traditional coal-based coking and chemical enterprise into a modern company integrating energy chemicals, fine chemicals, power batteries and resource recycling.