The Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA) has been selected as one of three pilot industrial parks in Jiangsu Province for China's national environmental impact assessment (EIA) reform initiative.

This pilot program aims to establish an environmental management system aligned with the pollutant discharge permit system, which would strength ecological zoning controls and integrate industrial park planning EIAs with project-specific assessments. The initiative is expected to enhance environmental oversight and improve the efficiency of pollution prevention measures.

As part of the pilot, NETDA will explore methods to calculate allowable emissions based on environmental quality improvement goals. It plans to develop a dynamic and precise management system to track and allocate pollution quotas, encouraging green and low-carbon development. Additionally, the park will work on aligning multiple environmental metrics, including pollutant discharge permits and emissions limits, to create a comprehensive pollution accounting system. Efforts will also be made to refine the approval process for construction projects by exploring exemptions from EIAs while ensuring proper oversight through the pollutant discharge permit system. For industries eligible for EIA exemptions, the program will focus on optimizing permit requirements.