To further promote the industrial green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology organized relevant experts to carry out special research on water pollution prevention and control and industrial green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The research was divided into two groups, led by Gao Yunhu, director of the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization, and Yang Tiesheng, deputy director of the department, to investigate the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River in Sichuan, Hunan and Hubei provinces, and the middle and lower reaches in Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The research team had an in-depth understanding of the status quo and existing problems in the green development of key industries such as papermaking, chemical fiber, leather and chemical industry in cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and listened to the opinions and suggestions of local industrial authorities on promoting industrial green development.

On the basis of the research, the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization of the Ministry organized a symposium on industrial green development in 11 provinces and cities of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in Beijing, and discussed how to promote the industrial green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.