From Ecological Imbalance to Ecological Civilization: The Process of China’s Green Transformation Over 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up and Its Outlook

China’s reform and opening up is an all-round transformation and development. The harmonious coexistence of man and nature is the foundation and starting point of social and economic development, and the future direction of human society. Reform and opening up does not come from nowhere, and green development is a product and need of historical development. Before the reform and opening up, the conflict between man and nature caused ecological imbalance induced by the destruction of nature that aimed to meet basic food needs under the conditions of low productivity in a traditional agricultural society. The 40 years of reform and opening up have seen the initial completion of industrialization and urbanization in compressed time. During this process, the conflict between man and nature has evolved into expensive material consumption and ever-expanding desire for non-material enjoyments, leading to the pollution crisis endangering humans’ living environment and natural sustainability. On the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up policy, it is necessary to understand this evolution process. By summarizing the achievements and discerning the problems of green transformation, this paper analyzes the direct and internal impetus, explores the theoretical basis and shares the outlook on future development.