The eco-civilization concept enjoys a high level of recognition among the general public in China, according to a survey released Thursday at a theme forum during the COP15 conference in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Regarding the relationship between the environment and development, around 55 percent of people polled said the process of environmental protection brings new economic opportunities and presents a promising prospect, whereas only some 10 percent said economic progress can only be achieved at the expense of environmental disruption, said the survey, which was conducted by the Research Institute for Eco-civilization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The findings are based on the answers to 10,038 internet questionnaires, together with more than 3.5 million online posts and comments that were analyzed with big-data technology, said Zhang Yongsheng, head of the research institute.

"Ecological progress has significantly improved the quality of development and people's wellbeing in China," Zhang quoted the findings as saying, adding that the general public shows continuous satisfaction with their lives even as economic growth is slowing down.

Eco-civilization is spearheading a sweeping transformation of the development paradigm, which will reshape the approach to development, the business model, people's understanding of a happy life, as well as attitudes toward consumption, employment and wellbeing, said Zhang.

The survey also shows that close to 90 percent of consumers polled would opt for products made by eco-friendly businesses, and would like to change their consumption habits to support environmental protection.

The COP15 refers to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.