In the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code, the basic concepts of “ecological environment”, “ecology”, “environment” and “resources”, with the first as the umbrella concept, need to be clarified. The intertwining connotations of these four terms are difficult to distinguish in the traditional way. So to crack this hard nut, we should start from prohibitive norms, infringement causes, triple prevention, and overall protection, with the support of etymology, grammar, and legal hermeneutics, to define the basic categories of each term and delineate the boundaries for “environmental pollution”, “ecosystem destruction” and “resource encroachment”. Mere discussion of the protection of environment, ecology and resources is meaningless because the ultimate goal of any protective measures is to protect the overall ecological environment, with elements of environment serving as entry points of protection rather than independent classification criteria. So we should start from specifics to adjust the general structure of the code system, integrating the “Green LowCarbon Development Code” into the “General Principles Code” and the “Ecological Protection Code”, and adding the “Natural Resource Protection Code,” so as to achieve coherence in the code system.