On April 22, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council released the Opinions on Doing a Better Job in Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction at a Higher Level and with Higher Quality.
Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Doing a Better Job in Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction at a Higher Level and with Higher Quality
Energy conservation and carbon reduction are crucial approaches to advancing carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and accelerating the green transformation of development models. They are also vital pillars for safeguarding national energy security and promoting industrial upgrading. To do a better job in energy conservation and carbon reduction at a higher level and with higher quality, and with the approval of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the following opinions are hereby put forward.
I. General Requirements
Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and earnestly implement the arrangements of the Fourth Plenary Session. We will fully, accurately, and comprehensively apply the new development philosophy, adhere to the general tone of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, and combine the effective market with a proactive government. We will balance development and security, consistently adhere to the principle of prioritizing conservation, and integrate energy conservation and carbon reduction into all processes and aspects of economic and social development. We will do a better job in energy conservation and carbon reduction at a higher level and with higher quality, resolutely curb the unreasonable growth of total energy consumption, continuously improve energy and resource productivity, effectively reduce carbon emissions from the source, and provide strong guarantees for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, as well as accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.
II. Synergistically Advancing Energy Conservation, Carbon Reduction, and Green Transformation
(1) Coordinate energy conservation and carbon reduction with industrial optimization and upgrading. We will strengthen the alignment and synergy of policies regarding energy conservation, carbon reduction, industrial planning, and production capacity regulation. We will enhance the guiding role of incentives, constraints, and upgraded standards for energy conservation and carbon reduction, and continuously reduce the industry's dependence on energy. We will vigorously promote energy-saving, low-carbon, and clean production technologies, equipment, and products, actively promote market-based energy conservation and carbon reduction services, and support the use of digital, intelligent, and green technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries. We will effectively control high-energy-consuming and high-emission projects, orderly phase out backward and inefficient production capacities, processes, and equipment in accordance with the law, and synergistically resolve structural contradictions in key industries. We will accelerate the development of advanced manufacturing, high-tech industries, and modern services, vigorously develop green and low-carbon industries, and actively cultivate new industries and business models conducive to energy conservation and carbon reduction. We will promote the construction of zero-carbon parks and develop a "green manufacturing with green energy" model.
(2) Coordinate energy conservation and carbon reduction with the green transformation of energy. We will properly handle the relationship between energy conservation, carbon reduction, and energy security, scientifically regulate total energy consumption, and strictly control fossil energy consumption. We will deeply advance the reduction of coal and oil consumption, strengthen the management of new coal and oil demand, actively promote the clean substitution of existing coal-fired boilers and industrial kilns, orderly advance the substitution of scattered coal, and promote the gradual peaking of coal and oil consumption. We will rationally control the installed capacity and power generation of coal power, vigorously develop non-fossil energy and new energy storage, accelerate the construction of a new power system, scientifically plan pumped-storage hydropower, innovatively develop business models such as direct green power connections and smart microgrids, promote the consumption of green power, and gradually ensure that new clean energy generation covers the increase in total electricity demand. We will improve energy production efficiency, promote highly efficient fossil energy extraction technologies and equipment, strengthen energy-saving and carbon-reduction retrofits and flexibility retrofits for coal power, rationally determine the dispatch sequence and peak-shaving depth of coal power, continuously improve the efficiency of wind and solar power generation and the energy conversion efficiency of energy storage devices, and steadily reduce the comprehensive line loss rate of power grids.
III. Vigorously Advancing Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Key Areas
(3) Strengthen industrial energy conservation and carbon reduction. We will comprehensively improve the energy efficiency levels of key industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, and building materials. We will focus on production processes, main procedures, and key equipment to deeply implement energy conservation and carbon reduction diagnostics, and organize the implementation of a batch of industrial energy conservation and carbon reduction projects. We will deepen energy conservation and carbon reduction in industrial parks, promote the co-construction and sharing of infrastructure such as heating and cooling, strengthen energy exchange and cascade utilization among enterprises, support cross-industry coupling and efficiency enhancement such as steel-chemical integration and refining-chemical integration, carry out the construction of eco-industrial parks, and promote the overall optimization of park energy systems and the intensive, economical, and circular utilization of resources.
(4) Strengthen building energy conservation and carbon reduction. We will strictly manage the energy efficiency of new buildings, optimize building design for energy conservation and carbon reduction, promote the scaled development of ultra-low energy consumption buildings, and build safe, comfortable, green, and smart "good houses." Combined with the renovation of old residential areas and clean heating initiatives, we will actively advance energy conservation and carbon reduction retrofits for existing buildings, and strengthen the management of building operation. We will establish a building energy efficiency grading system. We will optimize the building energy use structure, orderly promote the integration of photovoltaics into buildings, and advance the substitution of heating with waste heat resources and non-fossil energy according to local conditions. We will deeply advance the reform of heating metering, orderly rationalize heating prices, support the renewal and transformation of aging heating pipe networks and other facilities, and the intelligent upgrading of heating systems, and strive to improve energy utilization efficiency in all links of heating.
(5) Advance energy conservation and carbon reduction in transportation. We will vigorously develop railway and waterway transportation, continuously improve the efficiency and green level of highway transportation, enhance the operational efficiency of civil aviation air traffic control, and actively develop multimodal transport. We will continue to promote the construction of green transportation infrastructure, improve the green and intelligent levels of facilities and equipment at transportation hubs and expressways, and improve the facility networks for charging and battery-swapping stations and shore power. We will build zero-carbon transportation corridors. We will promote energy-saving and low-carbon transportation vehicles, rationally optimize vehicle energy consumption limit requirements, actively develop electric (hydrogen) heavy-duty trucks and green-fuel ships, and support the blending and substitution of clean and low-carbon fuels.
(6) Accelerate energy conservation and carbon reduction in digital infrastructure. We will advance energy conservation and carbon reduction retrofits for infrastructure such as computing power, communication base stations, and computer rooms. We will promote the optimization and upgrading of equipment selection, cooling architectures, cabinet power density, and system intelligent operation strategies, and continuously improve the energy efficiency per unit of computing power and per unit of information traffic. We will strengthen the evaluation and demonstration of computing power infrastructure projects and source control, strictly manage access to energy efficiency indicators such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), improve the consumption of renewable energy and the recycling of waste heat resources, and support the development of green, low-carbon, intensive, and circular computing facilities.
(7) Deepen energy conservation and carbon reduction in public institutions. We will advance energy conservation and carbon reduction retrofits for facilities and equipment in public institutions, including building envelopes, heating, cooling, and lighting. We will promote contract energy management models such as energy cost trusteeship, and continuously reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions per unit of building area. We will strengthen quota management for energy consumption in public institutions and improve information management for energy and resource conservation. We will deeply carry out the construction of demonstration units for conservation-oriented public institutions and comprehensively build conservation-oriented government organs.
IV. Further Strengthening Supervision and Management of Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction
(8) Strictly review and evaluate energy conservation and carbon reduction. We will effectively leverage the guiding role of standards for energy efficiency, carbon emissions, and technology. We will strengthen comprehensive review and evaluation of project energy consumption, coal consumption, and carbon emissions. New, rebuilt, and expanded high-energy-consuming and high-emission industrial projects included in national planning and layout, as well as those undergoing approval, verification, or filing procedures, must formulate plans for carbon emission equivalence or reduction replacement. The implementation of these plans will be an important part of carbon emission evaluations. We will dynamically adjust the authority for energy conservation reviews and carbon emission evaluations of fixed-asset investment projects. We will regularly conduct supervision and evaluation of the implementation of the energy conservation and carbon reduction system. For regions with severely lagging energy conservation and carbon reduction indicators or insufficient review and evaluation capabilities, their authority for energy conservation reviews and carbon emission evaluations will be adjusted or suspended in accordance with laws and regulations, and project approvals will be delayed or restricted.
(9) Strengthen the management of key energy-consuming and carbon-emitting entities. We will establish and improve management archives for energy conservation and carbon reduction of key energy-consuming and carbon-emitting entities, explore the establishment of energy efficiency and carbon emission disclosure and grading systems, and comprehensively improve the refinement of management. We will strengthen the review of annual energy utilization status reports and carbon emission inventories submitted by key entities, urge them to conduct energy audits as required, and strictly implement systems for the provision of energy and carbon emission measuring instruments and the construction of information systems. We will encourage voluntary commitments to energy conservation and carbon reduction.
(10) Strengthen whole-process supervision of energy conservation and carbon reduction. We will routinely track and monitor energy consumption indicators related to coal, oil, electricity, and other energy sources, strengthen comparative analysis of indicators among similar regions, promptly issue reminders and early warnings for lagging progress and unreasonable indicator growth, and take precise regulatory measures as appropriate. We will strengthen supervision and inspection of key energy-consuming and carbon-emitting entities regarding their compliance with energy conservation and carbon reduction laws, regulations, policy standards, etc. We will regularly conduct special supervision and inspection on the implementation of energy conservation reviews and carbon emission evaluation opinions, and strengthen the application of results. We will strengthen the connection and coordination between energy conservation and carbon reduction supervision, comprehensive administrative law enforcement, special equipment supervision, and ecological and environmental protection law enforcement. We will explore joint law enforcement by multiple departments to improve law enforcement efficiency. We will strengthen the capacity building of energy conservation and carbon reduction management and supervisory law enforcement at all levels of government, and encourage localities to rely on professional forces and information-based means to assist in improving regulatory efficiency.
V. Strengthening Support and Guarantees for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction
(11) Improve laws and regulations. We will strengthen the overall planning of energy conservation and carbon reduction and accelerate the amendment of the Energy Conservation Law. We will amend and promulgate the Renewable Energy Law. We will do a good job in revising administrative regulations such as the Regulations on Civil Building Energy Conservation and the Regulations on Energy Conservation for Public Institutions, and improve rules and regulations on energy conservation supervision and energy efficiency labeling. We will revise and issue the Administrative Measures for Key Energy-Consuming and Carbon-Emitting Entities.
(12) Improve the standards and labeling system. In light of the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, industrial development needs, and technological progress, we will accelerate the improvement of standards for energy consumption and carbon emission quotas in key industries and energy efficiency of key energy-consuming products and equipment, and gradually raise indicator requirements. We will formulate and implement a batch of national standards for energy conservation and carbon reduction in new fields and business models, and continuously improve supporting standards for energy and carbon emission measurement, monitoring, and certification. We will consolidate the data foundation for standard formulation and revision, and strengthen the evaluation and feedback of standard implementation. We will improve the green product certification and labeling system, strengthen the management and application of energy efficiency labels, and establish a product carbon label certification system.
(13) Strengthen policy support. Based on comprehensive consideration of energy consumption and environmental protection performance, we will study and improve the differentiated electricity price policy for key industrial fields, optimize the residential tiered electricity price system, and improve the time-of-use electricity price mechanism. We will improve and implement export regulation policies for high-energy-consuming products. We will leverage the driving effect of government investment, coordinate the use of existing funding channels to support eligible energy conservation and carbon reduction projects. We will deeply implement the mandatory and priority government procurement system for energy-saving products, and encourage various entities to raise the standards and proportion of energy-saving product procurement. We will fully leverage the role of market mechanisms for energy conservation and carbon reduction, implement tax incentive policies conducive to energy conservation and carbon reduction, and guide financial institutions to provide diversified financial products and services around the needs of key areas. We will study the establishment of a National Low-Carbon Transition Fund to support the green transformation of traditional industries and resource-rich regions.
(14) Strengthen technological innovation and application. Focusing on highly efficient energy-saving equipment, smart energy use, and energy conservation and carbon reduction in key industries, we will cultivate a batch of scientific and technological innovation platform bases, increase support from the National Key R&D Program, and strengthen breakthroughs in key core technologies. We will improve the market-oriented green technology innovation system, support leading enterprises to take the lead in forming major energy-saving and low-carbon technology innovation consortia, and build a batch of enterprise technology centers. We will promptly update recommended catalogs for energy conservation and carbon reduction technologies and equipment, and accelerate the promotion and application of advanced and applicable equipment such as energy-saving boilers, permanent magnet motors, highly efficient refrigeration, green lighting, and high-temperature heat pumps.
(15) Enhance basic work capabilities. We will innovate talent training models, optimize the setup of disciplines and majors and talent evaluation systems in the fields of energy management, energy conservation, and carbon reduction, improve relevant occupational standards, and deepen the integration of industry and education, as well as science and education. We will strengthen professional capability training for relevant personnel in government departments, law enforcement agencies, enterprises, and public institutions. We will better leverage the role of industry associations and strengthen capacity building for energy conservation and carbon reduction in key industries and fields. We will improve the annual and rapid reporting systems for national and provincial energy and carbon emissions, and improve the energy statistics system for energy types such as coal and key fields such as industry, buildings, and transportation.
VI. Strengthening Organization and Implementation
(16) Strengthen organizational leadership. All regions and departments must strengthen overall planning and focus on systematic policies under the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and implement this Opinion based on actual conditions. Leading cadres at all levels must establish and practice the correct view of political achievements, and solidly advance energy conservation and carbon reduction in their respective regions and fields. Local Party committees and governments at all levels bear overall responsibility for energy conservation and carbon reduction in their administrative regions, and their principal responsible comrades must earnestly fulfill their responsibilities as the first responsible persons. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) must earnestly fulfill its responsibilities for overall coordination of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality and as the competent department for energy conservation, strengthen work planning and promotion, enhance tracking evaluation and supervision and guidance, coordinate the resolution of major issues, and incorporate the completion of energy conservation and carbon reduction targets and tasks into the comprehensive evaluation and assessment of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Relevant departments must perform their respective duties, coordinate closely, and form a joint force. State-owned enterprises, especially central enterprises, must strengthen their demonstration and leading role in energy conservation and carbon reduction. State organs, people's organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and social organizations must solidly advance energy conservation and carbon reduction in their respective units and fields. Major matters must be reported to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in a timely manner according to procedures.
(17) Implement nationwide actions. We will continue to carry out activities such as National Ecology Day, National Energy Conservation Publicity Week, and National Low-Carbon Day, advocate a simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized, and healthy lifestyle and consumption pattern, and effectively enhance the endogenous driving force for energy conservation and carbon reduction across society. All Party members must take the lead and genuinely advocate and practice energy conservation and carbon reduction. We will smooth social supervision channels, actively publicize advanced models and experiences in energy conservation and carbon reduction, and increase the exposure of illegal energy use and energy waste.
(18) Strengthen international cooperation. We will deepen international dialogue and practical cooperation in the field of energy conservation and carbon reduction, expand dialogue and cooperation channels, actively participate in and lead international governance, and vigorously publicize China's achievements in green transformation. We will draw on advanced international experience, strengthen technological cooperation in energy conservation and carbon reduction, support the trade of energy-saving and low-carbon products, and encourage energy conservation and carbon reduction service enterprises to go global. We will actively participate in the formulation and revision of international standards for energy conservation and carbon reduction, and promote the international mutual recognition of energy conservation and carbon reduction standards and labels.