Promote the Green and Low-Carbon Transformation of Economic and Social Development to Achieve High-Quality Development
Digital Energy Storage Network News:
Recently, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transition of Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions). Adhering to goal-oriented and problem-oriented approaches, centering on the theme of accelerating the green transition of economic and social development, the document puts forward a series of targeted, operable, substantial and powerful policy measures, making comprehensive and systematic arrangements for China to speed up the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development and achieve high-quality development. The Opinions features innovative ideas and outstanding highlights.
Feature 1: Prioritize ecological conservation and pursue green development
The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stresses that “Nature is the basic condition for humanity’s survival and development. Respecting, adapting to and protecting nature is an inherent requirement for building a modern socialist country in all respects. We must firmly establish and act on the philosophy that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and pursue development from the perspective of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.” Green development needs to follow the law of dynamic balance of ecosystems and the law of regeneration and circulation of natural resources, meet the supply of environmental resources and maintain basic conditions for development. The ecological environment is an essential element for socio-economic development, the key to realizing the comprehensive transition of economy and society, promoting green development and creating a new model of scientific development.
In the section of “General Requirements”, the Opinions states that China will “unswervingly follow a path of high-quality development featuring ecological priority, conservation and intensive utilization, and green and low-carbon growth”, and this requirement runs through the main goals, key tasks and safeguard measures of the document. For instance, the Opinions sets out targets: “By 2030, positive progress will be achieved in the green transition of key sectors, green production and lifestyles will be basically formed, and the capacity for coordinated pollution reduction and carbon abatement will be markedly enhanced. By 2035, an economic system featuring green, low-carbon and circular development will be basically established, green production and lifestyles will be widely adopted, notable progress will be made in the coordinated advancement of pollution reduction and carbon abatement, and the goal of building a Beautiful China will be basically realized.” It depicts a promising blueprint for ecological priority and green development.
Feature 2: Be guided by carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals
The Opinions attaches great importance to carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, proposing to “be guided by carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work, coordinate carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, green expansion and economic growth, deepen the reform of the ecological civilization system, improve mechanisms for green and low-carbon development, and accelerate the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development”. From the perspective of economic practice, economic management under carbon peaking and carbon neutrality concerns how to advance comprehensive green transition from two dimensions of “vertical sectors” and “regional spaces” (namely industrial and spatial dimensions), and the Opinions has made comprehensive arrangements for this.
Industrial transition requires the linkage of various sectors at the source, process and terminal, covering the green and low-carbon transition of traditional industries, the development of new green and low-carbon industries, and scientific and technological innovation in low-carbon fields. Carbon emissions are driven and linked by supply-demand relationships and complementary and substitutive relations along production chains. Carbon flows across the whole production network, forming carbon-emitting nodal industries. Therefore, identifying and grasping carbon nodal industries is the key to low-carbon transition and green development. In the long run, carbon neutrality requires decarbonization in the energy sector. Given China’s energy mix, it will be a steady and gradual process from the efficient utilization of fossil energy and vigorous development of non-fossil energy to building a power system adapted to clean energy. The Opinions specifies arrangements for tasks including accelerating the green and low-carbon transition of industrial structure, steadily promoting the green and low-carbon transition of energy, and leveraging the supporting role of scientific and technological innovation.
In terms of spatial systems, coordination is required among urban-rural, regional and international spaces, involving the relationship between national unified planning and region-specific green development. China’s regions vary greatly in industrial and energy structures. The low-carbon transition of local economies cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, coordinated development should be promoted in light of regional characteristics to achieve tailored and coordinated transition. The Opinions calls for coordinated transition, fully considering the development realities of different regions and sectors, combining overall advancement with targeted breakthroughs, and scientifically setting timetables, roadmaps and implementation plans for green transition. It also makes systematic arrangements for developing a spatial pattern of green, low-carbon and high-quality development and advancing the green transition of urban and rural development.
Feature 3: Guide energy transition with systematic thinking
Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions account for more than 80% of China’s total emissions. Steadily advancing the green and low-carbon transition of energy is not only an inherent requirement for China to strive to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as scheduled, but also an important underpinning for developing new quality productive forces in the energy sector and promoting high-quality development. Upholding secure transition, the Opinions makes systematic arrangements for steadily promoting the green and low-carbon transition of energy.
Based on reality and pursuing a proactive yet prudent approach, the Opinions proposes strengthening the clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy. It requires improvement of the energy production, supply, storage and marketing system, and greater efforts in oil and gas exploration, development, reserve increase and production expansion. Meanwhile, it advocates the secure, reliable and orderly replacement of fossil energy by non-fossil energy. As required by the Opinions, China will strictly and reasonably control the growth of coal consumption during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and gradually reduce coal consumption in the subsequent 15th Five-Year Plan period. On the premise of guaranteeing secure energy supply, China will continue to implement total coal consumption control in key regions, which will win time and space for the development and maturity of new energy and new technologies.
The Opinions clearly advocates vigorous development of non-fossil energy. It states that China will accelerate the construction of clean energy projects including wind and photovoltaic power in Northwest China, hydropower in Southwest China, offshore wind power and coastal nuclear power. It will actively develop distributed photovoltaics and dispersed wind power, tap biomass energy, geothermal energy, marine energy and other new energy sources in light of local conditions, and advance the full industrial chain development of hydrogen energy covering production, storage, transmission and utilization. These requirements define the direction for the development of new business models and institutional mechanism reform in the energy sector.
The Opinions puts forward two major priorities. On the one hand, accelerate the development of clean and flexible resources, including strengthening the coordination in scale, spatial layout and construction pace among clean energy bases, regulating resources and power transmission channels, scientifically deploying pumped storage hydropower, new energy storage, concentrated solar power and natural gas peak-shaving power stations, and improving the safe operation and comprehensive regulation capacity of the power system. On the other hand, foster new forms of business in the power sector, including building smart power grids, accelerating the construction of microgrids, virtual power plants and integrated source-grid-load-storage projects, and enhancing demand response capacity. This clarifies the roadmap for accommodating a high proportion of renewable energy at relatively low system costs.
The Opinions also emphasizes deepening power system reform, further improving institutions and mechanisms adapted to the new power system, restoring the commodity attribute of electricity, and promoting optimal resource allocation through market mechanisms. It provides important guidance for the ongoing development of incremental distribution networks, power spot markets and distributed energy.
Feature 4: Take a global perspective, coordinate domestic and international work, and actively advance international cooperation on green transition
Currently, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, and instability and uncertainty in international relations have risen markedly, bringing unprecedented challenges to humanity. Addressing climate change, safeguarding ecological security and achieving sustainable development have become the best entry point for international cooperation worldwide.
The Opinions innovatively proposes to “participate in and lead the global green transition process”, and arranges the philosophies, approaches, fields and goals for such participation and leadership. Actively participating in and leading the global green transition process is an inevitable choice for balancing domestic and international imperatives: domestically, it promotes high-quality development and advances Chinese modernization; internationally, it demonstrates China’s image as a responsible major country, helps build a community with a shared future for mankind and plays a stabilizing role in a volatile world, carrying great significance.
The Opinions also lists specific areas for strengthening policy exchanges and practical cooperation. It especially encourages academic exchanges between universities, research institutions and foreign counterparts, and active participation in major international science programs. This creates rare favorable conditions for Chinese universities to carry out high-level cooperation with universities and research institutions worldwide in green transition.
In summary, the Opinions adopts a high political stance, broad vision, systematic and comprehensive measures with clear priorities and strong operability. It provides a practical policy roadmap for China to accelerate the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development and achieve high-quality development.