National Development and Reform Commission's Yuan Da: During the 14th Five-Year Plan, China will establish approximately 100 national zero-carbon parks

People’s Financial News, March 7 — On the afternoon of March 7, Yuan Da, Secretary General of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated at a briefing by the State Council Information Office that the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan focuses on accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, highlighting the need to establish “one mechanism” and implement “three tasks.”

“One mechanism” refers to an incentive and constraint system covering various entities. It involves promoting the issuance of the “Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment Measures,” scientifically and reasonably breaking down the dual control targets for carbon emissions, ensuring responsibilities for achieving carbon emission goals are fulfilled, and conducting orderly local carbon assessments. At the same time, policy guidance and market incentives will be combined to establish and improve the policy and legal framework, steadily implementing industry carbon control, corporate carbon management, project carbon evaluation, and product carbon footprint assessments.

The “three tasks” will focus on accelerating energy transition “toward new and green sources,” reducing carbon in industries “while increasing green development,” and promoting conservation and efficiency in production and daily life.

Among these, accelerating industry “carbon reduction and green development” involves two aspects: one is to add “positive measures” by vigorously developing green and low-carbon technologies and industries, orderly shifting high-energy-consuming industries that meet requirements to regions rich in renewable energy resources, building about 100 national zero-carbon parks, and planning over 10,000 kilometers of zero-carbon transportation corridors. The other is to implement “reductions” by deeply carrying out major energy-saving and carbon-reduction renovation projects in key industries, accelerating the elimination of outdated and inefficient capacities, effectively controlling “two high” projects, promoting low-carbon alternatives in transportation power, and improving energy efficiency in emerging fields such as computing facilities and 5G base stations.