2. Staying Committed to a Green and Low-Carbon Path to Development

（二）坚定走绿色低碳发展道路

China has been actively responding to climate change in a responsible manner. Considering this to be a major opportunity to transform its growth model, China is actively exploring a green and low-carbon path to development, one that remains within the limits of resources, energy, and the environment, and is protective of our planet.

中国一直本着负责任的态度积极应对气候变化，将应对气候变化作为实现发展方式转变的重大机遇，积极探索符合中国国情的绿色低碳发展道路。走绿色低碳发展的道路，既不会超出资源、能源、环境的极限，又有利于实现碳达峰、碳中和目标，把地球家园呵护好。

Making coordinated efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. It is essential for China to coordinate its efforts to pursue all-round and greener economic and social development in the new development stage. The country amended the Law on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution in 2015 and added specific provisions, providing a legal basis for the coordinated control of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases and reduction of pollution and carbon emissions. To further coordinate the functions, initiatives, and mechanisms for responding to climate change and protecting the eco-environment, China has defined major areas and key tasks covering strategic planning, policies and regulations, institutions, pilots and demonstrations, and international cooperation. China has invested a major effort in seven landmark campaigns to keep the skies blue, control pollution caused by diesel trucks, protect and restore the Yangtze River ecosystem, improve the water environment of the Bohai Sea region, improve black and fetid water bodies in cities, protect water sources, and control pollution in agriculture and rural areas. With action plans and concrete targets and measures, these campaigns serve to drive the overall progress and bring notable improvements to the eco-environment.

实施减污降碳协同治理。实现减污降碳协同增效是中国新发展阶段经济社会发展全面绿色转型的必然选择。中国2015年修订的大气污染防治法专门增加条款，为实施大气污染物和温室气体协同控制和开展减污降碳协同增效工作提供法治基础。为加快推进应对气候变化与生态环境保护相关职能协同、工作协同和机制协同，中国从战略规划、政策法规、制度体系、试点示范、国际合作等方面，明确统筹和加强应对气候变化与生态环境保护的主要领域和重点任务。中国围绕打好污染防治攻坚战，重点把蓝天保卫战、柴油货车治理、长江保护修复、渤海综合治理、城市黑臭水体治理、水源地保护、农业农村污染治理七场标志性重大战役作为突破口和“牛鼻子”，制定作战计划和方案，细化目标任务、重点举措和保障条件，以重点突破带动整体推进，推动生态环境质量明显改善。

Creating a spatial configuration for green development. Since territorial space is where we pursue eco-environmental progress, we must create time and room for natural ecosystems to rehabilitate themselves. China has created orderly and science-based strategies for agricultural, ecological, urban, and other areas. It has piloted the policy of designating permanent basic cropland areas, drawing redlines for protecting ecosystems, and delineating boundaries for urban development. It has drawn redlines for identified protected areas (PAs), areas that are ecologically vital and vulnerable but not included in PAs, and areas with important potential ecological value, thus increasing their carbon sequestration capacity.

加快形成绿色发展的空间格局。国土是生态文明建设的空间载体，必须尊重自然，给自然生态留下休养生息的时间和空间。中国主动作为，精准施策，科学有序统筹布局农业、生态、城镇等功能空间，开展永久基本农田、生态保护红线、城镇开发边界“三条控制线”划定试点工作。将自然保护地、未纳入自然保护地但生态功能极重要生态极脆弱的区域，以及具有潜在重要生态价值的区域划入生态保护红线，推动生态系统休养生息，提高固碳能力。

Developing green and low-carbon industries. The basic solutions to resource, environmental, and ecological problems are to establish and improve an economic system featuring green, low-carbon, and circular development, and to pursue greener economic and social development in all respects. To shape green development models and green ways of life, China has formulated a plan for national strategic emerging industries with the aim to: Guide green consumption, promote green products and increase the proportion of new-energy vehicles and new energy use, with an emphasis on innovation and the application of green and low-carbon technologies.

Promote industry systems for efficient energy conservation, state-of-the-art environmental protection, and resource recycling, boosting the growth of the new-energy vehicle industry, new energy industries and energy-saving and environmental protection industries.

Develop a unified certification and labeling system for green products and foster a green market by increasing the supply of green products. It has also pressed ahead with industrial restructuring through the following measures: Issuing and continuously updating the catalog for guiding industry restructuring to steer non-governmental investment. Transforming and upgrading traditional industries. Boosting high-quality development of manufacturing. Cultivating and developing emerging industries. Providing greater support to green and low-carbon industries such as energy conservation, environmental protection, clean production, and clean energy.

大力发展绿色低碳产业。建立健全绿色低碳循环发展经济体系，促进经济社会发展全面绿色转型，是解决资源环境生态问题的基础之策。为推动形成绿色发展方式和生活方式，中国制定国家战略性新兴产业发展规划，以绿色低碳技术创新和应用为重点，引导绿色消费，推广绿色产品，提升新能源汽车和新能源的应用比例，全面推进高效节能、先进环保和资源循环利用产业体系建设，推动新能源汽车、新能源和节能环保产业快速壮大，积极推进统一的绿色产品认证与标识体系建设，增加绿色产品供给，积极培育绿色市场。持续推进产业结构调整，发布并持续修订产业指导目录，引导社会投资方向，改造提升传统产业，推动制造业高质量发展，大力培育发展新兴产业，更有力支持节能环保、清洁生产、清洁能源等绿色低碳产业发展。

Resolutely curbing the haphazard development of energy-intensive and high-emission projects. China has strictly controlled the haphazard expansion of energy-intensive and high-emission projects, shutting down outdated production facilities in accordance with laws and regulations, and scaling down overcapacity at a faster pace. To achieve this, it has.Implemented strict market access standards for 13 industries including iron & steel, ferroalloy, and coking, tightening requirements on land, environmental protection, energy conservation, technology, and safety. Put in place the national policy on differential electricity prices, raising standards for the differential electricity prices for energy-intensive products and expanding the scope of differential electricity prices. Released, 12 times, lists of enterprises in key industrial fields that were required to shut down outdated production facilities, and conducted annual supervision and inspection from 2018 to 2020 to ensure the elimination of outdated production facilities in accordance with laws and regulations.Made the expansion control a top priority in the effort to peak carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. It required local governments to clearly identify all energy-intensive and high-emission projects, produce category-based management proposals, carry out special inspections, strictly punish any such projects constructed or operated in contravention of regulations, and implement list management, category-based handling, and dynamic monitoring of energy-intensive and high-emission projects. It has established working mechanisms on openly criticizing entities for wrong-doing, early warnings on energy use, regulatory talks, and accountability, gradually forming sound working and regulatory systems.

坚决遏制高耗能高排放项目盲目发展。中国持续严格控制高耗能、高排放（以下简称“两高”）项目盲目扩张，依法依规淘汰落后产能，加快化解过剩产能。严格执行钢铁、铁合金、焦化等13个行业准入条件，提高在土地、环保、节能、技术、安全等方面的准入标准，落实国家差别电价政策，提高高耗能产品差别电价标准，扩大差别电价实施范围。公布12批重点工业行业淘汰落后产能企业名单，2018年至2020年连续开展淘汰落后产能督查检查，持续推动落后产能依法依规退出。中国把坚决遏制“两高”项目盲目发展作为抓好碳达峰碳中和工作的当务之急和重中之重，组织各地区全面梳理摸排“两高”项目，分类提出处置意见，开展“两高”项目专项检查，严肃查处违规建设运行的“两高”项目，对“两高”项目实行清单管理、分类处置、动态监控。建立通报批评、用能预警、约谈问责等工作机制，逐步形成一套完善的制度体系和监管体系。

Improving and adjusting the energy mix. The energy sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. China has continuously intensified its efforts in energy conservation and emissions reduction and accelerated energy mix readjustment to build a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy system. To achieve this, it has: Defined a new strategy for energy security that promotes a green revolution in energy consumption, supply, technology, and systems, strengthens international cooperation in an all-round way, prioritizes the development of non-fossil fuels, promotes the green development of hydropower, makes comprehensive and coordinated progress in wind and solar power development, pursues the orderly development of nuclear power under the precondition of guaranteed safety, develops biomass energy, geothermal energy, and marine energy based on local conditions, comprehensively increasing the rate of renewable energy use. Driven the supply-side structural reform of coal by cutting overcapacity in coal, strengthening safe, intelligent, green, and efficient exploitation and clean and efficient use of coal, promoting clean, efficient, and high-quality development of coal-fired power industries, reducing the consumption of coal and replacing it with other fuels, taking comprehensive measures to manage the use of coal in non-industrial sectors, and promoting the substitution of coal and petroleum by electricity as end-use energy. Expanded reform of the energy system, promoting efficient allocation of energy and resources.

优化调整能源结构。能源领域是温室气体排放的主要来源，中国不断加大节能减排力度，加快能源结构调整，构建清洁低碳安全高效的能源体系。确立能源安全新战略，推动能源消费革命、供给革命、技术革命、体制革命，全方位加强国际合作，优先发展非化石能源，推进水电绿色发展，全面协调推进风电和太阳能发电开发，在确保安全的前提下有序发展核电，因地制宜发展生物质能、地热能和海洋能，全面提升可再生能源利用率。积极推动煤炭供给侧结构性改革，化解煤炭过剩产能，加强煤炭安全智能绿色开发和清洁高效开发利用，推动煤电行业清洁高效高质量发展，大力推动煤炭消费减量替代和散煤综合治理，推进终端用能领域以电代煤、以电代油。深化能源体制改革，促进能源资源高效配置。

Reinforcing efforts in energy conservation and greater energy efficiency. To further guarantee the fulfillment of responsibilities in meeting energy conservation and energy efficiency enhancement targets, China has: Implemented a system for controlling energy intensity and energy consumption, and set targets for both at the provincial level with supervision and performance evaluation. Incorporated energy conservation indexes into the index system for evaluating the performance in environmental progress and green development to facilitate the transformation in development philosophy. Strengthened energy conservation management of major energy-using entities, organized the implementation of key energy conservation projects, and popularized advanced energy conservation technologies by releasing 260 key energy conservation technologies in 13 industries, including coal, electricity, iron & steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, and building materials. Established a "Frontrunner” system for energy efficiency, and improved the energy efficiency labeling system by issuing 15 batches of catalogs for products with energy efficiency labels and related implementation rules. Implemented Energy Performance Contracting and strengthened regulations and standards on energy conservation. It has issued and implemented over 340 national standards on energy conservation and promoted the certification of energy-saving products accordingly. To date, almost 50,000 energy-saving product certificates have been issued, thus boosting the energy conservation industry. Required public institutions to play an exemplary role in energy conservation and energy efficiency enhancement. Approximately 35 percent of Party and government offices at and above county level, and all central CPC and government departments have shifted onto an energy-saving trajectory. In all, 5,114 public institutions have become demonstrative units for energy conservation. Strengthened energy conservation in the industrial sector by carrying out special national inspections on energy conservation alongside campaigns on energy-saving diagnosis, on increasing the energy efficiency of general equipment, and on promoting energy conservation and establishing standards for green development. Strengthened demand-side management by setting up demonstrative enterprises/industrial parks and selecting reference products/technologies in the demand-side management of electricity in industrial fields, which would have achieved the visualized, automated, and intelligent management of electricity consumption.

强化能源节约与能效提升。为进一步强化节约能源和提升能效目标责任落实，中国实施能源消费强度和总量双控制度，设定省级能源消费强度和总量控制目标并进行监督考核。把节能指标纳入生态文明、绿色发展等绩效评价指标体系，引导转变发展理念。强化重点用能单位节能管理，组织实施节能重点工程，加强先进节能技术推广，发布煤炭、电力、钢铁、有色、石化、化工、建材等13个行业共260项重点节能技术。建立能效“领跑者”制度，健全能效标识制度，发布15批实行能源效率标识的产品目录及相关实施细则。加快推行合同能源管理，强化节能法规标准约束，发布实施340多项国家节能标准，积极推动节能产品认证，已颁发节能产品认证证书近5万张，助力节能行业发展。加强公共机构节能增效示范引领，35%左右的县级及以上党政机关建成节约型机关，中央国家机关本级全部建成节约型机关，累计创建5114家节约型公共机构示范单位。加强工业领域节能，实施国家工业专项节能监察、工业节能诊断行动、通用设备能效提升行动及工业节能与绿色标准化行动等。加强需求侧管理，大力开展工业领域电力需求侧管理示范企业（园区）创建及参考产品（技术）遴选工作，实现用电管理可视化、自动化、智能化。

Pushing for the economical and intensive use of natural resources. To further ecological progress, China has designated conserving resources and protecting the environment as a fundamental national policy. To achieve the economical and intensive use of natural resources, it has: Pursued fundamental changes in the way of using resources and pressured all PARMs to put their existing resources to good use by improving the mechanism for coordinating the consumption of existing resources and the arrangements for additional resources, and by reforming the way of managing land use plans. Imposed strict controls on land use through standards, having organized the formulation and revision of land use standards for highways, industries, photovoltaic (PV) projects, and airports and strictly reviewed the land use of construction projects in accordance with the standards. Carried out assessment and evaluation on economical and intensive land use and worked hard to popularize land-saving technologies and models. Driven the green development of the mining industry and intensified efforts to develop eco-friendly mines by establishing and implementing index management systems for the minimum exploitation and use of mineral resources and for the evaluation of "Frontrunners". It has released 360 advanced and applicable technologies for the conservation and comprehensive use of mineral resources. Strengthened regulation and control over the use of marine resources and prohibited all coastal reclamation activities except those for major national projects. Promoted the protection and restoration of ecosystems in areas with problems carried over from reclamation activities of the past and strictly protected natural shorelines.

推动自然资源节约集约利用。为推进生态文明建设，中国把坚持节约资源和保护环境作为一项基本国策。大力节约集约利用资源，推动资源利用方式根本转变，深化增量安排与消化存量挂钩机制，改革土地计划管理方式，倒逼各省（区、市）下大力气盘活存量。严格土地使用标准控制，先后组织开展了公路、工业、光伏、机场等用地标准的制修订工作，严格依据标准审核建设项目土地使用情况。开展节约集约用地考核评价，大力推广节地技术和节地模式。积极推动矿业绿色发展。加大绿色矿山建设力度，全面建立和实施矿产资源开采利用最低指标和“领跑者”指标管理制度，发布360项矿产资源节约和综合利用先进适用技术。加强海洋资源用途管制，除国家重大项目外，全面禁止围填海。积极推进围填海历史遗留问题区域生态保护修复，严格保护自然岸线。

Actively exploring new, low-carbon models of development. China has actively explored low-carbon models of development. It has encouraged local governments, industries, and enterprises to explore low-carbon paths to development based on their individual conditions, and launched pilots and demonstrations on green and low-carbon development in fields such as energy, industry, construction, and transport, thus shaping a basic comprehensive and multi-tiered system for low-carbon piloting. It has launched low-carbon pilots in 10 provincial-level units and 77 cities, and explored low-carbon models of development and institutional innovations in respects including organizational leadership, support policies, market mechanisms, statistical systems, evaluation and assessment, coordination and demonstration, and cooperation and exchanges. The carbon intensity of these pilot areas has fallen faster than the national average, and a number of low-carbon models of development with distinctive features have emerged.

积极探索低碳发展新模式。中国积极探索低碳发展模式，鼓励地方、行业、企业因地制宜探索低碳发展路径，在能源、工业、建筑、交通等领域开展绿色低碳相关试点示范，初步形成了全方位、多层次的低碳试点体系。中国先后在10个省（市）和77个城市开展低碳试点工作，在组织领导、配套政策、市场机制、统计体系、评价考核、协同示范和合作交流等方面探索低碳发展模式和制度创新。试点地区碳排放强度下降幅度总体快于全国平均水平，形成了一批各具特色的低碳发展模式。