Zhao Chenxin, member of the leading party group and deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, published a signed article in the People's Daily: Persistently promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency

　　General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that "implementing a comprehensive conservation strategy and promoting the conservation and intensive utilization of various resources" has pointed out the way forward and provided fundamental guidelines for further promoting energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. We must earnestly study and understand the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, deeply implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, unremittingly promote energy conservation and energy efficiency, and strive to promote high-quality development.

　　Energy conservation and energy efficiency are the only way to promote high-quality development

　　High-quality development is the primary task of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way.In the new era and new journey, we must deeply understand the importance of energy conservation and energy efficiency in promoting high-quality development, improve the quality and efficiency of economic development, accelerate the green transformation of development mode, help coordinate development and security, and continuously improve people's livelihood and well-being.

　　Energy conservation and energy efficiency are powerful ways to improve the quality and efficiency of economic development.Energy efficiency is an important indicator to measure the quality and efficiency of a country's economic development. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's energy intensity has decreased by 26.4%, and the average annual energy consumption growth rate of 3% has supported the annual economic growth of 6.2%, providing an important guarantee for sustained and healthy economic development. As a large developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, if China wants to enter a modern society as a whole, it must completely change the extensive development model of mass production, large consumption and large emissions, effectively reduce the consumption of energy resources per unit output, and create greater economic and social benefits with less energy resource consumption.

　　Energy conservation and energy efficiency improvement are inevitable choices to promote green and low-carbon development.Compared with other measures, energy conservation and energy efficiency improvement are currently the most direct, effective and economical means of carbon reduction. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 3 billion tons through energy conservation and energy efficiency. The International Energy Agency estimates that energy conservation and energy efficiency will contribute as much as 37% to achieving global temperature rise control targets. To promote green and low-carbon development, it is necessary to accelerate energy conservation and improve energy efficiency, promote the conservation and intensive utilization of various resources, and form effective carbon emission control valves from the source and entrance.

　　Energy conservation and improvement of energy efficiency are important guarantees for maintaining development security.The current international situation is complex and severe, and the global energy governance system has been deeply adjusted. In response to the energy crisis, many European countries have adopted stricter energy-saving measures to enhance the reliability and affordability of energy access. China is still in the stage of rapid development of new industrialization and new urbanization, and the total energy consumption will continue to grow rigidly. To this end, we must focus on improving energy efficiency, fully guarantee national energy security, and firmly adhere to the bottom line of high-quality development.

　　Energy conservation and energy efficiency are necessary to improve people's livelihood and well-being.A good ecological environment is the most inclusive people's livelihood and well-being. In the final analysis, ecological and environmental problems are caused by the overexploitation, extensive utilization and luxury and waste of energy resources. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 10 million tons through energy conservation and energy efficiency. As the space for pollution terminal treatment narrows and the cost rises, we should adhere to the orientation of energy conservation and emission reduction, achieve source prevention with energy conservation and consumption reduction, coordinate to promote process control and end treatment, continue to improve the quality of the ecological environment, and continuously meet the growing needs of the people for a better life.

　　Firmly grasp the working principles of promoting energy conservation and improving energy efficiency

　　For a long time, China has continued to improve the energy-saving system, promote the whole society to save energy and increase efficiency, and achieve remarkable results in energy conservation. It should also be noted that the problem of energy resource constraints in China is still prominent, and there is still great potential for energy conservation in the whole society. To further promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency, we must grasp the following principles.

　　First, we must adhere to the priority of conservation, and put energy conservation and energy efficiency in a more prominent strategic position.The energy issue has a bearing on the overall situation of China's economic and social development. China has a large population, relatively insufficient energy resources, a relatively high proportion of carbon emissions from energy activities, and arduous tasks of energy security and green and low-carbon transformation. To solve China's energy problem, we must not only open source, but also reduce expenditure. It is necessary to put energy conservation and energy efficiency as a long-term task to alleviate energy resource constraints, reduce the pressure of carbon emissions, and ensure high-quality economic and social development, and put them in a more prominent strategic position.

　　Second, we must accurately grasp the situation and fully understand the urgency of strengthening energy conservation and improving energy efficiency.China's energy efficiency still has a lot of room for improvement. In recent years, affected by many factors, China's total energy consumption has continued to grow rapidly, and the decline in energy intensity has narrowed. In some regions, the decline in energy intensity is less than expected, and there is pressure to achieve the energy conservation targets of the 14th Five-Year Plan. It is necessary to regard energy conservation and improving energy efficiency as an urgent task at present, earnestly make great efforts and take effective measures, and strive to do a good job in energy conservation.

　　Third, it is necessary to grasp the main contradictions and persist in combining highlighting key points with comprehensively advancing them.Energy conservation runs through the whole process of economic and social development and all fields. China's industrial energy consumption accounts for about 70% of the energy consumption of the whole society, many existing projects and energy-using equipment have low energy efficiency, and the energy-saving means of industrial park system are insufficient, which is the key direction of digging energy saving potential. China's building area and energy consumption continue to increase, heating and cooling and other links of energy waste problems are prominent, is an important area to implement energy conservation in the whole society. It is necessary to grasp the main contradictions, highlight key areas, and promote energy conservation and efficiency improvement in the whole society with points and areas.

　　Fourth, we must adhere to the system concept and constantly improve the long-term mechanism of energy-saving management.Energy conservation and energy efficiency improvement is a systematic project, which needs to deal with the short-term and medium-term and long-term, overall and partial, government and market and other relationships. It is necessary to strengthen the connection and coordination between energy-saving policies and industrial, science and technology, finance and taxation, finance, investment, price and other policies, improve the whole chain energy-saving management system covering the country, localities, industries, enterprises and products and equipment, and establish an incentive and constraint mechanism conducive to mobilizing the initiative and enthusiasm of all parties. We must persist in putting efforts into peacetime, really grasp the work, work hard for a long time, and vigorously and orderly promote energy conservation work.

　　Continuously promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency to achieve new results

　　推进节能和提高能效，责任重大、使命光荣，功在当代、利在千秋。我们要全面贯彻党的二十大精神，深入贯彻习近平生态文明思想，认真落实党中央、国务院决策部署，坚持节约优先不动摇，大力实施节能降碳增效行动，Continuously promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency to achieve new results。

　　First, pay close attention to the "14th Five-Year Plan" energy-saving goals and tasks.Solidly carry out the mid-term evaluation of energy conservation in the 14th Five-Year Plan, sort out the progress of energy conservation work one by one in different places and industries, summarize experience and effectiveness, analyze problems and shortcomings, and take targeted effective measures to promote the implementation of energy conservation goals and tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan.

　　The second is to promote energy conservation, carbon reduction and efficiency improvement in key areas.Carry out in-depth energy efficiency benchmarking, promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in key industries, and implement the upgrading of energy-using equipment. Vigorously promote building energy-saving renovation and heat metering. Strictly save energy and reduce consumption in large-scale public construction and transportation infrastructure, and reduce energy waste in public institutions. Implement the Measures for the Review of Energy Conservation of Fixed Asset Investment Projects, strictly control the energy efficiency of new projects, and resolutely curb the blind development of projects with high energy consumption, high emissions and low levels.

　　The third is to strengthen the daily management of energy conservation.Strengthen the management of energy conservation in key energy-using units, implement energy conservation supervision and energy conservation diagnosis, carry out energy efficiency surveys of key enterprises and equipment, and accelerate the update and upgrading of energy conservation standards and the implementation of applications. Accelerate the research and development and promotion of advanced technologies for energy conservation and carbon reduction, and cultivate market-oriented energy-saving models. Implement the policy of excluding the total energy consumption and intensity control of raw material energy use and renewable energy consumption, focus on controlling fossil energy consumption, and strengthen the guarantee of high-quality development of energy use.

　　The fourth is to promote the formation of a social environment for energy conservation for all people.Continue to carry out the activities of the National Energy Conservation Publicity Week in a pragmatic manner. Incorporate energy conservation and carbon reduction into the national education system, consolidate the knowledge base of energy conservation, and improve the energy conservation ability of the whole people. Strengthen the summary and promotion of green life creation action cases, and promote the formation of a green and low-carbon lifestyle. Adhering to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, we actively participate in international multilateral and bilateral energy efficiency cooperation. (The author is a member of the leading party group and deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission; Published in People's Daily, July 12, 2023, 11th edition)