Increase energy conservation and carbon reduction efforts, China's green and low-carbon transformation is moving forward

Since the "14th Five-Year Plan", all regions and relevant departments have thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, implemented comprehensive conservation strategies, improved the control of total energy consumption and intensity, and solidly promoted energy conservation and carbon reduction and achieved remarkable results.

Recently, the State Council issued the "2024-2025 Action Plan for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction"(hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"), which clarifies the overall requirements and key tasks of my country's energy conservation and carbon reduction work this year and next, and guides various regions and relevant industries to further improve energy conservation and carbon reduction work in the two years after the "14th Five-Year Plan".

Specifically, the "Plan" requires that in 2024, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will be reduced by about 2.5% and about 3.9% respectively, energy consumption of added value of industrial units above designated size will be reduced by about 3.5%, and non-fossil energy consumption will account for The proportion reaches about 18.9%, and energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation in key areas and industries will produce about 50 million tons of standard coal and about 130 million tons of carbon dioxide emission reduction.

The "Plan" requires that in 2025, non-fossil energy consumption will account for about 20%, and energy conservation and carbon reduction transformation in key areas and industries will produce energy conservation of about 50 million tons of standard coal and emission reduction of about 130 million tons of carbon dioxide. We will do our best to complete the "14th Five-Year Plan" binding indicators for energy conservation and carbon reduction.

"In recent years, my country's non-fossil energy installed capacity has continued to grow, and the proportion of consumption has continued to increase, but fossil energy consumption still accounts for more than 80%." Liu Jizhen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the National Key Laboratory of New Energy and Power Systems of North China Electric Power University, said that in order to promote the improvement of energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions in the whole society, we should actively promote the reduction and substitution of fossil energy consumption, and improve the level of non-fossil energy development and consumption., promote the clean and low-carbon transformation of the energy structure.

In terms of reducing and replacing fossil energy consumption, Liu Jizhen said that the "Action Plan" clarifies work requirements from two aspects: First, source control, strictly and reasonably control coal consumption, rationally regulate the oil and gas consumption structure, and strictly implement coal consumption in key areas for air pollution prevention and control. Consumption control, promote non-power coal reduction and bulk coal management. The second is process substitution, promoting low-carbon transformation and construction of coal and electricity, promoting clean energy substitution for industrial kilns, and promoting advanced biological liquid fuels and sustainable aviation fuels.

In terms of improving non-fossil energy consumption, Liu Jizhen said that the "Action Plan" proposes three specific work measures: First, expand supply, adhere to both centralized and distributed energy development, increase non-fossil energy development efforts, and promote non-fossil energy power generation across the country. The proportion of power generation will be further increased; the second is to encourage consumption, accelerate the construction of cross-provincial and cross-regional power channels and the transformation of distribution networks, promote the construction of pumped storage energy and new energy storage, and enhance the carrying capacity of the power grid for new energy access; The third is to promote consumption, reasonably set the utilization rate of new energy in each region, promote the establishment of non-fossil energy consumption commitments for new projects, strengthen the connection between green certificates and energy conservation and carbon reduction policies, and effectively increase the level of non-fossil energy consumption.

The reporter noted that the "Action Plan" proposed six aspects of work measures, including improving institutional standards, improving price policies, strengthening financial support, strengthening scientific and technological leadership, improving market-oriented mechanisms, and implementing national action, to provide support for the implementation of energy conservation and carbon reduction goals and tasks.

Among them, energy conservation and carbon reduction work is inseparable from the correct guidance of the price mechanism. In Liu Jizhen's view, improving the energy price formation mechanism and using price leverage to guide the behavior of market entities and the whole society are effective means to optimize resource allocation, promote conservation in the whole society, and promote the formation of a green production and lifestyle.

Energy conservation and carbon reduction work covers a wide range of fields and many tasks. In addition to optimizing and adjusting the energy structure, the key tasks of the Action Plan also cover key energy-consuming industries such as industry, construction, transportation, and public institutions, as well as energy-using products and equipment.

"To achieve the corresponding energy-saving transformation tasks in the above-mentioned fields, it is inseparable from the guidance and support of science and technology." Liu Jizhen said that the "Action Plan" proposes to give full play to the role of major national science and technology projects, focus on tackling a number of key common technologies for energy conservation and carbon reduction, and solidly promote the construction of green and low-carbon advanced technology demonstration projects.

Specifically, on the one hand, promoting energy conservation, carbon reduction, and energy transformation needs to consider the economics of the energy system to avoid the technical routes and economic investment lock-in effects that may be caused by the premature industrialization of unreasonable and immature new energy technologies; On the other hand, by deploying a number of scientific research projects such as major national science and technology projects, relevant institutions are guided to actively participate in key technology research, promote basic research, technology research and development, engineering demonstration and achievement promotion, implement collaboration between industry, academia and application, and form a synergy of independent innovation. Lay a solid foundation for building an energy power.

Liu Jizhen said that in general, the "Action Plan" has made systematic arrangements to accelerate the deployment of work related to energy conservation and carbon reduction. The various action measures proposed are pragmatic and powerful. They are important for promoting non-fossil energy consumption and promoting energy conservation and reduction in key areas and industries. Making systematic arrangements for carbon reduction will lay a solid foundation for actively and steadily promoting carbon peak and carbon neutrality, comprehensively promoting the construction of a beautiful China, and promoting comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.