Shaanxi: Focus on the "double carbon" goal and play a "combination punch" of carbon reduction

In September 2020, China proposed at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly that it would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Now that three years have passed, what are Shaanxi's achievements on the new track of "double carbon"?

Green finance to solve the problem of low-carbon project financing

In early winter, the cold hits. At a housing construction site in Shaanxi's Xixian New District, workers are busy working on the building's façade to buy time for the project's early completion. This project, which looks like an ordinary building, actually has a lot to say about the interior.

Prefabricated laminated panels make the building like building blocks, improving construction efficiency while reducing environmental pollution, high-performance envelopes, windows and doors and efficient lighting reduce energy consumption, and hot dry rock geothermal energy heating saves energy. Not only that, but the proportion of green building materials used in it is 3%.

Zhang Xin, assistant general manager of Xixian New Area Anju Group Co., Ltd., said: "This project is designed according to the standard of green building two-star, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 116,000 tons compared to traditional projects. ”

The green building in Zhang Xin's mouth is a green building, and it is one of the many green and low-carbon projects carried out by Xixian New Area as a national climate investment and financing pilot. Large investment volume and long investment cycle are common problems in the implementation of such projects, and this housing project in Xixian New Area is no exception. Climate investment and financing just solves the problem of insufficient funds for the construction of green and low-carbon projects.

The so-called climate investment and financing refers to the investment and financing activities that guide and promote more funds to be invested in the field of climate change in order to achieve the goal of low-carbon development. By focusing on climate-friendly banks and financial institutions, Xixian New Area guides them to support low-carbon enterprises and green key projects. In response to the time lag between green building identification and credit, Xixian New Area introduced the insurance mechanism into the field of green building for the first time in Shaanxi Province and obtained a green loan of 180 million yuan for this housing project.

Liu Hui, General Manager of the Strategic Customer Department (Green Finance Department) of Industrial Bank Xi'an Branch, said: "We give priority to acceptance, due diligence and approval of green building projects. Through the linkage of government departments, regulators, insurance companies and other parties, the loans obtained by the project in the construction stage are green loans, which can effectively reduce the financing costs of enterprises. ”

Zhang Xin felt deeply about this. "The term of this loan is 30 years, which is longer than that of conventional project loans, and the financing interest rate is lower than the market level, which is expected to save us more than 4 million yuan in capital costs. Zhang Xin said frankly.

Since August 2022, when it was approved as one of the first batch of climate investment and financing pilots in China, Xixian New Area has taken the lead in promulgating standards and specifications for climate investment and financing projects and climate-friendly enterprises in the country, solving the problem of financial institutions' difficulty in identifying climate benefits. According to the benefits of climate change, economic benefits and other factors, the warehousing projects are divided into three levels. At the same time, we will strengthen the innovation of financial products, promote the establishment of green environmental protection funds, and strengthen the financial guarantee for project construction.

Yang Jing, deputy director of the Climate Investment and Financing Industry Promotion Center of Xixian New Area, told reporters: "Since the pilot was approved, we have also solved the financing of 4.1 billion yuan for comprehensive energy projects, distributed photovoltaic projects, green buildings and other projects, and issued 40.9 million yuan in funds. ”

Carbon emission reduction-linked loans of 57.5 million yuan for distributed photovoltaic power generation projects, 40.9 million yuan for 3 project funds such as Xixian New Area Energy Green Island Heating, 85 million yuan for 3 medium and deep non-interference heating projects, and 5 projects including Fengdong New Town Energy Supply Station are striving for green loans of 1 billion yuan...... With the support of climate investment and financing, green projects in Xixian New Area have blossomed in many places.

Ecological homestay, let the ecological beauty become a "money" scene

While Xixian New Area is boldly carrying out climate investment and financing pilots to promote green, low-carbon and high-quality development in the region, Liuba County, located in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains, is also carrying out its own low-carbon exploration. What to "stay" and what not to leave has always been a must-answer question for the development of Qinling small mountain town with a population of just over 40,000. In the end, Liuba County chose to shut down the mining industry, which made quick money, and took the road of transforming lucid waters and lush mountains into gold and silver mountains with the attitude of a "zero industry" county. At present, except for the processing of agricultural products, there is no real industry in Liuba.

The forest coverage rate of Liuba is as high as 92%, the average annual number of days with good air is more than 360 days, the quality of surface water reaching the national Class II standard or above, and the summer temperature is 22 degrees. With its unique ecological advantages, the local ecological homestay industry has developed in recent years.

Loufanggou B&B cluster can be regarded as a business card of Liuba's B&B industry. The unique style and well-equipped B&B, coupled with the green hills, fresh air, insects and birds, make it particularly favored by foreign tourists in summer.

"During the peak season and holidays, we can earn 50,000 yuan a day for the entire operation, and we can reach about 70% of the annual occupancy rate. Liang Haofeng, operation manager of Loufanggou B&B in the secluded township of Liuba County, Hanzhong City, told reporters.

Since its opening in September 2019, the operation of 13 homestay courtyards in Loufanggou has achieved a total income of 11 million yuan. Farmhouses become homestays, villages become scenic spots, so that farmers can harvest "waist drums" from "ecological beauty", which is a vivid practice of Liuba to develop industries with ecological concepts, build ecology in an industrialized way, and promote the efficient transformation of "two mountains" with the deep integration of "two industrializations".

Wang Fei, deputy director of the Liuba Branch of the Hanzhong Ecological Environment Bureau, said: "Liuba is based on lucid waters and lush mountains, with transformation and value-added as the core, we will incorporate carbon peak and carbon neutrality into the overall economic and social development, and uphold the principle of green and low-carbon recycling in the planning and construction of the homestay industry, and retain the original ecological appearance to the greatest extent. ”

At present, Liuba County has successfully transformed six ecological value conversion projects in the field of carbon peaking, including the "Loufanggou" B&B resource asset revitalization project in Xiaoliuba Village. Relying on ecological advantages to develop all-for-one tourism, Liuba County allows the people to share the dividends of green development, allowing this "zero industry" county in the depths of the Qinling Mountains to embark on a new path of green development to get rid of poverty and enrich the people.

In September this year, Liuba County, the remaining 12 counties and districts in Shaanxi, and 8 parks were jointly selected into the list of the first batch of low-carbon and near-zero-carbon pilot counties and districts in Shaanxi Province, providing a reference path for more counties and industrial parks to carry out green and low-carbon transformation, and playing a demonstration and leading role.

Carbon trading to promote the "green" of thermal power plants

Carbon emission trading is another important way to participate in carbon emission reduction. Datang Fuping Thermal Power Co., Ltd. generates an average of 2.9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year and consumes 1.17 million tons of coal per year. In order to reduce coal consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, the company strictly follows the requirements of the "Guidelines for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Enterprises" in the power generation industry, regularly carries out elemental carbon analysis, and continuously optimizes various energy-saving measures. It has also set up a number of technical research teams to comprehensively reduce coal consumption for power supply by optimizing operation modes, optimizing operation parameter control, and strengthening equipment management.

At present, the power plant consumes 19.55 grams of coal per kilowatt-hour of electricity compared to three years ago. The reduction of unit coal consumption directly promotes the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of enterprises.

Shi Haitao, Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection and Chairman of the Labor Union of Datang Fuping Thermal Power Co., Ltd., said: "We completed the quota performance from 2019 to 2020 on December 7, 2021, with a total of 5,139,700 tons. On September 14, 2023, the quota compliance from 2021 to 2022 was completed, with a total of 5.356 million tons. At present, it is generally in a surplus situation. ”

Participating in the national carbon emission trading and using carbon constraints to force energy consumption to reduce has promoted the thermal power plant to "go green". Today, in addition to reaching the ultra-low emission level and the best emission indicators in the industry, the power plant has also realized that all coal is transported into the plant by railway, urban water is used regularly for production water, and all ash and slag are comprehensively utilized.

In order to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the national carbon market, Shaanxi focuses on establishing and improving the carbon emission management system, focusing on the quality of carbon emission data, strengthening law enforcement supervision and assistance, grasping the rectification of problems, and effectively giving full play to the positioning of carbon market policy tools. It is the first in the country to issue the "Shaanxi Provincial Carbon Emission Data Quality Management Measures" and "Shaanxi Provincial Carbon Emission Trading Management Implementation Rules", clarifying the responsibilities of various departments, standardizing the provincial system of the carbon market, and the province is included in the trading power generation enterprises active trading.

Zhao Yajun, a fourth-level researcher at the Pollutant Discharge Permit Management Office (Climate Change Response Division) of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, said: "At present, 36 power generation companies in Shaanxi Province are participating in carbon market transactions, with a trading volume of 11.2 million tons and a turnover of 840 million yuan, which has completed 99.84% in terms of compliance volume, and is expected to successfully complete the management of the second compliance cycle of the national carbon market." ”

Multi-point efforts have been made to continuously reduce carbon emission intensity

Innovatively carrying out climate investment and financing pilots, deepening low-carbon near-zero carbon pilot demonstrations, and actively participating in the construction of the national carbon market are all powerful measures for Shaanxi to respond to the national climate change action and promote the realization of the "dual carbon" goal. At the same time, Shaanxi has also actively built a provincial carbon peak and carbon neutrality "1+N" policy system, issued the "Shaanxi Province's 14th Five-Year Plan for Carbon Dioxide Emission Control" and "Shaanxi Province's 2023 Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Emission Control" and other documents to refine the goals and decompose the tasks. Through measures such as establishing a regular compilation of greenhouse gas inventories, holding a national low-carbon day, and carrying out research on synergies in pollution reduction and carbon reduction, Shaanxi's response to climate change has been steadily promoted.

Zhao Yajun said: "According to the latest statistics, the province's carbon dioxide emission intensity per unit of GDP is 23.84% lower than that in 2015, and the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy in the province has exceeded 31.11 million kilowatts, accounting for 38.6% of the total installed power capacity, the province's forest coverage rate is 46.39%, and the forest stock is 668 million cubic meters. ”

In addition, Shaanxi has also made steady efforts to promote green and low-carbon technologies. Relying on scientific research strength and innovation-driven, Shaanxi has accelerated the demonstration project of carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage technology, Yanchang Petroleum 300,000 tons/year carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage demonstration project has been completed and put into operation, and the 100,000 tons/year carbon dioxide geological storage research facility of Northwest University has started construction in Yulin.

The "dual carbon" goal is by no means achieved overnight, and it needs to be sustained and long-term. In the next step, Shaanxi will combine its own "heavy industrial structure and coal-biased energy structure" to implement a synergistic mechanism for pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and continue to make efforts in promoting emission reduction by market means, pilot demonstration, and participation of the whole society.