China has made a major declaration of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and has achieved remarkable results in the past three years to build a beautiful home where man and nature coexist in harmony

All 65 Asian Games venues and office spaces in Zhijiang use green electricity, and citizens have participated in activities such as "I Plant a Tree for the Asian Games". The Hangzhou Asian Games, which is one of the concepts of "green", is striving to become the first carbon-neutral Asian Games.

More than half of the world's new energy vehicles are driving in China, and it took only 17 months for China's new energy vehicles to exceed 20 million from the 10 million production.

Green and low-carbon development has taken a solid and strong pace.

On September 22, 2020, at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly announced: "China will increase its nationally determined contributions, adopt more powerful policies and measures, strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030, and strive to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060." ”

This means that China, as the world's largest developing country, will achieve the world's highest reduction in carbon emission intensity, and achieve carbon neutrality in the shortest time in the world's history. This is undoubtedly an uphill battle and requires extremely difficult effort.

A promise is a promise, and words must be done. Over the past three years, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has incorporated carbon peaking and carbon neutrality into the overall layout of ecological civilization construction and the overall economic and social development, and promoted the "dual carbon" work to achieve a good start and positive results. China has built a "1+N" policy system for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, deployed and implemented the "Ten Actions for Carbon Peaking", and continuously consolidated the foundation for statistical accounting, standard measurement, scientific and technological innovation, and talent training. China has built the world's largest clean power generation system, and as of the first half of this year, the country's installed renewable energy capacity exceeded 1.3 billion kilowatts, surpassing coal power in a historic way. The number of new energy vehicles has exceeded 16.2 million, and the production and sales have ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years.

Temperatures have hit record highs, heat waves and droughts are frequent, torrential rains and floods are frequent... Since the Industrial Revolution, climate change caused by massive emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has been a serious challenge for all mankind.

In response to climate change, China's ambition and strength have attracted worldwide attention.

On December 12, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping further announced at the Climate Ambition Summit that by 2030, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will drop by more than 65% compared with 2005, the proportion of non-fossil energy in primary energy consumption will reach about 25%, the forest stock will increase by 6 billion cubic meters compared with 2005, and the total installed capacity of wind and solar power will reach more than 1.2 billion kilowatts.

The international community generally believes that at the critical moment of the global climate governance process, China has made a major commitment to carbon peak and carbon neutrality, promoted high-quality development, and accelerated green and low-carbon transformation, reflecting China's initiative to shoulder important responsibilities and play a positive role model.

How difficult is it to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality?

"It generally takes more than 40 or even 70 years for developed countries to reach carbon neutrality from carbon peak, while China only has about 30 years. China has started the process of carbon reduction in the context of the historical task of industrialization and urbanization, and the energy structure is biased towards coal and the industrial structure is heavy, making carbon reduction difficult and time unprecedented. Zhou Hongchun, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said.

Advance in the face of difficulties and move forward bravely.

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clarified the overall goals of China's development by 2035, one of which is to "widely form a green production and lifestyle, stabilize and decline carbon emissions after peaking, fundamentally improve the ecological environment, and basically achieve the goal of a beautiful China".

Actively and steadily promoting carbon peak and carbon neutrality is the responsibility to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and it is also an inherent requirement for China to achieve high-quality development.

Draw a long-term plan, anchor the goal, and seek progress in stability.

When General Secretary Xi Jinping participated in the deliberations of the Inner Mongolia delegation during the two sessions of the National People's Congress in 2022, he earnestly advised: "We must be based on national conditions, adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, and gradually realize, not detached from reality and rushing for success, engaging in sports 'carbon reduction' and stepping on the 'emergency brake'." ”

General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed at the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection held in July this year: "The 'dual carbon' goal we have committed to is unswerving, but the path and method, rhythm and intensity to achieve this goal should and must be determined by ourselves."

On the occasion of the first National Ecology Day, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction, emphasizing: "Guided by the 'dual carbon' work, we will gradually promote the dual control of energy consumption to the dual control of carbon emissions, and continue to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of production methods and lifestyles."

Reduce emissions for the earth and add green to the home. A "broad and profound change" is accelerating.

The "1+N" policy system for carbon peak and carbon neutrality has been constructed and implemented. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Completely, Accurately and Comprehensively Implementing the New Development Concept and Doing a Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality", and the State Council issued the "Action Plan for Carbon Peaking Before 2030", making a top-level design, clarifying the timetable and roadmap. Relevant departments have issued 12 implementation plans for key industries in key areas such as energy, industry, construction, transportation, agriculture and rural areas, as well as 11 support and guarantee plans for scientific and technological support, financial support, statistical accounting, and ecological carbon sinks, and 31 provinces have formulated implementation plans for carbon peaking, and the construction of the "dual carbon" policy system has been completed and continuously implemented.

A series of effective measures for green, low-carbon and circular development have been implemented. improve the regulation and control of total energy consumption and intensity, and gradually shift to a dual control system of total carbon emission and intensity; Since 2020, the central government has allocated a total of 1.78 trillion yuan of funds related to ecological and environmental protection, and the national carbon emission trading market has officially launched online trading, becoming the world's largest carbon market covering greenhouse gas emissions, with a cumulative trading volume of 230 million tons and a cumulative turnover of 10.475 billion yuan by the end of 2022.

In 2020, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP decreased by about 48.4% compared with 2005, exceeding the commitment of the first phase of the Nationally Determined Contributions. On this basis, in the first two years of the "14th Five-Year Plan", China's carbon dioxide emission intensity has further decreased, and the results of energy conservation and carbon reduction have been remarkable.

"In the past ten years of the new era, China's average annual energy consumption growth rate of 3% has supported economic growth of more than 6% per year, and the carbon emission intensity has decreased by more than 35%, reversing the rapid growth of carbon dioxide emissions." The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment introduced.

12,000 heliostat mirrors follow the sun, reflecting sunlight onto the collector tower. The 100-megawatt molten salt tower solar thermal power station in the Gobi Desert in Northwest China is designed to generate 390 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

A large extended-reach well with a horizontal displacement of more than 3,000 meters carries carbon dioxide to the seabed. China's first offshore carbon dioxide sequestration demonstration project, built in the Pearl River Estuary Basin, is expected to store about 300,000 tons per year.

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed: "It is necessary to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of the development mode, adhere to the green and low-carbon development as a fundamental policy to solve ecological and environmental problems, accelerate the formation of green production methods and lifestyles, and cultivate a green background for high-quality development." ”

In the three years since the "dual carbon" goal was proposed, China has accelerated the construction of a green, low-carbon and circular economic system, vigorously promoted green production methods, promoted the energy revolution and resource conservation and intensive utilization, coordinated the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and achieved higher quality development in carbon reduction and carbon reduction.

-- The green and low-carbon energy transition has been steadily promoted.

Carbon emissions from energy activities account for more than 80% of the total carbon emissions in China, and carbon reduction in energy production is crucial to achieving the "dual carbon" goal.

On August 31, the world's first 630 degrees Celsius secondary reheating thermal power project started construction in Yuncheng, Shandong, and the main steam of the generator set that has been generated once will be recycled into the boiler for heating. "Compared with conventional coal-fired power units, it saves 350,000 tons of standard coal and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 945,000 tons per year." Lin Yue, commander-in-chief of the construction of the Datang Yuncheng project, introduced.

China has carried out the "three reforms" of coal-fired power energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation, flexibility transformation and heating transformation, and implemented stricter energy-saving standards for new coal-fired power units, so that power generation efficiency and pollutant emission control have reached the world's leading level.

The level of clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy has been greatly improved, and non-fossil energy has achieved leapfrog development. The main stream of the Yangtze River, Wudongde, Baihetan and other six cascade power stations, with a total installed capacity of more than 71 million kilowatts, can meet the annual electricity demand of more than 300 million people. In the grassland of Zhangbei, photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine and the blue sky and white clouds complement each other, and a steady stream of green electricity lights up the lights of Beijing.

As of 2022, the share of coal in the country's primary energy consumption has dropped sharply from 68.5% in 2012 to 56.2%, and the proportion of clean energy consumption has increased to 25.9%.

The relevant person in charge of the National Energy Administration introduced: "China has built the world's largest clean power generation system, among which, hydropower, wind power, photovoltaic, biomass power generation and nuclear power under construction have ranked first in the world for many years. In the first half of this year, the installed capacity of renewable energy reached 1.322 billion kilowatts, which historically surpassed coal power, accounting for about 48.8% of China's total installed capacity. ”

China has vigorously developed renewable energy and made positive contributions to global emission reduction. In 2022, China's renewable energy power generation is equivalent to reducing domestic carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.26 billion tons, and the exported wind power and photovoltaic products will reduce carbon dioxide emissions for other countries by about 573 million tons, with a total emission reduction of more than 2.8 billion tons, accounting for about 41% of the world's renewable energy carbon emission reduction in the same period.

-- Vigorously implement carbon reduction and pollution reduction actions in key industries.

Industrial production, building operation, transportation, etc. are the main links that consume energy and generate carbon emissions. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to promote clean and low-carbon transformation in industry, construction, transportation and other fields.

Promote the green development of industry. Jiangsu Lishui Tianshan Cement Co., Ltd. and the local power supply department jointly explored "comprehensive carbon management", and reduced carbon emissions by nearly one million tons annually through the development of an online carbon emission monitoring and management system, combined with the construction of distributed photovoltaic and energy storage power stations.

We will continue to deepen supply-side structural reforms. Resolutely curb the blind launch of high-energy-consuming, high-emission, and low-level projects, and promote the continuous optimization of the industrial structure. By the end of 2022, about 300 million tons of backward steel, 400 million tons of cement, and 150 million weight boxes of flat glass have been eliminated and overcapacity have been eliminated and resolved.

Strategic emerging industries have developed and expanded. In the first half of this year, the total export of "new three" products increased by 61.6%.

Vigorously develop green buildings. In Tongzhou District, Beijing, at the project site of Plot 160 of the Urban Sub-center of China Construction First Bureau, the builders were busy testing the thermal insulation of the building. Xu Youyue, the project manager, said: "More than half of the green building materials are used, and the green waterproof air barrier film alone can reduce carbon emissions by more than 15%. ”

In 2022, the proportion of new green construction area in China will increase from 77% at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan to 91.2%; Promote the green and low-carbon transformation of existing buildings, and energy-saving buildings account for more than 65% of urban civil construction area.

Build a green transportation system. China's first transportation and energy integration demonstration project was completed in Jining, Shandong Province in May this year and officially connected to the grid for power generation, using highway slopes and other vacant land to build photovoltaic power generation facilities to provide green power for highway service areas and new energy vehicles. "As of the beginning of August, the cumulative power generation exceeded 5 million kilowatt hours, saving about 1,800 tons of standard coal." Gao Kang, the technical director of China's energy construction and integration of the Zaohe project, said.

We will continue to optimize the structure of transportation and promote the green transformation of transportation vehicles. In 2022, the national railway freight dispatch volume increased by 4.4% year-on-year, and the waterway freight dispatch volume increased by 3.8% year-on-year.

-- The research, promotion and application of green and low-carbon technologies have been continuously strengthened.

In August, the Xinjiang Kuqa Green Hydrogen Demonstration Project was completed and put into operation, which is the largest photovoltaic power generation direct green hydrogen production project in China. Overcoming difficulties and independent innovation, the major equipment and core materials such as photovoltaic modules and electrolyzers used in the project have all been localized.

In June, the carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) project of Jiangsu Taizhou Power Plant of China Energy Group was officially put into operation, which is the largest thermal power CCUS project in Asia, which can capture and consume 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. "We have independently developed a new generation of high-capacity, low-energy absorbents, integrated new fillers, high-efficiency amine recovery and other technologies, and the carbon dioxide capture rate is greater than 90%." Liu Jiandong, chief engineer of Jiangsu Taizhou Power Plant, introduced.

To promote the "double carbon" work, scientific and technological innovation is the key support. The construction capacity of million-kilowatt hydropower units leads the world, the conversion efficiency of mass-produced monocrystalline cells has broken the world record for many times, the world's first ultra-large capacity 16 MW offshore wind turbine has been successfully connected to the grid for power generation, the batch application of three generations of large-scale advanced pressurized water reactor technologies such as "Hualong No. 1" with its own brand, and new breakthroughs have been made in cutting-edge technologies such as hydrogen energy, fuel cells, new energy storage, carbon capture, utilization and storage...

Since the "dual carbon" goal was proposed, China has strengthened green and low-carbon scientific and technological innovation, built five national key laboratories in the field of "double carbon", implemented key research and development projects such as renewable energy technology, and formed a green technology and equipment manufacturing system covering energy conservation, water conservation, environmental protection, renewable energy and other fields, and significantly enhanced the supply capacity of green technology equipment and products.

China's ecological civilization construction has entered a critical period with carbon reduction as the key strategic direction, and promoting green and low-carbon economic and social development is the key link to achieve high-quality development.

In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Coordinate the adjustment of industrial structure, pollution control, ecological protection, and response to climate change, and coordinate the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, and promote ecological priority, conservation and intensive, green and low-carbon development." ”

The whole society has taken active action to solidly promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and accelerate the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

The construction of forest "carbon pool" has steadily improved the carbon sink capacity of ecosystems.

On April 4 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping braved the rain to come to the tree planting site in Dongba Central Park, Chaoyang District, Beijing, and participated in voluntary tree planting with the people in the capital. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that forests are not only reservoirs, money banks, grain reservoirs, but also carbon reservoirs. Afforestation is a very meaningful thing, and it is a noble cause that will benefit the present and future generations, and it must be done consistently and continuously.

It not only planted patches of green in the vast land of the motherland, but also sowed green seeds in the hearts of the broad masses of people. From on-site tree planting, to "code responsibility" and "cloud tree planting", people actively participate in voluntary tree planting activities. The due diligence forms of voluntary tree planting have been expanded to more than 50 types in 8 categories, realizing year-round, diversification and convenience.

Everyone planted trees and became a forest. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan", the country has completed more than 100 million mu of land greening every year, with a forest coverage rate of 24.02% and a forest volume of 19.493 billion cubic meters. The national forest coverage rate and forest stock have maintained "double growth" for many years, and China has become the country with the largest and fastest growth of forest resources in the world. In 2021, the annual carbon sink of forests and grasslands in China exceeded 1.2 billion tons, ranking first in the world. Greening the earth's homeland and improving global climate change, China's contribution has won world praise.

With the active participation of the public, a simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle has become a trend.

In Piaoying Flower Garden Community, Jiaxing Road Street, Hongkou District, Shanghai, residents came to the garbage bin room with garbage bags, classified delivery, automatic weighing, voice prompts... It only takes 10 seconds to complete the garbage sorting and delivery, and you can also understand the relevant data of your own domestic waste.

In recent years, Shanghai has carried out solid garbage classification work, and the overall disposal level of the whole process of garbage classification and resource utilization has been improved. From "unwilling to divide, will not divide" to "active and intelligent", now the city's residential areas and units garbage classification compliance rate has reached 95%, and more and more citizens consciously put garbage classification.

China's garbage classification work continues to advance in depth, and 297 cities above the prefecture level have fully implemented domestic waste classification, with an average coverage rate of 82.5% in residential areas.

Green travel has increasingly become a new fashion for low-carbon life, driving the rapid development of new energy vehicles, and the production and sales volume has ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years. On July 3, China's 20 million new energy vehicles rolled off the assembly line in Guangzhou GAC Aion production line.

From participating in the "Disc Action" and opposing food waste, to setting the temperature of the air conditioner not lower than 26 degrees Celsius in summer, from opening a personal carbon account, to not using disposable tableware when ordering takeout... A simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle has gradually become a new trend of the times, gathering surging strength to protect lucid waters and lush mountains.

China has unswervingly implemented the national strategy to actively respond to climate change, and China has become an important participant, contributor and leader in global climate governance.

The "Zero Carbon Service for All" logo can be seen everywhere in the exhibition hall, and visitors can join the green action by scanning the QR code and obtain the "CIFTIS Carbon Neutrality Certificate". The China International Fair for Trade in Services held in Beijing in early September launched a special exhibition on environmental services for the first time with the National Stadium as the main venue, set up four special zones for low-carbon energy, carbon neutrality and green technology, climate and carbon economy, and circular economy, and also set up a low-carbon technology travel zone in Shougang Park.

The green exhibition is a mirror, reflecting that with the continuous promotion of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, China's economic and social development has ushered in profound changes and has a far-reaching impact on the world.

Actively and constructively participate in the multilateral process on climate change, continue to deepen South-South cooperation on climate change, promote the green and low-carbon development of the Belt and Road Initiative, overseas non-fossil energy investment has surpassed fossil energy, and a number of clean, efficient and high-quality landmark projects for green energy cooperation have been built one after another. China is unswervingly committed to its national strategy to actively respond to climate change and has always actively contributed to the sustainable development of the world.

"China is a doer for global climate governance." Xie Zhenhua, China's Special Envoy for Climate Change, said that China's green and low-carbon transformation has achieved remarkable results, embarked on a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable development in line with its national conditions, provided experience and reference for developing countries with practical actions and results, and contributed to global climate governance.

Although the road is far, the line is coming; It's hard, but it's done. Adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization as the fundamental follow and action guide, maintain the strategic focus on strengthening the construction of ecological civilization, actively and steadily promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality, jointly build a beautiful home where man and nature coexist in harmony, and promote high-quality development and create a high-quality life with high-level protection.