Vigorously develop new-quality productive forces and accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of the industrial structure.

Recently, the Party Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which provide systematic planning and overall arrangements for accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The Opinions clearly outline the general requirements, key objectives, and implementation pathways, and are of great significance for promoting a green transformation of development modes, comprehensively advancing the construction of a Beautiful China, and achieving high-quality development. In this edition, we have invited Professor He Kebin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University; Yang Xiu, Director of the Research Department at the Tsinghua University Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development and Deputy Director of the Think Tank Center; and Lu Xi, Assistant Director of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University, to analyze and interpret the new policy. Stay tuned! 

□ He Kebin, Yang Xiu, Lu Xi 

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stated that promoting green and low-carbon development of the economy and society is a key link in achieving high-quality development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC made arrangements for accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Recently, the Party Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development," which clearly outlines the overall requirements, key tasks, and supporting measures for speeding up this comprehensive green transformation. These opinions are of great significance for fully advancing the construction of a Beautiful China and achieving high-quality development. Among them, the "Opinions" put forward specific task requirements for accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of industrial structures, providing— “ Fifteen five ” It provides a roadmap and detailed blueprints for the development of new-quality productivity and green, low-carbon, high-quality industrial growth in the coming period. 

China has achieved significant progress in the green and low-carbon transformation of its industrial structure and has now entered a critical stage. 

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era—particularly Xi Jinping’s economic thought and Xi Jinping’s thought on ecological civilization—China has achieved remarkable progress in promoting a green transition. Economic development is gradually moving away from the traditional model of high pollution and high energy consumption and is heading toward a green, low-carbon, and sustainable development path. 

By vigorously promoting supply-side structural reform, our country has gradually eliminated outdated production capacity and optimized its industrial structure. Production capacity in traditional industries such as steel and cement has been effectively controlled. “ 13th Five-Year Plan ” During this period, China has cumulatively phased out outdated steel production capacity. 1.5 100 million tons / More than one year. The share of raw coal in primary energy production has decreased from... 2013 of the year 75.4% Drop to 2023 of the year 66.6% Meanwhile, the value-added of high-tech manufacturing has nearly... 10 The average annual growth rate exceeds 10% becoming a highlight of industrial restructuring. The proportion of modern service industries and high-tech industries has also risen significantly, and the tertiary sector is... GDP Its contribution rate has been increasing year by year, becoming one of the main drivers of economic growth. 

Our country is vigorously promoting the development of strategic emerging industries, injecting new vitality into the green transition. The new energy vehicle industry is rapidly developing. 2024 In the first half of the year, the market share of new energy vehicles reached 35.2% The automotive industry as a whole has seen a significant leap in strength. 2024 In the first half of the year, the market share of domestically branded passenger vehicles reached 61.9% , which means for every sale 10 For every passenger vehicle, there is... 6 The vehicles are domestic brands, represented by electric vehicles, photovoltaic products, and lithium batteries. “ The New Three Things ” Become a new growth driver for China's exports. China has achieved remarkable results in optimizing its energy structure and reducing carbon emissions. As of... 2024 Year 6 By the end of the month, China's installed capacity of renewable energy reached 16.53 100 gigawatts, accounting for the total installed capacity. 53.8% ; The proportion of coal-fired power capacity to total installed capacity has fallen to 38.1% 。

Meanwhile, as China’s economy enters a critical phase of shifting development models, optimizing economic structures, and transforming growth drivers, the green transition is also entering a tough stage and facing numerous challenges. First, traditional energy-intensive and high-emission enterprises are confronted with multifaceted challenges in the course of green transformation, including technological upgrades, capital investment, and market competition. Some enterprises lack strong willingness to transform and insufficient capabilities, leading to painful adjustments during the shift from old to new growth drivers—challenges that need to be carefully guarded against. “ Break before establishing. ” Risk. Second, some core technologies in strategic emerging industries are facing... “ Chokehold ” First, the situation is such that some raw materials rely heavily on imports, exposing us to risks including insufficient security of critical minerals. Second, fossil fuels such as coal and oil still dominate the energy consumption structure. The widespread adoption of new energy sources poses technical challenges, including grid load management and the need to enhance energy storage technologies. Gradually optimizing the energy structure while ensuring energy security is a long-term and complex process. 

Deeply recognize the significant importance of green and low-carbon development. 

First, green and low-carbon development is a key feature in building a modern economic system with global competitiveness. Globally, there already are... 147 A number of countries have set carbon neutrality targets, and major economies are actively developing green, low-carbon energy, industrial, and technological systems. In terms of energy, 2023 The global installed capacity of renewable energy reached... 5.1 100 gigawatts, an increase over the previous year. 50% In terms of industry, major economies such as the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan are focusing on the economic and industrial opportunities brought about by the low-carbon transition and are reshaping their strategies to reposition emerging manufacturing sectors. In terms of technological innovation, 2016–2022 Year, China-US-Japan-Europe-South Korea 5 The top five economies in terms of the number of publicly disclosed green and low-carbon patent applications together account for a share of the global total. 76.7% Meanwhile, developed economies, leveraging their accumulated advantages in areas such as energy and industrial transformation, data standards, and certification systems, are posing challenges to the export of products from China’s traditional industries as well as its strategic emerging industries. As a result, promoting green and low-carbon development is conducive to seizing the commanding heights in future economic competition. 

Second, green and low-carbon development serves as a crucial driving force for promoting technological innovation and fostering high-quality development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that green development is the underlying tone of high-quality development, and new-quality productivity itself is inherently green productivity. The urgent need for green and low-carbon transformation provides a key impetus and market demand for rapidly converting technological innovation outcomes into real productive forces and for building green industrial clusters. Developing new-quality productivity not only helps upgrade traditional industries but also spurs the growth of emerging industries, thereby avoiding homogeneous competition and bubble phenomena within sectors. This represents a pivotal focus for achieving high-quality development. Therefore, industrial transformation characterized by green and low-carbon approaches will inevitably be driven by technological innovation—a transformation and upgrade that significantly enhances total factor productivity and resource allocation efficiency. 

Third, green and low-carbon development is an inevitable requirement for building a beautiful China. Building a beautiful China is a key goal in our country’s comprehensive effort to build a modern socialist nation, and it is an important component of realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Green and low-carbon development serves as the path toward achieving the goal of a beautiful China. Green and low-carbon development encompasses multiple aspects, including promoting the greening of industries, conserving energy and reducing consumption, and preventing and controlling pollution. With... “ Dual Carbon ” Taking work as the guiding principle, we will collaboratively promote carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, green expansion, and economic growth. At its core, this means fully, accurately, and comprehensively implementing the new development philosophy—while placing carbon reduction at the forefront of our strategic priorities—to drive synergistic efficiency in pollution and carbon reduction, foster a virtuous cycle of mutual reinforcement between environmental protection and economic development, and accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of our economy and society. 

Key Tasks for Accelerating the Green and Low-Carbon Transformation of Industrial Structure under the New Situation 

The "Opinions" provide a systematic plan for accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of the industrial structure. 

First, comprehensively promote green and low-carbon development of industrial structures. First, drive the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Vigorously advance the green transition in high-energy-consuming sectors such as iron and steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, building materials, papermaking, and dyeing and printing. Intensify efforts to upgrade energy-saving and carbon-reduction technologies, and improve energy-use efficiency. Optimize industrial layouts and resource utilization, popularize resource-circular production models, develop the renewable-resource industry, and enhance the level of utilization of recycled resources such as scrap steel and scrap nonferrous metals. Second, vigorously develop strategic emerging industries and green manufacturing—green and low-carbon industries. Cultivate competitive green and low-carbon enterprises, foster leading enterprises, and support specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. Build green infrastructure, establish comprehensive green industrial and supply chains, and encourage the accelerated development of new industries, new business forms, and new business models oriented toward green and low-carbon practices. Third, accelerate the coordinated transformation and development toward digitalization and greening. Deeply integrate digitalization, intelligentization, and greening. Promote various types of users... “ Go to the cloud, leverage data, and empower with intelligence. ” Help enterprises adopt digital and green technologies to transform traditional industries. Establish an efficient system for monitoring, early warning, analyzing, and making decisions on environmental pollution and meteorological disasters. 

Second, we must accelerate technological innovation in green and low-carbon industries. First, we need to strengthen basic research oriented toward practical applications. We should establish mechanisms for forecasting, discovering, and evaluating cutting-edge technologies; proactively plan for the construction of major national scientific research infrastructures; set up key national laboratories and national innovation platforms; and implement frontier technology projects to spur disruptive technological innovations. At the same time, we must focus on bolstering basic research in the green and low-carbon sector. Second, we must speed up the development of critical technologies. We should concentrate our efforts on areas such as the green and low-carbon energy transition, low-carbon and zero-carbon processes, next-generation power systems, carbon dioxide capture and storage, and resource recycling. We should coordinate and promote breakthroughs in key technologies, and reinforce the role of enterprises as the main players in technological innovation. Third, we must carry out innovative demonstration and promotion activities. We should launch multi-level pilot programs; implement demonstration projects for green and low-carbon technologies to accelerate their adoption and dissemination; and improve the evaluation, trading, and innovation service platforms for green and low-carbon technologies. 

Third, we must build and improve a comprehensive policy framework for the green and low-carbon transition. First, we need to establish a legal, regulatory, and standard system for green development. This includes studying and drafting special laws to address climate change and achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality; advancing the formulation and revision of basic, general standards as well as standards related to carbon reduction and carbon removal; accelerating the updating and upgrading of energy-saving standards; and refining the standards for renewable energy and for green, low-carbon industrial practices. Second, we must leverage the market’s leading role in resource allocation. We should improve the market-based allocation system for resource and environmental factors, refine the green electricity certificate trading mechanism, and promote the construction of a nationwide carbon emissions trading market and a voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market. Third, we must continuously refine various economic policies. We should actively develop fiscal and tax policies, financial policies, investment mechanisms, pricing policies, market-oriented mechanisms, and standard systems that are conducive to promoting low-carbon development and efficient resource utilization. 

Shallow Geothermal Energy Empowers the Green Upgrading of Transportation Infrastructure 

□ China Petrochemical Economic and Technical Research Institute, Luozhou County 

In implementation “ Dual Carbon ” In the process of achieving our goals, the transportation sector—a major energy consumer—has attracted considerable attention from all sectors. Energy consumption in the transportation sector involves not only the energy use of vehicles themselves but also the energy consumption of transportation infrastructure, much of which is closely linked to building energy use. Recently, the Party Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development," proposing the construction of green transportation infrastructure. “ Enhance the green and smart features of newly built railway stations, airports, terminals, and highway facilities; promote energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades and improvements to existing transportation infrastructure; and build a number of low-carbon (near-zero carbon) railway stations, airports, terminals, and highway service areas. ” It has pointed the way for green energy use in transportation infrastructure. 

China is a major energy-consuming country, and energy consumption for buildings accounts for a significant portion of the total energy consumption. 20% Right. Currently, the annual carbon emissions from the building's operational phase are... 20 Around 100 million tons, accounting for the nation's total carbon emissions. 1/5 The “Opinions” propose building low-carbon (near-zero carbon) stations, airports, terminals, and highway service areas, with the core requirement being to increase the level of new-energy consumption at these facilities. Among various new energy sources, geothermal energy boasts the natural advantage of high stability and can serve as... “ Best option ”。

From the perspective of resource depth and temperature, geothermal energy can be classified into shallow geothermal, mid-to-deep geothermal, and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), also known as hot dry rock. Hot springs and geothermal heating systems fall under the category of mid-to-deep geothermal exploitation and utilization, while the development of shallow geothermal resources has received relatively little attention. In fact, since... 20 Century 80 Since that time, China has begun introducing technologies related to shallow geothermal development and applying them in the construction sector. 

Data shows that geothermal heat pumps were first applied in China in... 1989 Year 10 An office building in a Shanghai development zone that was put into operation this month. 1997 In recent years, China and the United States have launched cooperative efforts in the field of energy conservation, with ground-source heat pumps being one of the key areas of collaboration. 20 Century 90 After the turn of the millennium, demonstration projects for ground-source heat pumps were successively completed in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou. Today, the application of ground-source heat pump technology has already achieved a certain market scale, and there are domestic manufacturers producing ground-source heat pumps. 100 Multiple companies are gradually introducing advanced geothermal heat pump technologies from abroad. Whether in terms of scale or quality, China’s geothermal heat pump technology is steadily approaching the world’s cutting-edge standards. 

However, various sectors of society still lack a clear understanding of shallow geothermal energy. More often, geothermal heat pumps and their associated technologies—used for exploiting and utilizing shallow geothermal resources—are perceived merely as a special type of air conditioning system. In fact, until large-scale breakthroughs are achieved in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), 200 There is greater room for development in areas with shallow geothermal resources and technologies—including water-source heat pump technology. 

Deep and mid-depth geothermal resources are constrained by resource endowments and distribution, limiting their development and utilization, whereas shallow geothermal resources can basically be utilized. “ Use local materials. ” Currently, buildings utilizing ground-source heat pump technology can be found all across China—from north to south—demonstrating the widespread applicability of shallow geothermal energy development and utilization. By making good use of shallow geothermal resources, we can not only meet the public’s demand for comfortable living environments that are warm in winter and cool in summer, but also reduce consumption of fossil fuels, thereby cutting carbon dioxide emissions and contributing to the achievement of peak carbon and carbon neutrality goals. In particular, regions south of the Qinling-Huai River often experience—in summer— “ Fireplace ” In terms of weather, winter does not yet offer favorable conditions for centralized heating. Promoting the development and utilization of shallow geothermal energy can effectively meet both winter heating and summer cooling demands. Moreover, China’s population is primarily concentrated in the central and eastern regions, where transportation infrastructure such as airports and railway stations is densely distributed. These areas will be the main sites for future incremental infrastructure development and also represent key regions for green energy upgrades of existing facilities. 

Compared with air-source heat pumps and air conditioners, the greatest advantage of ground-source heat pumps is their high energy efficiency, which enables buildings to achieve low-carbon or even near-zero-carbon operation to the greatest extent possible. However, implementing this technology places specific requirements on a building’s floor area ratio. If a building’s floor area ratio is too high, it can lead to insufficient buried pipe area, resulting in a mismatch between heating and cooling capacity and actual demand. Therefore, ground-source heat pump systems are commonly used in Europe and the United States in buildings with low floor area ratios and low load densities. The technical characteristics of ground-source heat pumps also mean that retrofitting existing older residential districts with shallow geothermal heating systems is often difficult to implement. This is because these older districts typically have excessively high floor area ratios, lacking both sufficient buried pipe area and suitable construction conditions. The “Opinions” propose... “ Build a batch of low-carbon (near-zero carbon) stations, airports, terminals, and highway service areas. ” This creates favorable conditions for the application of shallow geothermal energy. Generally speaking, newly built airports and railway stations are located in suburban areas, which offer ample space for laying underground pipes during construction—making them highly conducive to the widespread adoption of shallow geothermal systems. Currently, many public buildings in China have already adopted this technology, and their operational performance is excellent, providing a solid foundation for further development. 

From a technical perspective, one of the major challenges in the development and utilization of shallow geothermal resources is that the convenience of ground-source heat pump technology still needs further improvement. In the future, progress will largely depend on technological advancements and innovation-driven development. The "Opinions" propose enhancing the intelligent operational capabilities of transportation infrastructure, which also represents an important technological development option for the future exploitation of shallow geothermal resources. It is advisable to learn as we go along and steadily advance the intelligentization level of ground-source heat pump technology. The "Outline for the National Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transportation Network Planning" proposes that by— 2035 Year, the total scale of the physical network of China's integrated three-dimensional transportation system is as follows: 70 Approximately 10,000 kilometers (excluding the overseas segments of international land routes, air and sea routes, and postal routes). As a result, there is considerable room for growth in future transportation infrastructure development, and the demand for green energy in airports, stations, and warehousing facilities will provide an even greater platform for geothermal energy. 

From an international perspective, the approaches taken by developed countries in developing geothermal energy also hold valuable lessons for China. The U.S. Department of Energy 2019 The 2023 report, “Geothermal Vision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath Our Feet,” argues that developing geothermal energy can help enhance a country’s energy diversity, better ensure energy security, and lay out a roadmap for the industrialization of geothermal resources. The report advocates utilizing local resources and positioning geothermal energy as a reliable source for electricity generation as well as heating and cooling systems. As China is a major consumer of fossil fuels, the task of restructuring its energy mix is urgent. Given the abundant and widely distributed geothermal resources in China, it is advisable to step up efforts to develop and utilize these resources more vigorously, keeping pace with the advancement of green transportation infrastructure and making a significant contribution to the comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society. 

Understand the “On Accelerating Economic and Social Development” at a Glance Opinions on Promoting a Comprehensive Green Transformation 

General Requirements 

Guided by the goals of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, we will synergistically promote efforts to reduce carbon emissions, curb pollution, expand green spaces, and foster economic growth. We will deepen reform of the ecological civilization system, improve mechanisms for green and low-carbon development, accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of our economic and social development, and establish spatial patterns, industrial structures, production methods, and lifestyles that conserve resources and protect the environment. 

You must do it at work. 

Persist in comprehensive transformation 

Persist in collaborative transformation 

Persist in innovation and transformation 

Uphold a safe transition 

Main objective 

To 2030 In the past year, positive progress has been made in the green transformation of key sectors, and green production and lifestyle patterns have largely taken shape. The synergy between pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction has significantly strengthened, and the efficiency of major resource utilization has further improved. The policy and standards system supporting green development has become more comprehensive, and substantial achievements have been made in the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. 

To 2035 By then, a green, low-carbon, and circular economic system will be basically established; green modes of production and lifestyle will be widely adopted; significant progress will have been made in synergistically enhancing pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction; the efficiency of major resource utilization will reach internationally advanced levels; economic and social development will fully shift onto a green and low-carbon track; carbon emissions will peak and then steadily decline; and the goal of building a Beautiful China will be largely achieved. 

Main task 

Five major areas 

■ Build a spatial development pattern that is green, low-carbon, and high-quality. 

Optimize the spatial development and protection pattern of land resources. 

Building a high ground for green development 

■ Accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of the industrial structure. 

Promote the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. 

Vigorously develop green and low-carbon industries. 

Accelerate the coordinated transformation and development toward digitalization and greenness. 

■ Steadily advance the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy sector. 

Strengthen the clean and efficient utilization of fossil energy. 

Vigorously develop non-fossil energy sources. 

Accelerate the development of a new-type power system. 

■ Promote the green transformation of transportation. 

Optimize the transportation structure 

Build green transportation infrastructure 

Promote low-carbon transportation vehicles. 

■ Promote a green transformation in urban and rural development. 

Promote green planning and construction approaches. 

Vigorously develop green and low-carbon buildings. 

Promote green development in agriculture and rural areas. 

Three major stages 

■ Implement a comprehensive conservation strategy. 

Vigorously promote energy conservation, carbon reduction, and efficiency enhancement. 

Strengthen the efficient and intensive use of resources. 

Vigorously develop the circular economy. 

■ Promote a green transformation of consumption patterns. 

Promote a green lifestyle 

Increase the supply of green products. 

Actively expand green consumption. 

■ Leverage the supporting role of scientific and technological innovation. 

Strengthen basic research with practical applications. 

Accelerate the R&D of key technologies. 

Carry out innovative demonstration and promotion.