China issues guiding opinions on accelerating green transformation of manufacturing sector

On Feb. 29, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other six central government departments issued “guiding opinions” on accelerating the green transformation of the manufacturing sector. These opinions include objectives for 2030 and 2035, green transformation of traditional industries, promotion of emerging industries and related government support.

Main objectives

Objectives for 2030

• Significantly increase the proportion of green and low-carbon energy.
• Steadily advance the comprehensive utilization of resources.
• Significantly reduce the intensity of pollutant and carbon emissions.
• Get total carbon emissions to peak.

Objectives for 2035

• Significantly increase the internal driving force of the manufacturing sector for green development.
• Continue to reduce carbon emissions steadily after carbon emissions peaking.
• Establish competitive advantages in the field of green and low-carbon in global industrial chains and supply chains.

Green transformation of traditional industries

The guiding opinions include the following three measures for the green transformation of traditional industries:

Promote green power and green and low-carbon materials.

• Encourage companies that meet certain criteria to develop industrial green microgrids.
• Promote the large-scale use of renewable energy.
• Increase the proportion of green power consumption.
• In the recycling field, by 2030, recycle 510 million tons of major recyclable resources, increase the comprehensive utilization rate of bulk industrial waste to 62%, and increase the proportion of renewable energy in the electrolytic production of aluminum to 30% or higher.

Accelerate green and low-carbon technological transformation.

• Regularly update the list of green and low-carbon technologies for the industry sector.
• Encourage companies to carry out green and low-carbon technological shake-ups and upgrading.

Optimize the placement of green and low-carbon manufacturing.

• Promote the relocation of high-energy consumption industries to regions in central and western China where ample clean energy is available while ensuring compliance with requirements for environmental protection, energy consumption, water use, work safety, etc.

Promotion of emerging industries

The guiding opinions lists new energy and the recycling of new-type waste from new-energy vehicles as means to promote emerging industries.

New energy

• Accelerate research, development and implementation of comprehensive utilization technology for new-type waste, including used components of photovoltaic systems and used wind turbine blades.

New-energy vehicles

• Develop comprehensive utilization systems for used traction batteries.
• Promote standardized recycling and downcycling.

Government support

The guiding opinions include government support policies to promote the green and low-carbon development of the manufacturing sector, including preferential tax treatment and standards development.

• Offer preferential treatment to companies implementing green technology, resource conservation and the circular use of resources.
• Develop standards for energy conservation, water conservation and the comprehensive utilization of resources, as well as standards for green factories, green products and green supply chains.

The guiding opinions (in Chinese) are available at
https://www.miit.gov.cn/zwgk/zcwj/wjfb/yj/art/2024/art_f1be5a86074d46c99c20be36713f6838.html