China's govt prepares industrial carbon neutrality roadmap

• Plan focuses on carbon peaking by 2030
  
  
• Emphasis on green steel manufacturing, circular economy
  
  
• Focus on reducing industrial energy consumption
  
  

Morning Brief: The carbon neutrality goal of peaking carbon is a major strategic decision made by China's Party Central Committee and the State Council. Industry is one of the main fields that generates carbon emissions and it is an important field that promotes the country's overall carbon peaking.

Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the Implementation Plan for Carbon Peaking in the Industrial Sector deploying the overall requirements for the green and low-carbon transformation of China's industrial sector in the future. Key tasks, major actions, policy guarantees and organization and implementation work, from in-depth adjustment of industrial structure, promotion of energy conservation and consumption reduction, active promotion of green manufacturing, vigorous development of circular economy, acceleration of industrial green and low-carbon technological transformation and digital transformation in the industrial field are part of the Plan.

These aspects indicate the key tasks of green and low-carbon transformation in the industrial field and propose two major actions to achieve peaking in key industries as well as improve the supply of green and low-carbon products, which are of significance for accelerating the transformation of the industrial field and effectively implementing the task of peaking carbon in the industrial field.

The Plan is based on the following characteristics:

• Defining phased goals: It proposes key objectives in phases based on two five-year planning periods. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the overall goal is to build a solid foundation for carbon peaking in the industrial sector. The industrial energy consumption intensity will be reduced by 13.5%, the reduction in carbon dioxide emission intensity of industrial added value is greater than the decline in the whole society, and the carbon dioxide emission intensity of key industries will drop significantly. for specific goals.
  
  

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the overall goal is to establish a modern industrial system featuring high efficiency and low-carbon recycling. The specific goal is to ensure that carbon dioxide emissions in the industrial sector peaks before 2030.

At the same time, the target also highlights the determination of the industrial sector to strive to be the first to achieve carbon peaking. It is clearly stated that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the carbon dioxide emission intensity of industrial added value will decrease more than that of the whole society and the carbon dioxide emissions of key industries will be the first to reach the peak.

• Promoting development of industrial chain: The Plan fully embodies the goal of achieving carbon neutrality throughout all aspects and the entire process of industrial production. In the major action links, it includes not only key carbon emission industries such as steel, building materials, petrochemicals, non-ferrous metals, etc., but also upstream and downstream industries such as consumer goods, equipment manufacturing, electronics, etc.
  
  

Carbon product supply system: In the key task links, from the perspectives of industrial layout and development, it is proposed to encourage the cluster development of the primary and recycling, smelting and processing industries of iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and other industries; and promoting hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and sales. Implementation of industrial circulation link technologies such as steel co-production, refining and chemical integration, forestry, pulp and paper integration are also mentioned.

In addition, building of industrial synergy and carbon sequestration with chemicals demonstration projects have also been accorded primacy.