Source: Overseas Network
In September 2020, at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, General Secretary Xi Jinping, on behalf of China, solemnly promised the world that carbon dioxide emissions should strive to peak by 2030 and strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
A year later, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued a blockbuster document, the Opinions on The Complete, Accurate and Comprehensive Implementation of the New Development Concept to Achieve Carbon Neutrality (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions).
This document systematically plans and deploys the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals promised by Xi Jinping. As a programmatic document to guide the work of "double carbon" in the coming period, this "Opinion" is quite worth studying and studying.
Source: Chinese government website
One
What does carbon peaking and carbon neutrality mean for China?
It should be known that at present, China's economy is in a medium-high growth stage, and carbon emissions are generally growing and have not yet reached a peak. In terms of time, China's committed target, from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality, is only 30 years, far less than the 50-70 year transition period set by developed countries.
In other words, China will use the shortest time in history to complete the world's largest reduction in carbon emissions. The difficulty can be imagined.
Why is China setting a "double carbon" target? It can be observed from two dimensions.
At the international level, climate change has long been a "gray rhinoceros" that the world cannot ignore and must face together. As the world's second largest economy and largest developing country, China has solemnly made a "double carbon" commitment and taken the initiative to undertake international obligations to reduce carbon emissions, demonstrating the responsibility of a responsible major country.
Domestically, the "double carbon" commitment is not just a big word. High-quality development, maintaining energy security, and strengthening the construction of ecological civilization are inseparable from this work.
For example, in the stage of high-quality development, the task of China's economic restructuring and transformation is still huge, some regions still rely on the traditional extensive development path, and the impulse to blindly launch high-pollution and high-emission projects is still strong. The constraints and timetables of the "double carbon" target can force local governments to change their development mode and further optimize the energy industry structure.
The "double carbon" work is not simply subtraction. The green and low-carbon transformation has bred a strong "green kinetic energy".
Some institutions estimate that China needs to invest about 138 trillion yuan to achieve the temperature rise control target of 1.5 degrees Celsius; in the future, large-scale investment will pour into the low-carbon field, which will obviously bring new growth space. At present, the rapid development of new energy vehicles, clean heating and other industries is an example of green kinetic energy.
The "Opinions" make it very clear: achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a major strategic decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core to coordinate the overall situation at home and abroad, an inevitable choice to focus on solving the outstanding problems of resource and environmental constraints and achieving the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, and a solemn commitment to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
"Major strategic decisions", "inevitable choices" and "solemn commitments" show that "double carbon" work is a major task that opens the bow and has no turning back. In the face of climate change, no one can be left alone and out of the way, and this work is not something that others want us to do, but must take the initiative to do.
Two
To carry out and do a good job in the "double carbon" work, we must pay attention to methods and methods. The "Opinions" mentioned that it is necessary to follow five principles: national overall planning, saving priority, two-wheel drive, internal and external smoothness, and risk prevention.
First of all, it should be made clear that carbon neutrality is an overall concept, and it is impossible for a region or unit to fight alone, and it must be a national chess game. However, the development of different regions and different industries in China is different, and there are differences in the conditions for the development of "double carbon" work, so we must fully consider the economic foundation and carbon emissions of various places, and formulate implementation measures from a practical point of view.
"Double carbon" work time is tight and the task is heavy, but risk awareness and scientific concepts cannot be lost. At present, China is still in the historical stage of rapid development of industrialization and new urbanization, with a heavy industrial structure, a coal-based energy structure, a tight time window, and insufficient technical reserves. Under these conditions, if there is no priority and "sports carbon reduction", it is likely to hurt the "bones" of related industries, and even affect national energy security.
On July 30, when talking about carbon neutrality work, the Politburo meeting of the Central Committee emphasized "first establish and then break". The so-called "standing" is to ensure the safety of energy, industry and other fields, and we cannot wait to "break" without "standing", let alone deviate from objective reality and economic laws because we want to "grab the first prize". The "Opinions" proposed that it is necessary to "properly handle the relationship between pollution reduction and carbon reduction and energy security, industrial chain supply chain security, food security, and the normal life of the masses." Grasping this principle well, carbon reduction will not only not affect energy security, but also be an important way to optimize the energy structure and ensure energy security.
In the final analysis, to do a good job of "double carbon" work, we still have to start from reality. We must not be keen on raising flags, shouting slogans, creating bonsai, vigilance against taking advantage of opportunities to speculate on hot spots, fry concepts, eyeballs, blindly compare and complete time, etc., but also oppose "one size fits all" to prevent short-term, simplistic, and rough work.
Three
Achieving the goal of "double carbon" is an uphill battle that requires the overall handling of multi-faceted and multi-dimensional relationships.
At this stage, the most urgent and top priority at present is to resolutely curb the blind development of the "two supremes" projects. The "Opinions" proposed that it is necessary to "carry out the 'review' of the de-capacity of iron and steel and coal and consolidate the results of de-capacity", and "those who are not included in the industrial planning of relevant fields of the state shall not be allowed to build new oil refining and new ethylene, paraxylene, and coal-to-olefin projects".
These are very clear and hard requirements. It can be seen that the central government has made up its mind to curb the blind development of the "two highs" project and promote the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure.
In the long run, we must do a good job in the comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society. For example, the development of green and low-carbon industries, improve energy utilization efficiency, the development of energy-saving and low-carbon buildings, accelerate the construction of a low-carbon transportation system, strengthen green and low-carbon major scientific and technological research, and so on. In these respects, the Opinions also put forward many specific measures.
For the "double carbon" work, the arrangement and deployment of the "Opinions" covers all aspects, and it is in charge of the general and long-term management.
Not long ago, at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Leaders' Summit, Xi Jinping announced to the world that in order to promote the realization of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, China will successively issue carbon peaking implementation plans and a series of supporting safeguard measures in key areas and industries, and build a carbon peaking and carbon neutrality "1 + N" policy system.
The so-called "1 + N" policy system, "1" is the "Opinions" issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, raising the flag to orient and plan the layout; "N" is the carbon peak implementation plan and guarantee system in different fields and industries. "1 + N" jointly builds a "double carbon" work policy system with reasonable goals, clear priorities, different emphases, and orderly connections.
For carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the central top-level design is already in place, and the next step is to shift from policy design to planning and action. How to organically connect low carbon, carbon reduction and structural adjustment and reform is a real test for all regions and units.
Text/Mu Qijian
Editors/Zhong Qi, Shan Qiu
Source: Study Group WeChat public account