How can the North achieve a win-win situation with blue skies and winter heating?

(Economic Observation) How can northern China achieve a win-win situation with blue skies and winter heating?

China News Service, Beijing, October 29 Title: How can northern China achieve a win-win situation in blue sky and winter heating?

China News Service reporter Ruan Yulin

"Promoting clean heating in northern China is a major people's livelihood project, but also a major policy measure to win the blue sky defense war", Wu Jianfeng, deputy director of the Department of Atmospheric Environment of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, told reporters on the 29th that this year's energy supply is facing a new situation, how to continue to promote clean heating work, while ensuring that the people do not suffer from freezing, is the top priority we consider.

Improving air quality: Clean energy transforms 28 million households

Since 2016, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with relevant departments, has guided local governments to adapt to local conditions, adhere to the principle of gas for gas, electricity for electricity, and coal for coal, and effectively promote the transformation of clean heating. By the end of 2020, about 25 million households in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding areas and the Fenwei Plain have completed clean heating transformation.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has researched and drafted the "2021-2022 Autumn and Winter Air Pollution Comprehensive Control Plan", and plans to issue and implement it in the near future, according to which a total of 3.48 million households have been replaced by loose coal before the heating season this year.

"After several years of efforts, about 28 million rural residents bid farewell to the long-term era of smoke and fire, the rural living environment has been greatly improved, and the quality of life has been greatly improved," Wu Jianfeng said, at the same time, clean heating has also played a very positive role in improving the ambient air quality in our region.

"According to estimates, the contribution of clean heating to air quality improvement is about 30%, so the promotion of this work has achieved a win-win situation of environmental and social benefits." Wu Jianfeng said.

Make sure it's warm for the winter: "Double Insurance" pocket coverage

Wu Jianfeng said that this year's energy supply is facing a new situation, to ensure that the people are warm through the winter, is a clear requirement put forward by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in this case, how to promote clean heating work to continue to move forward, while ensuring that the people do not suffer from freezing, is the top priority we consider.

First of all, it is clear that we must insist on first standing and then breaking, and not standing and not breaking. This year's new transformation but has not yet been ventilated, electrified, has been completed and has not yet undergone a complete heating season operation test, resolutely do not allow the demolition of the original heating facilities, the original coal burning coal, not allowed to dismantle. For clean heating transformation areas, clean coal heating is used to protect the bottom of the pocket, and the "double insurance" model is used to ensure that the warmth is passed through the winter. For some mountainous areas and areas that do not have the conditions for renovation, heating can be obtained by burning clean coal, straw and other biomass fuels.

Second, to ensure that the people can use it, we must also ensure that it can be used and used well. Under the new situation of energy supply this year, the first thing is to protect people's livelihood and ensure that the energy of users who have been modified for clean heating is guaranteed. In terms of prices, we will also take measures to ensure that the price of natural gas for residents to "change coal to gas" is basically stable and will not fluctuate with the fluctuations of market prices.

"It is also necessary to ensure that subsidies are in place", Wu Jianfeng said, in 2021, the central air pollution prevention and control fund specially arranged clean heating operation subsidies, which have been issued to local governments; next year's operating subsidies are being calculated and are expected to be issued soon. At the same time, local governments are required to formulate some differentiated subsidy policies, focusing on rural low-income groups and special hardship cases, and to reflect accuracy to ensure that special hardship cases and people in difficulty can afford to use them.

It is reported that since October 16 this year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has sent a supervision and support team to the front line, focusing on the investigation of this year's clean heating transformation, finding problems to solve in time, and ensuring that the people are warm through the winter.

"The prevention and control of loose coal re-firing is still a continuation of the consistent practice in previous years, for areas that have been comprehensively transformed, it is required that local governments demarcate high-polluting fuel fire ban zones in accordance with the law, and areas using coal for heating should strengthen the management of coal quality," Wu Jianfeng said, adding that through these measures, it is necessary to promote clean heating, but also to ensure that the people are warm through the winter. (End)

Source: China News Network