You are here: China > Government > SCIO Briefings >

SCIO press conference on fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, advancing the high-quality development of China's energy sector

: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, April 19, 2023

Adjust font size:

Zhonghongwang:

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed that, based on our resource endowment, we should adhere to the principle of establishing new systems before abolishing old ones, and implement peak carbon emissions actions in a planned and step-by-step manner. What achievements has the energy sector made in establishing new systems? What are the next steps in promoting the green transformation of energy, and what other essential work needs to be done? Thank you.

Li Chuangjun:

Thank you for the question. Energy is a critical sector for achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. To implement major policy decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, we always take stock of China's national conditions and reality and adhere to the principle of establishing the new before abolishing the old. Positive results have been made in promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy sector, providing strong support to advancing towards the "dual carbon" goals in a proactive and steady manner.

First, outstanding achievements have been made in green development. China has installed more than 100 million kilowatts of wind and light energy for three consecutive years, and renewable energy installations exceeded 1.2 billion kilowatts at the end of last year. Non-fossil energy sources account for nearly half of the installed capacity. More than 90% of coal power units have achieved ultra-low emissions, with pollutant emissions on par with gas and electricity. Over the past three years, coal consumption has decreased by 1.5 percentage points while non-fossil energy consumption has increased by 2.2 percentage points. Additionally, the number of charging facilities has increased by 3.3 times.

Second, green transformation has gained momentum. New energy technology innovation has accelerated energy transformation. Advanced technologies and equipment, such as high-efficiency photovoltaic power generation and high-capacity wind power have remained at a world-leading level. Significant breakthroughs have been achieved in independent third-generation nuclear power, large-scale energy storage and many other major scientific and technological innovations.

Third, policy support has been strengthened. Implementation plans for peak carbon emissions in the energy, coal, and oil sectors have been issued and implemented. Moreover, the market, legal and standard systems for promoting energy transition have been further improved.

Going forward, we will focus on the following four aspects as we advance green, low-carbon energy transition. First, we will continue to increase the supply of non-fossil energy and accelerate the adjustment and optimization of the energy mix. We will raise the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption by about 1 percentage point per year through 2030. Second, we will work hard to reduce the carbon footprint of the energy industry and advance our efforts to convert the power source of energy production equipment to electricity, gradually phase out outdated production capacities in an orderly manner. We will also promote the integrated development of coal mines, oil and gas fields, and new energy and continue to improve the level of energy conservation and carbon reduction in energy production. Third, we will actively push forward clean and low-carbon transformation of end-use energy and further shift to electricity as the energy source in industrial, construction, transportation, and other sectors. By 2025, we will raise the share of electricity consumption in end-use energy to about 30%. Fourth, we will step up institutional support for green and low-carbon technology innovation and transformation, increase efforts to seek breakthroughs in low-carbon, zero-carbon, and carbon-negative technologies, and constantly improve the institutional mechanisms and policy systems for energy transition. Thank you.