Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Work Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a Dual Control System for Carbon Emissions" (State Council [2024] 39, hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The Plan systematically deploys the construction of a complete dual control system for carbon emissions and will provide a strong institutional guarantee for achieving the goal of c
Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Work Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a Dual Control System for Carbon Emissions" (State Council [2024] 39, hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The Plan systematically deploys the construction of a complete dual control system for carbon emissions and will provide a strong institutional guarantee for achieving the goal of carbon neutrality.
Firstly, establishing a solid foundation for implementing dual control of carbon emissions is the degree of energy consumption. Since the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", China has gradually established a dual control degree of energy consumption in order to promote the transformation of development mode and accelerate ecological civilization construction. This includes binding indicators of energy consumption as well as systems such as statistical accounting, energy conservation assessment, energy conservation review, management of key energy users, and energy conservation supervision. These measures have played an important role in promoting green transformation.
The first step is to establish a system of laws and regulations related to energy conservation. Secondly, it is essential to basically establish a dual control system for energy consumption. Lastly, continuous consolidation is needed to strengthen the foundation of dual control over energy consumption.
​Secondly, a new dual-control mechanism should be established, shifting the focus from "energy consumption" to "carbon emissions". The "Plan" emphasizes long-term goals and is based on current conditions, starting at the macro level of the country, local areas, and industries. It also delves into the micro level of enterprises, projects, and products by proposing a system for "local carbon assessment, industrial carbon management, enterprise carbon management, project carbon evaluation, and product carbon footprint". Additionally, it outlines 15 key tasks across 6 categories to provide direction for constructing a double control system for carbon emissions.
Firstly, there should be an emphasis on planning guidance and the establishment of "guiding standards". Including carbon emission indicators in the national planning system will help society as a whole set clear targets for energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Secondly, there needs to be a strengthening of local carbon assessment with an emphasis on taking charge. The "Plan" describes a system for evaluating carbon emission targets with indicators in advance tracking during implementation and assessment after completion.
The third aspect involves enhancing industry's control over their carbon emissions while preparing a benchmark. Key sectors such as power generation; steel production; nonferrous metals manufacturing; building materials production; petrochemicals; chemicals; urban construction; and transportation are all crucial areas for reducing overall levels of CO2 output.
Fourthly comes improving enterprise-level management of their own individual contributions to overall CO2 output while activating potential sources of change. Enterprises are major contributors to total CO2 emissions but can also play an important role in promoting green initiatives that lead towards low-carbon development.
Lastly is carrying out evaluations focused specifically on project-based efforts aimed at creating barriers against excessive CO2 release. Establishing systems that evaluate projected levels of CO2 output can help reduce unnecessary environmental impact from early stages through final execution.
The sixth step is to implement product carbon accounting and certification, and effectively utilize the "measurement ruler". The establishment of a carbon footprint management system is beneficial in raising public awareness and participation in addressing climate change through clear and intuitive product carbon emission data. This will also guide and motivate the public to choose more low-carbon products.
Furthermore, it is essential to organize and implement measures to form a united front for double control of carbon emissions. Firstly, we will ensure that government management departments at all levels fulfill their responsibilities. Secondly, we will provide guidance to enterprises on strengthening their capacity for carbon dual control. Lastly, we will engage in publicizing and mobilizing the entire society to actively participate in these efforts.