Targeting "Efficient and Clean" to Promote Energy Transformation Model | System | Energy
There are two important directions for the transformation of the future energy system. One is efficiency, supporting better development with less energy consumption. The second is cleanliness, which means optimizing the energy structure, reducing coal and controlling oil, and increasing renewable energy. We need to place more emphasis on energy conservation and efficiency improvement, and adopt more structural, technological, and management energy-saving measures.
Recently, many regions in China have entered the "grilling mode", and the electricity load has continued to rise. Recently, 18 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development jointly issued a notice to hold the 33rd National Energy Conservation Awareness Week, aiming to create a good social atmosphere and further raise people's awareness of energy conservation.
Energy is an important material foundation for human survival and development, and is the "blood" and "driving force" that supports economic and social development. While achieving economic development and improving people's livelihoods, a large amount of fossil energy consumption leads to nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions and over 70% of other atmospheric pollutant emissions. Improving the output efficiency of unit energy consumption can reduce carbon dioxide and environmental pollutant emissions from the source, ensure national energy security, and reduce energy costs for enterprises and the public. It is a fundamental measure for green, low-carbon, and ecological civilization construction, and an important lever for achieving high-quality development.
In recent years, China has achieved positive results in promoting energy conservation work. From 2012 to 2022, China supported an average annual economic growth rate of 6.2% with an average energy consumption growth rate of 3%. The cumulative energy consumption intensity decreased by 26.4%, which is equivalent to using approximately 1.41 billion tons of standard coal less and emitting nearly 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide less. However, at the same time, China's energy consumption intensity is about 1.5 times the world average, and there is still great potential for energy conservation. With the deepening of the national "dual carbon" strategy goals, energy conservation and efficiency improvement work should bear greater responsibilities and missions.
Carbon peak and carbon neutrality are surface environmental issues, core energy issues, and essence development issues. The timely achievement of the "dual carbon" goal requires a significant transformation of China's energy system, which will bring about a broad and profound economic and social systemic transformation.
There are two important directions for the transformation of future energy systems. One is efficiency, which means saving energy, improving energy efficiency, and supporting better development with less energy consumption. This requires the continuous improvement of unit energy output efficiency, and the acceleration of the application of efficient and energy-saving technologies and processes in various fields of production and life such as industry, construction, and transportation. The second is cleanliness, which means optimizing the energy structure, reducing coal and oil, and increasing renewable energy. This requires scientific promotion of electrification of terminal energy consumption, promoting more electricity to be provided by non fossil fuels, developing new technologies and models such as energy storage, peak shaving, and digitization, and ensuring the safety and economy of the energy system.
Among these two directions, efficiency is an important prerequisite for achieving the "dual carbon" goal. In this regard, energy conservation and efficiency improvement should be placed in a more prominent position, and more structural, technological, and management energy-saving measures should be taken. Improving energy utilization efficiency should be regarded as a green benchmark for high-quality development. Creating greater output with less energy consumption, optimizing the allocation of energy resources, and making energy utilization efficiency an important evaluation indicator for high-quality development.
Promote the green transformation of development mode. Taking the path of new industrialization and urbanization, promoting the adjustment and optimization of industrial structure, energy structure, transportation structure, etc., constructing a waste recycling system, and promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green development of the manufacturing industry.
Accelerate the innovation of energy-saving technologies. Innovate advanced energy-saving technologies and increase promotion and application efforts in traditional fields such as industry, construction, transportation, public institutions, agriculture and rural areas, as well as emerging fields such as renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen energy, electrification, and data centers. Build new employment growth points and economic growth engines through new technologies, formats, and models for energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Strengthen policy mechanism innovation. Give full play to the leading role of the rule of law, revise and improve the Energy Conservation Law. Establish a sound management system for energy conservation evaluation and assessment, energy conservation review, supervision, energy audit, energy conservation management of key energy consuming units, and energy conservation standards. Promote the gradual transformation from dual control of energy consumption to dual control of carbon emissions, and work together to promote energy conservation and carbon reduction. Improve economic incentive policies such as pricing, finance and taxation, and finance, and increase support for energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Strengthen the construction of energy-saving capacity. Strengthen energy data measurement, statistics, and monitoring, strengthen the construction of energy-saving management positions in enterprises, local energy-saving centers, industry associations, and other teams, enhance public awareness of energy conservation, and carry out nationwide energy-saving actions in depth.
