China steps up energy conservation, carbon reduction efforts in industrial production

BEIJING -- To expedite the progress of green upgrading in industrial production, Chinese authorities have introduced a raft of measures to boost energy conservation and reduce carbon emissions, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

China aims to cut water use per 10,000 yuan ($1,491) of industrial added value by 16 percent by 2025 from the 2020 level, according to a recently released action plan on improving industrial water use efficiency, the next priority in energy conservation.

The action plan specified six detailed tasks, including speeding up the promotion of water conservation technologies, boosting water efficiency in key industries, and improving the structure of industrial water consumption, according to an official with the ministry.

The ministry will also encourage and guide enterprises to improve the quality of electricity and transform energy consumption patterns.

"We will help establish a number of green factories, green industrial parks and green supply chain management firms, and support industrial firms with their green upgrading," said the MIIT official.

Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology, said the ministry will work to promote green manufacturing and encourage green consumption.

For instance, the research, development and promotion of energy-saving industrial equipment, as well as the consumption of new energy vehicles, photovoltaic and solar-thermal products, and green construction materials, will be encouraged.

China has promoted over 20,000 green products and 4,000 types of equipment for energy and water conservation and comprehensive resource utilization since 2011. Currently, there are more than 1,300 green and environment protection equipment enterprises, according to the corporate information provider Tianyancha.

Last year, the energy consumption per unit of added value of the country's large industrial enterprises with annual revenues of more than 20 million yuan dropped 5.6 percent from the previous year, after logging a 16-percent decline in the 2016-2020 period.