China unveils plan for AI digital, green transformation by 2030

A new action plan unveiled on Friday aims to accelerate the coordinated digital and green transformation of China's economy and society over the next five years, with a particular focus on using artificial intelligence to boost energy efficiency and drive low-carbon development.

The plan, jointly released by seven government departments including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, lays out 14 key tasks between 2026 and 2030.

Under the plan, by 2030, China's AI technologies are expected to deliver significantly greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency, enabling deeper integration with green and low-carbon innovation across industry. Energy efficiency in emerging sectors such as computing infrastructure and 5G base stations is also projected to improve substantially.

The plan envisions deeper digital and green upgrades in areas including agriculture, manufacturing, trade, consumption and urban operations, encouraging the deployment of smart technologies to strengthen environmental governance and support China's broader transition to green growth and high-quality development.

The initiative comes as a new wave of technological and industrial transformation gains momentum worldwide, with advances in information technology, energy, biotechnology and other fields converging and reinforcing each other, the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

Digitalization and green development are emerging as two major trends reshaping global economies and societies, the administration added.

According to the plan, the coordinated push for digital and green transition is designed to foster integration between intelligent digital and green technologies, and to promote the synergy between the digital economy and the green economy.

This approach is seen as crucial for cultivating new quality productive forces, modernizing the industrial system, and sharpening China's competitive edge internationally, the administration said.

It added that the plan is also a concrete step to implement the central government's broader strategies on building a strong cyber nation and a beautiful China.

Its goal is to drive innovation at the intersection of digital and green technologies, accelerate efficiency gains in emerging sectors, and systematically apply smart technologies to facilitate low-carbon transitions in key industries — ultimately underpinning the country's overall green transformation and high-quality economic development.