Ningxia issues implementation opinions on carbon peak and carbon neutrality

On January 10, 2022, the Party Committee and Government of the Ningxia Autonomous Region issued the "Implementation Opinions on Fully, Accurately and Comprehensively Implementing the New Development Concept and Doing a Good Job in Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality", which is the first systematic planning and comprehensive deployment of major carbon peaking and carbon neutrality tasks at the autonomous region level. It is of great significance to unify the understanding of the whole region, gather the strength of the whole region, and achieve the dual carbon goals.

Achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality is a broad and profound systemic change in the economic and social system, and faces unprecedented difficulties and challenges. Our region is in the middle and early stages of industrialization, the upgrading period of urbanization, and the initial stage of informatization. To achieve the dual carbon goals, we urgently need to clarify ideas, make systematic plans, and implement precise policies. In order to do a good job in the dual carbon work, Ningxia took a holistic view, made overall plans, and made high-level deployments. The main leaders of the autonomous region’s party committee and government held special meetings, conducted field investigations, made arrangements, and established the autonomous region’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality work leading group. In accordance with the deployment requirements of the autonomous region’s party committee and government, the autonomous region’s Development and Reform Commission conducted in-depth research and analysis on the carbon emissions peak situation, identified the carbon emissions stock account, and calculated the carbon emissions increment account. It also formulated and issued the "Implementation Opinions" based on deeply exploring the central government’s policy implications, widely soliciting opinions and suggestions, closely combining with the region’s actual conditions, and clarifying the relationship between the overall and the local, emission reduction and safety, and the short-term and medium- and long-term.

The "Implementation Opinions" are guided by Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization and the General Secretary's important instructions and instructions on dual carbon work. They consist of four parts: overall requirements, main goals, key tasks, and guarantee measures. They put forward 41 policy measures and three-stage goals and tasks. Among them, in the first stage, by 2025, a solid foundation for carbon peak and carbon neutrality will be laid. An economic system of green, low-carbon and circular development has been initially formed, and the energy utilization efficiency of key industries has been greatly improved. The region's energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by 15% compared with 2020. Carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP fell by 16% compared with 2020. The proportion of non-fossil energy consumption reached about 15%. In the second stage, by 2030, carbon dioxide emissions will peak. The comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development has achieved remarkable results, and the energy utilization efficiency of key energy-consuming industries has reached international advanced levels. Energy consumption per unit of GDP and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP have dropped significantly. The proportion of non-fossil energy consumption reached about 20%. The third stage is to successfully achieve the carbon neutrality goal by 2060. A green, low-carbon, circular economic system and a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system have been fully established, and energy utilization efficiency has reached international advanced levels. The proportion of non-fossil energy consumption reached about 80%.

The "Implementation Opinions" propose that carbon reduction should be comprehensively achieved through industrial structure adjustment. We will focus on building a modern industrial system with green, low-carbon and circular development, vigorously promote the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure, accelerate the development of strategic emerging industries such as new energy, new materials and new food, promote energy-saving transformation of high-energy-consuming industries, resolutely curb the blind development of high-energy projects, and strive to promote the industrial structure to be reborn like a phoenix. We must continue to reduce carbon emissions while optimizing our energy structure. We will strive to build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, accelerate the adjustment of the energy structure, vigorously develop renewable energy such as wind energy, solar energy and biomass energy, build a high-level national new energy comprehensive demonstration zone, strengthen the dual control of energy consumption intensity and total amount, strictly control fossil energy consumption, accelerate the construction of a new power system based on new energy, and continuously improve the level of energy security and green protection. We must accelerate carbon elimination in green development in key areas. Deepen the green and intelligent energy-saving technological transformation of industry, realize clean and efficient energy utilization and digital and intelligent energy management. Optimize the transportation structure, promote energy-saving and low-carbon transportation vehicles, actively guide low-carbon travel, and accelerate the construction of a low-carbon transportation system. Promote the low-carbon transformation of urban and rural construction management models, vigorously develop energy-saving and low-carbon buildings, accelerate the optimization of building energy consumption structure, and promote green and low-carbon development of urban and rural construction.

The "Implementation Opinions" require that low carbon be promoted through innovative green technologies. Strengthen basic research and applied research related to carbon peak and carbon neutrality in the autonomous region, implement special actions such as tackling key green and low-carbon technologies, strengthen the introduction and integrated application of new energy storage technologies such as electrochemistry, compressed air, and carbon dioxide, strengthen the research and development of key technologies for hydrogen energy production, storage, and application, and promote major breakthroughs in green and low-carbon technologies. To effectively fix carbon in improving ecosystems. Guided by the construction of the Yellow River Basin Ecological Protection and High-quality Development Pilot Zone, we will continue to carry out large-scale land greening, promote the implementation of major projects such as the ecological protection and restoration of the Helan Mountains, increase the carbon sink increment of the ecosystem, and build a protection area system with national parks as the main body, nature reserves as the basis, and autonomous region parks as supplements, give full play to the carbon sequestration role of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and cultivated land, and comprehensively enhance the carbon sink capacity of the ecosystem. Carbon control must be achieved by improving the policy system. Accelerate the formulation of carbon peak implementation plans for the entire region and carbon peak implementation plans in various fields such as energy, industry, construction, transportation, agriculture and rural areas, formulate supporting policies in the fields of carbon sinks, finance, taxation, finance, science and technology, national education, hydrogen energy industry, energy conservation in the whole society, energy security and supply, and form a 1+N+X policy system with coordinated linkage, clear division of labor, and joint management.