Tougher Control,Higher Efficiency

By Lan Xinzhen

An early cold front hitting the nation this year and a resurgence of the economy caused global energy prices to skyrocket， as more energy is needed to produce， light and heat. China now faces the increasing double pressure of energy demand and energy saving， making improving energy efficiency the only option.

Chinas National Development and Reform Commission （NDRC） issued a document on tightening energy intensity and consumption control on September 17. The document is seen as providing crucial guidance on saving energy， reducing energy intensity， and reaching the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. The document demands the establishment of comprehensive and detailed targets for cutting energy intensity and consumption across all regions， followed by a rigid program of monitoring and assessment.

This kind of tight grip on energy consumption displays the Chinese Governments strong determination on simultaneously improving the environment， promoting the quality of economic growth and coping with climate change.

In past decades， Chinas economic growth has shown a positive correlation with its carbon emissions， and this model is also the path of economic growth that Western countries took in their development. However， since China put forward the idea of green development， and also the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality， this economic growth model seems outdated. Thus， the Chinese Government has made various attempts to cut energy intensity， including incentive and guidance policies. New energy generation methods， such as solar power and photovoltaic power generation on rooftops are being promoted across the country， while outdated capacities are phased out and high-energy-consuming industries like steel and iron are being advanced to increase energysaving.

Energy consumption is the major source of carbon dioxide emissions in China， so reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency will help to greatly reduce emissions. Curbs placed on energy consumption are expected to persuade more sectors and also local governments to optimize their energy options， as well as promote industrial and energy restructuring.

The core of curbing energy intensity and consumption is to increase the quality and efficiency of Chinas economic growth. However， current problems remain， such as many kinds of economic activity demanding large amounts of energy， fossil fuels still playing a large role in producing this energy， and economic growth being highly dependent on energy consumption and high-emission industries.