National Development and Reform Commission: Persistently Promote Energy Conservation and Improve Energy Efficiency

　　General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that "implementing a comprehensive conservation strategy and promoting the economical and intensive use of various resources" provides a clear direction and fundamental guidance for advancing energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. We must earnestly study and understand the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, deeply implement Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization, persistently promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency, and focus on driving high-quality development.

　　Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency are the only way to promote high-quality development.

　　High-quality development is the primary task in comprehensively building a modern socialist country. On the new journey of the new era, it is necessary to deeply understand the important significance of energy conservation and improving energy efficiency in promoting high-quality development, enhance the quality and efficiency of economic development, accelerate the green transformation of development methods, support coordinated development and security, and continuously improve people's well-being.

　　Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency are powerful means to enhance the quality and efficiency of economic development. Energy utilization efficiency is an important indicator of a country's economic development quality and efficiency. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's energy consumption intensity has cumulatively decreased by 26.4%, supporting an average annual economic growth of 6.2% with an average annual energy consumption growth of 3%, providing an important guarantee for sustained and healthy economic development. As a developing country with a population of over 1.4 billion, China must fundamentally change the extensive development model characterized by large-scale production, consumption, and emissions, effectively reduce energy and resource consumption per unit of output, and create greater economic and social benefits with less energy and resource consumption.

　　Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency are inevitable choices for promoting green and low-carbon development. Compared with other measures, energy conservation and improving energy efficiency are currently the most direct, effective, and economical means of carbon reduction. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has reduced nearly 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions through energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. According to the International Energy Agency, to achieve the global temperature control target, energy conservation and improving energy efficiency contribute as much as 37%. To promote green and low-carbon development, it is necessary to accelerate energy conservation and improve energy efficiency, promote the economical and intensive use of various resources, and form effective carbon emission control valves from the source and entry points.

　　Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency are important guarantees for maintaining development security. The current international situation is complex and severe, and the global energy governance system is undergoing deep adjustments. To cope with the energy crisis, many European countries have generally adopted stricter energy-saving measures to enhance the reliability and affordability of energy access. China is still in a rapid development stage of new industrialization and new urbanization, and total energy consumption will continue to grow rigidly. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on improving energy efficiency, fully ensure national energy security, and firmly maintain the safety bottom line of high-quality development.

　　Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency are essential for enhancing people's well-being. A good ecological environment is the most universal benefit for people's livelihood. Environmental problems ultimately stem from excessive development, extensive use, and wasteful consumption of energy and resources. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by more than 10 million tons through energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. As the space for end-of-pipe pollution control narrows and costs rise, it is necessary to adhere to the guidance that energy conservation equals emission reduction, achieve source prevention through energy saving and consumption reduction, coordinate process control and end-of-pipe treatment, continuously improve ecological environment quality, and meet the growing needs of the people for a better life.

　　Firmly grasp the working principles for promoting energy conservation and improving energy efficiency.

　　For a long time, China has continuously improved the energy conservation system and promoted energy saving and efficiency improvement throughout society, achieving remarkable results. However, it should also be noted that China's energy and resource constraints remain prominent, and there is still great potential for energy saving across society. To deeply promote energy conservation and improve energy efficiency, the following principles must be adhered to.

　　First, adhere to prioritizing conservation and place energy conservation and efficiency improvement in a more prominent strategic position. Energy issues relate to the overall economic and social development of China. With a large population and relatively insufficient energy resources, China's energy activities have a high proportion of carbon emissions, and the tasks of ensuring energy security and green low-carbon transformation are arduous. Solving China's energy problems requires both increasing supply and reducing consumption. Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency should be regarded as a long-term task to alleviate energy and resource constraints, reduce carbon emission pressure, and ensure high-quality economic and social development, and be placed in a more prominent strategic position.

　　Second, accurately grasp the situation and fully recognize the urgency of strengthening energy conservation and improving energy efficiency. There is still much room for improvement in China's energy utilization efficiency. In recent years, influenced by various factors, China's total energy consumption has continued to grow rapidly, and the decline in energy consumption intensity has narrowed. Some regions have not achieved the expected decline in energy consumption intensity, and there is pressure to complete the energy-saving targets of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency should be regarded as an urgent task, with strong efforts and effective measures taken to do a good job in energy saving.

　　Third, grasp the main contradictions and adhere to combining focusing on key points with comprehensive promotion. Energy conservation runs through the entire process and all fields of economic and social development. Industrial energy use accounts for about 70% of total social energy use in China. Many existing projects and energy-using equipment have low efficiency, and industrial park system energy-saving measures are insufficient, which are key directions for deeply tapping energy-saving potential. China's building area and energy consumption continue to increase, and energy waste in heating and cooling is prominent, making it an important area for implementing energy saving across society. Focus on the main contradictions and key areas, and promote energy saving and efficiency improvement throughout society by leading from key points to the whole.

　　Fourth, adhere to a systematic concept and continuously improve the long-term mechanism for energy conservation management. Energy conservation and improving energy efficiency is a systematic project that requires properly handling various relationships such as short-term and medium-to-long-term, overall and local, government and market. It is necessary to strengthen the coordination of energy conservation policies with industrial, technological, fiscal, financial, investment, and pricing policies, improve the full-chain energy conservation management system covering national, local, industry, enterprise, and product equipment levels, and establish incentive and restraint mechanisms that motivate all parties. Efforts should be made consistently, with practical work and long-term persistence, to effectively and orderly promote energy conservation work.

　　Persistently promote new achievements in energy conservation and improving energy efficiency.

　　Promoting energy conservation and improving energy efficiency carries great responsibility and glorious mission, benefiting both the present and future generations. We must fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, deeply implement Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization, conscientiously implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, unswervingly prioritize conservation, vigorously implement actions to save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and increase efficiency, and persistently promote new achievements in energy conservation and improving energy efficiency.

　　First, focus closely on the energy-saving targets and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Conduct a solid mid-term evaluation of the energy-saving work during the 14th Five-Year Plan, review the progress of energy-saving work by region and industry one by one, summarize experiences and achievements, analyze problems and shortcomings, and take targeted and effective measures to promote the implementation of the energy-saving targets and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan.

　　Second, promote energy saving, carbon reduction, and efficiency improvement in key areas. Deeply carry out energy efficiency benchmarking and compliance, promote energy saving and carbon reduction in key industries, and implement upgrades and renewals of energy-using equipment. Vigorously promote building energy-saving renovations and heating metering. Strictly control energy saving and consumption reduction in large public buildings and transportation infrastructure, reducing energy waste in public institutions. Implement the "Energy Conservation Review Measures for Fixed Asset Investment Projects," strictly control the energy efficiency of new projects, and resolutely curb the blind development of high energy-consuming, high-emission, and low-level projects.

　　Third, strengthen the daily management of energy conservation work. Enhance energy conservation management in key energy-consuming units, implement energy conservation supervision and energy audits, conduct energy efficiency surveys of key enterprises and equipment, accelerate the updating and application of energy conservation standards. Accelerate the research, development, and promotion of advanced energy-saving and carbon reduction technologies, and cultivate market-oriented energy-saving models. Properly implement policies that exclude raw material energy use and renewable energy consumption from total energy consumption and intensity control, focus on controlling fossil energy consumption, and strengthen energy use guarantees for high-quality development.

　　Fourth, promote the formation of a social environment of energy conservation for all. Continue to carry out the National Energy Conservation Publicity Week activities in a pragmatic manner. Incorporate energy conservation and carbon reduction into the national education system, solidify the foundation of energy conservation knowledge, and enhance the energy-saving capabilities of all people. Strengthen the summary and promotion of green lifestyle creation action cases, and promote the formation of green and low-carbon lifestyles. Uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and actively participate in international multilateral and bilateral energy efficiency cooperation.

　　(The author is a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, published in "People's Daily" on July 12, 2023, page 11)