China to accelerate green development of high-tech zones

China plans to speed up the green development in the national high-tech zones, reported Economic Information Daily Wednesday.

The Torch High Technology Industry Development Centre of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) recently issued a circular requiring all national high-tech zones to complete the formulation of a five-year action plan for green development by Aug. 31, 2021.

It also requires these zones to sort out the achievements during the 13th five-year plan period, analyse the challenges facing them in green development, put forward goals, related measures in building of a green, low-carbon, circular modern industrial system.

This is to lead to the peaking carbon emissions, carbon neutrality, energy consumption per unit of GDP, and near-zero discharge of industrial wastewater.

It says the above moves should be taken based on the national high-tech zone green development special action implementation plan issued earlier this year by MST and the actual situation of each zone.

According to the implementation plan, statistics showed that in 2019 the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of added value for industrial enterprises in the national high-tech zones was 0.464 metric tonnes of standard coal.

This is better than relevant index value of the national eco-industrial demonstration park standards and the national average level.

Besides, 136 national high-tech zones saw more than 200 days with PM2.5 concentrations below 50 micrograms per cubic meter, and the forest coverage rate of 86 national high-tech zones exceeds 25 per cent.

Therefore, the implementation plan requires these zones to take the lead in achieving the goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

These include near-zero discharge of industrial waste water, peaking carbon emissions, modernization of green development governance capacity, and some of the zones to take the lead in achieving carbon neutrality.

According to the implementation plan, the national high-tech zones will continuously make strides in enhancing green technology innovation capabilities, improving green manufacturing system, developing green industries and forming a sustainable green ecological development system,

Also, fostering a number of green development demonstration parks and green technology-leading enterprises with national and even global influence.

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It’s noteworthy that the five-year action plans should be submitted to the Torch High Technology Industry Development Centre on time when finished.

The centre would launch the construction of green development demonstration parks in national high-tech zones at an appropriate time after these plans are reviewed and feedback was made.