China's Mid-Century Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION)

China’s Mid-Century Long-Term Low

Greenhouse Gas Emission Development

Strategy

This is an unofficial translation. In case of any divergence, the official text in the

Chinese language shall prevail.

 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 
CHAPTER 1. ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND LOW-EMISSION 
DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................................. 3 
1. Climate change is a severe threat to all mankind ................................................... 3 
2. Active response to climate change has become a global political consensus ......... 4 
3. Green and low-carbon transformation has become a general trend of global 
development ...................................................................................................................... 5 
4. China has made positive contributions to combating the global climate change ... 5 
CHAPTER 2. GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIC VISIONS .................. 7 
1. Guiding principles .................................................................................................. 7 
2. Strategic visions ...................................................................................................... 8 
3. Technical pathways .............................................................................................. 10 
CHAPTER 3. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND POLICY ORIENTATIONS .... 11 
1. Foster a green, low-carbon and circular economic system ................................... 11 
2. Build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system ............................... 13 
3. Establish a low GHG emission industrial system ................................................. 14 
4. Impel urban and rural construction in green and low-carbon manner .................. 16 
5. Form a low-carbon comprehensive transportation system ................................... 19 
6. Achieve a substantial reduction in non-carbon dioxide GHG emission ............... 20 
7. Implement the Nature-Based Solutions ................................................................ 21 
8. Inspire low-emission technology innovation ........................................................ 24 
9. Create a new pattern of nationwide participation ................................................. 25 
10. Promote the modernization of climate governance system and governance 
capacity ............................................................................................................................ 26 
CHAPTER 4. CHINA'S APPROACHES AND ADVOCATES FOR 
PROMOTING GLOBAL CLIMATE GOVERNANCE ................................................ 27 
1. Adhere to fairness and equity ............................................................................... 27 
2. Adhere to win-win cooperation ............................................................................ 28 
3. Adhere to the respect for science .......................................................................... 28 
4. Adhere to the commitments .................................................................................. 29 
CONCLUDING REMARKS ...................................................................................... 29 
ANNEX I: LONG-TERM LOW GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION 
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE 
REGION .............................................................................................................................. 31 
ANNEX II: LONG-TERM LOW GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION 
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF MACAO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE 
REGION .............................................................................................................................. 37 
 

Introduction

Climate change concerns human survival and development. Since the

Industrial Revolution, human activities, especially the accumulated

carbon dioxide emission from the intensive fossil fuels consumption of

developed countries, are the main causes of global climate change and

pose a huge threat to ecosystem security and economic and social

development in the world, especially in developing countries. Addressing

climate change is a common cause of mankind. It calls for the international

community to unite, cooperate and work together to address climate

change within the framework of sustainable development, sticking to the

path of green and low-carbon development, promoting to build a

community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly building a clean

and beautiful earth home. The globally spread COVID-19 in 2020 warns

us once again that mankind needs a self-revolution in the face of common

challenges of non-traditional security, such as major infectious diseases

and climate change, all countries in the world must maintain solidarity and

cooperation.

In 2015, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC) (hereinafter referred to as the “Convention”) 21

Conference

of Parties (COP21) adopted the Paris Agreement, of its goal is to limit

global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius,

compared to pre-industrial levels. It defines the long-term vision and

system arrangements for global climate change actions, clarifies the

general direction of green and low-carbon transformation in the future,

which requires all countries to work together to implement. China has

made historic and fundamental contributions to the conclusion, entry into

force and implementation of the Paris Agreement, and actively promoted

greenhouse gas(GHG) emission reduction in international shipping and

aviation, which has been widely recognized and highly appreciated by the

international community.

In 2017, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

(CPC) proposed to build a great modern socialist country which is

prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and

beautiful by the middle of this century, setting the main tone for

formulating China's long-term low-emission development strategy. On

September 22th, 2020, addressing the general debate of the 75th session

of the UN General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping solemnly

announced that China will scale up its Intended Nationally Determined

Contributions by adopting more vigorous policies and measures, striving

to peak carbon dioxide emission before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality

before 2060. On December 12, 2020, addressing the Climate Ambition

Summit, President Xi Jinping announced some further commitments for

2030, China will lower its carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP by

over 65 percent from the 2005 level, increase the share of non-fossil fuels

in primary energy consumption to around 25 percent, increase the forest

stock volume by 6 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level, and bring its

total installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 1.2 billion

kilowatts. These announcements not only provide guidance and blueprint

for China's green and low-carbon development, but also contribute and

inject strong impetus on China's proposals for other countries to jointly

meet the challenge of global climate change and protect our planet. In the

process of achieving carbon neutrality, China will unswervingly

implement the national strategy of actively addressing climate change and

make greater contribution to maintaining global ecological security and

build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with

Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, in accordance with the new

development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green and open for

the benefit of all, and according to the relevant decisions of the Paris

Climate Conference and the relevant requirements of the Paris Agreement,

Chinese government has completed the China’s Mid-Century Long-Term

Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy (hereinafter

referred to as the "Low-Emission Development Strategy") based on

national conditions and future development strategy with in-depth

research and demonstration and extensive solicitation of opinions from all

parties. The Low-Emission Development Strategy puts forward the basic

principles and strategic vision, strategic priorities and policy guidance for

China's long-term low-emission development, as well as the concepts and

propositions for promoting global climate governance. The Chinese

government will integrate relevant requirements in the low-emission

development strategy into the national economic and social development

plan and continue to implement them.

Chapter 1. Addressing Climate Change and Low-emission

Development

Climate change is one of the major threats and severe challenges to

sustainable development of mankind. The Paris Agreement on climate

change charts the course for the world to transition to green and low-

carbon development and require all countries to work together to

implement it. All countries must take decisive steps, and follow the path

of low-emission development unswervingly, build and maintain a global

ecological security barrier, and work together to build a green earth home.

1. Climate change is a severe threat to all mankind

Since 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has

issued six assessment reports, and increasingly sufficient scientific

evidences show the authenticity, severity and urgency of global warming.

According to the latest report of the World Meteorological Organization,

the global average temperature in 2019 was 1.1°C higher than the pre-

industrial levels, and the carbon dioxide concentrations reached a record

of 410 ppm in the first half of 2020. Major risks such as frequent extreme

weather events, species extinction, sea level rises, and crop yields

reduction brought by climate change seriously threaten human survival

and sustainable development. China is one of the countries most adversely

affected by climate change. The proportion of direct economic losses

caused by climate change in GDP is much higher than the global average

level in the same period. Science has confirmed that greenhouse gas

emitted by human activities since the Industrial Revolution are the main

cause of climate change. It is imperative to control GHG emission, and

necessary to accelerate the pace of low-emission development and

transformation in order to protect mankind’s home planet.

2. Active response to climate change has become a global political

consensus

Scientific cognition has promoted countries to reach a political

consensus on addressing climate change, leading to the adoption and entry

into force of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

In particular, the Paris Agreement proposes to keep the increase in global

average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and

strive to control it within 1.5°C, reach the global greenhouse gas emissions

peaking as soon as possible, meet the balance between anthropogenic

GHGs emission and removals by sinks in the second half of this century.

The adoption and entry into force of the Paris Agreement demonstrate the

political choice of all country’s governments to take the path of green and

low-carbon transformation and protect our planet. In 2018, the

International Maritime Organization adopted an initial strategy on the

reduction of GHG emission from ships, set out a vision to make a 40%

reduction in the carbon intensity per unit of freight of the global shipping

industry by 2030 compared with 2008, a 70% reduction in carbon intensity

and a 50% reduction in total carbon dioxide emission by 2050, and achieve

zero emission within this century. Facing with the challenges of

unilateralism, protectionism, and anti-globalization, countries around the

world should not regress in their commitments and actions to climate

change. And in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the downward

pressure on the economy, all countries should unswervingly adhere to the

Paris Agreement, promote a “green recovery” after the epidemic, and

make concerted efforts to promote the low-emission development globally.

3. Green and low-carbon transformation has become a general

trend of global development

The requirement of actively addressing climate change has greatly

promoted the global research, development and innovation of low-carbon

technology, continuously improved energy efficiency, and reduced the cost

of various low-carbon energy technologies, especially renewable energy

technologies, low consumption and low emission industrial development

modes replace the energy intensive and highly polluting industries

development modes. Since the beginning of the 21st century, global

scientific and technological innovation has entered an unprecedentedly

intensive and active period. A new round of scientific and technological

revolution and industrial transformation is reshaping the global innovation

landscape and economic structure, providing strong support for countries

to achieve green and low-carbon development and transformation. Dozens

of countries, hundreds of cities and thousands of companies around the

world have proposed the goal of achieving carbon neutrality at different

stages, the global transformation of low-emission development is

unprecedented.

4. China has made positive contributions to combating the global

climate change

China has always attached great importance to addressing climate

change. President Xi Jinping has stressed many times that addressing

climate change is not something that others ask us to do, but something

that we must do ourselves. In 2007, The State Council set up the National

Leading Group on Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emission

Reduction, headed by the Premier of The State Council, and took the lead

among developing countries in releasing the National Climate Change

Program. In 2009, China announced its Nationally Appropriate Mitigation

Actions to the international community by 2020, and has included the

reduction of carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP as a binding target

in the five-year plan for national economic and social development since

the 12th Five-Year Plan, which has been decomposed the national carbon

intensity reduction target to local governments and implemented it in the

earnest. In 2015 China announced its Nationally Determined

Contributions, and in both September and December 2020, President Xi

Jinping announced China's new nationally determined contribution targets.

In May 2021, China set up a leading group on carbon peak and carbon

neutrality, headed by Vice Premier of The State Council, to further

strengthen the overall planning, coordination and promotion of the work

of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

China implements an active national strategy on addressing climate

change, solidly promotes various policies and actions to it as well, series

measures have been adopted, such as adjusting industrial structure,

optimizing energy structure, conserving energy and improving energy

efficiency, promoting the construction of carbon markets, and increasing

forest carbon sinks, and achieved remarkable results. Preliminary

estimates show that carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP in China has

been reduced by 48.1% in 2019 compared with 2005 levels, and the share

of non-fossil energy in energy consumption reached 15.3%, China has

fulfilled ahead of schedule the action target of controlling GHGs emission

by 2020. China has taken an active part in global climate governance and

international cooperation on climate change, China keeps the promise,

makes important contributions to combating the global climate change,

and becomes an important participant, contributor and leader in global

ecological civilization construction.

The carbon neutral vision proposed by China means that it will be

achieved from the peak of carbon dioxide emissions to carbon neutral in a

short period of about 30 years, it is much shorter than many other major

economies that have already proposed a carbon neutral vision. China is

still a developing country and faces multiple challenges, such as

developing the economy, improving people’s livelihood and controlling

pollution.Comparing with developed countries, China will face greater

difficulties and challenges in achieving a comprehensive green and low-

carbon transition in a relatively short period of time.

Chapter 2. Guiding Principles and Strategic Visions

1. Guiding principles

It is a common cause of mankind to address climate change. China

will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with

Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; fully implement the guiding

principles of the 19th CPC National Congress and the second, third, fourth

and fifth plenary sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee; in

accordance with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee

and The State Council, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on

Ecological Civilization; based on the new development stage, implement

the new development concept, build a new development pattern, promote

high-quality development; adhere to the system concept, and handle the

relationship between development and emission reduction, overall and

part, short-term and medium-to-long-term, incorporate peaking carbon

dioxide emission and carbon neutrality into the overall layout of economic

and social development and ecological civilization construction, take the

lead in green transformation in all areas of economic and social

development, focus on the Green and low-carbon energy development,

accelerate the formation of resource-saving and environment friendly

industrial structures, modes of production, lifestyles and spatial patterns,

unswervingly pursue ecological priority, green and low-carbon high-

quality development roads to ensure that peaking carbon dioxide emission

and carbon neutrality are achieved on schedule. At the same time, China

will work with the international community to take the road of green and

low-carbon development, promote the full and effective implementation

of the Paris Agreement, adhere to the principles of common but

differentiated responsibilities, equity and respective capabilities, and

establish a fair, reasonable, and win-win global climate governance system.

Promote the construction of a community of common destiny for humanity,

build a clean and beautiful world, and march towards a new era of

ecological civilization together with the international community.

2. Strategic visions

China will resolutely implement the major announcement made by

Chairman Xi Jinping, formulate and implement an action plan for carbon

dioxide emission peaking before 2030. China will make good efforts to

accelerate the construction of a green and low-carbon circular economic

system and a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, and

vigorously promote low-carbon technological innovation and the

development of low-carbon industries, comprehensively form green

modes of production and living, significantly improve the quality and

stability of the ecosystem, build a comprehensive and effective climate

governance system. China will strive to reach carbon dioxide emission

peak before 2030, and realize carbon neutrality before 2060, make greater

efforts and contributions to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris

Agreement.

China will vigorously promote the energy production and

consumption revolution. By strengthening the dual control of total energy

consumption and intensity, the energy utilization efficiency will be

promoted substantially. China will strictly control the consumption of

fossil energy, vigorously accelerate the development of non-fossil energy.

By 2030, the proportion of non-fossil energy in energy consumption

reaches to about 25%, and total installed wind and solar power capacity

reached over 1.2 billion kilowatts. By 2060, China will fully establish a

clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system, reach energy

efficiency at international advanced levels, and improve the proportion of

non-fossil fuels in energy consumption up to over 80%.

China will accelerate green and low-carbon transformation in the

industrial sector. Efforts will be made to accelerate the industries to peak

carbon dioxide emission as soon as possible, which include steel, building

materials, non-ferrous, petrochemical, chemical industry, and

etc..Continuously reduce carbon dioxide emission from industrial

processes.Accelerate the construction of green and zero-carbon industrial

parks and supply chain pilots. By 2030, energy efficiency in key industries

will reach the advanced international level, "two wings" drive of low-

carbon and digital economy is realized, and the manufacturing

organization and production methods will be fundamentally transformed.

China will comprehensively promote the green and low-carbon

development in urban and rural construction. Efforts will be made to

vigorously promote the use of energy-efficient and low-carbon buildings.

By 2025, 100% of new buildings in cities and towns will implement green

building standards, China will accelerate the optimization of the energy

use structure of buildings, the fossil fuel replacement rate by renewable

energies in urban buildings will reach 8%, and the rooftop photovoltaic

coverage of new public buildings and new factory buildings will strive to

reach 50%.

China will accelerate the development of a low-carbon transport

system, and actively expand the application of electric power, hydrogen

energy, natural gas, and advanced liquid biofuels in transportation. By

2030, the proportion of new energy and clean energy-powered vehicles

will reach about 40% of all the vehicles sold in that year, the carbon

emission intensity of converted turnover of commercial vehicles will

decrease about 9.5% from 2020 level, and the comprehensive energy

consumption per unit of converted turnover of railways will drop by 10%

from 2020 level, and oil consumption by land transportation strives to peak.

China will accelerate the promotion of nature-based solutions,

incorporate the sustainable use of natural resources into the policy and

action framework for addressing climate change, maximize the mitigation

effect of nature in forestry, agriculture, oceans, water resources,

ecosystems and other fields, and comprehensively improve resilience in

addressing climate change. By 2030, China's forest coverage rate will

reach about 25%, and forest stock volume will increase 6 billion cubic

meters over 2005 level.

Efforts will also be made to advocate a simple, moderate, green and

low-carbon life philosophy, and widely form green modes for production

and living. China will establish and improve the legal and institutional

systems, policies and standards to address climate change, enhance the role

of market mechanism, and thus form endogenous driving forces to

promote the green and low-carbon transformation.

3. Technical pathways

The development of energy-saving technologies will be promoted

continuously, the energy efficiencies will be improved from an overall and

systematic perspective by accelerating the popularization of advanced and

applicable energy-saving, low-carbon, zero-carbon technologies and

manufacturing techniques, by applying advanced technologies including

intelligent manufacturing, systematic integration, and circular linkage into

the energy production and consumption process.

The electrification level in end-use sectors will speed up. Electricity

will be the main energy source in end-us sectors by improving

infrastructure and promoting electricity substitution technologies, it will

vigorously improve the substitution of electricity for other forms of energy

in end-use energy fields such as industrial and agricultural production,

transportation, and urban and rural residents' lives.

China will accelerate the development of a new electric power system,

vigorously develop renewable energies and advanced nuclear energy

technologies, accelerate the development of non-fossil energy in cost

reduction and efficiency improvement and integrate with the modern

information technology revolution, actively develop "new energy + energy

storage", "source-network-load-storage" and "integration of multi-energy

system", support distributed new energy storage system, and promote

large-scale optimization of clean power resources.

China will actively expand the application of new and clean energy

in steel, cement, aviation and shipping, such as electricity, hydrogen

energy, natural gas and advanced liquid biofuels. China will actively

promote the development and application of high-efficiency and low-cost

carbon dioxide removal technologies, and accelerate the development of

large-scale and whole-process pilot and construction of carbon capture,

utilization and storage (CCUS) in electric power, steel, cement and

chemical industries.

China will enhance carbon sink of ecosystems. Efforts will be made

to implement major projects to protect and restore important ecosystems,

and carry out integrated protection and restoration of mountains, rivers,

forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands, and sand. China will strengthen the

land greening action, improve the protection of forest resources and the

conservation and restoration of grassland ecosystems, enhance the

protection and restoration of rivers, lakes and wetlands, promote the

protection and restoration of marine ecosystems, promote the restoration

and treatment of degraded land, and ecological restoration projects will be

carried out in historical mines.

Chapter 3. Strategic Priorities and Policy Orientations

1. Foster a green, low-carbon and circular economic system

Efforts will be made to adjust the economic structure, transform the

development mode, promote development of the creation of low-carbon

new technologies, new products, new industries, new models, new

business forms and new economies, cultivate a green, low-carbon and

circular economic system, and continuously improve the quality and

efficiency of development.

Foster new drivers of green and low-carbon development.

⚫ Accelerate the development of strategic emerging industries

including a new generation of information technology,

biotechnology, new energies, new materials, high-end equipments,

new energy vehicles, green environmental protection, aerospace,

marine equipment and others, and achieve the deep green and

low-carbon transformation of traditional industries, energy,

building, and transportation infrastructure.

⚫ Accelerate the construction of a green manufacturing system,

cultivate new growth poles and form new momentum in industries

with cutting-edge technologies, high value and low emission

including digital economy, clean energy, smart city, etc., actively

promote the construction of new infrastructure and scale

development of emerging low carbon industries, cultivate a

number of advanced green manufacturing clusters, making the

green manufacturing industry a new engine and new advantage

for economic growth.

Establish a green, low-carbon, and sustainable investment and

consumption system.

⚫ Give full play to the guiding role of government investment, and

establish an investment and financing system that is compatible

with carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and further stimulate the

endogenous power and market vitality of the whole society to

promote green and low-carbon development.

⚫ Accelerate the establishment of institutions and systems for green

investment and consumption, establish and improve climate-

friendly policy systems, reduce the cost of climate investment and

financing, encourage more private capital to invest in low-

emission industries, improve institutions and mechanisms for

promoting green consumption, and meet the people's growing

needs for a beautiful ecological environment.

2. Build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system

China will persist pushing forward the energy production and

consumption revolution, vigorously improve energy utilization efficiency

and accelerate the transition of the energy structure to a clean and low-

carbon direction while ensuring the safe supply of energy and meeting the

internal needs of the sustainable development of the national economy and

the continuous improvement of people's living standards.

Significantly improve energy efficiency.

⚫ Adhere to the energy development strategy of energy

conservation as top priority, implement energy conservation

throughout the whole process of economic and social

development and in all sectors.

⚫ Adhere the dual controls on energy intensity and total energy

consumption. Curb irrational energy consumption, promote

rational allocation of energy resources, and substantially increase

utilization efficiency.

Strictly control total fossil energy consumption.

⚫ Vigorously promote clean utilization of coal. Strictly control coal

power projects. Strictly control the growth of coal consumption

during the “14th Five-Year Plan” (14th FYP, 2021-2025)

period,

and gradually reduce it during the 15th FYP period (2026-2030).

⚫ Oil consumption reached a peak plateau during the 15th FYP

period. Accelerate the replacement of fossil fuels with non-fossil

fuels.

Vigorously developed non-fossil energies.

⚫ Accelerate the pace of renewable energies development,

vigorously develop renewable energies including wind, solar,

biomass, and marine energies. Develop hydropower in

accordance with local conditions.

⚫ Develop nuclear power actively and with an organized pace on

the premise of ensuring safety.

⚫ Continuously increase the proportion of non-fossil energy in

energy consumption.

3. Establish a low GHG emission industrial system

Focusing on the improvement of resource and energy utilization

efficiency and improving the green level of production, efforts should be

made to promote energy conservation, clean production and the green

technological innovation, adjust industry energy structure and modes,

deepen the implementation of green manufacturing projects,

comprehensively build green manufacturing system, and promote green

and low-carbon transformation in key industries.

Accelerate the green transformation of traditional industrial

production methods.

⚫ To innovate industrial modes, enterprise form, and business

modes to improve the level of production management, energy

resource allocation and quality management, therefore greatly

improve the efficiency of industrial energy utilization, and

promote the source reduction of industrial solid waste and make

the comprehensive utilization of resources.

⚫ To accelerate the construction of a green manufacturing system,

with the aim of promoting the green development of the entire

industrial chain and product life cycle, strengthen the system

integration and resources sharing among enterprises and

industries, build a green development standard system regarding

green manufacture, industrial energy and water conservation,

comprehensive utilization of resources and clean production.

Establish a unified green products certification and identification

system to increase the supply of green products.

⚫ To carry out evaluation of clean production and certification of

low-carbon products, accelerate the upgrade and re-engineering

of industrial processes, promote clean and low-carbon production

focusing on green design and system optimization, and build a

low carbon emission supply chain that covers procurement,

production, marketing, recycling, and logistics.

Vigorously develop circular economy.

⚫ To promote the accelerated development of green technology,

environment- friendly materials, green technology and equipment,

recycling of waste products and remanufacturing, develop and

promote high-performance, lightweight, green and

environmentally friendly new materials, and promote products

intelligent sorting and high-value utilization, fine dismantling and

clean regeneration of solid waste, such as scrap metal, waste

plastic, waste textiles and clothing, accelerate the establishment

of recycling renewable resource system.

⚫ To increase the innovation of new materials and technologies

R&D, and promote material substitution focusing on new material

technologies, so as to reduce the demand for raw materials and

efficient use, and improve the level of resource recycling.

Promote optimization, upgrading and low-carbon

transformation of key industries.

⚫ To formulate implementation plan for achieving carbon emission

peak for sub-sectors of industries such as iron and steel,

nonferrous metals, petrochemical and chemicals, and building

materials, and accelerate the deployment of research and

application of new production processes such as

hydrogenmetallurgy.

⚫ To improve key industries’ quality and performance, to eliminate

outdated production capacity in accordance with laws and

regulations, and optimize the layout of production capacity.

⚫ By optimizing the product structure, extending the industrial

chain, enhancing the added value of products, to accelerate the

intensive and high-end development of traditional industries.

⚫ To accelerate the optimization and upgrading of the industrial

structure, and shift the focus of development from high energy-

consuming industries to high value-added, high-tech industries

and strategic emerging industries.

⚫ Vigorously promote the application of renewable energies in the

industries.

4. Impel urban and rural construction in green and low-carbon

manner

China will accelerate the establishment of a green and low-carbon

innovation system for building sector that meets China's national

conditions. While meeting the growing energy demand in the building

sector brought about by new urbanization, economic and social

development and the improvement of people’s living standards, efforts

will be made to optimize the end-use energy structure, control the total

energy consumption in the building sector, and improve the building

energy efficiency simultaneously.

Develop green buildings in an all-round way.

⚫ Promote the use of green low-carbon building materials and green

construction methods, accelerate the industrialization of new

buildings, vigorously promote the use of prefabricated buildings,

steel structure housing, recycling of building materials, and

strengthen green design and green construction management.

⚫ Promote the green construction of counties. Establish a green and

low-carbon-oriented urban and rural planning and construction

management mechanism, formulate building demolition

management measures, and put an end to "large-scale demolition

and construction". Build green towns and communities.

Vigorously optimize the building energy structure.

⚫ Vigorously promote the use of renewable energies in buildings,

and maximize the use of integration of photovoltaics into the

building envelope. Actively promote clean heating in severe cold

and cold areas, promote central heating by using combined heat

and power technology, accelerate the large-scale application of

industrial waste heat heating, actively and steadily carry out

demonstrations projects of nuclear heating, and deploy clean and

low-carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps, biomass,

geothermal, and solar energy in accordance with local conditions.

Provide guidance of scientific heating in hot summer and cold

winter areas, and adopt clean and efficient heating methods

according to local conditions.

⚫ Improve the electrification level of the building sector, and forster

development of building with photovoltaic，energy storage，direct

current，flexibility (PEDF) system.

Promote the low-carbon transformation of urban construction

and management.

⚫ To promote the cluster development for urban areas, scientifically

determine the scale of urban construction, and control the

excessive growth of new construction land. Advocate the concept

of green and low-carbon planning and design, strengthen urban

and rural climate resilience, and build sponge cities.

⚫ To implement the evaluation mechanism on city development,

promote the integration of green and low-carbon development

concepts into the urban planning, design, construction, operation

and management, and simultaneously optimize the urban spatial

layout and governance pattern.

⚫ To promote the construction of urban infrastructure and urban

renewal process, and push forward urban ecological restoration

and functional improvement projects.

⚫ To promote the steel structure buildings actively, improve the

green and low-carbon building operation and management system,

and continuously optimize and improve the level of green and

low-carbon building operations.

Strengthen the development of green and low-carbon counties.

⚫ To make full use of the original topography, landforms and natural

environment in building counties, and maintain the landscape and

natural features.

⚫ To properly control the construction density, intensity and

residential building height. Increase the proportion of green

buildings in newly built buildings.

⚫ To vigorously develop renewable energy that meets the local

resource endowments and needs of the county, and reduce the

proportion of traditional fossil energies in energy consumption.

⚫ Push forward green and energy-saving infrastructure, advocate a

combination of large-scale decentralization and small-regional

infrastructure layout, and apply distributed energies, sewage

treatments and other facilities according to local conditions.

Speed up the modernization of rural houses and villages

construction.

⚫ To improve the design and construction level of rural houses,

solve the problems including rural house sunshine duration, heat

preservation and heating, ventilation and lighting according to

local conditions, promote the construction of green rural houses,

encourage the use of native materials and green building materials,

and promote energy conservation and carbon emission reduction

in rural houses.

⚫ To actively use solar energy, biomass energy, air thermal energy,

geothermal energy and other clean energies to solve the energy

demands of heating, cooking, domestic hot water and etc. for

farmhouse.

⚫ To popularize the miniaturized, ecological, and decentralized

rural sewage treatment methods, enhance the reduction of rural

domestic waste from the source, push forward the rural energy

reform, and simultaneously encourage the use of clean energy that

suits the local characteristics and needs of rural areas.

5. Form a low-carbon comprehensive transportation system

China will put same emphasis on optimizing supply and demand

inducing, and give full play to the comparative advantages and combined

efficiency of various transportation modes, and accelerate the

establishment of a green, low-carbon and integrated transportation system.

Create a low-carbon and efficient transportation system.

⚫ Build a comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network

and integrate the concept of green development throughout the

entire process of transportation infrastructure planning, design,

construction, operation, and maintenance, and actively promote

the construction of green railways, green highways, green

waterways, green ports, green airports, and green hubs.

⚫ Accelerate the optimization and adjustment of the transportation

structure, continue to deepen the construction of special railways

and special railway lines, actively develop direct river-sea and

river-sea combined transportation, strive to increase the

proportion of combined iron and water transportation, accelerate

the promotion of the "revolution to rail" and "revolution to water"

of bulk cargo in coastal ports, and vigorously develop multi-

modal high-efficiency transportation organization modes such as

combined transportation, drop-and-pull transportation and joint

distribution, improve the efficiency of transportation operations,

promote the standardization of freight vehicles, and accelerate the

application of recyclable standardized logistics turnover boxes.

⚫ Promote the development of smart transportation, and actively

develop new technologies, new business formats, and new models

such as autonomous driving and shared cars.

⚫ Accelerate the development, promotion and application of key

energy-saving and low-carbon technologies and products in the

transportation sector.

Accelerate the transformation of energy structure in the

transportation sector.

⚫ Continue to increase the retention rate of new energy vehicles.

⚫ Promote the realization of electrification, new energy and

cleanness of urban public transportation and urban logistics and

distribution vehicles and promote the use of new energy for

private cars and trucks.

⚫ Promote the application of low-carbon energy ships and explore

the application of biomass fuels and other synthetic fuels in civil

aviation.

⚫ Increase the application of renewable energy such as solar energy,

wind energy and geothermal energy in transportation

infrastructure, accelerate the improvement of the LNG and

hydrogen energy supply (filling) system, and focus on solving the

problems of difficult approval, construction, and operation of

marine LNG refueling stations. Build (near) zero-carbon hubs,

stations and ports (port areas).

Speed up the construction of a green travel system.

⚫ Strengthen the comprehensive management of urban traffic

congestion, give priority to the development of urban public

transportation, encourage the public to preferentially choose

urban public transportation to travel, improve the urban slow

traffic system, and increase the proportion of green travel.

⚫ Actively develop large-capacity and high-efficiency inter-

regional rapid passenger transport services with high-speed rail

and aviation as the mainstay, improve the level of rail transit

commuting in urban agglomerations, and encourage the mass

transit form operation of intercity road transportation in areas with

high passenger demand.

6. Achieve a substantial reduction in non-carbon dioxide GHG

emission

Coordinate the management and control of non-carbon dioxide

GHGs emission for energy, industrial production processes, agriculture,

waste treatment and other fields. Carry out actions to strengthen the

coordinated control of GHG emission and air pollutant emission, to

include different types of non-carbon dioxide GHGs emission into the

scope of quantitative management and control in a focused, step-by-step,

and phased manner, and to establish and improve non-carbon dioxide

emission statistical accounting system, policy system and management

system. Actively implement the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal

Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and strictly require

all difluoro-chloromethane production enterprises to harmlessly dispose of

their by-product trifluoro methane. Increase the research and development

of low-carbon and environmentally friendly alternative technologies.

Actively adopt low global warming potential alternative technologies in

the process of replacing HCFCs to reduce emission; promote the recovery,

reuse and harmless treatment of controlled substances, and support

relevant production companies to create green factories and strictly control

leakage and discharge of controlled substances during production. Priority

should be given to the implementation of alternative and emission

reduction HFC actions in industries where alternative technologies are

relatively mature.

7. Implement the Nature-Based Solutions

China will uphold the harmonious coexistence of human and nature,

efforts will be made to exploit the potential of "Nature-Based Solutions"

in GHGs emission reduction and increase the carbon sink, improve the

climate resilience of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and enable green

mountains and clear water to continue to exert benefits in ecological

conservation and economic and social development.

Form a territorial spatial layout and ecosystem that can reduce

emission and increase sinks.

⚫ Give full play to the strategic lead and strengthened control of

territorial space planning on the territorial space development and

protection, improve and implement the strategy of major

functional zones based on the evaluation of the carrying capacity

of resources and the environment and the suitability evaluation of

territorial space development, making overall plans for the

development and protection of territorial space in the new era.

⚫ Persist in the living community concept of mountains, rivers,

forests, fields, lakes, grasslands and deserts and implement

measures and policies according to local conditions. Coordinate

efforts to promote afforestation, ecological restoration and

systemic governance, and promote and improve the service

functions of ecosystem. Reduce the social costs of climate change

mitigation and improve the resilience of territorial space by

protecting, restoring and improving natural resource management.

Promote agriculture’s green and low-carbon development.

⚫ Make the development orientation of agriculture from increasing

production to improving quality and efficiency, and develop green,

low-carbon circular agriculture with the basic characteristics of

"ecological green, high-quality, and environmentally friendly",

⚫ Promote the resource-saving and recycling-oriented development

of agriculture, focusing on saving land, water, fertilizer, medicine,

energy, and labor, and effectively reduce material consumption

and resource input in agricultural production including facility

planting and large-scale breeding, and improve agricultural

production efficiency and comprehensive benefits.

⚫ Innovate the comprehensive utilization mechanism of agricultural

waste, formulate and implement policies for comprehensive

utilization of agricultural waste, optimize the industrial structure

of comprehensive utilization of agricultural waste and improve

the quality and efficiency.

⚫ Vigorously push forward the research and development,

promotion and application of ecological technologies, green

technologies and carbon sink technologies, promote the recycling

of straws, livestock and poultry breeding wastes, protect and

improve cultivated land quality, and achieve a healthy and

sustainable development of the industry.

Strengthen ecosystem protection, restoration and carbon storage.

⚫ Propel major ecological protection and restoration projects,

strengthen the ecological protection and restoration of forests,

grasslands, oceans, wetlands, and deserts, designate and strictly

adhere to ecological protection red lines, improve the

comprehensive disaster prevention and control capabilities of

forests and grasslands, and reduce GHG emission.

⚫ Innovatively develop forest and grass low-carbon industries, and

vigorously develop emerging industries including eco-tourism,

forest and grassland health care, new materials, bio-

pharmaceuticals, and biomass energies exploitation.

⚫ Comprehensively build a natural protected area system with

national parks as the main body. Protect biodiversity, and give full

play to the function and role of ecosystems in responding to

climate change.

⚫ Actively protect and restore blue carbon ecosystems including

mangroves, seagrass beds, and salt marshes, and explore the

research and practice of sink-increasing technologies including

aquaculture carbon sinks, shell-algae fishery carbon sinks, and

micro-biological carbon sinks.

⚫ Strengthen scientific and technological innovation, and carry out

carbon source and sink monitoring and assessment including

forests, grasslands, oceans, wetlands and other ecosystems and the

inversion of human carbon dioxide emission changes based on

satellite remote sensing and multi-source data assimilation

methods.

8. Inspire low-emission technology innovation

China will strengthen R&D and international cooperation and

accelerate the deployment and application of cutting-edge, critical and

disruptive technologies, leading by the planning and guidance of

technological innovation. The development and promotion of various

sustainable energy consumption technologies including energy-saving and

energy-efficiency improvement can work as the emission reduction

measures with the lowest cost and the most synergistic benefits in the

medium and long-term.

Strengthen the development and application of energy-saving

technology

⚫ Continue to carry out energy conservation technology

transformation, energy system optimization, and cascaded

utilization of energy resources.

⚫ Accelerate the popularization of advanced and applicable energy-

saving, low-carbon, and zero-carbon technologies and processes.

⚫ Accelerate the application of energy efficiency improvement

technologies such as demand reduction, intelligent manufacturing,

and system integration, and improve energy efficiency from the

overall and system, taking advantage of the development of

artificial intelligence, the Internet, information and

communication technology and blockchain technology

innovation and development.

Vigorously develop non-fossil energy development and utilization

technologies.

⚫ Vigorously support and develop a batch of low-cost, high-

efficiency renewable energy utilization technologies.

⚫ Promote the in-depth integration of technologies such as the

Internet and big data with the renewable energy industry, and

accelerate the independent innovation and industrial upgrading of

new energy equipment.

⚫ Proactively develop nuclear power in a safe manner, and increase

the research and development of advanced nuclear energy such as

small modular reactors, so that nuclear power will continue to

play an important role in ensuring the safe supply of electricity

and the deep GHG emission reduction.

Actively promote the innovative development of revolutionary

emission reduction technologies.

⚫ Strive to make technological breakthroughs in large-capacity

wind power, high-efficiency photovoltaics, high-power LNG

engines, large-capacity energy storage, low-cost renewable

energy hydrogen production, low-cost CCUS technology, and

accelerate the R&D of basic materials including carbon fiber,

aerogel, and special steel, in order to tackling areas of weaknesses

in fabrication of key components and parts, software, etc.

⚫ Promote advanced and mature green, low-carbon technologies

and carry out demonstration projects. Build full-process,

integrated, and large-scale CCUS projects. Promote application

and demonstration of molten salt energy storage for heating and

power generation. Accelerate the development and application of

hydrogen technologies, and explore large-scale applications in the

sectors including industry, transportation, and construction.

9. Create a new pattern of nationwide participation

China will take the cultivation of the green and low-carbon lifestyle

as an important indicator for improving the living environment and raising

the level of social civilization. Efforts will be made to extensively advocate

and publicize the ways of simple and moderate, green, low-carbon,

civilized and healthy life, and also to establish and further improve the

policies and management systems that promote green life and green

consumption.

⚫ Comprehensively enhance the public's awareness of green and

low-carbon consumption. Popularize the concept of the green and

low-carbon development through publicity activities on World

Earth Day, World Environment Day, Energy Saving Publicity

Week and National Low-Carbon Day, and carry out legislative

education with the theme of promoting green production and

green living. Advocate green and healthy nutritional diet to fight

against food waste.

⚫ Make public institutions play the demonstration and guidance role

in practicing green and low-carbon concepts in the whole society.

Promote green and low-carbon housing and travel.

10. Promote the modernization of climate governance system and

governance capacity

China will push forward institutional transformations and make faster

move to build a modern climate governance system. Efforts will be made

to establish sound legal, institutional, policy, market and support systems

for climate governance, and basically establish a governance system that

led by government, mainly composed by enterprise, actively engaged by

social organizations and the public. At the same time, China will promote

the establishment of science-based mechanisms for reducing GHGs

emission from international shipping and aviation.

Continuously improve the legal system.

⚫ Comprehensively screen and modify the current laws and

regulations that are not compatible with carbon peaking and

carbon neutrality, and strengthen the coordination between laws

and regulations.

⚫ Enhance research and formulate special laws for promoting

carbon neutrality, accelerate the revise of the existing laws and

regulations including The Energy Conservation Law, The

Electricity Law, The Coal Law, The Renewable Energy Law, The

Circular Economy Promotion Law, etc., to enhance their

pertinence and effectiveness.

Establish a sound policy system.

⚫ Issue and implement the Opinions on Fully, Accurately and

Comprehensively Implementing the New Development Concept

and Doing A Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality

and the Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking before 2030

⚫ Formulate and issue implementation plans for achieving carbon

peaking in sub-sectors such as energy, industry, urban and rural

construction, transportation, agriculture and rural affairs.

Formulate policy systems from technological support, green

finance, fiscal and taxation, and price perspectives.

⚫ Accelerate the formation of a "1+N" policy system to achieve

carbon peaking and carbon neutrality vision with clear objectives,

reasonable division of labor, effective measures, and orderly

linkage.

Promote the market-based mechanisms.

⚫ Give full play to the role of market mechanisms in controlling

GHG emission, accelerate the establishment and stable operation

of a national carbon emission trading market with complete legal

systems, fair and scientific quotas, active and credible emission

control manners, active and orderly transactions, reliable facilities.

⚫ Steadily expand the coverage of industries and types of GHGs,

and simultaneously promote the construction of a GHG

certification and emission reduction trading market.

⚫ Actively participate in international carbon market-related

cooperation.

Chapter 4. China's Approaches and Advocates for Promoting Global

Climate Governance

1. Adhere to fairness and equity

To achieve global low-emission development, it is necessary for

parties to comply with the objectives and principles laid out in the

UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. UNFCCC set down the principles of

common but differentiated responsibilities, fairness and respective

capabilities as the cornerstone of global climate governance system. This

lays the legal basis for global climate governance, thus providing legal

guarantee for pursuing global low-emission development. Parties should

follow the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC and the Paris

Agreement, formulate low-emission development strategies in respect of

their national conditions, responsibilities and development paths, and

undertake international obligations in line with their national conditions,

and development stages.

2. Adhere to win-win cooperation

Mankind is a community with a shared future, and to work together

with solidarity and cooperation is the most effective way to achieve global

low-emission development pathway and address climate change. The

achievement of Paris Agreement is a milestone in global climate

governance and represents the direction of the global green and low-

carbon transition. It requires all countries to work together to implement

it. To cope with global issues such as climate change, we should abandon

the narrow mindset of zero-sum game, unilateralism and protectionism,

resolutely oppose the unilateral climate trade barriers, commit to

multilateralism, while at the same time we should work together in the

spirit of partnership with mutual benefits and win-win results and

implement low-emission development strategies. At the same time, we

should actively carry out South-South cooperation in tackling climate

change, and vigorously support the development of green and low-carbon

energies in developing countries.

3. Adhere to the respect for science

To achieve low-emission development, all parties must respect the

scientific understanding of global climate change, raise awareness of the

urgency and severity of climate change, and scientifically and rationally

formulate low-emission development paths that are in line with their

respective national conditions and development stages. International

cooperation in scientific research and technological innovation to address

climate change is a necessary precondition to achieve carbon neutrality as

early as possible in the second half of this century. All parties should work

together to share scientific and technological achievements and practical

experience in addressing climate change, and jointly promote the

development path transformation, the upgrade of industry, energy

revolution and technological innovation.

4. Adhere to the commitments

The full implementation of the provisions of the Convention and the

Paris Agreement is the political basis for the implementation of low-

emission development. The Paris Agreement is in line with the general

direction of global development and it has not come easily. Each one

should hold to the agreement, keep its commitments, and take positive

actions. Adequate, stable and strong financial support provided by

developed countries is an indispensable prerequisite for developing

countries to achieve low-emission development. While taking the lead in

reducing emission significantly, the developed countries should continue

to increase their support to developing countries, and help developing

countries achieve their low-emission development strategies.

Concluding Remarks

As pointed by China’s chairman Xi Jinping, addressing climate

change is an important area of global governance, and the global efforts to

address climate change serve as a mirror and bring us valuable

enlightenments for exploring future global governance modes and

promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

He also emphasized that the Paris Agreement represents the general

direction of the global green and low-carbon transition, which requires all

countries to work together to implement it and take decisive steps.

It’s a common cause of mankind responding to climate change. China

has always been a supporter of multilateralism and is willing to continue

to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties on major

issues such as climate change, so as to promote the establishment of a fair,

reasonable, cooperative and win-win global climate governance system

and make contributions in achieving a higher level of global sustainable

development.

As the fundamental theory is a simple theory, it is the most important

to practice and work hard. It requires timely and strong practical actions

by all countries to implement long-term low-carbon emission development

strategies for the mid-century of this century, accelerate the green and low-

carbon transition of economic and social development, and promote the

building of a community with a shared future for mankind. As a

developing country, China is willing to work hand in hand with the

international community to promote the global low-emission development

transition, achieve lower levels of GHG emission, and jointly move

towards a new era of global ecological civilization.

Annex I: Long-term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development

Strategy of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

I. Background of Strategy Formulation

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

(HKSAR) attaches great importance to combating climate change. In 2017,

the HKSAR Government announced Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan

2030+ which set out in detail the key mitigation, adaptation and resilience

measures to combat climate change, as well as the target to reduce Hong

Kong’s carbon intensity by 65% to 70% between 2005 and 2030, which is

equivalent to a reduction of Hong Kong’s total carbon emission by 26% to

36%.

To align with China’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality

before 2060, the Chief Executive announced in the Policy Address

published on 25 November 2020 that HKSAR would strive to achieve

carbon neutrality before 2050. To this end, the Chief Executive announced

in the 2021 Policy Address that the HKSAR Government would publish

the Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 in 2021 to set out more

proactive strategies and measures to reduce carbon emission, and pursue

more vigorous strategies and measure, and enhanced interim

decarbonisation targets to reduce Hong Kong's carbon emission by 50%

before 2035 as compared to the 2005 level. The HKSAR Government

announced the latest Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 on 8 October

2021. With the vision of "Zero-carbon Emission‧Liveable City‧Sustainable

Development", it outlined HKSAR’s strategies and targets for combating

climate change and achieving carbon neutrality.

II. Present Situation and Trend

The climate change mitigation measures proposed in Hong Kong’s

Climate Action Plan 2030+ have been progressively implemented with

fruitful results. In 2019, electricity generation was Hong Kong’s largest

source of carbon emission (accounting for about 66% of the total),

followed by transport (accounting for about 18% of the total) and waste

(accounting for about 7% of the total). Therefore, our decarbonisation

work focuses on these three key areas.

In respect of energy, the HKSAR Government has reached

agreements with the two power companies to gradually replace coal with

cleaner natural gas for electricity generation. From 2015 to 2020, the share

of coal in the fuel mix has been reduced from around half to less than a

quarter, while the share of natural gas has significantly increased from

around a quarter to almost half. Meanwhile, the Government has

earmarked a total of $3 billion to install small-scale renewable energy

systems at existing government premises. Installation of larger-scale solar

energy generation systems at suitable locations at reservoirs and landfills

are also being pursued. In addition, the HKSAR Government has

introduced the “Feed-in Tariff” to encourage different sectors to install

renewable energy systems, and has installed solar photovoltaic panels for

eligible schools and non-governmental welfare organisations free of

charge. The public response has been enthusiastic.

Buildings account for about 90% of Hong Kong’s total electricity

consumption, and over 60% of our carbon emission is attributable to

generating electricity for our buildings. The Energy Saving Plan for Hong

Kong’s Built Environment 2015~2025+ promulgated by the Government

in 2015 has set a target of reducing energy intensity by 40% by 2025. So

far, the energy intensity in Hong Kong has decreased by over 30%. The

HKSAR Government has also taken the lead in energy saving. The

Government achieved the five-year target of reducing electricity

consumption in government buildings by 5% in 2018-2019, one year

ahead of schedule, and achieved a final electricity saving of about 7.8%.

We have also set a new Green Energy Target to further improve the energy

performance of the whole Government by 6% by 2024-2025.

Regarding green transport, the HKSAR Government announced in

March 2021 Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles,

setting out the long-term policy objectives and plans to promote the

adoption of electric vehicles and their associated supporting facilities in

Hong Kong, guiding Hong Kong towards zero vehicular emission before

2050. This acts in concert with our other target to strive for carbon

neutrality in the same time frame, with a view to meeting our aspirations

for “Zero Carbon Emission‧Clean Air‧Smart City”. In addition, the

HKSAR Government announced in June 2021 the Clean Air Plan for Hong

Kong 2035. With the vision of "Healthy Living‧Low-carbon

Transformation‧World Class", it sets out the actions to promote the use of

new energy transportation, and continue planning for railway networks

and adopt environmentally friendly transport modes in new development

areas.

As for waste reduction, the HKSAR Government announced in

February 2021 the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035 which advocates

the vision of "Waste Reduction‧Resources Circulation‧Zero Landfill". It

sets out targets for per capita municipal solid waste disposal and recovery

rate, and the goal of developing adequate waste-to-energy facilities with

the aim to move away from reliance on landfills for municipal waste

disposal by 2035.

In addition, the HKSAR Government has been promoting a green and

low-carbon community; raising public understanding and concern about

the importance of climate change; as well as introducing and subsidising

a variety of publicity and education activities, including “Low Carbon

Living Calculator”, to facilitate behavioural change and encourage the

public to practise low-carbon living.

The HKSAR is moving steadily towards the 2030 carbon reduction

target. Hong Kong’s carbon emission reached its peak in 2014. In 2019,

Hong Kong’s total greenhouse gas emission amounted to 40.1 million

tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO

e), while the carbon intensity was

reduced by about 35% when compared with the 2005 level. The per capita

emission had dropped to about 5.3 tonnes of CO

e. Preliminary estimation

shows that the per capita carbon emission in 2020 would be reduced from

the peak level of 6.2 tonnes in 2014 to about 4.5 tonnes.

III. Overall Target and Strategy

The HKSAR Government is committed to deep decarbonisation, and

strives to achieve carbon neutrality in Hong Kong before 2050 in support

of the global efforts to combat climate change. The HKSAR Government

will take climate actions to align with the target of the Paris Agreement,

i.e. holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below

2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the

temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

On specific strategies, the HKSAR Government will endeavour to

implement the various measures set out in Hong Kong’s Climate Action

Plan 2050, and pursue the interim decarbonisation targets set out therein

to reduce Hong Kong's carbon emission by 50% before 2035 as compared

to the 2005 level.

IV. Four Major Decarbonisation Strategies

The four major decarbonisation strategies in Hong Kong’s Climate

Action Plan 2050 cover the following targets and measures:

(1) Net-zero electricity generation

Cease using coal for daily electricity generation by 2035; increase the

share of renewable energy in the fuel mix for electricity generation to

7.5%-10% by 2035, and to 15% subsequently; and try out the use of new

energies and strengthen co-operation with neighbouring regions to achieve

the long-term target of net-zero electricity generation before 2050.

(2) Energy saving and green buildings

Reduce the overall electricity consumption of buildings through

promoting green buildings, improving energy efficiency of buildings and

stepping up efforts to lead a low-carbon lifestyle. The goal is to reduce the

electricity consumption of commercial buildings by 30% to 40% and that

of residential buildings by 20% to 30% from the 2015 level by 2050, and

to achieve half of the above targets by 2035.

(3) Green transport

Achieve the long-term target of attaining zero vehicular emission and

zero carbon emission in the transport sector before 2050, through the

electrification of vehicles and ferries, development of new-energy

transport and measures to improve traffic management. The HKSAR

Government will cease the new registration of fuel-propelled and hybrid

private cars in 2035 or earlier. Apart from promoting electric buses and

commercial vehicles, the HKSAR Government also plans to collaborate

with the franchised bus companies and other stakeholders in the next three

years to test out hydrogen fuel cell electric buses and heavy vehicles.

(4) Waste reduction

To achieve the long-term target of carbon neutrality in waste

management before 2050, the HKSAR Government will strive to develop

adequate waste-to-energy facilities by 2035, so as to move away from

reliance on landfills for municipal waste disposal. The HKSAR

Government will also further promote waste reduction and recycling, and

expects to implement waste charging in 2023 and regulate disposable

plastic tableware in phases from 2025 onwards.

5. Next Steps

In the next 15 to 20 years, the HKSAR Government will devote about

$240 billion to take forward various measures on climate change

mitigation and adaptation. The Steering Committee on Climate Change

and Carbon Neutrality under the chairmanship of the Chief Executive was

set up in mid-2021 to formulate the overall strategy at the highest level and

oversee implementation and coordination. The HKSAR Government will

also set up a new Office of Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality to

strengthen co-ordination and promote deep decarbonisation. Also, a

dedicated advisory committee on combating climate change will be

formed to encourage different sectors in the community, including young

people, to participate actively in climate actions. The HKSAR

Government will, in line with the spirit of the Paris Agreement, review

Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan about every ﬁve years to update the

strategies and targets for decarbonisation and other actions to combat

climate change.

Climate change is an imminent global challenge. As a Special

Administrative Region of China, the HKSAR will continue to actively

participate in global climate actions, and further promote international and

regional cooperation on various platforms, such as the C40 Cities Climate

Leadership Group, Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong

Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint

Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate

Change, for the purpose of combating climate change.

Annex II: Long-term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development

Strategy of Macao Special Administrative Region

I. Current situation and trend

The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) attaches great

importance to combating climate change. In order to align with the

national climate change action target, the Government of MSAR has set a

greenhouse gas(GHG) emission reduction target of reducing carbon

intensity by 40%-45% by 2020 compared with 2005. The carbon intensity

in 2019 was 6.21 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO

e) per million

patacas, decreasing 67.1 percent from 18.9 tons of CO

e per million

patacas in 2005. MSAR has already achieved its 2020 emission reduction

target in advance.

Macao, as a special administrative region of China and the pearl of

the South China Sea, is a micro open economic system. In recent years,

with the accelerated development of the construction and application of

major regional infrastructure such as the Pearl River Delta intercity Rail,

the Hengqin Island development and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao

Bridge, the economy and society of Macao have ushered in a new round

of accelerated development. Based on the model scenario analysis, the

growth of energy consumption and carbon emission in the MSAR is

expected to slow down in the future, and the energy consumption elasticity

is expected to be lower than 0.7 currently. Carbon emission in the MSAR

are expected to drop significantly by 2050 compared to 2018, with per

capita carbon emission below 4 tons of CO

e (including outsourced

electricity). If a wide range of low-carbon and energy-saving policies are

implemented in the transport and tertiary industries, with the gradual

intensification of these policies, energy consumption and carbon emission

in the MSAR will be significantly reduced, and the total emission may

reach peak before 2030.

II. Overall strategy and objectives

Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on ecological Progress, solving

prominent ecological and environmental problems as soon as possible, and

modernizing ecological and environmental governance system and

capacity have become the most pressing issues at present. As a micro open

economic system, Macao profoundly grasps the interconnections among

the construction of special zone, economic and social development, the

utilization of energies and resources and environmental quality

improvement. The MSAR actively develops the GHG emission reduction

potential, takes the initiative to adapt to climate change, strengthens low-

carbon development and energy conservation and environmental

protection technology exchanges and cooperation, speeds up the

introduction and implementation of low carbon technology; actively

participates in and integrates into the development of the Guangdong-

Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promotes the evaluation of green

and low-carbon development in the Greater Bay Area; strives to reach the

peak of carbon emission in the SAR as soon as possible, and builds the

SAR into a model city of green development; establishes a duel control

and reduction mechanism for both energy consumption and the intensity

and total amount of carbon dioxide emission.

(1) Actively integrate itself into the newest situation and trends of

international and domestic efforts to address climate change, and take

climate change and low-carbon development as an important development

strategy in light of its own strategic positioning, development goals and

plans. Per capita carbon emission of Macao in 2017 were about 5.7 tonnes,

slightly lower than the per capita carbon emission of EU and about 30%

higher than the global per capita carbon emission level. To this end, the

MSAR should take the positive response to climate change and low-carbon

development as the strategic choice for the future development, and

actively build a "green and low-carbon" business card and shape a good

international image.

(2) Determine the carbon dioxide emission reduction target of Macao

and the emission peak target as soon as possible, carry out research and

take active roles in the "Leading The Summit City Alliance"; strive for

lower carbon dioxide emission in 2030 than those in 2018, with per capita

carbon emission less than 5 tonnes; achieve significant reductions in

carbon emission by 2050 compared to 2018, with per capita emission

below 4 tons.

(3) Promote the procurement ratio of green electricity including wind ,

photovoltaic and nuclear power,within the framework of the Guangdong-

Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cooperation, and reduce the carbon

emission intensity of electricity in Macao.

(4) Actively promote the use of clean energies and reduce carbon

emission in transportation sector.

(5) Better manage the use of air conditioning in MSAR; buy products

with higher energy efficiencies.

III. Building sector

MSAR will control excessive growth rate of carbon emission from

public, commercial and hotel buildings, and strive to realize decrease in

carbon emission of building sector by 2030.

(1) Promote green buildings with high standards in new buildings

Coordinate the implementation of building energy efficiency

standards and the research and development of green building standards.

In the design and supervision of public housing projects, low carbon and

energy saving building standards will be included, and relevant

adjustments and improvements will be made in the revision of related laws

and regulations regarding urban buildings. At the same time, efforts will

be made to improve the design standards of public housing buildings and

also to implement green building standards in new buildings.

Build a number of near-zero emission building demonstration

projects. Efforts will be made for new buildings and government-funded

public buildings to meet star-rated green building standards. And more

work will be done to promote the integrative development of solar energy

integrated buildings and housing industrialization, making the wider use

of renewable energies in new public building projects such as office

buildings of public institutions and public housing buildings.

(2) Promote energy-saving renovation of existing buildings

Support the construction of distributed photovoltaic power generation

systems on the roofs of commercial complexes and large public buildings,

and release policies and measures to promote energy-saving renovation of

commercial buildings.

(3) Mandatory energy consumption supervision and management of

buildings

Classify and clarify the main responsibilities regarding energy-saving,

and comprehensively strengthen the management of building energy use

for different types of commercial buildings and public buildings, by taking

overall consideration of rights and responsibilities of the property owners,

property management and users.

Make full use of technical means such as the internet and cloud

computing to accelerate the promotion of building visualization and

intelligent building energy consumption monitoring and management

systems, and implement sub-item and zone measurement control for

different building energy consumption systems and places such as air

conditioning, heating, elevators, and lighting.

Strengthen the energy-saving management of the air-conditioning

system, and reasonably increase the summer air-conditioning temperature

setting in the office area. Optimize the design of the air-conditioning

system and carry out energy efficiency evaluation after the air-

conditioning system is completed for newly-built public buildings that use

central air-conditioning systems.

IV. Transportation sector

MSAR will Strive to reduce carbon emission from the transportation

sector by more than 10% in 2030 compared with 2020, and achieve more

than 30% reduction compared with 2020 by 2050.

(1) Road transportation: Strengthen the regulation of vehicle growth.

Guide the purchase of new energy vehicles and increase the proportion of

green transportation. Vigorously develop public transportation, accelerate

track construction, and optimize the ground public transportation network.

Increase the electrification ratio of official vehicles and taxis, and build

supporting infrastructure for new energies and clean energy vehicles such

as charging stations and charging piles. Strengthen energy conservation

and emission reduction in the field of logistics, build green logistics system,

accelerate the development of intensive, pollution-free, and low-energy

logistics by looking into the entire process of transportation, warehousing,

loading and unloading, circulation processing, packaging, and distribution.

Encourage logistics enterprises to adopt modern logistics technologies and

energy-saving equipments, and share third-party logistics services.

(2) Water transportation: implement stricter clean shipping policies.

(3) Aviation: Accelerate the application of fuel-saving technologies

and measures, actively promote the use of aviation biofuels, and strengthen

low-carbon renovation and operation management of airports.

V. Energy sector

Efforts will be made to make the power sector peak before 2025, and

drop by more than 15% from the peaking level in 2030, and further

decrease significantly in 2050.

(1) Expand the use of high-quality clean energy

Accelerate the building of clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient

modern energy system with natural gas and electricity as the mainstay, and

establish intelligent low-carbon energy supply system. Under the

cooperation framework of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater

Bay Area, promote the proportion of green power procurement, such as

wind power, photovoltaic power generation, and nuclear power, and

reduce the carbon emission intensity of electricity in the MSAR.

(2) Vigorously develop new energy and renewable energy

Accelerate the development and utilization of renewable energies

such as recycled water and waste heat in accordance with local conditions,

rationally use solar energy, promote the use of distributed photovoltaic

power generation systems in schools, hotels, and large public buildings,

and promote the integrated application of solar and thermal buildings.

Promote the construction of comprehensive zero-carbon demonstration

projects, with the design of zero-carbon projects incorporating the

renewable energies including triple-generation systems and solar panels.

(3) Actively explore the application of clean energies in the

transportation sector

In view of the important roles of clean energies in achieving global

carbon neutrality in the future, the MSAR may consider introducing clean

energy for transportation to reduce carbon emission in the transportation

sector appropriately.

VI. Other sectors

As a coastal city vulnerable to climate change, Macau also needs to

continuously strengthen and improve its ability to adapt to climate change,

especially its ability to withstand extreme weather, and reduce the loss to

economic development and urban operation caused by flooding, storm

surges and astronomical tides.

VII. Supporting measures

Constantly raise awareness and establish the position of addressing

climate change in the future development of Macau. Climate change

legislation could be in the following aspects.

(1) In accordance with the Basic Law of the Macao Special

Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, the MSAR

government has strengthened its legislative research work in addressing

climate change and low-carbon development.

(2) Carry out research on carbon pricing mechanism.

(3) Broaden the coverage of the environmental protection and energy

conservation fund, making it cover environmental protection, low-carbon

development and energy conservation. Make use of quota auction revenue

or carbon tax revenue as the continuous funding source of the fund.

(4) Actively communicate with mainland in the formulation of

energy-saving and low-carbon standards, integrate the MSAR into the

construction of the Greater Bay Area, introduce advanced energy-saving

and emission-reduction technologies from the Mainland, practice the

ecological concept in the construction plan of the Greater Bay Area, and

continuously improve and optimize the MSAR’s the ecological and

environmental system.

(5) Make full use of government procurement to continuouly promote

the low-carbon products consumption. Establish low-carbon product

catalog, promote the government to purchase low-carbon products,

establish a subsidy system for energy-saving products, and encourage the

public to purchase energy-saving products.

(6) Actively promote the participation of the Macao’s aviation sector

in the linkage issues of China's Certified Emission Meductions (CCER)

and the ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International

Aviation (CORSIA), and use China's CCER in achieving carbon

neutralization of Macau's aviation emission.

(7) Establish Pu Hui Certified Emission Reductions, promote the

whole society to take low-carbon actions, and better quantify the effects of

individuals' low-carbon behaviors through carbon credits.