“Building zero-carbon parks is not about putting on labels or badges”

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“Building zero-carbon parks is not about putting on labels or badges. ”**Jiang Yi, director of the Policy Research Office of the National Development and Reform Commission and spokesperson, said at a press conference on August 1 that the development of zero-carbon parks is a systematic project with high innovation demands and significant challenges, as well as a long-term endeavor ； It’s not about creating a “policy lowland,” but rather building a “green transformation highland.” 　　A zero-carbon park is a park in which, through planning, design, technology, and management, carbon dioxide emissions generated by production and daily activities within the park are reduced to “near-zero” levels, and which meets the conditions for achieving “net-zero” emissions. Recently, the **Development and Reform Commission issued the \"Notice on Carrying Out the Construction of Zero-Carbon Parks,\" initiating the development of **-level zero-carbon parks and providing important guidance for the organized and systematic construction of such parks. 　　Jiang Yi said that at present, China’s new energy technologies, energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies, and pollution control technologies have gradually reached international advanced levels. The proposal to establish zero-carbon industrial parks builds on this foundation, indicating that China’s green transformation is moving from individual innovations toward systematic and standard-related innovations. 　　Jiang Yi emphasized that five aspects of exploration are needed for the development of zero-carbon parks. First, accelerate the green transformation of energy. By comprehensively adopting methods such as direct supply of green electricity, demand-side management, the rational allocation of storage resources and other regulatory resources, as well as the use of clean and low-carbon thermal energy sources, new approaches are explored to increase the share of new energy utilization. 　　Second, it is to guide the industry toward deep decarbonization. Explore the \"green-to-green\" model of producing green products using green energy, support energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades as well as the replacement of energy-consuming equipment, and encourage enterprises to build factories with optimal energy efficiency and zero-carbon operations. 　　Third is to promote coordinated regional development. Guide high-energy-consuming industries to transfer and concentrate in industrial parks where resources are available, energy supply is secure, and environmental capacity exists, thereby promoting a rational division of labor and a positive feedback loop among different regions. 　　Fourth, adapt to green trade rules. Zero-carbon parks are equipped with a traceable energy supply system and a comprehensive carbon footprint management system throughout the entire process. This enables enterprises to accurately identify key links, optimize processes and upgrade equipment accordingly, thereby significantly reducing the “carbon footprint” of their products and enhancing their “green competitiveness”. 　　Fifth is to create zero-carbon demonstration models. Through the exploratory practices of “zero-carbon cells” at the park level, experience is gained, pathways are explored, and models are developed for the comprehensive construction of a “zero-carbon society” in the era of carbon neutrality. 　　**The Development and Reform Commission will take into account factors such as industrial representativeness, comprehensive demonstrative value, and carbon emission reduction potential to determine the list of the first batch of **-level zero-carbon parks, providing active support in areas such as policy experimentation, institutional innovation, and the development of major projects. 　　The Notice designates \"carbon emissions per unit of energy consumption\" as the key indicator for zero-carbon parks, and also sets five guiding indicators, including the proportion of clean energy used, the energy consumption per unit of product produced by enterprises in the park, the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial solid waste, the comprehensive utilization rate of waste heat, waste cold energy, and waste pressure, as well as the reuse rate of industrial water. 　　“Each indicator has clear and strict requirements, and it is not easy to meet them. ”Jiang Yi emphasized that local authorities, industrial parks, and enterprises should proceed based on their own actual conditions, and scientifically determine the approaches and methods for building zero-carbon industrial parks. It is essential to ensure that technical solutions are feasible, engineering projects can be implemented, innovative measures can be put into practice, and there is sufficient funding available. It is crucial to avoid mistakes such as making hasty decisions, striving for overly ambitious goals, and rushing into actions without proper planning.