Actively and steadily promote carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions.
The Central Economic Work Conference proposed to further promote ecological civilization construction and green and low-carbon development, and actively and steadily promote carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions. Realizing peak carbon dioxide emissions’s carbon neutrality is a major strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core to coordinate the two overall domestic and international situations. It is an inevitable choice to solve the outstanding problems of resource and environmental constraints and realize the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. It is also a solemn commitment to build a community of human destiny. "Actively and steadily" embodies the general tone of promoting the "double carbon" work, which means that we should base ourselves on China’s energy resources endowment, stabilize the pace of work, implement the peak carbon dioxide emissions Action step by step in a planned way, and incorporate peak carbon dioxide emissions’s carbon neutrality into the overall layout of economic and social development and ecological civilization construction.
Deeply understand the meaning of "double carbon"
Actively and steadily promoting carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is the only way for China to seek inclusive growth, promote high-quality development and realize the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature in the new stage of development, which reflects China’s active responsibility for the future and destiny of man and nature.
Peak carbon dioxide emissions’s carbon neutrality is an inevitable requirement to promote Chinese modernization. An important feature of Chinese modernization is the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. It is necessary to create more material wealth and spiritual wealth to meet the people’s growing needs for a better life, and to provide more high-quality ecological products to meet the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment. Realizing carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is helpful to promote the development of green and low-carbon cycle, effectively support the construction of modern economic system, promote the comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation of production mode and lifestyle, and continuously and effectively improve the quality of ecological environment, which has a high degree of unity and coordination with the main goal of building a beautiful China, and is the proper meaning of comprehensively promoting the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
Carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is an inherent requirement to promote high-quality development. High-quality development is in line with the new development concept, and adhering to high-quality development is the last word of the new era. To achieve the goal of "double carbon", we need to promote a series of major technological innovations and institutional changes, and enhance the driving force of innovation for development; The hard constraint of carbon emission required by the goal of "double carbon" is conducive to promoting the optimization of industrial spatial layout and the coordinated development between urban and rural areas, regions and industries, and enhancing the overall coordination of development; The green development concept contained in "Double Carbon" will also help China to better integrate into and lead the development trend of the world today. Therefore, achieving carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is both an important goal and an important starting point for high-quality development.
Carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is an important guarantee for energy and ecological environment security. China’s energy structure is dominated by coal, and it still depends on imported oil and gas. On the one hand, coal mining and use are easy to damage the ecological environment, and then threaten the safety of the ecological environment; On the other hand, there are many uncertain factors in the external environment, which may adversely affect China’s oil and gas imports, thus affecting energy security. The promotion of "double carbon" work is conducive to reducing the dependence of economic and social development on fossil energy such as coal and oil and gas, thus improving the level of energy security and ecological environment security.
Carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is an important measure to promote the construction of a community of human destiny. Achieving carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is an important part of building a community of human destiny and an important means to actively participate in global climate governance. China’s vigorous promotion of "double carbon" will bring huge green investment and green trade opportunities to all countries, support other countries to achieve low-carbon development and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, promote the establishment of a fair and reasonable global climate governance system with win-win cooperation, and make significant contributions to global green sustainable development.
Grasping the goal of "double carbon" with the concept of system
The realization of carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is a broad and profound systematic economic and social change, which needs to be considered comprehensively with systematic concept and dialectical thinking, scientifically grasp the rhythm, and pay attention to the integrity, relevance and coordination of all work.
The first is to achieve two-way force on the supply side and the demand side. To do a good job in economic work in the new era, we must persist in deepening supply-side structural reform and focus on expanding effective demand synergy. To actively and steadily promote carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions, we not only need to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of industrial system, energy system and transportation system on the supply side, but also need to promote the creation of a huge green and low-carbon product and service market on the demand side, so as to better promote the development of supply in the direction of green and low-carbon, and achieve a high-level balance between supply and demand. At present, an important direction to expand domestic demand is to cultivate and develop green consumption, which is highly consistent with the requirements of "double carbon" work.
The second is to achieve technological innovation and institutional innovation. In recent years, China’s green low-carbon technology has made breakthroughs in many fields, but there is still a big gap from the requirements of "double carbon" work. It is necessary to strengthen the core technology, "stuck neck" technology and key parts in the green low-carbon field. At the same time, it is necessary to further optimize the relevant institutional mechanisms through institutional innovation, create conditions to promote the transformation from "double control" of energy consumption to "double control" of total carbon emissions and intensity, and enhance the internal motivation of carbon reduction.
The third is to realize two-wheel drive between the government and the market. Promoting carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions is a typical process with positive economic externalities, which cannot be separated from the effective support of the government. Governments at all levels should play a better role, formulate action plans and make overall plans to do a good job in "double carbon" work. At the same time, we should give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, and constantly improve the efficiency of carbon reduction and save costs. We can consider introducing carbon emission reduction measures in taxation, finance, finance and trade, forming a green and low-carbon policy system, vigorously improving the national carbon trading market, and making greater use of market-oriented mechanisms to promote the "double carbon" work.
The fourth is to achieve coordinated carbon reduction between regions. China has a vast territory, and there are great differences in economic development, technical level, industrial structure, resource endowment and functional orientation among regions. Different regions should actively explore carbon reduction paths suitable for their own regions, which can be achieved through collaborative optimization of industrial structure and energy structure, collaborative innovation of green and low-carbon technologies, "double-carbon" planning and coordinated docking of policies. At present, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, Chengdu-Chongqing region and other regions have carried out some beneficial explorations of regional coordinated carbon reduction, and then they need to continue to promote it in a larger scale throughout the country.
The fifth is to achieve domestic and international mutual support. To promote the "double carbon" work, it is necessary to coordinate the two overall domestic and international situations, not only to make full use of the domestic market and resources, but also to actively use the favorable international conditions. First, on the basis of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, learn from and absorb international advanced low-carbon technologies, and cooperate with relevant enterprises and institutions to carry out technological innovation and cultivate technical talents. Second, in the process of actively participating in and leading global climate governance, we will continuously enhance the international influence and competitiveness of China’s green and low-carbon industries. Third, accelerate the docking of rules and systems related to international climate governance, such as establishing an internationally influential carbon emission trading market and improving standards for carbon emission accounting, reporting and verification.
Adhere to the bottom line thinking and promote the work of "double carbon"
To actively and steadily promote carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions, we must adhere to the principle of risk prevention, adhere to the bottom line thinking, make overall plans for development and safety, create preconditions for achieving the goal of "double carbon", and promote the work of "double carbon" step by step in a planned way, so as to truly become an important starting point for promoting high-quality development.
First, scientifically control the "double carbon" work rhythm. Striving to achieve peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 is a scientific strategic arrangement put forward by the CPC Central Committee after careful consideration. We must adhere to the overall deployment, classified policies, systematic promotion, and key breakthroughs. All regions, fields and industries should scientifically plan carbon reduction work according to their actual conditions. Areas with conditions can try first and explore first, while areas without conditions should strive to create conditions to ensure safe, orderly and safe carbon reduction.
The second is to coordinate energy transformation and energy security. Building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system is an inevitable requirement to achieve the goal of "double carbon". In recent years, China has made remarkable achievements in the field of new energy, but there are also a series of technical problems to be overcome. Energy transformation should promote the clean and efficient use of fossil energy, adhere to the principle of saving first, and at the same time, base on China’s energy resource endowment, adhere to the principle of first establishing and then breaking, and steadily advance, ensure that the gradual withdrawal of traditional energy is based on the safe and reliable substitution of new energy, and ensure the safety of energy supply.
The third is to jointly promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, greening and growth. Carbon reduction, focusing on reducing pollutant emissions from the source; Pollution reduction focuses on improving the quality of the ecological environment; Green expansion focuses on improving the diversity, stability and sustainability of ecosystems; Growth is mainly reflected in accelerating green transformation and development, promoting industrial restructuring, and supporting high-quality development with high-quality ecological environment. On the whole, they are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. We must adhere to the coordinated promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion and growth, seek a dynamic balance among multiple goals, and incorporate it into the overall layout of ecological civilization construction and the overall economic and social development.
The fourth is to encourage people to try first. It is a successful practice for China to promote reform by piloting first and then popularizing. Carbon emissions trading is gradually established after pilot promotion. At present, the national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market has been officially launched, and the construction of pilot cities and parks in peak carbon dioxide emissions has also been implemented. In the future, more carbon reduction policies and measures will be introduced to carry out the "double carbon" work. We can encourage qualified areas to explore boldly, try first, and then gradually push away on the basis of summing up experience.
(The author Zhang Youguo is a researcher at the New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought Research Center, the supreme leader of China Academy of Social Sciences, and the deputy director of the Institute of Quantitative and Technical Economics)