context: The 15th 5-year plan for national economic and social development was delivered by premier Li Qiang 李强 on 15 March. The plan outlined a number of major energy and environmental indicators, some already outlined in the country's Nationally Determined Contributions and separate policy documents. The headline is likely to be the call for a 17 percent reduction in carbon intensity, reflecting a lowering of ambition from the previous target, and the notable absence of a specific peak emissions figure for 2030, giving Beijing flexibility in meeting their 2035 greenhouse gas reduction target.
The 15th 5-year plan for national social and economic development notes the main energy-related goals for the next five years, highlighting
- notable progress in high-quality development
- unified national market advanced in-depth and the advantages of an ultra large-scale market highlighted
- the level of scitech self-reliance and self-strengthening greatly enhanced
- basic research and innovation capacity strengthened
- key and core technologies will achieve rapid breakthroughs
- number of major scitech discoveries will be produced, with more sectors moving from 'running alongside' to leading
- the role of innovation as the main driving force will be further strengthened
- major progress in building a 'Beautiful China'
- green production and lifestyles basically established
- carbon peaking target achieved on schedule
- carbon intensity (per unit of GDP) reduced by 17 percent
- clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system preliminarily built
- environment quality comprehensively improved
- total emissions from major pollutants will continue to decline
- average concentration of PM2.5 in major cities to fall below 27 micrograms per cubic meter
- proportion of good quality surface water bodies will rise to 85 percent
- forest coverage will reach 25.8 percent
- national security 'shield' further consolidated, with comprehensive production capacity reaching 5.8 billion tonnes of standard coal
Other key energy priorities mentioned in the report include
- upgrading key industries and energy-intensive sectors
- promote structural adjustment in steel, petrochemicals and shipbuilding industries
- advance tech upgrading, with development of advanced, smart, green and service-oriented manufacturing
- promote market oriented mergers and acquisitions alongside the orderly exit of backward production capacity
- launch projects to make breakthroughs on major equipment
- increase mid to long-term loans for tech innovation, digital smart transformation and green transformation
- developing and expanding new and future industries
- accelerate development of strategic emerging industries such as next-gen IT, renewables, new materials, smart NEVs, robots, biomedicine, high-end equipment and aerospace
- develop regionally distinct and complementary industry clusters
- cultivate emerging 'pillars' with strong growth potential and broad application
- carry out planning for future industries
- foster new growth points in quantum tech, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence and 6G
- accelerate development of strategic emerging industries such as next-gen IT, renewables, new materials, smart NEVs, robots, biomedicine, high-end equipment and aerospace
- building new-type energy infrastructure
- promote safe, reliable and orderly substitution of fossil fuels with non-fossil energy
- adhere to multi-energy mix of wind, solar, hydro and nuclear
- balance local consumption and power transmission
- build large-scale clean energy bases characterised by wind-solar bases in the north, hydro-wind-solar bases in the southwest and coastal nuclear and offshore wind
- optimise national/cross-regional power flows and continue smart grid construction
- strengthen clean and efficient use of fossil fuels
- promote upgrading and retroffiting of coal-fired power and the retirement of outdated plants
- raise electrification rate of final energy use
- promote safe, reliable and orderly substitution of fossil fuels with non-fossil energy
- fine-tuning energy prices, carbon peaking and the green transition
- achieve carbon peaking
- implement dual control for total and intensity of carbon emissions
- put systems in place for
- local carbon assessment
- sectoral carbon control
- corporate carbon management
- project-level carbon evaluation
- product carbon footprints
- put systems in place for
- build control mechanisms for sectoral emissions
- manage emissions from high-intensity projects, required to implement equal emissions substitution
- formulate rules for product carbon footprint accounting
- establish system for product carbon labelling and certification
- promote energy-saving and carbon reduction in key sectors
- strictly control coal and energy-intensive projects
- build zero-carbon factories and parks in suitable regions
- relocate high-load industries relocated to areas rich in renewables
- strengthening energy security and international cooperation
- strengthen energy and resource supply through multi-source approach
- safeguard oil and gas needs with actions to increase reserves
- improve coal reserve system through long-term contract mechanisms for energy supply, emergency dispatch and backup generation capacity