Green Transformation in China: Progress and Outlook
271
more than 50% to the reduction in carbon emissions. Since reform and opening-up
started, China has pressed ahead with structural adjustment while ramping up the
industrialization drive. In 2012, the service sector for the first time overtook the
industrial sector to be the largest sector in the national economy and the biggest
engine of economic growth. The sectoral composition of the economy changed
from 27.7:47.7:24.6 in 1978 to 7.2:40.7:52.2 in 2018. Compared with the early
days of reform and opening-up, the share of the industrial sector dropped by
7%, while that of the service sector rose by 27.6%. Within the industrial sector,
vigorous efforts have been made to phase out backward and excessive capacity in
coal, steel, cement, flat glass, electrolytic aluminum, and other industries, speed
up upgrading and green transformation of traditional industries, and introduce new
technologies, processes, and equipment to reduce energy consumption and emissions. For example, the outdated technology of self-baking anodes for aluminum
electrolysis has been eliminated, and the NSP cement technology has become the
mainstream technology in cement production. Meanwhile, China is working hard
to foster strategic emerging industries such as new energy, energy conservation
and environmental protection, next-generation information technology, biology, new
materials, and new energy vehicles, develop green services, promote energy performance contracting and water conservation contracting, and build a green industrial
system. In recent years, China has vigorously promoted intelligent manufacturing.
As a result, “Internet Plus” manufacturing models have cropped up, and industrial
Internet has been widely used in such industries as petroleum, petrochemicals, steel,
home appliances, apparel, machinery, and energy, giving a strong boost to the green
transformation of manufacturing.
3. Resource conservation and recycling has been pushed forward
Resource conservation and recycling is an important part of green transformation.
In 2002, China promulgated the Law on the Promotion of Clean Production, its first
law on circular economy, marking the shift from end-point pollution control to whole
process control. Since then, China has ramped up green, circular, and low-carbon
development, strengthened the management of obligatory targets, imposed controls
on the total amount and intensity of energy and water consumption, construction
land, and so forth, and raised the standards for the conservation of energy, water,
land, and materials and for green mines. It has doubled down on energy conservation and emission reduction in key industries, enterprises, and projects, promoted
circular production at enterprises, circular industrial portfolios, and circular transformation of industrial parks, and propelled the shift from the traditional linear growth
model of “resources—products—waste” to a sustainable development model where
materials flow in a closed loop. The near-zero carbon emission zone demonstration
project has been launched, and effective control of carbon emissions has been implemented proactively. A series of resource conservation campaigns have been carried
out, such as the energy-saving and low-carbon campaign of 10,000 enterprises, the
green building campaign, the low-carbon transportation campaign of 1,000 vehicle,
ship, road, and port enterprises, the energy-saving public institution demonstration
271
more than 50% to the reduction in carbon emissions. Since reform and opening-up
started, China has pressed ahead with structural adjustment while ramping up the
industrialization drive. In 2012, the service sector for the first time overtook the
industrial sector to be the largest sector in the national economy and the biggest
engine of economic growth. The sectoral composition of the economy changed
from 27.7:47.7:24.6 in 1978 to 7.2:40.7:52.2 in 2018. Compared with the early
days of reform and opening-up, the share of the industrial sector dropped by
7%, while that of the service sector rose by 27.6%. Within the industrial sector,
vigorous efforts have been made to phase out backward and excessive capacity in
coal, steel, cement, flat glass, electrolytic aluminum, and other industries, speed
up upgrading and green transformation of traditional industries, and introduce new
technologies, processes, and equipment to reduce energy consumption and emissions. For example, the outdated technology of self-baking anodes for aluminum
electrolysis has been eliminated, and the NSP cement technology has become the
mainstream technology in cement production. Meanwhile, China is working hard
to foster strategic emerging industries such as new energy, energy conservation
and environmental protection, next-generation information technology, biology, new
materials, and new energy vehicles, develop green services, promote energy performance contracting and water conservation contracting, and build a green industrial
system. In recent years, China has vigorously promoted intelligent manufacturing.
As a result, “Internet Plus” manufacturing models have cropped up, and industrial
Internet has been widely used in such industries as petroleum, petrochemicals, steel,
home appliances, apparel, machinery, and energy, giving a strong boost to the green
transformation of manufacturing.
3. Resource conservation and recycling has been pushed forward
Resource conservation and recycling is an important part of green transformation.
In 2002, China promulgated the Law on the Promotion of Clean Production, its first
law on circular economy, marking the shift from end-point pollution control to whole
process control. Since then, China has ramped up green, circular, and low-carbon
development, strengthened the management of obligatory targets, imposed controls
on the total amount and intensity of energy and water consumption, construction
land, and so forth, and raised the standards for the conservation of energy, water,
land, and materials and for green mines. It has doubled down on energy conservation and emission reduction in key industries, enterprises, and projects, promoted
circular production at enterprises, circular industrial portfolios, and circular transformation of industrial parks, and propelled the shift from the traditional linear growth
model of “resources—products—waste” to a sustainable development model where
materials flow in a closed loop. The near-zero carbon emission zone demonstration
project has been launched, and effective control of carbon emissions has been implemented proactively. A series of resource conservation campaigns have been carried
out, such as the energy-saving and low-carbon campaign of 10,000 enterprises, the
green building campaign, the low-carbon transportation campaign of 1,000 vehicle,
ship, road, and port enterprises, the energy-saving public institution demonstration