Supporting Economic and Social Development with Energy Green Transformation and Comprehensive Green Transformation
2026-08-04
In recent years, China has been promoting green transformation in all aspects, fields, and regions of the economy and society, striving to turn the "external constraints" of environmental protection and climate change response into the "internal driving force" of economic growth. The outline of the 15th Five Year Plan clearly proposes to accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and build a beautiful China. The key to comprehensive green transformation lies in energy. The green transformation of energy is not only related to the reconstruction of the energy system itself, but also plays a leading role in the systematic transformation of industrial structure, production mode, and lifestyle, and has a global driving effect.
The green transformation of energy is of great significance for achieving comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development
The key to achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality in our country. Energy activities contribute more than 80% of China's carbon emissions, with the power industry accounting for over 40% of the entire society's carbon emissions. To achieve the strategic goal of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, the core path cannot mainly rely on end of pipe treatment, but should emphasize more on source substitution, gradually shifting from fossil energy to non fossil energy. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, China has achieved significant results in the green transformation of energy. By 2025, the proportion of non fossil energy in total energy consumption will increase to 21.7%, surpassing oil in history and becoming the second largest type of energy. The significant reduction in carbon emissions brought about by the optimization of energy structure has become an important driving force for the overall reduction of carbon emissions during this period. The "15th Five Year Plan for Carbon Peak Action" proposes that by 2030, China's carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will be reduced by 17% compared to 2025, and the proportion of non fossil energy consumption will reach 25%, ensuring the timely achievement of the carbon peak target.
An important consideration for building a green, low-carbon, and high-quality development spatial pattern. Currently, with the deepening of green energy transformation, the connotation and spatial distribution logic of energy resources are being reshaped, and the optimization of the development and protection pattern of national land space presents two new trends. On the one hand, the connotation of energy resources has expanded from traditional fossil fuels such as coal and oil and gas to include renewable resources such as wind, solar, and water, bringing greater flexibility to optimizing the spatial distribution of development. Regions rich in new energy resources, such as wind, solar, and water, can rely on their energy advantages to vigorously develop new energy equipment manufacturing and service industries, form a new energy economy, and comprehensively enhance their position in the regional economic pattern. On the other hand, the development of new power systems, energy storage, green hydrogen, etc. has gradually reduced the dependence on energy resources for building a high-quality development spatial pattern. The economic logic of traditional regional agglomeration and division of labor cooperation is being reshaped.
Accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of industrial structure and providing important support for the green transformation of key areas. The comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development covers the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the vigorous development of green and low-carbon industries, and the coordinated transformation and development of digital greening, involving various fields such as industry, construction, and transportation. The key to deep decarbonization in traditional industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, and building materials, which have high emissions and are difficult to reduce, will still rely on adjusting the energy input structure and using clean electricity to replace fossil fuels. The green and low-carbon industries are currently mainly concentrated in the field of new energy, among which new power grid platforms, energy storage, and new energy vehicles have become important economic growth points. The green transformation of energy is also an important application scenario for China's digital and green collaborative transformation, such as the construction of new power systems that cannot be separated from smart grid equipment and smart scheduling systems. The development momentum of new industries driven by the green and low-carbon transformation of energy is strong, and its role in driving GDP growth is increasingly prominent. In the future, industries such as hydrogen energy will form a new direction for upgrading the industrial structure. By 2030, the scale of China's energy conservation and environmental protection industry will reach about 15 trillion yuan, and the new energy industry will always be an important component of it.
Expanding green supply is an important support for achieving green transformation of consumption patterns. The green transformation of consumption patterns cannot rely solely on conceptual advocacy and habit formation, but also requires expanding the supply of green products. As China gradually establishes and improves standards and specifications for green product design, procurement, and manufacturing, strengthens the construction of green product certification and labeling systems, the demand for green electricity and green certificates will continue to increase. The green transformation of energy has become an important supporting force for expanding the supply of green products. By 2025, nearly 40000 valid certification certificates have been issued for 122 products closely related to consumers in China, including electronic appliances, furniture, and building materials. More than 8000 certified enterprises have obtained these certificates, and the supply of green products is gradually becoming a scale. In the future, it is still necessary to accelerate the green transformation of energy and lay a solid foundation for the production of green products in a wider range of fields.
The main path for promoting comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development through energy green transformation
One is to focus on improving the electrification rate and breaking the "carbon lock-in" effect of industries that are difficult to reduce emissions. Electrification will transfer the carbon emissions scattered in various end use energy sectors to the centralized power production sector, making it possible for industries that are difficult to reduce emissions to achieve "indirect decarbonization". As the power system gradually achieves decarbonization, the higher the degree of electrification of terminal energy consumption, the faster the carbon emission intensity of the whole society will decrease. For example, in the industrial field, electric boilers, electric kilns, heat pumps, and other heating modes are expected to replace traditional fossil fuels; In the field of construction, clean energy consumption methods such as heat pump heating and electric cooking are accelerating their popularity; In the field of transportation, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles is rapidly increasing, which can significantly reduce the consumption of refined oil products. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the level of electrification of terminal energy consumption in China continued to improve, and the proportion of electricity in terminal energy consumption increased to about 30%, significantly higher than the world average, laying a solid foundation for the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.
The second is to accelerate the construction of new power systems and increase the proportion of non fossil energy generation. The key to green energy transformation is to accelerate the construction of a new type of power system based on the principle of establishing first and then breaking down, and promote the sustained and rapid development of wind power and photovoltaics. Currently, China is continuously accelerating the construction of a new type of power system and enhancing the capacity to consume new energy. On the power side, actively promote the flexibility transformation of traditional coal-fired power plants; On the power grid side, the construction of ultra-high voltage transmission channels and inter provincial and cross regional transmission channels continues to advance, continuously optimizing the scope of new energy resource allocation; On the load side, actively explore demand response mechanisms such as virtual power plant aggregation and vehicle network interaction. At the same time, regulating resources such as pumped storage and new energy storage will be deployed and constructed in various links of the source network load storage. By 2025, the installed capacity of pumped storage and new energy storage in China will be approximately 66 million kilowatts and 136 million kilowatts respectively, with the cumulative installed capacity of new energy storage accounting for about 50% of the global total.
The third is to promote technological innovation and industrialization of new technologies, and to promote the development of upstream and downstream industries of new energy. China's energy green and low-carbon transformation has typical characteristics of promoting the industrialization of new energy upstream and downstream equipment through technological innovation. On the one hand, China has been promoting a continuous decline in the average cost per kilowatt hour of global wind and photovoltaic power generation projects for many years; On the other hand, China continues to deepen and expand innovation in green and low-carbon energy technologies, with new business models such as smart grids, virtual power plants, and green power direct connections flourishing, promoting the accelerated integration of green energy transformation with green transformation in industries such as industry, transportation, and construction.
Fourthly, we must persist in promoting the green transformation of energy to benefit global green and low-carbon development. On the one hand, leveraging the advantages of the domestic new energy industry to support global green transformation. China's new energy products such as wind power and photovoltaics are exported to more than 200 countries and regions around the world, meeting over 80% of the global demand for photovoltaic modules and 70% of wind power equipment. From 2021 to 2024, China has produced approximately 15.6 trillion kilowatts of photovoltaic modules, providing about 3.2 trillion kilowatt hours of green electricity to the world and helping countries reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2.54 billion tons. On the other hand, through the international market, domestic industrial innovation can be fed back. The scale effect and diversity of demand in the international market have accelerated the technological iteration and cost reduction of domestic industries, forming a virtuous mechanism of mutual promotion between domestic and international markets.
Important measures to further promote the green transformation of energy
Collaborate to promote energy conservation, carbon reduction, and green transformation, and integrate energy conservation and carbon reduction into the entire process of comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Vigorously promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas such as industry, construction, transportation, and digital infrastructure, and promote the development of new business models such as smart grids, virtual power plants, and demand response. Continuously promoting energy transformation, strictly controlling fossil energy consumption, and gradually peaking coal and oil consumption. Vigorously expanding non fossil energy consumption scenarios, such as direct connection of green electricity, green hydrogen, and green fuel applications.
Coordinate energy security and green transformation to ensure stable and far-reaching comprehensive green transformation. Adhere to the principle of "establishing first and then breaking down", and steadily promote the process of "breaking down" fossil energy on the basis of "establishing" new energy. Intensify efforts to promote the development of non fossil energy and consolidate the energy foundation for comprehensive green transformation. Persist in developing multiple energy sources such as wind, solar, water, and nuclear power. Further strengthen the construction of power grid infrastructure and enhance cross regional transmission capacity; Accelerate the construction of regulating capabilities such as pumped storage, new energy storage, and coal power flexibility transformation. Promote the clean and efficient utilization of coal, ensure the increase of oil and gas reserves and production, and fully play the role of a safety net during the transition period.
Promote innovation in green energy technology. Strengthen the research and development of key core technologies, consolidate the technological foundation in areas such as renewable energy generation, hydrogen energy and green fuels, new energy storage, energy digitization, and clean and efficient utilization of low-carbon and fossil fuels, help improve and expand the new energy industry, and enhance its contribution to economic growth.
Deepen the reform of the energy system and mechanism. Deepen the market-oriented reform of electricity, improve the spot market, auxiliary service market, etc., and promote the consumption of new energy and the optimized operation of the system in a market-oriented manner. Make good use of the minimum proportion target for renewable energy consumption, the responsibility weight system for renewable energy electricity consumption, the dual control system for carbon emissions, the carbon emission trading system, etc., to guide various fields to accelerate the adjustment of energy consumption structure and deepen green transformation. Establish a sound green financial system and provide financial support for green transformation.
Deepen international cooperation in energy. Actively participate in the reform of the global energy governance system, promote high-quality green energy cooperation along the "the Belt and Road", strengthen international cooperation on green technology standards, and enhance China's voice and influence in the global green governance system. (Outlook New Era)
Author: Li Jifeng (Researcher at the Institute of Resources and Environmental Policy, Development Research Center of the State Council)
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