From the "Dual Carbon" Goals to the Ecological Environmental Code (Beautiful China)

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On March 12, the 14th National People’s Congress approved the “Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China.” The law actively implements the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” strategy, pioneeringly establishing a chapter dedicated to green and low-carbon development, which has forward-looking significance in the history of global environmental law codification.

Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a major decision made by China from the perspective of being responsible to human civilization, based on the intrinsic requirement of sustainable development.

“Insist on making green and low-carbon development the fundamental solution to ecological and environmental issues.” Responding to the needs of the times and reflecting the characteristics of the era, the Environmental Protection Law codified by the 14th NPC includes a dedicated chapter on “green and low-carbon development.” Integrating the concept into all stages and fields of development will provide a more comprehensive legal guarantee for achieving the “dual carbon” goals and accelerating the construction of a beautiful China.

Promoting energy structure and industrial structure adjustments, deepening the foundation for high-quality development with green initiatives

From a high vantage point, Qinghai Chaarhan Salt Lake appears as a jade-green chessboard of salt ponds sprawling across the Qaidam Basin. Amid the roar of “water extraction ships” on the lake, brine raw materials are continuously transported into storage tanks and then pumped 10 kilometers to lithium extraction zones. Nearby, rows of wind turbines stand along the ridgeline of Xitie Mountain.

“Qaidam’s ‘Shage Desert’ is also a treasure trove of new energy. The new energy industry is forming a closed-loop industrial chain in Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai. The lithium products produced here are not only the main raw materials for downstream new energy battery factories but also vital for photovoltaic and wind power energy storage,” said Qiao Yiqun, governor of Haixi Prefecture. Haixi will leverage its abundant solar and wind resources, seize opportunities in the construction of the Qaidam desert base, and implement projects like photovoltaics, wind power, and new storage to promote the entire clean energy industry chain.

In the past, there were obstacles in the production of new energy lithium products in Haixi. “Salt lake electrolysis to produce magnesium, lithium, etc., mainly consumes energy, so costs are high,” said Yuan Hongwei, general representative of China Minmetals Group Northwest Regional Headquarters. “However, the nearby cheap green electricity from photovoltaics and wind power is difficult to directly supply to the parks, making it hard for enterprises to use green power efficiently.” Improving mechanisms for renewable energy consumption and ensuring “green power direct connection” for salt lake production will provide a solid foundation.

China is accelerating the development of a green, low-carbon, circular economic system, vigorously promoting green production methods, advancing energy revolution and resource conservation and intensive utilization, coordinating pollution reduction and carbon lowering for synergistic effects, and achieving higher quality development through carbon reduction.

Zhejiang Huzhou-based Tianneng Holdings is closely following national development strategies, promoting coordinated development of power batteries and smart energy storage. “In recent years, we have focused on developing green new-quality production capacity, making technological breakthroughs in green lead-acid batteries, and transforming from traditional industries to new energy sectors,” said Zhang Tianren, chairman of Tianneng. After the implementation of the Environmental Protection Law, more traditional industries will inevitably ramp up efforts in transformation and upgrading. “As participants and beneficiaries of ecological civilization, we will continue to focus on the forefront of energy transition technology, increase R&D investment, and explore more green application scenarios.”

Driving changes in production and lifestyle, accelerating comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society

At the Sichuan Chuankou Boiler Co., Ltd. plant in Jintang County, Chengdu, robotic welding machines operate efficiently, with robotic arms precisely controlling the welding process to produce perfect welds. “In the past, traditional welding used electrodes and gas-shielded welding, which produced a lot of smoke and dust. Now, with robots, emissions are much lower, and spatter is reduced. The quality is more stable,” said Tang Chengfeng, director of the company’s training center.

With nearly 20 years of welding experience, Tang Chengfeng has deep insights: “In the past, when we talked about environmental protection and carbon reduction, it felt distant from frontline work. Now I realize green development is embedded in specific process improvements—replacing manual work with robots reduces pollution. Developing our own equipment didn’t add much cost, but improved efficiency. Having tasted the benefits of green development, our motivation has grown.”

The “green” changes in the factory extend beyond that. Sunlight on the roof is converted into clean energy to power production equipment, illuminating the company’s low-carbon transformation path. “We installed photovoltaic panels on the roof to meet part of our electricity needs,” Tang said.

From waste sorting to reducing single-use items, from encouraging and supporting second-hand trading to water conservation, community manager Qian Haijun of State Grid Cixi Power Supply Company noticed that many provisions in the Environmental Protection Law are closely related to daily life.

“Everyone can be a practitioner and promoter of green development,” Qian observed. He suggested that there is room for improvement in mechanisms to mobilize broad social participation in green consumption and systematic energy saving and carbon reduction. He proposed establishing a “carbon and energy ledger” to generate energy and carbon profiles for regions, enterprises, and households; optimizing subsidy processes for old-for-new upgrades with online applications, smart verification, and quick payouts; managing high-energy-consuming product inventories during policy transition periods with a combination of easing and regulation; strengthening producer responsibility extension, and supporting the development of a nationwide “Internet + recycling” network.

Establishing and improving legal systems for green and low-carbon development, promoting coordinated efforts in carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion, and growth

Opening the Environmental Protection Law codification, the chapter on green and low-carbon development draws attention.

“Having a dedicated chapter on green and low-carbon development is unprecedented in other countries and a major innovation in China’s environmental law codification,” said Lü Zhongmei, deputy chairperson of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of the 14th NPC Standing Committee. The codification expands the scope from pollution control and ecological protection to using legal means to promote comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, more fully responding to the intrinsic requirements of building a harmonious modern society between humans and nature, reflecting the law’s timeliness and foresight.

Zhang Yi, senior partner at King & Wood Mallesons, noted that the law emphasizes key areas related to green and low-carbon development, establishing a sound legal framework. “The law promotes the development and utilization of wind and solar energy, and improves mechanisms for renewable energy power consumption, providing a solid legal guarantee for high-quality development of the new energy industry and guiding enterprise development,” said Nan Cunhui, chairman of Chint Group.

“To improve climate change response systems, the law includes provisions on product carbon footprint management and carbon emissions trading markets,” said Huang Miansong, deputy general manager of Beijing Shouchuang Eco-Environmental Group. “Legalizing climate governance elevates it from policy-driven to system-led, providing a legal safeguard for achieving the ‘dual carbon’ goals.”

Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a broad and profound systemic transformation of the economy and society. Guided by these goals, advancing coordinated efforts in carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion, and growth will accelerate the overall green transformation of development, promote high-quality growth through high-level protection, and create a high-quality life.

(People’s Daily reporters: Kou Jiangze, Qiao Dong, You Yi, Zhang Tianpei, Qi Yukun, Liu Junguo, Wu Wei)