Guiding Opinions from the National Development and Reform Commission and Other Departments on Coordinating Energy Conservation, Carbon Reduction, and Recycling, Accelerating the Renovation and Upgrading of Key Product Equipment in Key Areas

Document No. 178 of the National Development and Reform Commission (2023)

Development and Reform Commissions of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and cities specifically designated in the state plan, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, competent departments of industry and information technology, finance departments (bureaus), housing and urban-rural development departments (commissions, management committees, bureaus), commerce authorities, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, market supervision bureaus (departments, commissions), energy bureaus, the Shanghai headquarters of the People's Bank of China, and various branches, business management departments, central sub-branches in provincial capitals, and central sub-branches in sub-provincial cities:

Product equipment is widely used in various fields of production and life, and is an important tool for ensuring economic and social development. Coordinating energy conservation, carbon reduction, and recycling, and accelerating the renovation and upgrading of key product equipment in key areas is of great significance for accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, smoothing domestic circulation, expanding effective investment and consumption, and actively and steadily promoting carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. In order to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, earnestly implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Economic Work Conference, accelerate the research and development and promotion of advanced energy conservation and carbon reduction technologies, improve the recycling system for waste products and equipment, promote the conservation and intensive use of various resources, and forge new industrial competitive advantages in the process of achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the following opinions are proposed.

I. Overall Requirements

(1) Guiding Ideology.Guided by Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, comprehensively, accurately, and fully implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, focus on promoting high-quality development, accelerate the green transformation of development methods, deeply implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, expand effective investment and consumption, gradually promote the renovation and upgrading of key product equipment in key areas, accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system, promote the full utilization of waste products and equipment, achieve a circular industrial chain of production, use, renovation, elimination, and recycling, promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of manufacturing, and form a green and low-carbon production and lifestyle, providing strong support for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.

(2) Work Principles

Adhere to focusing on key points and advancing steadily. Focus on products and equipment with large production and sales volumes, wide application ranges, high energy consumption, and good implementation conditions, and actively promote renovation and upgrading. Respect objective laws, grasp the work rhythm, maintain safety bottom lines, summarize work effectiveness and feasible models in a timely manner, and gradually promote them to other fields.

Adhere to reasonable benchmarking and classified guidance. In line with the stage of industrial development, benchmark against the technical level of similar products and equipment at home and abroad, reasonably delineate energy efficiency levels, and continuously improve the standard system. Adhere to classified policies, one product one policy, and develop implementation guidelines by field, steadily and orderly promoting the renovation and upgrading of product equipment.

Adhere to conservation and intensive use, and smooth circulation. Solve difficulties and blockages, innovate organizational methods and work models, and coordinate the promotion of product equipment renovation and recycling, achieving resource conservation and intensive use, and facilitating smooth industrial chain circulation. Fully combine the value characteristics of waste products and equipment, implement standardized recycling and utilization by category, and enhance the level of recycling of renewable resources.

Adhere to market orientation and comprehensive policies. Establish a long-term mechanism that combines incentives and constraints, give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, promote advanced energy conservation and carbon reduction technologies and products, and eliminate backward and inefficient products and equipment in accordance with laws and regulations. Use a combination of fiscal, tax, financial, investment, and pricing policies to stimulate the initiative and enthusiasm of all parties in renovation and recycling.

(3) Main Goals

By 2025, through the coordinated promotion of the renovation and recycling of key product equipment in key areas, further increase the market share of high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment. Compared with 2021, the average operating thermal efficiency of industrial boilers and power station boilers will increase by 5 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points respectively, the proportion of efficient energy-saving motors and efficient energy-saving power transformers in operation will increase by more than 5 percentage points and 10 percentage points respectively, and the proportion of efficient energy-saving products among major household appliances will increase by 10 percentage points. The proportion of efficient energy-saving products in commercial refrigeration equipment, household refrigeration equipment, and general lighting equipment will reach 40%, 60%, and 50% respectively. The recycling and utilization of waste products and equipment will be more standardized and smooth, forming a number of replicable and promotable advanced recycling models, and promoting the recycling volume of major renewable resources such as waste steel, waste non-ferrous metals, and waste plastics to reach 450 million tons.

By 2030, the energy efficiency level of product equipment in key areas will be further improved, promoting the overall energy efficiency level and carbon emission intensity of key industries and fields to reach international advanced levels. The synergistic effect of product equipment renovation and recycling will be effectively enhanced, and the level of resource conservation and intensive use will be significantly improved, providing strong support for the successful achievement of carbon peaking goals.

II. Accelerate the Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Renovation of Key Product Equipment in Key Areas

(1) Focus on Key Product Equipment.With energy conservation and carbon reduction as important orientations, and energy efficiency levels as important focuses, focus on key points, tackle easier tasks first, and promote the renovation and upgrading of product equipment in an orderly manner. Develop implementation guidelines by field and continuously improve them, strengthening guidance for local and industry enterprises. The first batch will focus on boilers, motors, power transformers, refrigeration, lighting, household appliances, and other products and equipment with relatively mature implementation conditions and strong demonstration effects, promoting relevant user enterprises and units to carry out renovation and upgrading, and coordinating the recycling and utilization of waste products and equipment. Closely track and summarize the progress of renovation and recycling work in the above fields in a timely manner, and expand the focus of work to other products and equipment as appropriate.

(2) Reasonably Define Energy Efficiency Levels of Product Equipment.Based on the "Advanced Energy Efficiency Levels, Energy Conservation Levels, and Access Levels of Key Energy-Using Products and Equipment (2022 Edition)" and current mandatory national energy efficiency standards, promote local and relevant industry enterprises to implement product equipment renovation and upgrading, encourage achieving energy efficiency levels (Energy Efficiency Level 2) after renovation and upgrading, and strive to reach advanced energy efficiency levels (Energy Efficiency Level 1). In conjunction with industry technological progress, development expectations, and other actual situations, implement dynamic conversion of energy efficiency levels, and update the advanced energy efficiency levels, energy conservation levels, and access levels of key energy-using products and equipment in a timely manner.

(3) Gradually Implement Product Equipment Renovation and Upgrading by Category.All regions should organize energy conservation diagnostics, strengthen energy conservation review and supervision during and after the event, and comprehensively investigate the usage and energy efficiency levels of relevant products and equipment in key industries and fields in their regions. Each region should refine work measures based on actual conditions, increase support and guidance efforts, promote key enterprises to develop work plans, reasonably set a transition period for policy implementation, and steadily and orderly promote renovation and upgrading, ensuring the safe production and stable operation of enterprises and equipment. Support central enterprises, state-owned enterprises, and key enterprises to play a demonstrative role, take the lead in implementing energy efficiency management in the industrial chain and supply chain, actively adopt advanced energy conservation and carbon reduction technologies, eliminate inefficient and backward products and equipment, and carry out large-scale renovation and upgrading of products and equipment based on actual conditions.

(4) Strengthen the Supply and Promotion of High-Efficiency Energy-Saving Products and Equipment.Support production enterprises to increase R&D investment, carry out green design, enhance technology and processes, and strengthen the production capacity of high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment. Develop a batch of backbone enterprises with strong innovation capabilities, advanced management levels, and international competitiveness in the production of high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment, as well as production and manufacturing clusters, to promote the increase of the production, sales, and usage ratio of high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment. Promote the use of products and equipment with advanced energy efficiency levels in green buildings, ultra-low energy consumption buildings, near-zero energy consumption buildings, and major transportation infrastructure. Encourage retail enterprises and e-commerce platforms to guide consumers to prioritize the purchase of products and equipment with advanced energy efficiency levels by setting up product zones, highlighting proprietary labels, and issuing green coupons.

3. Improve the recycling and utilization system for waste products and equipment.

(1) Smooth the recycling and disposal of waste products and equipment.All regions should organize the recycling and disposal of waste products and equipment according to market-oriented and legal principles, adhering to the guidance of "standardization, scale, and refinement," and promote supply-demand matching for recycling and disposal. Strengthen information sharing and business cooperation between product equipment production and usage units and standardized resource recycling enterprises. Support the development of an integrated model for the recycling, transportation, dismantling, and utilization of waste products and equipment to reduce intermediate links. Encourage public resource trading platforms at all levels to set up columns and open green channels to facilitate the trading of waste product and equipment assets. Support the development of "Internet+" models and cultivate online trading platforms for waste products and equipment. Fully leverage the role of asset appraisal institutions to improve the level and efficiency of asset appraisal for waste products and equipment. Implement the requirements of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council regarding the trading and circulation of state-owned assets, improve the disposal system for state-owned waste products and equipment assets, and promote efficient and standardized disposal of related assets by enterprises. Support the supply and marketing system to explore advanced models for the recycling and utilization of waste products and equipment. Promote the implementation of a recycling target responsibility system by home appliance manufacturing enterprises. Encourage the establishment of a contact system for key resource recycling enterprises in various regions.

(2) Promote high-level recycling of renewable resources.Relying on the construction of a recycling system for waste materials in key cities, national "urban mining" demonstration bases, and resource recycling bases, plan and layout a number of high-level sorting centers, processing and utilization bases, and regional trading centers for waste products and equipment to promote large-scale, standardized, and clean recycling of waste products and equipment. Strengthen the promotion and application of advanced processing and utilization technologies and equipment for renewable resources, support the quality improvement and transformation of existing processing and utilization projects, and enhance mechanization, information technology, and intelligence levels. Support enterprises and research institutions to strengthen the R&D of technological equipment, promote advanced technologies such as fine dismantling of waste products and equipment, efficient separation of composite materials, clean extraction of valuable metals, and recycling of rare and precious metals, and strengthen the R&D and application of large complete equipment.

(3) Standardize the remanufacturing of waste products and equipment.Encourage the remanufacturing of waste products and equipment that meet the conditions, ensuring that the quality characteristics and safety and environmental performance of remanufactured products and equipment are not lower than those of new prototypes. Promote the application of technologies and processes such as non-destructive testing, additive manufacturing, and flexible processing to enhance the level of remanufacturing processing. Accelerate the improvement of remanufacturing standards for waste products and equipment. Strictly implement quality supervision of remanufactured products and equipment, and standardize the production and sales of remanufactured products and equipment. Support product equipment manufacturing enterprises to establish reverse recycling systems and develop high-level remanufacturing.

4. Strengthen support and guarantees.

(1) Strengthen financial and policy support.Coordinate the use of government investment, special relending, and other fiscal and financial policies, increase support for medium- and long-term loans, effectively drive social investment, and guide relevant enterprises to actively carry out product equipment updates, transformations, and recycling. Implement preferential policies such as corporate income tax exemptions for energy-saving and water-saving specialized products and equipment and projects, accelerated depreciation of fixed assets, and exemption or immediate refund of value-added tax for resource comprehensive utilization products. Improve government green procurement policies, expand the scope of government green procurement, and increase government procurement support for energy-efficient products and equipment that meet policy requirements. Promote state-owned enterprises to take the lead in implementing corporate green procurement guidelines. Encourage various regions to adopt multiple methods such as subsidies, trade-ins, and point rewards to guide enterprises and residents to purchase high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment, and in principle, do not provide subsidies for products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than energy-saving levels. Support qualified high-efficiency energy-saving product and equipment manufacturing enterprises and resource recycling enterprises to issue green bonds, go public for financing and refinancing, and disclose environmental information in accordance with laws and regulations.

(2) Improve product equipment energy efficiency and elimination standards.Accelerate the formulation and revision of a batch of mandatory national energy efficiency standards, strengthen the coordination and connection with the advanced energy efficiency levels, energy-saving levels, and access levels of key energy-consuming products and equipment according to the principle of "higher not lower," and reasonably set the various indicators of mandatory national energy efficiency standards. Accelerate filling the gaps in power generation efficiency standards and elimination standards for old equipment in fields such as wind power and photovoltaics, providing technical basis for the update and transformation of new products and equipment. Improve supporting standards for product equipment process technology, production manufacturing, inspection and testing, and certification and evaluation. Expand the implementation scope of energy efficiency labels and green product certifications for energy-saving, low-carbon, and resource recycling.

(3) Strengthen the R&D and application of advanced applicable technologies.Deeply investigate the technical difficulties and bottlenecks in the update, transformation, and recycling of products and equipment in key areas. Fully utilize innovative resources from research institutions, industry associations, and leading enterprises, focusing on the production and manufacturing of high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment, resource recycling, and remanufacturing of high-end equipment, to concentrate on breaking through key common technologies such as basic materials, structural design, and processing technology, forming a batch of advanced technologies for energy saving and carbon reduction with independent intellectual property rights and core competitiveness. Incorporate advanced applicable technologies and products for energy saving and carbon reduction, and resource recycling into the "Green Technology Promotion Directory," "Green Industry Guidance Directory," and "Industrial Structure Adjustment Guidance Directory" for encouragement, and continuously strengthen promotion and application.

(4) Increase supervision and management efforts.Play the role of energy-saving review as a gatekeeper. Enterprises' new construction, renovation, and expansion projects must not procure or use products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than the access level. Projects with annual energy consumption of 10,000 tons of standard coal or more and those supported by central budget investment and other fiscal funds must, in principle, not procure or use products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than energy-saving levels, and prioritize the procurement of products and equipment that meet advanced energy efficiency levels. Energy-saving authorities and industrial and information technology authorities at all levels should strengthen energy-saving supervision of key enterprises and units' energy-consuming products and equipment. Improve and standardize the tiered pricing system for electricity in high energy-consuming industries, and promote relevant enterprises to implement product equipment updates and transformations. Market supervision departments at all levels should increase quality supervision efforts, legally prohibit the production and sale of products and equipment with energy efficiency lower than the current energy efficiency level 3 (level 5) standards, and severely crack down on false advertising of energy efficiency levels. Strengthen environmental supervision of the recycling of waste products and equipment, and the processing and utilization of renewable resources to avoid secondary pollution. Legally combat illegal modifications, assembly, dismantling, and processing of waste products and equipment.

5. Strengthen organizational implementation.

(1) Strengthen overall coordination.The National Development and Reform Commission, together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Commerce, the People's Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Energy Administration, should strengthen coordination and cooperation to form a working synergy, effectively manage work scheduling, tracking evaluation, supervision inspection, and experience summarization, and ensure the implementation of various objectives and tasks. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in conjunction with the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments, should increase the implementation of energy efficiency improvement plans for motors and power transformers, and ensure the update and transformation of motors and power transformers. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council should organize central enterprises to play a demonstrative leading role, strengthen the tackling of advanced energy-saving and carbon-reduction technologies, enhance the production and manufacturing of high-efficiency energy-saving products and equipment, and take the lead in updating, transforming, and recycling.

(2) Strengthen responsibility implementation.All regions should fully recognize the significant importance of accelerating the updating and transformation of key product equipment and recycling, refine work measures based on actual conditions, and solidly and orderly implement them. All regions should actively carry out technical and business training on product equipment energy efficiency improvement and recycling, promoting relevant enterprises and units to enhance the operation and maintenance management capabilities of important product equipment. Relevant industry associations, professional think tanks, and third-party organizations should implement national deployments, actively play a bridging role, and promote the updating and transformation of key product equipment and recycling.

(3) Strengthen publicity and guidance.Actively carry out important activities such as National Energy Conservation Publicity Week and National Low Carbon Day, fully utilize various traditional media and new media channels, create a strong atmosphere for the whole society to participate in energy conservation and carbon reduction, increase the promotion of excellent projects and typical cases of updating and transforming key product equipment and recycling, and promote a batch of advanced experiences that can be referenced and replicated. Encourage local governments, industry associations, and relevant institutions to organize technical product matching exchange meetings, application demonstration site meetings, and other activities to promote the exchange and promotion of advanced energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies and product equipment.