China has stepped up its measures, including building low-carbon industrial clusters and promoting sustainable consumption, to pave the way for a green transformation of the country’s economy and society.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council recently put forward a set of guidelines to promote green transformation in all areas of economic and social development.
According to the guidelines, the main objectives include establishing a green, low-carbon and circular economy-oriented economic system by 2035 and fundamentally achieving the goal of a “Beautiful China”.
To achieve these goals, the guidelines proposed for the first time to build “world-class green and low-carbon industrial clusters” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Yangtze River Delta region, two of the country’s economic engine centers.
“There are already green and low-carbon industrial clusters in the GBA and the Yangtze River Delta, such as energy-saving and environmental protection industries, alternative fuel vehicle industry and clean energy industry. They have a solid industrial foundation, a full-fledged industrial chain and a strong export-oriented economy. They should build on their strengths and further develop (the industrial clusters),” said Liu Qiong, director of the National Energy Conservation Center under the National Development and Reform Commission.
The guidelines emphasized efforts to expand the application of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and the industrial internet in energy systems, industrial and agricultural production, transportation and construction to realize the green transformation enabled by digital technology. Enterprises are encouraged to use green and smart technologies to transform and modernize traditional industries, it said.
The guidelines also provide for the first time for systematic promotion of green consumption.
The guidelines call for improving government procurement policies to include more environmentally friendly products and encouraging local authorities and businesses to offer more incentives to boost trade-in programs and sales of environmentally friendly products.
On the supply side, the industry is promoting green design, green materials, green manufacturing, green packaging, green logistics and recycling to reduce energy and material consumption and mitigate ecological impacts.
In addition, efforts will be made to improve the certification and labelling system for environmentally friendly products.
“The green transformation of consumption requires the coordination of various links, from the source and process to the final consumer. The guidelines call for efforts to improve the incentive mechanism for green consumption and strengthen the certification management of green products and services, which entails deepening institutional structures and reforms to further boost the vitality of green consumption,” Liu said.
China aims to create environmentally friendly and low-carbon industrial clusters
On Sunday, Hamas called on Gaza ceasefire mediators to present a plan to implement previously agreed arrangements, rather than holding further rounds of negotiations or putting forward new proposals.
Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, Hamas has been committed to ensuring the success of the efforts of mediators in Egypt and Qatar to achieve a ceasefire and an end to the war against the people of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has reiterated its support for all efforts to end the war, the movement said in a statement.
Hamas has participated in several rounds of negotiations and shown the necessary flexibility and positive attitude to achieve the goals and interests of the people of the Gaza Strip, it said.
Although Hamas and the mediators are aware of Israel’s true intentions and positions, the movement responded to the latest agreement in early July, but Israel confronted them with new conditions that were not put forward during the entire negotiation process and subsequently escalated its war against Gaza, the statement added.
Against this background and out of concern and responsibility towards the people of the Gaza Strip and their interests, the movement calls on the mediators to present a plan to implement what they had previously presented to the movement and to commit Israel to implementing it accordingly, it said.
On August 8, the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United States called on Israel and Hamas not to waste any more time in working out a ceasefire agreement and to resume talks.
The three countries called on Israel and Hamas to “resume urgent talks on Thursday, August 15, in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and begin implementing the agreement without further delay,” according to a joint statement by the Egyptian presidency.
Hamas demands implementation plan for earlier ceasefire talks in Gaza
