The People's Government of Hunan Province recently issued the "Action Plan for Carbon Dioxide Peaking in Hunan Province", to vigorously and orderly advance initiatives to reach peak carbon emissions provincewide.

The plan proposed that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, significant progress will be made in optimizing and adjusting Hunan's industrial structure and energy mix; greatly improving the energy efficiency of key industries; strictly and rationally controlling the growth of coal consumption; accelerating new power systems construction; making advancement in research, development, popularization, and application of green and low-carbon technologies; broadly establishing eco-friendly ways of work and life; and, furthering a policy system featuring green, low-carbon, and circular development.

Hunan will strive for the ambition of non-fossil fuels accounting for 22% of total energy consumption by 2025, and energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of Hunan's GDP accomplishing the central government targets, to lay a solid foundation for peaking carbon emissions. By 2030, non-fossil fuels will account for 25% of Hunan's total energy consumption, and energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of Hunan's GDP will complete the national targets, to achieve the carbon emissions peak target.

The plan underlined that Hunan will carry out ten major actions to reach peak carbon emissions -- green and low-carbon transformation of energy; coordinated carbon reduction in energy conservation and pollution reduction; carbon emissions peak in industrial sector; carbon emissions peak in urban and rural construction; green and low-carbon transportation; resource recycling to help reduce carbon emissions; green and low-carbon scientific and technological innovation; carbon absorption capacity consolidation and upgrading; national green and low-carbon action; and, green financial support. These actions will help ensure that the carbon emission peak will be achieved by 2030 as scheduled.

Hunan will establish a supporting and standardized carbon emission statistics and accounting system; improve system standards; and, strengthen fiscal and price support policies, the plan said, adding that based on the incentive and constraint mechanism for pollution control and carbon reduction, the provincial government will gradually establish a comprehensive evaluation and assessment system for reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and implement collaborative management, decomposition, and evaluation of both energy consumption and carbon emission indicators.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn