Low-carbon needs to trend to realize conservation goals

The Central Economic Work Conference that concluded recently said that in order to implement an overall conservation strategy, China will promote intensive production and recycling of resources, raise public awareness about conservation, and advocate a simple, green and low-carbon lifestyle.

To reduce carbon emissions, the country should not only pay attention to emissions on the supply side, but also at the consumption end. Increased industrialization and urbanization is raising carbon emissions. Low-carbon consumption in people's clothing, food, housing and transportation is necessary for China to realize its "dual carbon" goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.

However, there is still a long way to go. Public awareness about low-carbon consumption is yet to be raised and people are yet to adopt a healthy, environmentally friendly and moderate consumption habit in daily life.

Also, the insufficient supply of low-carbon products is restricting people's low-carbon consumption. The key lies in addressing the incomplete low-carbon industrial chain and insufficient supply of low-carbon technology. Given that many enterprises are engaged in independent research and development, the innovation cost is high, which is not conducive to lowering the production cost of products and expanding the supply scale of low-carbon consumption.

Besides, the certification standards for low-carbon products need to be improved, otherwise bad money will eventually drive out good money, hurting consumers' purchasing confidence and discouraging enterprises' enthusiasm for producing low-carbon products.

Therefore, more efforts should be made to increase people's low-carbon awareness, such as establishing a relevant low-carbon consumption education system and guide their consumption awareness, so as to form a good low-carbon consumption atmosphere and gradually make low-carbon consumption a default behavior.

Efforts should also be made to strengthen basic and applied research in low-carbon technologies, and provide a solid platform for enterprises to conduct low-carbon research and development. To develop and expand low-carbon industries, the country should not only incubate emerging industries with green and low-carbon technologies, but also guide traditional enterprises to adopt new technologies and modern equipment, expand production of low-carbon products, and realize the low-carbon transformation of traditional industries.

At the same time, relevant laws, regulations and management rules should be improved to clearly define low-carbon products, increase support for low-carbon consumption and production, and reduce the supply and demand costs of low-carbon products, to improve the low-carbon consumption system.