China leverages digital technologies to improve carbon management

BEIJING - China has been actively leveraging cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things and other digital technologies to improve carbon management and achieve its dual carbon goals.

The data of electricity, petroleum, natural gas, and carbon consumption of companies and institutions in North China's Tianjin are monitored and shown in real-time at the Tianjin Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Operation Service Center.

The center converts electric power consumption into carbon emissions based on data collected from the local government, enterprises, and research institutes, and customizes energy conservation plans to cut their carbon emissions.

Tianjin BTR New Energy Technology Co Ltd, a lithium-ion battery material supplier, benefits from the center's services. Following the tailor-made plan, the company installed 10 thermal conversion equipment to recycle the waste heat generated during the refrigerating process, and has slashed its annual carbon dioxide emissions by over 1,000 tons.

Enterprises in central China are witnessing tangible benefits through carbon accounting, which quantifies their carbon emissions and measures their climate impact.

Shanxi Tianbao Group Co Ltd established a cloud account for energy and carbon management throughout its production, providing clear analyses of the energy consumption and efficiency ranking of hundreds of its facilities.

It's expected to cut 5,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, the head of the company said.

Two electric carbon meters were installed in metal processing enterprises in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

This marks the debut of a novel carbon emission measurement terminal in China's northwest region, which is capable of accurately tracking and measuring carbon emissions and facilitating green production, cost reduction, and efficiency.

In 2022, China's carbon emission intensity dropped by more than 51 percent from its 2005 level, said Xia Yingxian, director of the climate change department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

China's commitment to dual carbon goals is reflected in its national-level policies. Approximately 120 policies were introduced from 2022 to the first nine months of 2023, primarily in energy, electricity, and industry, as outlined in the Green Book of Climate Change released in late 2023.