Notice of the State Council on Issuing the Work Plan for greenhouse gas Emission Control during the 12th Five-Year Plan Period

(No. 41 [2011] of the State Council)

The people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government; all ministries and commissions of the State Council and all institutions directly under the State Council:

The Work Plan for greenhouse gas Emission Control during the 12th Five-Year Plan Period (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”) is hereby issued to you for your diligent implementation.

The control of greenhouse gas emissions is an important task for China to actively address global climate change and is of great significance in accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode, promoting sustainable economic and social development and promoting the new industrial revolution. To realize the target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17% by 2015 from the 2010 level, we shall vigorously carry out energy conservation and consumption reduction, optimize the energy structure, endeavor to increase carbon sinks, and accelerate the formation of low-carbon industrial systems and lifestyles.

Each region and department shall fully realize the significance, urgency and difficulty of greenhouse gas emission control, include emission control in the overall work of the respective region and department, break down and assign various kinds of work and tasks to the basic levels, formulate annual specific measures for implementation, further strengthen organization and leadership, improve the management system, specify responsibilities, improve policies and regulations and increase financial inputs. The local people's government at each level shall take overall responsibility for the control of greenhouse gas emissions within its respective administrative region, and the major government leader shall be the primary responsible person for the control of greenhouse gas emissions. The relevant departments shall effectively control greenhouse gas emissions within the scope of their respective functions. We shall maximize market mechanisms, enhance the awareness and consciousness of enterprises and all circles of society regarding the control of greenhouse gas emissions, and form a work pattern in which the government takes the lead, enterprises are the principal actors and all of society actively participates to ensure the realization of the target for greenhouse gas emission control during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

State Council

December 1, 2011

Work Plan for greenhouse gas Emission Control during the 12th Five-Year Plan Period

I. Overall requirements and major target

1. Overall requirements. With scientific development as the theme and accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode as the main focus, we shall solidly foster the concept of green and low carbon development, take into consideration the overall domestic and international situation, view proactive responses to climate change as an important strategy for economic and social development as well as an important opportunity for accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode and for adjusting the economic structure and promoting a new industrial revolution. We shall adhere to the new road of industrialization, rationally control total energy consumption, comprehensively take various measures such as optimizing the industrial structure and energy structure, practicing energy conservation, raising energy efficiency and increasing carbon sinks, launch low carbon pilot projects, improve the systems, mechanisms and policy systems, improve incentive and constraint mechanisms, bring into play the role of market mechanisms, strengthen research on and the development, popularization and application of low carbon technologies, accelerate the establishment of industrial, energy, building, transportation and other industrial systems and consumption modes characterized by low carbon, effectively control greenhouse gas emissions, improve the capability to address climate change, promote sustainable economic and social development, and make positive contributions to addressing of global climate change.

2. Major target. We shall substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP, reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17% by 2015 as compared with that in 2010. Achievements shall be made in the control of carbon dioxide emissions in non-energy activities and the emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, perfluocarbon and sulfur hexafluoride. We shall further improve climate change policy system and mechanisms, basically establish systems for the statistical accounting of greenhouse gas emissions, and gradually create a carbon emission trading market. We shall, through low carbon pilot projects, form a group of low carbon provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government with various characteristics, establish a group of model low carbon parks and communities, popularize numerous low carbon technologies and products with sound emission reduction effects, and comprehensively enhance the ability to control greenhouse gas emissions.

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