Relevant officials from the National Development and Reform Commission answered questions from reporters on the “Action Plan for Implementing the Comprehensive Conservation Strategy.”

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the State Administration of Government Offices jointly issued the “Action Plan for Implementing the Comprehensive Conservation Strategy” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”). Recently, relevant officials from the National Development and Reform Commission answered questions from reporters regarding the details of the Plan.

Q: What is the background behind the issuance of the Plan?

A: Resource conservation is a fundamental national policy in China. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to resource conservation efforts, issuing important instructions and directives on multiple occasions, emphasizing the need to prioritize conservation, implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, promote conservation initiatives across all sectors, and fundamentally transform the way resources are utilized. In recent years, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, has thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, vigorously carrying out the comprehensive conservation strategy and achieving significant results. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s energy consumption, water usage, and construction land use per unit of GDP have all decreased substantially compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan; loss rates across all links in the grain industry chain have markedly declined; food waste has been effectively curbed; and the level of resource recycling across society has steadily improved. However, it must also be recognized that tightening resource constraints remain a prominent issue hindering China’s economic and social development, and resource utilization efficiency still needs further improvement. It is imperative to continue implementing the comprehensive conservation strategy in depth, strengthen full-process management and full-chain conservation of various resources, and continuously enhance resource utilization efficiency.

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed improving the systems for total resource management and comprehensive conservation. In accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and with the aim of deeply implementing the comprehensive conservation strategy and promoting the efficient and intensive use of various resources, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, drafted the “Plan” based on careful benchmarking, in-depth research, and extensive consultation. The Plan was then jointly issued and implemented by the National Development and Reform Commission along with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the State Administration of Government Offices.

Q: What are the main contents of the Plan?

A: The Plan comprises 9 chapters and 22 measures, divided into three parts.

The first part outlines the general requirements and covers Chapter 1. It clarifies the guiding principles for implementing the comprehensive conservation strategy and sets out the main objectives for comprehensive conservation by 2030. It calls for firmly establishing a resource outlook centered on conservation, intensification, and circular utilization, integrating resource conservation throughout the entire process and all sectors of economic and social development, advancing total resource management, scientific allocation, comprehensive conservation, and circular utilization, and enhancing the efficiency of using resources such as energy, water, grain, land, minerals, and raw materials. By 2030, China aims to reduce energy consumption, water usage, and construction land use per unit of GDP by approximately 10%, 10%, and 15%, respectively, compared to 2025 levels; continuously lower loss rates across all links in the grain industry chain; achieve an annual recycled volume of major secondary resources reaching 510 million tons; and further foster a social ethos that champions conservation.

The second part addresses key tasks and spans Chapters 2 through 8. Focusing on priority issues, it proposes specific measures across seven areas, including promoting conservation of energy, water, grain, land, minerals, and other resource factors, and raising public awareness of conservation. First, deepen energy conservation and improve energy efficiency. Curb unreasonable growth in total energy consumption and vigorously advance energy-saving initiatives in key sectors. Second, strengthen the economical and efficient use of water resources. Fully implement the rigid water resource constraint system and promote deep water-saving measures in priority areas. Third, deepen grain conservation and combat food waste. Enhance conservation and loss reduction during production and storage, reduce losses during transportation and processing, and resolutely curb wasteful consumption in catering. Fourth, promote the economical and intensive use of land resources. Strictly regulate land use planning, improve intensive and efficient utilization, and revitalize existing land reserves. Fifth, upgrade the development and utilization of mineral resources. Advance green exploration and mining, and strengthen the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources. Sixth, reinforce raw material conservation and recycling. Promote green design and manufacturing, accelerate improvements in resource recovery and utilization, and continuously expand the scale of reuse. Seventh, cultivate a social ethos that values conservation. Strengthen demonstration and leadership roles of public institutions, promote green lifestyles, and deepen publicity, education, and guidance.

The third part focuses on support and guarantees and constitutes Chapter 9. It specifies supporting measures related to standards, policies, regulation, and technology, including improving legal and standard frameworks, increasing policy support, strengthening supervision and law enforcement, and bolstering technological innovation support.

Q: What are the distinctive features of the Plan?

A: The Plan adheres to both goal-oriented and problem-oriented approaches, responds to the requirements of ensuring resource security under new circumstances, establishes an integrated conservation concept encompassing energy, water, grain, land, minerals, and other resources, promotes full-process management and full-chain conservation, and constructs spatial layouts, industrial structures, production methods, and lifestyles conducive to resource conservation.

First, improve the institutional and policy framework to make regulatory constraints more robust. Addressing current shortcomings in the conservation-related institutional and policy system, the Plan explicitly calls for revising laws and regulations such as the Energy Conservation Law, the Circular Economy Promotion Law, and the Regulations on Energy Conservation in Public Institutions, while strictly enforcing energy review procedures for fixed asset investment projects and carbon emission assessment methods, establishing sound planning and water resource justification systems for water resource development and utilization, and improving dynamic evaluation and adjustment mechanisms for territorial spatial planning—providing strong institutional safeguards for implementing the comprehensive conservation strategy.

Second, enhance resource utilization efficiency to better ensure resource security. Targeting prominent issues such as extensive utilization practices and low efficiency faced in conserving energy, water, grain, land, minerals, and other resource factors, the Plan defines 15 key tasks and measures, aiming to further reduce energy consumption, water usage, and construction land use per unit of GDP during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, continuously lower loss rates across all links in the grain industry chain, and steadily improve resource utilization efficiency.

Third, raise public awareness of conservation to popularize green living. In response to persistent problems such as conspicuous waste in daily life, the Plan advocates leading by public institutions, encouraging public participation, and promoting social co-governance; it seeks to popularize green lifestyles, deepen publicity, education, and guidance, create a strong atmosphere of practicing thrift and opposing waste, and further cultivate a social ethos that champions conservation.

Q: How will implementation of the Plan be advanced in the next phase?

A: Resource conservation involves a wide scope, numerous stages, and long supply chains, making it a complex systemic undertaking that requires coordinated efforts across multiple departments, diligent implementation by local governments, and broad participation from the general public.

In the next phase, the National Development and Reform Commission will work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the State Administration of Government Offices to strengthen overall coordination, intensify supervision and guidance, refine goals and tasks, hold all parties accountable, and earnestly ensure the effective implementation of all measures outlined in the Plan. The Commission will also strengthen monitoring and evaluation throughout the implementation process, fully leverage the roles of government, enterprises, industry associations, and the public, forge synergistic efforts across all sectors, continuously improve resource utilization efficiency, and provide solid resource support for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.

Source: National Platform for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Promotion