China is taking a bold step towards a greener future by constructing zero-carbon industrial parks. This initiative, a key element of China's strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, was prominently featured at the Central Economic Work Conference in December, where national leaders emphasized the importance of green transition in the country's economic priorities for 2025.
These zero-carbon industrial parks are envisioned as crucial hubs for China's climate goals, aiming to peak carbon emissions before 2030. One standout example is Ordos City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which declared the creation of the \\"world's first zero-carbon industrial park\\" in 2022 and upgraded it in July 2024. In 2023, Ordos set a national precedent by establishing a local standard for these parks.
The Ordos park is home to a diverse array of companies, including battery manufacturers, solar panel producers, hydrogen fuel developers, and electric vehicle companies. \\"The availability of cheap, emission-free electricity is the park's biggest draw,\\" explained Zhang Yuan, a zero-carbon strategies manager at Envision Group.
Scale Matters
Building zero-carbon parks presents challenges for companies and local governments alike. Achieving carbon neutrality on a small scale, such as standalone buildings, is complex, according to Liu Jiagen, deputy chief engineer at the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University. \\"It's more challenging for a building than a park, and more challenging for a city,\\" Liu told China Securities Journal in May.
While cities can invest in dedicated renewable energy plants and industrial parks have space for solar panels and other energy-efficient infrastructure, stand-alone buildings face greater hurdles. Manufacturing construction materials, which contribute significantly to emissions, adds another layer of complexity. \\"Whether these embodied emissions should be included in carbon emission calculations is still a matter of debate,\\" Liu said.
In response to these challenges, China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development released draft technical standards for zero-carbon structures in July 2023, seeking public input. These standards are expected to guide the development of zero-carbon buildings nationwide once finalized.
Reference(s):
Zero-carbon industrial parks a key to China's green economic future
cgtn.com
