The Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce has released the nation's inaugural green business plan, Promoting Beautiful Chongqing Construction and Facilitating Green Business Development Plan (2024-2030). The plan includes guiding principles, fundamental tenets, primary objectives, and long-term goals for fostering green development in commerce. Its eight chapters and 30 sections encompass promoting eco-friendly consumption, expediting the establishment of a sustainable trade system, encouraging environmentally conscious foreign investment, and cultivating and expanding the green exhibition economy. By integrating both domestic and international experience and practice within key domains of commercial economics.
Vigorously Promote Green Consumption
The promotion of green consumption is crucial to establishing an ecological consumption system. The plan proposes enhancing guidance for green consumption products and scenarios, fostering sustainable commercial circulation, cultivating eco-friendly consumer practices, and facilitating the advancement of innovative forms of green consumption within the dual-cycle framework.
A green consumption system is emerging in Chongqing. The promotion of green consumption methods, implementation of subsidies for eco-friendly smart home appliances and new energy vehicle replacements have significantly bolstered the demand for sustainable products. The systematic upgrading of consumer venues is promoted, and the establishment of environmentally friendly hotels is progressing smoothly. By 2023, a total of 44 nationally recognised green shopping malls will be established in the city, with a creation rate reaching 70% for large commercial complexes. Meanwhile, Chongqing's recycling resource recovery system is continuously improving. By 2023, a total of 11 circular economy industrial parks and specialized recycling markets for reclaimed resources have been constructed in the city along with 730 sorting centers and over 9,000 recycling stations. Presently, there are a total of 13,900 enterprises engaged in second-hand goods circulation within the city.
Accelerating the Construction of Green, Low-carbon and Open Parks
Chongqing is expediting the development of environmentally-friendly and low-carbon industrial zones in order to achieve zero carbon and facilitate the growth of low-carbon industries. The initial wave of pilot projects for near-zero carbon emission parks has been initiated in both Chongqing Economic and Technological Development Zone as well as Changshou Economic and Technological Development Zone, thereby attracting a continuous influx of enterprises specializing in energy conservation, environmental protection, clean energy, ecological environment, among others. Consequently, this process serves to accelerate the transformation towards a greener industrial structure within these parks.
The plan aims to establish environmentally-friendly and low-carbon open parks through three key aspects: expediting the green and low-carbon transformation of open park areas, fostering the low-carbon development of industries within open parks, and enhancing comprehensive management services for sustainable growth. The plan aims to facilitate the migration of industry to these new zones, support the digitalization and greening upgrade of traditional sectors, actively introduce green industry projects such as new energy initiatives, prioritize the cultivation of innovative enterprises in the green industry sector encompassing "unicorns," specialized expertise-driven entities, high-growth potential firms ("gazelles"), and promising startups ("golden seeds"), while accelerating integration into the global value chain of green industries.
Simultaneously, it concentrates on supporting the development of energy-efficient modern manufacturing clusters by adopting a cluster-based approach that emphasizes reduced energy consumption and emissions. It plans for future-oriented industries including satellite internet technology, biomanufacturing practices, neuromorphic science advancements, metaverse technologies, and novel energy storage solutions. Endeavors are also being made to nurture emerging technologies, new industrial sectors, and innovative business models, resulting in multiple thriving green industrial clusters.
The Construction Target for 2027
The level of green development in key areas of consumption has increased significantly.
The core construction of a green and open economic system.
Cultivate 65 environmentally-friendly shopping malls, 40 eco-conscious hotels, and establish 10 sustainable sorting centers.
The green development level of national-level economic and technological development zones has been enhanced.
The market share of green and low-carbon products has witnessed a significant surge, alongside a notable increase in the volume of import and export trade.
The influx of foreign investment into the green sector has grown consistently year after year.
Vision Goals for 2030
Green consumption is now a conscientious choice among the public, with green low-carbon products gaining mainstream traction in the market. A foundational framework for green low-carbon development has been established within the business sector, while the institutional supporting mechanisms are fundamentally robust. Building upon achieving carbon peak in the business field, efforts will be intensified to enhance carbon neutrality capacity.