CCTV:

We recognize that economic and social development across all sectors is inextricably linked to how we utilize energy. Considering our dual carbon goals, how can we coordinate the high-quality development of our energy sector, and which key areas should we focus our efforts on? Thank you.

Zhang Jianhua:

Thank you for your question. I will answer it. As you mentioned, energy acts as the fundamental material prerequisite for economic and social development. China's energy supply has grown by nearly 20% since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, effectively supporting the rapid growth in energy demand for the economy and people's livelihoods. With the advancement of new industrialization and urbanization, China's energy demand is expected to continue rising, which requires a reliable energy supply. At the same time, energy development must adhere to the dual carbon goals, including increasing the share of non-fossil energy consumption in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030 and lowering carbon emissions per unit of GDP by over 65% compared to 2005 levels. The fundamental task for high-quality energy development in the coming period is to accomplish the dual carbon goals in an orderly and steady manner while effectively safeguarding reasonable energy needs for economic and social development.

To achieve these goals, we will coordinate energy security and low-carbon transition, working on both the supply and demand sides to promote high-quality energy development. First, on the demand side, we will focus on energy-saving and carbon reduction. We will implement the action plan for energy conservation and carbon reduction during 2024-25. Efforts will be made to reduce fossil energy consumption, replace it with alternative energy sources, and strictly control coal consumption. We will continue to promote the transformation and upgrading of energy use, deeply advance the adoption of clean electricity in industries, construction, transportation, and agriculture, and enhance electric vehicle charging infrastructure. By 2025, we aim to build around 12 million charging stations nationwide and increase the electrification rate of terminal energy use to about 30%. Second, on the supply side, we will focus on increasing the quality and quantity of non-fossil energy. We will intensify the development of non-fossil energy sources, coordinating the development and utilization of nuclear power, hydropower and new energy. We will optimize the regulation capability of the power system to improve the grid's ability to accept, allocate, and regulate clean energy. At the same time, we will facilitate the issuance and trading of renewable power and green electricity certificates to promote the growth of green power consumption. Efforts will be made to ensure the increase in energy demand is increasingly met by non-fossil energy sources, with an aim to increase the share of non-fossil energy consumption by 1 percentage point each year.