Industrial Parks with Zero Carbon Emissions are Crucial for China's Eco-Friendly Economic Growth
"Zero-carbon industrial parks a key to China's green economic future" discusses the crucial role that these environmentally friendly industrial zones play in shaping China's sustainable economic development. The article explores how the transition to zero-carbon infrastructure can drive innovation, attract investment, and support the country's broader goals for reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change. It highlights successful examples of zero-carbon initiatives and outlines the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing this vision across various sectors in China.
TroibNews 
China is launching a plan to create zero-carbon industrial parks, which plays a crucial role in its transition toward a greener economy.
This initiative came to prominence during the Central Economic Work Conference held in December, where national leaders discussed economic priorities for 2025 and placed emphasis on green transition. The industrial parks are considered vital for reaching China’s climate objectives.
With plans to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China regards environmental sustainability as vital for its modernization.
**Pioneers of Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks**
Though a universally accepted definition of a "zero-carbon industrial park" is still developing, several cities in China began their own initiatives in 2021.
Ordos City, located in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a leader in this sector. The city announced in 2022 that it developed the "world's first zero-carbon industrial park," and it underwent an upgrade in July 2024. Additionally, Ordos established a regional standard for zero-carbon industrial parks in 2023, marking a national first.
The park in Ordos now hosts a varied array of businesses, including battery manufacturers, solar panel producers, hydrogen fuel specialists, and electric vehicle companies.
"The availability of cheap, emission-free electricity is the park's biggest draw," Zhang Yuan, a zero-carbon strategies manager at Envision Group, shared with The Economic Observer in August.
**The Importance of Scale**
Constructing zero-carbon parks presents significant challenges for many companies and local governments. Achieving carbon neutrality at a small scale is complicated and intricate, as highlighted by 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 park than a city," Liu stated in an interview with China Securities Journal in May.
Liu elaborated that while cities can invest in dedicated renewable energy plants, and industrial parks have ample space for installing solar panels or other energy-efficient systems, individual buildings face greater obstacles.
Although the emissions resulting from the construction or demolition of a building are relatively minor, the production of construction materials contributes significantly to overall emissions.
"Whether these embodied emissions should be included in carbon emission calculations is still a matter of debate," Liu noted.
In July 2023, China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued draft technical standards for zero-carbon structures and sought public feedback. However, these standards have not yet been finalized.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
This initiative came to prominence during the Central Economic Work Conference held in December, where national leaders discussed economic priorities for 2025 and placed emphasis on green transition. The industrial parks are considered vital for reaching China’s climate objectives.
With plans to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, China regards environmental sustainability as vital for its modernization.
**Pioneers of Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks**
Though a universally accepted definition of a "zero-carbon industrial park" is still developing, several cities in China began their own initiatives in 2021.
Ordos City, located in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a leader in this sector. The city announced in 2022 that it developed the "world's first zero-carbon industrial park," and it underwent an upgrade in July 2024. Additionally, Ordos established a regional standard for zero-carbon industrial parks in 2023, marking a national first.
The park in Ordos now hosts a varied array of businesses, including battery manufacturers, solar panel producers, hydrogen fuel specialists, and electric vehicle companies.
"The availability of cheap, emission-free electricity is the park's biggest draw," Zhang Yuan, a zero-carbon strategies manager at Envision Group, shared with The Economic Observer in August.
**The Importance of Scale**
Constructing zero-carbon parks presents significant challenges for many companies and local governments. Achieving carbon neutrality at a small scale is complicated and intricate, as highlighted by 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 park than a city," Liu stated in an interview with China Securities Journal in May.
Liu elaborated that while cities can invest in dedicated renewable energy plants, and industrial parks have ample space for installing solar panels or other energy-efficient systems, individual buildings face greater obstacles.
Although the emissions resulting from the construction or demolition of a building are relatively minor, the production of construction materials contributes significantly to overall emissions.
"Whether these embodied emissions should be included in carbon emission calculations is still a matter of debate," Liu noted.
In July 2023, China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued draft technical standards for zero-carbon structures and sought public feedback. However, these standards have not yet been finalized.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
