Latest Policy | Consolidate the supporting role of energy-saving standards in energy-saving management and supervision, and promote energy-saving, quality-improving and efficiency improvement in key areas

Energy-saving standards are an important foundation of the national energy-saving system, and also the technical basis for energy-saving management, energy-saving review, energy-saving supervision, etc. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Implementation of the Update, Upgrading and Application of Energy-saving Standards" (Fagai Huan Zi Gui [2023] No. 269, hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), proposing to effectively strengthen the implementation and supervision and inspection of the application of energy-saving standards, clarify the important role of energy-saving standards in energy-saving management and supervision, and consolidate the main responsibility of energy-using units, which will effectively promote energy conservation and cost reduction, quality and efficiency improvement in key areas.

1. Energy-saving standards are the institutional guarantee for strengthening energy-saving management and supervision

Energy-saving standards are not only the basis for the government to strengthen energy-saving supervision, but also the basis for energy-using units to implement energy-saving management. Energy conservation work involves the whole process of economic and social development in all fields, to establish the government's energy conservation management and supervision on the basis of the law, to allow enterprises to promote energy conservation and carbon reduction work based on evidence, must establish a scientific and systematic energy conservation standard system. The Energy Conservation Law stipulates that mandatory energy efficiency standards for energy-using products and equipment and unit energy consumption limits for high-energy-consuming products should be formulated, and on the basis of the above-mentioned standards, strict energy-saving management measures are stipulated, such as: the elimination system is implemented for energy-using products and equipment that do not meet energy efficiency standards; prohibit the sale and import of energy-using products that do not meet energy efficiency standards; The production of high-energy-consuming products, if the energy consumption exceeds the limit, must be treated within a time limit, etc. In addition, policies such as the Measures for Energy Conservation Supervision, the Measures for the Review of Energy Conservation in Fixed Asset Investment Projects, and the Measures for the Management of Energy Conservation of Key Energy-using Units all stipulate the use and implementation of mandatory national standards for energy conservation.

The "Notice" proposes to continue to promote the updating and upgrading of energy-saving standards, effectively strengthen the application and implementation of energy-saving standards, organize the implementation of the "14th Five-Year Plan" 100 energy-saving and carbon-reduction standards to improve the action, accelerate the formulation and revision of energy-saving standards in the fields of industry, energy, urban and rural construction, transportation, public institutions, agriculture and rural areas, strictly implement national standards for energy conservation, and strengthen supervision and inspection of the implementation of standards. The formulation and implementation of energy-saving standards provide an important institutional guarantee for the management and supervision of energy conservation, which will help control energy consumption from the source, curb major energy waste, eliminate backward production capacity, backward technology, and backward products and equipment in accordance with laws and regulations, promote industrial transformation and upgrading, accelerate the supply of green products, and provide strong support for promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

The energy-saving review of fixed asset investment projects is an important basis for project construction, completion acceptance and operation management. The local energy-saving review authority reviews the energy-saving report prepared and submitted by the project construction unit according to whether the project complies with the relevant laws and regulations, standards and norms, policies, etc., which is the source measure to promote the rational use of energy in fixed asset investment projects, and is also the "general valve" of the government to carry out energy-saving management and supervision. The "Notice" requires that the mandatory national standards for energy conservation shall be strictly implemented in the review of energy conservation of fixed asset investment projects, and the energy efficiency level of the main products of new and reconstruction and expansion projects must meet the standard access value of the industry's mandatory energy consumption limit, and the energy efficiency level of the main energy-using products and equipment must reach the level of mandatory energy efficiency standards level 2. For industries with saturated production capacity, the energy efficiency level of the main products should in principle reach the advanced value of the industry's mandatory energy consumption quota standard, and the energy efficiency level of the main energy-using products and equipment should reach the level of the mandatory energy efficiency standard level 1 in principle. The "Notice" puts forward the requirements for classified approval and classified disposal for industries with saturated production capacity and other industries, which provides a clear basis for the local energy-saving review authorities to do a good job in the energy-saving review of fixed asset projects in a scientific and orderly manner, which not only guarantees the energy demand of major projects that are conducive to local high-quality development, but also provides a solid basis for the local government to carry out key energy-saving work such as resolutely curbing the blind development of high-energy-consumption, high-emission and low-level projects. At the same time, through the energy-saving review and constraints, the development direction is pointed out for the product and equipment manufacturing enterprises in key areas, which is conducive to leading relevant enterprises to accelerate the research and development and innovation of energy-efficient products and equipment, expand the effective supply of high-efficiency energy-using products and equipment, and promote the high-quality development of the industry.

Energy conservation monitoring is an important carrier to promote the application and implementation of mandatory energy conservation standards. In recent years, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued an annual energy-saving monitoring task, and all localities have also formulated an annual energy-saving monitoring plan according to national requirements and local conditions, and some places have included the implementation of energy consumption quota standards. The "Notice" further clarifies that the development and reform departments, industry and information technology departments should strengthen energy-saving supervision, incorporate the implementation of energy-saving standards into the annual energy-saving supervision plan and industrial supervision plan, carry out special actions to carry out special actions, and urge energy-using units to strictly implement energy efficiency constraints. The relevant departments of all regions shall be in strict accordance with the requirements of the "Energy Conservation Supervision Measures" and the annual energy conservation monitoring plan, supervise and inspect the implementation of mandatory national energy conservation standards, supervise and urge energy-using units to implement mandatory energy consumption quota standards and energy efficiency standards, and further improve the application of energy conservation standards during and after the management.

Energy-using units are the main body of China's energy consumption, of which the annual energy consumption of 10,000 tons of standard coal and above key energy-using units account for more than 60% of China's total energy consumption, grasp the key energy-using units to grasp the energy-saving work of the "bull's nose", so we must improve the application and implementation of energy-saving standards in energy-saving management of energy-using units. At present, some energy-using units still have problems such as weak energy-saving management and inadequate implementation of energy-saving standards. The "Notice" proposes to consolidate the main responsibility of energy-using units, and strictly implement energy-saving standards, especially mandatory energy consumption quota standards and mandatory energy efficiency standards. All types of energy-using units shall, in accordance with the requirements of energy-saving standards and indicators, strengthen energy-saving management, orderly carry out energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades, implement the upgrading and transformation of key products and equipment, and improve the energy efficiency of production and operation。

In view of the problem that some energy-using units have insufficient understanding of energy-saving standards, the "Notice" proposes to organize relevant institutions to hold energy-saving standardization policy interpretation and business training meetings, broaden the channels for the release of energy-saving standard information, and fully publicize the important role of energy-saving standards. Further improve the level of energy-saving standardization of energy-using units, promote the transformation from "good standards" to "good standards", and effectively improve the application and implementation of standards in energy-saving management of energy-using units.

The "Notice" issued this time has made important work arrangements for strengthening the application and implementation of energy-saving standards and effectively strengthening the supervision and inspection of the implementation of standards, which will lay a solid foundation for local governments to implement precise policies to do a good job in energy-saving management, and also provide scientific guidance for energy-saving enterprises to improve energy conservation and efficiency, and strongly support the energy conservation and quality improvement of the manufacturing industry.

Source: National Energy Conservation Center