Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the National Energy Administration—five departments in total—jointly issued a notice to launch a three-year intensive campaign to promote energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades in key industries.

Starting in 2026, China will undertake a three-year initiative to comprehensively implement energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction upgrades across nine key high‑energy‑consumption sectors—steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, flat glass, oil refining, ethylene, synthetic ammonia, methanol, and coal‑fired power—aiming to maximize improvements in both energy and carbon efficiency and thereby support the achievement of the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

In accordance with the action plan, by the end of 2028, the proportion of production capacity in key industrial sectors—including steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, and flat glass—that meets the current energy efficiency benchmark levels will increase by an average of 20 percentage points; the coal-fired power sector aims to achieve a 15-percentage-point improvement. Capacity below the energy efficiency baseline level will be virtually eliminated, resulting in cumulative energy savings of more than 100 million tons of standard coal and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions of over 200 million tons.

Original document text

Notice on Launching the Three-Year Campaign to Tackle Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Key Industries

NDRC Environmental Protection and Resource Conservation Document No. 698 of 2026

To the Development and Reform Commissions, Departments of Industry and Information Technology, Departments (Bureaus) of Ecology and Environment, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commissions, and Energy Bureaus of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, cities separately listed for planning purposes, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; as well as to relevant central enterprises:
To comprehensively implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, and to carry out the arrangements set forth at the Central Economic Work Conference and in the Government Work Report, the National Development and Reform Commission and other relevant departments have decided to launch a three-year intensive campaign to promote energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades in key industries, including steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, flat glass, oil refining, ethylene, synthetic ammonia, methanol, and coal-fired power. Relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:

I. Deeply implementing energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades is an important task mandated by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. It not only accelerates the green and low-carbon transition, supporting the achievement of the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, but also expands effective investment and promotes industrial upgrading and quality improvement. All relevant departments, local authorities, and enterprises must fully recognize the significance of this work and adopt strong, effective measures to ensure its solid implementation.

II. Key industries account for a large share of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, with high intensity; thus, they are the top priority for improving energy efficiency, curbing coal use, and reducing carbon emissions. Starting in 2026, focusing on nine sectors—steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, flat glass, oil refining, ethylene, synthetic ammonia, methanol, and coal-fired power—the government will implement comprehensive energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction upgrades over a three‑year period, striving to maximize both energy and carbon performance across enterprises and significantly elevating the green and low‑carbon development of these industries. Beginning in 2028, the scope of implementation will be further expanded as appropriate, with additional sectors phased in; localities may, based on their specific needs, initiate pilot programs in an orderly manner.

III. All relevant departments and local authorities should strengthen guidance and support, continuously refine policies and measures, fully stimulate the enthusiasm and initiative of enterprises, enhance oversight and management of energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction upgrades, and ensure that participating enterprises earnestly fulfill their principal responsibilities in this regard, actively undertake energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction renovations, and accelerate the realization of tangible results in energy conservation, coal reduction, and carbon mitigation.

National Development and Reform Commission

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Ministry of Ecology and Environment

State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council

National Energy Administration

May 18, 2026