Ministries: Guidance on green manufacturing in Yangtze River Economic Belt

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and other departments jointly released guidelines in June 2017, on developing green manufacturing in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

According to the document issued by MIIT, the National Development and Reform Commission and the ministries of science and technology, finance, and ecology and environment, to reduce pollution and boost economic growth, the total industrial output of green manufacturing in the region will reach 5 trillion yuan ($720 billion) by 2020.

The Chinese government is helping to create 500 green manufacturing demonstration plants, 50 industrial zones and promote over 5,000 green products. Meanwhile, energy consumption, pollutant emissions and water consumption will be lowered markedly compared with 2015.

Concrete measures include optimizing industrial layouts, adjusting industry structures and promoting green development in the traditional manufacturing sector, industrial water saving and control of industrial pollution.

China is improving industrial layout planning, setting industry development direction and intensity in strict accordance with the capacity of regional resources and environment.

Renovations are being made to upgrade industrial parks along the Yangtze River into circular, green and low-carbon areas to minimize their impact on the environment.

A total of 47 key projects for removal and transformation of hazardous chemical manufacturing companies must be finished by the end of 2020. Strict standards in energy consumption and environmental protection are being imposed on newly built projects.

Industrial relocation across regions is being encouraged to bring innovations to regional cooperation patterns and boost economic development. Efforts are being devoted to the construction in the economic belt of five world-class industrial clusters in areas such as the automobile industry, textiles and high-end equipment.

High-pollution industries such as coking, tanning and electroplating are being strictly supervised in regional relocations. Companies with outdated production capacity and those not in line with national industrial policy are forbidden to relocate to the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

China is accelerating the phasing-out of backward and excess production capacities and making room for emerging industries.