Innovative, green transition in full swing for traditional industries in Shandong

Traditional industries in east China's Shandong Province have been pursuing innovation-driven development and green transition for sustainable growth.

In China, to promote green development, various restrictions are often imposed on industries with high energy consumption and carbon emissions, known as "two highs" industries. Thus it is in the interest of a company to avoid being classified as "two highs" industry.

Recently in a newly built workshop in Xiajin County of Dezhou City, a batch of machine tool processing equipment were being installed and adjusted.

"We plan to build the most advanced intelligent digital metal casting production line in China and produce four million engine pistons per year, becoming the largest piston production base in northwest Shandong," said Huo Xianyue, director of Shandong Lei Vanadium Machinery Technology Co., Ltd.

The casting of this type of high-strength aluminum alloy products used to belong to the "two highs" industries in Shandong and the requirements for launching new projects could be very harsh.

But recently, Shandong issued a document which removed tire and casting projects from the list of "two highs" industries.

"The total energy consumption of the tire and casting industries accounts for less than 5 percent of the total energy consumption of the 'two highs' industries in our province, which has little impact on energy conservation and coal reduction efforts. So at present, they are removed from the list of 'two highs' industries, which can help eliminate the adverse effects of being 'two highs' industries," said Shi Shaoda, deputy director of the industrial department of the Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

In the industrial system of Shandong, the proportion of traditional industries once reached 70 percent. Guided by relevant policies, many traditional enterprises have continuously improved their technological innovation and energy consumption management levels for sustainable development. At the same time, due to the transformation and upgrading of enterprises, some industries have been removed from the "two highs" list, thus forming a virtuous circle.

Meanwhile, in order to encourage the development of new energy industries, Shandong made a policy that the quota of the energy increments generated after the completion and commissioning of new energy projects can be used by the city for other projects.

"By vigorously developing 'green electricity' projects such as wind power and photovoltaics projects, by the end of 2023, Dezhou's annual renewable energy power generation reached 14.569 billion kWh, an increase of 2.738 billion kWh over the previous year. The city can make use of these increased energy consumption quota freely, which can help boosting the construction of more high-quality projects," said Wei Xudong, section chief of the resources and environment section of Dezhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission.   In the first half of this year, Shandong's new energy and renewable energy power generation installed capacity increased by 20.2 percent, accounting for 46.8 percent of the total installed capacity. At the same time, the energy consumption per unit of added value of industrial enterprises above designated size in the province fell by 6.7 percent year-on-year, showing an evident trend of green transition.

Innovative, green transition in full swing for traditional industries in Shandong

Chinese people's voices are better heard and their concerns better addressed as the country's local legislation network has become extensively engaged and deeply entrenched in the grassroots over the years.

In the past few years, local legislative outreach offices have notably increased in number, enabling more people to conveniently express their expectations for future laws and offer relevant suggestions.

More legislative resources have been directed to formulate rules that meet people's desire for a better life, address common social concerns, and provide institutional support for local economic and social development.

In east China's Yiwu City, the country's vibrant light industrial commodity center, the local legislative outreach stations helped in soliciting more than 300 suggestions for draft economic laws, including Stamp Duty Law, Value Added Tax Law, and Customs Law. The participation rate of market operators in the Yiwu International Trade City reached 80 percent.

"If we have any good ideas, we will come to the legislative liaison station to communicate. The staff members will sort out our opinions and feedback to the grassroots legislative liaison office. It makes me feel that I have really participated in the process of democratic legislation," said Xu Xiaobao, a merchant.

Yiwu City has currently established 47 consultation units and 21 liaison stations, and hired 39 legislative consulting experts and more than 10,000 information collectors, reaching out extensively to various government departments, towns and villages.

"By participating in local legislation, more people can gain a better understanding of the law, realizing people's legislation and promoting people's use of the law," said Zhu Xiaoling, deputy director of the leading group of Lugang Group legislative outreach station in Yiwu.

Since the establishment of the first batch of local legislative outreach offices in 2015, there are a total of 45 local legislative outreach offices of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), with a total of more than 10,600 supporting establishments, and the work network covers a population of about 169 million people.

The legislative outreach offices now cover all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities on the Chinese mainland.

The top legislature's move has inspired standing committees of provincial and municipal people's congresses to establish more than 7,300 legislative outreach offices at their respective levels, making it more convenient for the public to reach lawmakers and contribute their wisdom to legislation.

"As of July this year, we have solicited more than 30,500 opinions and ideas from local legislative outreach stations on 185 draft laws, legislative planning drafts, and filing review work, of which more than 3,300 have been adopted and incorporated by legislative research. As a legislative bridge connecting grassroots people and national legislative bodies, local legislative outreach stations are playing an increasingly prominent role in drawing on public opinions and pooling the wisdom of the people," said Shi Xiaolei, head of local grassroot legislative outreach office of the Legal Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.

More voices heard, social concerns addressed in local legislation in China