Deepen Green Technology Innovation to Promote the Development of New Quality Productive Forces

 

 

Green technology development in China has played a significant supportive role in various fields, laying a solid foundation for winning the tough battle against pollution, promoting the construction of a beautiful China, and achieving high-quality development.

 

Supporting clean, efficient utilization of resources and energy. In the field of green energy technology, important breakthroughs have been made in clean and efficient conversion and utilization of coal, represented by ultra-low emission technology for coal-fired power generation, advanced coal-fired power generation technology, and modern coal chemical technology. Significant progress has been achieved in the exploration and development technology of deepwater oil and gas, tight gas, shale gas, tight oil, and coalbed methane. The innovation capability of the nuclear energy industry has been further enhanced, with the mastery of most core and key technologies of the third-generation nuclear power technology. A batch of renewable energy technologies and industries such as wind power and photovoltaic power generation have developed rapidly, with the added installed capacity of renewable energy exceeding that of fossil energy. In the field of green resource technology, a basic pattern of "leading," "parallel," and "following" coexistence has been formed, with a considerable proportion. Nearly zero-emission demonstration mines have been built with fill mining, tailings-free mines, and waste-free rock piles. Complex low-grade polymetallic resource dressing and smelting technology has made progress. A batch of key technological breakthroughs in the resourceful utilization of bulk industrial solid waste, waste-to-energy incineration of domestic garbage, and safe disposal of heavy metal solid waste have driven the development of green low-carbon circular industries.

 

Supporting the tough battle against pollution. At present, China's environmental engineering technology is developing towards multiple fields, multiple disciplines, and multiple industries, gradually possessing competitive governance technologies and equipment. The technical level of electrostatic dust removal, desulfurization and denitrification, sewage treatment, and other processes has reached or approached the international advanced level. Certain breakthroughs have been made in the integrated technology of pollution source control and process, end-of-pipe treatment integration for key industries such as electricity, steel, nonferrous metals, and chemical engineering. Important progress has been made in the whole process control technology of water pollution in key industries, integrated technology for urban water pollution control and water environment comprehensive management, and integrated technology for non-point source pollution control and water body ecological restoration in watersheds. Breakthroughs have been made in the research and development of soil pollution formation mechanisms, monitoring and early warning, risk control, remediation, and safe utilization. Positive progress has been made in technologies such as the full collection and return of livestock manure to fields, professional energy utilization of manure, and composting utilization of solid manure.

 

Supporting ecological protection and restoration regulation. Research and development have been carried out in ecological monitoring and early warning, desertification control, soil and water conservation, karstification control, degraded grassland restoration, biodiversity protection, and ecological security guarantee. The mechanisms and driving forces of regional ecological patterns and functions, as well as the evolution, have been revealed. Key technologies such as the protection of rare and endangered animals and plants, ecological protection and management of natural heritage sites, regional ecological security assessment and early warning have been mastered. An observation, operational, and research system has been established in the fields related to marine weather and climate systems. China's own global and regional numerical forecast model systems have been developed and put into operational trials. A relatively complete multi-level climate disaster early warning, defense, and service technology system has been established.

 

 

Despite the significant progress made in green technology in China, there are still areas that need improvement.

 

Basic research and cutting-edge technology research need to be strengthened. The foundation of ecological environment research is weak, and basic fields such as environmental benchmarks, environmental biology, toxicology and health, and ecological effects still require systematic and in-depth research. There is a lack of original technologies in ecological environment governance, insufficient core technology innovation, and a lack of ability to respond to new industrial changes and lead the trend of technological development. Many core and key technologies, equipment, and materials still rely on foreign introduction, and the development of clean production and green technology lags behind.

 

There are still "bottleneck" issues in key areas and critical links. In the field of energy and resource development and utilization, the technology for clean and efficient conversion and utilization of coal needs to be improved, the development of unconventional oil and gas still faces key technological constraints, nuclear power technology needs to be safer and more efficient, and there is a lack of independent innovation in core technologies in the renewable energy field. The research and industrialization process of technologies such as ultra-low emission of coal-fired power generation, energy-saving and new energy vehicles, solar photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, fuel cells, and large-scale energy storage need to be advanced. The level of comprehensive utilization technology of mineral resources is low, with the average total recovery rate of mineral resources and the comprehensive utilization rate of associated and byproduct mineral resources being only about 30% and 35%, respectively, the utilization rate of tailings is less than 10%, and the utilization rate of metal waste is only one-third to one-half of the world average level. In the field of environmental engineering technology, China's key common technologies for clean production and energy-saving and emission reduction in heavily polluted industries are still in the initial stage, and the innovation capability of clean production technology at the source reduction is obviously insufficient. Technologies such as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, vehicle exhaust purification, and special pollutant treatment started late, and the level of key technologies and equipment is low.

 

The guarantee capacity for green technology innovation is insufficient. To truly enable green technology to play a leading and driving role in the development of new quality productive forces, it is necessary to achieve group and systematic breakthroughs in green technology and engineering technology, and to build a relatively complete system of innovation, policies, and investment to support it. Whether it is integrated innovation or group breakthroughs, this long-term task means a significant investment in scientific research funds and high-level talents. However, at present, there is still a significant gap between China's green technology investment and that of developed countries.

 

 

Facing the urgent requirements for the construction goal of a beautiful China by 2035 and the development of new quality productive forces, it is essential to firmly grasp the core of innovation-driven development, give full play to the leading and driving role of green technology in the development of new quality productive forces, and aim to build an international first-class green technology innovation system. Target the commanding heights of technological development, organize and carry out major national green technology research projects, strengthen key field technological research in low-carbon development, resource conservation, pollution control, and ecological restoration, enhance the integration of emerging digital technologies such as big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and blockchain with green technology innovation, focus on breaking through a number of major key core technologies, comprehensively enhance green technology innovation capabilities, and promote the modernization of the ecological environment governance system and governance capabilities.

 

Strengthen the prediction and list development of frontier and disruptive technologies in the field of green technology. Facing the international frontier of green technology and the development needs of new quality productive forces, accelerate the construction of a modern green technology innovation system. Strengthen forward-looking research and basic theoretical innovation on ecological environment issues, enhance the prediction and research of frontier technologies in low-carbon zero-carbon, resource recycling, environmental governance, ecological restoration, digital environment, and smart decision-making. Implement major scientific and technological special projects for the comprehensive management of environmental governance in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and carry out special research on PM2.5 and ozone pollution causes and synergistic control, lake eutrophication mechanisms, and synergistic control technology and pathways for atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Strengthen basic research on pollution causes in key areas such as air, water, and soil, and complex effects of multiple pollutants, and carry out research on risk assessment and control technology for new pollutants. Conduct integrated analysis of climate and ecosystem observations, study the causes, trends, and laws of global warming, and conduct research on the mechanisms of interaction between global warming and ecosystems, environmental pollution. Regularly compile a list of frontier and disruptive technologies in the field of green technology.

 

Focus on breakthroughs in green engineering technology in key areas and critical links. Concentrate on the research and development of key technologies for the development and utilization of green energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, ocean, and geothermal energy. Achieve breakthroughs in new high-energy-density battery technologies such as lithium-sulfur and lithium-air, and develop large-capacity high-temperature high-energy-density thermal energy storage and cooling equipment. Vigorously develop carbon dioxide emission reduction, capture, and storage technologies. Undertake clean production, greening, and intelligent upgrading and transformation in the industrial sector. Break through in the design, development, and application of non-toxic raw materials and green catalysts in the production process of organic chemicals, and membrane filtration technology under strong corrosive conditions such as wet metallurgy and precious metal extraction. Establish a comprehensive technology system for the prevention and control of multi-pollutant and trans-regional composite pollution. Develop process reduction technologies for refractory toxic organic substances in heavily polluted industries and technologies for energy self-sufficient sewage and sludge treatment. Research and develop key technologies and equipment for the synergistic control of multiple pollutants (particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, etc.). Develop widely applicable, low-cost, and safe in-situ bioremediation-physical and chemical stabilization technology for arable land. Research and develop advanced ecological environment smart perception, early warning, emergency, and smart management engineering technologies.

 

Increase financial, industrial, platform, and policy support for green technology innovation. Fully utilize market mechanisms to create socialized, market-oriented, and diversified financing platforms, increase investment in green technology innovation, and encourage various investment entities in society to participate in green technology innovation. Implement green technology industry chain innovation projects, innovate "Internet+" green industry models, and cultivate and expand green low-carbon industries. Strengthen the basic capacity construction of green technology innovation, create a number of national key laboratories for green technology innovation, national engineering technology innovation centers, and promote the construction of green technology innovation think tanks, green technology application demonstration bases, and green technology industrial parks. Actively leverage the role of the national science and technology achievement transformation guidance fund, make full use of the national comprehensive service platform for the transformation of ecological environment science and technology achievements, strengthen the construction of green engineering technology evaluation system, and accelerate the transformation and application of green technology innovation achievements. Establish a green technology innovation management system, improve institutional mechanisms, innovate incentive policies, strengthen the training of green technology innovation talents, enhance collaborative innovation in green technology management among various departments and institutions, and form a scientific and effective performance evaluation and assessment mechanism.