Business opportunities abound in energy saving and environmental industries

Premier Li Keqiang earlier chaired a work conference on saving energy, reducing emissions and tackling climate change to promote the implementation of the Government Work Report, pushing forward the development of energy conservation, emissions reduction and the low-carbon economy, and study work relating to the tackling of climate change.

In view of the worsening situation of environmental pollution, Li Keqiang stressed at the conference that in spite of the new headway made in energy saving and emissions reduction last year, China will face a more arduous mission this year. The mission to realise 3.9% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP, with China's economic growth at about 7.5%, is no easy task.

This year's Government Work Report clearly sets out the tasks for energy conservation and emissions reduction this year, including reducing outdated production capacity of 27 million tons of steel, 42 million tons of cement and 35 million standard cases of plate glass. Every effort will be made to ensure that the target of reducing outdated production capacity set in the 12th Five-Year Plan is met one year ahead of schedule and that these reductions are permanent and do not rebound. Efforts will also be made to strengthen energy conservation and emissions reduction and impose a ceiling on total energy consumption. This year, the aim is to cut energy intensity by more than 3.9% and reduce both sulfur dioxide emissions and chemical oxygen demand by 2%. Declines in consumption, investment, industrial production, power consumption growth and other economic indicators in the first two months of this year all indicate a growing downward pressure on the economy.

Energy conservation and emissions reduction have become the primary tasks facing China's new development and new planning. Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is a region worst hit by pollution. After the policy of the "coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region" has been upgraded into a national strategy, the integration of infrastructure and joint prevention and control of air pollution in the region become the priorities for coordinated development.

In the middle of difficulties lie opportunities. The implementation of policies and measures for saving energy and reducing emissions, such as controlling total energy consumption, eliminating outdated production capacity, reducing the percentage of fossil energy in power generation, and shutting down enterprises with high energy consumption and high pollution, will inevitably impact economic growth. However, the development of wind power, hydro power, solar power, biomass power and other new energy sources, the promotion of distributed energy systems and smart grids, the stepping up of natural gas, coalbed methane and shale gas prospecting and application, and the development and application of energy saving and environmental protection technologies and products have also created a lot of room for the growth of energy-saving, environmental protection and other new industries, which will translate into business opportunities.

At the same time, with increased concern for and the implementation of policies for saving energy and reducing emissions, the concept of saving energy and protecting the environment has struck deep roots in people's hearts and become part of their daily life. This has generated plenty of business opportunities in areas such as the production of face masks, air filters and air purifiers, PM2.5 testing, exhaust gas control, and eco-friendly designs and packaging.