China: Energy Conservation Law
Broadly, this law covers the promotion of energy conservation and efficiency, and of productivity in industry. The law seeks to promote energy conservation activities throughout society, increase the economic benefits from energy efficiency measures, protect the environment, ensure economic and social development, and meet the needs of households. The law codifies China’s approach to promoting energy efficiency under a more market-oriented economic system. The law states that the government should encourage energy efficiency, as well as the development and use of new and renewable energy, formulate energy conservation policy, compile energy conservation plans, and incorporate them into the economic and social development plans of the nation, develop policies and plans that ensure rational energy utilization, and coordinate those plans with environmental protection and economic growth, stimulate and support technology R&D and scientific research in energy conservation as well as application and dissemination, and strengthen educational activities and propaganda in energy conservation. Formulation of specific rules and methods is left to planning and implementing organizations of the central and local governments. Under the implementation process for the Energy Conservation Law, the SETC published a list of energy-intensive equipment that was to be taken out of service, including small fossil fuel fired power plants, obsolete transportation equipment, and vehicles in urban areas over 15 years old. The SETC also issued guidance on the investment of central government funds and on the level of energy efficiency to be achieved by plants of specific size. Also, the Policy Outline for Energy Conserving Technologies laid out a set of specific technical goals, e.g., abolition of certain types of equipment and adoption of particular technologies for specific sectors and for products, such as boilers and electric motors.
Date Implemented: 1998
Status: In Force; Framework policy
References: Compendium on Energy Conservation Legislation, UN, http://www.unescap.org/esd/energy/publications/compend/ceccpart1chapter1... EIA China’s Environmental Issues,
Energy Institutions and Policies: Historical Evolution and Current Challenges, Energy Technology Innovation Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (2001)