Interview with Li Zheng, Dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University: Steadily promote energy transformation to help green and low-carbon development

Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development"(hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which specifically deployed to "steadily promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy", strengthen the clean and efficient use of fossil energy, and vigorously develop non-fossil energy, accelerate the construction of new power systems.

On August 29, the white paper "China's Energy Transformation" was released, which comprehensively introduced the practical achievements of China's energy transformation. As of the end of 2023, the installed capacity of wind power and photovoltaic power generation has increased 10 times compared with ten years ago. The installed capacity of clean energy power generation accounts for 58.2% of the total installed capacity, and the new clean energy power generation accounts for more than half of the increase in electricity consumption in the whole society. Over the past ten years, China has eliminated more than 100 million kilowatts of backward coal-fired power production capacity, and reduced pollutant emissions from the power industry by more than 90%.

Focusing on related issues such as how to steadily promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, a reporter from China Environment News interviewed Li Zheng, president of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University.

Li Zheng is a professor at Tsinghua University, dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, and secretary-general of the World University Alliance on Climate Change. He has long been engaged in research on energy power dynamic modeling and simulation technology, intelligent power generation technology for thermal power plants, low-carbon transformation strategies and paths of energy systems, and strategies and policies to deal with climate change.

China Environment News: The "Opinions" further clarified the roadmap and task statement for green and low-carbon energy transformation. What opportunities does this bring to my country's green and low-carbon energy transformation?

Li Zheng:Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, my country has made positive progress in energy conservation, consumption reduction and emission reduction, providing strong support for economic and social development. Data shows that from 2013 to 2023, my country supported an average annual economic growth of 6.1% with an average annual energy consumption growth rate of 3.3%, and its energy consumption intensity dropped by 26.1%. It is the country with the fastest decreasing energy consumption intensity in the world. one.

The "Opinions" fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Economy and Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, and propose to adhere to security transformation and coordinate the relationship between development and emission reduction, overall and local, current and long-term, and government and market requirements, and integrate this principle into the task deployment of "steadily promoting energy green and low-carbon transformation".

Steadily promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of energy will help my country's total carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity continue to reduce and improve the "green content" of economic development; second, it will help my country achieve climate change and high-quality economic development."synergy" and "win-win", addressing climate change and green and low-carbon transformation is an opportunity and a green industrial revolution; Third, it will help build a community with a shared future for mankind and make greater contributions to jointly building a clean and beautiful world and following the path of sustainable development.

China Environment News: How to balance the balance between low-carbon energy transformation and energy security?

Li Zheng:The answer is something that must and can be done. Energy security is the purpose of developing new energy, and it is also an insurmountable bottom line.

Energy transformation is the most important way to achieve carbon neutrality. On the energy supply side, it is necessary to improve energy efficiency, transform structure and implement carbon sequestration. Terminal consumption requires the implementation of circular economy, electrification and process energy conservation improvements, low-carbon raw material/energy substitution and carbon sequestration. For example, the electrification proportion of terminal energy needs to be increased from the current 27% to more than 64%, and the utilization of zero-carbon energy such as biomass and hydrogen energy should be strengthened.

My view is that low-carbon energy transformation and energy security can be achieved in parallel. The solution is to establish a new energy system with intrinsic security attributes. This system should have three levels, namely strategic security, operational security and emergency security. In a certain sense, energy security is not necessarily related to energy transformation, but is related to whether the new energy system has intrinsic security attributes. As long as an energy security system is established that not only ensures economic and social development, but also promotes the rapid growth and large-scale application of renewable energy, energy transformation and energy security can be achieved in parallel.

China Environment News: How do you understand the relationship between fossil energy and renewable energy in energy transformation?

Li Zheng:Energy green and low-carbon transformation is not a simple question of the trade-off between fossil energy and renewable energy. It requires the two to cooperate with each other, grasp the rhythm and intensity, and achieve Safe, reliable and orderly substitution on the premise of ensuring energy security and in a way that optimizes economic costs.

At present, my country's energy development still faces a series of challenges such as huge demand pressure, many supply constraints, and arduous green and low-carbon transformation tasks. In 2023, my country's coal consumption will still account for 55.3% of total energy consumption, and there is still great potential for green and low-carbon energy transformation.

The "Opinions" conform to the global general trend and based on my country's development reality, formulate an implementation path for the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, with clear tasks, clear ideas, and powerful measures. In "strengthening the clean and efficient use of fossil energy", the focus is on deepening the energy revolution, clarifying measures such as strictly and reasonably controlling the growth of coal consumption during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period and gradually reducing it in the next five years; in "vigorously developing non-fossil energy", the focus is on planning and building a new energy system, proposing that "by 2030, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will increase to about 25%"; In "accelerating the construction of new power systems", the focus is on adapting to the needs of energy transformation, and it is proposed that "by 2030, the installed capacity of pumped storage power will exceed 120 million kilowatts."

I believe that through the clean and efficient use and functional transformation of fossil energy, we can protect the development of renewable energy and the construction of a new energy system. At the same time, we must unswervingly promote the transformation of the energy system, utilize our country's technological and industrial advantages, vigorously develop renewable energy, and achieve the goal of peak and gradually decreasing carbon emissions before 2030.

China Environment News: Currently, what are the biggest difficulties facing my country in promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of energy? How should we face it?

Li Zheng: The biggest difficulty at present is how to increase the development speed of non-fossil energy, especially renewable energy, while ensuring energy security, so that its share in primary energy reaches the predetermined target and can continue to increase steadily. To this end, it is necessary not only to increase technological innovation and overcome technological bottlenecks, but also to establish policies, mechanisms and social atmosphere that adapt to and effectively promote the development of renewable energy.