Interpreting the "15th Five-Year Plan" Outline | Exclusive Interview with Lin Weibin: It is expected that by 2030, the total development and utilization of non-fossil energy will exceed 1.8 billion tons of standard coal, accounting for more than 25% of total energy consumption

Our reporter | Zhou Yifei Our editor | Huang Sheng

Recently, the “Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China” (hereinafter referred to as the “Outline”) was officially released.

The “Fifteen-Five” period is a critical phase for accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and a decisive period for achieving carbon peak goals. Compared to the “Fourteen-Five” plan, the “Outline” emphasizes a stronger “low-carbon” requirement in implementing green development concepts.

Our reporter from Daily Economic News found that new proposals and indicators such as “comprehensive implementation of dual control of total carbon emissions and intensity,” “promoting the safe and reliable orderly replacement of fossil energy with non-fossil energy,” “supporting wind, solar, water, and nuclear energy development simultaneously,” “implementing a ten-year doubling action for non-fossil energy,” and “reducing CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 17%” outline a new picture of China accelerating its green transformation.

How should we understand the strategic positioning of the “Ten-Year Doubling Action for Non-Fossil Energy”? How should it be implemented? How to find the optimal dynamic balance between ensuring energy security and promoting green energy transition? Regarding these questions, our reporter (hereinafter referred to as “NBD”) interviewed Lin Weibin, Director of the Energy Policy Research Office at the China Energy Research Society.

Lin Weibin Photo source: Provided by interviewee

Expected increase in non-fossil energy development and utilization over the next ten years exceeds 1.3 billion tons of standard coal

NBD: The “Outline” first proposed the implementation of the ten-year doubling action for non-fossil energy. How do you understand this strategic positioning?

Lin Weibin: By 2025, China’s total energy consumption will reach 6.17 billion tons of standard coal, with non-fossil energy accounting for 21.7%. Based on this, China’s total non-fossil energy development and utilization already exceeds 1.3 billion tons of standard coal.

“Implementing the ten-year doubling action for non-fossil energy” means that in the next ten years, the new development and utilization of non-fossil energy will exceed 1.3 billion tons of standard coal; by 2030, the total non-fossil energy development and utilization is expected to surpass 1.8 billion tons of standard coal, accounting for over 25% of total energy consumption. This will support China in initially establishing a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system, providing a solid guarantee for achieving carbon peak and a 17% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of GDP during the “Fifteen-Five” period.

NBD: How will China promote the “Ten-Year Doubling Action for Non-Fossil Energy” before 2030?

Lin Weibin: Achieving a low-carbon energy structure requires replacing fossil fuels with non-fossil energy, which inevitably demands large-scale development and utilization of non-fossil energy, balancing the addition and subtraction of fossil and non-fossil sources. The former includes renewable energy and nuclear power; the latter includes coal, oil, and natural gas.

Focusing on developing renewable energy, specific measures include: first, developing wind and solar energy through both centralized and distributed approaches, accelerating the construction of wind and photovoltaic bases like “Shagehuang,” promoting offshore wind power cluster development in an orderly manner, and supporting distributed photovoltaic and wind power utilization.

Second, developing hydropower according to local conditions, promoting integrated development of water, wind, and solar energy, and reasonably planning and actively developing pumped-storage power stations. Third, steadily promoting diversified biomass energy utilization, scaling up ocean energy development, developing geothermal energy according to local conditions, and actively developing solar thermal power.

Promoting integrated development of new energy and accelerating the formation of version 2.0 of new energy development

NBD: We also notice that the “Outline” proposes “comprehensive implementation of dual control of total carbon emissions and intensity,” officially shifting from “dual control of energy consumption” to “dual control of carbon emissions.” How should China’s energy system be built with high quality to better support the dual carbon goals?

Lin Weibin: 2026 is the first year of the “Fifteen-Five” plan and also the first year for China to shift from dual control of energy consumption to dual control of carbon emissions. It should focus on accelerating the construction of a new energy system as an important lever to promote comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society. To accelerate the building of a new energy system, three key tasks are: first, solving the problem of renewable energy absorption, promoting integrated development of renewable energy, and accelerating the formation of version 2.0 of renewable energy development; second, developing flexible resources to enhance system flexibility and maintain dynamic supply-demand balance; third, developing smart microgrids and intelligent active distribution networks to accelerate the formation of new power grid platforms.

NBD: Both the government work report and the “Outline” mention “zero-carbon parks.” Why is this area so highly valued? What is its significance?

Lin Weibin: Since the deployment of “establishing a batch of zero-carbon parks,” relevant national ministries and local governments have actively accelerated the construction of zero-carbon parks.

In July 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued the “Notice on the Construction of Zero-Carbon Parks,” which for the first time clarified national standards, application conditions, and accounting methods for eight key tasks. Under the guidance of national strategies and policy support, China’s zero-carbon park construction is moving from sporadic pilot projects to large-scale development.

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission proposed that during the “Fifteen-Five” period, China will build about 100 national zero-carbon parks.

In the future, China’s zero-carbon park construction will leap from quantity to quality, from point to surface, from good to better. The focus will be on high-quality development, adhering to high standards of regulation, high-level promotion, efficient operation, and starting from a high baseline. The goal is to make zero-carbon parks major contributors to achieving the “dual carbon” targets, pioneers in industrial green transformation, comprehensive testing grounds for new energy and power systems, and models for building a beautiful China.

Cover image source: Daily Economic News Media Library