China to increase efforts to cut carbon emissions: official

BEIJING -- China will make more efforts to cut carbon emissions in the industrial sector and roll out plans for key sectors to achieve the goal of peaking carbon emissions, an official said on Monday.

Efforts will be made to strictly control new production capacities in heavy and chemical industries, and to cut the output of crude steel to ensure it falls year on year, said Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiao Yaqing in an interview.

China has put in place a green manufacturing system, with 2,121 green factories and 171 green industrial parks built over the past five years.

The country will encourage industrial firms and parks to build green microgrids and prioritize the use of renewable energies, according to Xiao.

China previously announced that it will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Efforts will be made to formulate a roadmap for the auto sector to meet these goals, promote the development of electric vehicles, and boost the recycling of batteries for new energy vehicles, the minister said.