The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is presiding over the green development of petrochemicals

On the 1st, at the Green Chemical Forum held during the 2011 International Environmental Cooperation and Development Forum in Macau and during the exhibition, Zhou Changyi, Director of the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period, the chemical industry should work harder. Take the responsibility and obligation of protecting the environment and implementing clean production, and take the road of green development. At the same time, he also put forward five priorities for promoting cleaner production, green development, and the transformation of industrial development methods.

Zhou Changyi said that accelerating the construction of a resource-saving and environment-friendly industrial system is the main direction for advancing green industrial development; vigorously promoting the formation of a conservation, clean, cyclical, low-carbon production mode is the fundamental way to promote green industrial development. During the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” period, the petrochemical industry has changed from big to strong, and it urgently needs to focus on promoting five aspects:

The first is to vigorously carry out cleaner production audits. Through the audit to identify the key areas of energy consumption, material consumption, emissions and the potential of energy-saving emission reduction, put forward the corresponding implementation plan for cleaner production. Government departments should regard clean production audits of enterprises as a precondition for their enjoyment of preferential policies such as fiscal, tax, and financial policies, and guide enterprises to consciously conduct audits.

The second is to effectively implement the implementation of cleaner production programs. Actively support chemical companies to implement cleaner production programs. The relevant projects are included as technical transformation funds, energy conservation and emission reduction funds, and SME development fund support priorities. They are included in the green credit support plan and give priority to support.

The third is to strengthen the innovation of clean technology and improve the technological level. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has organized and issued a plan for the implementation of cleaner production technologies in 17 key industries, including the chemical industry. The chemical industry must comply with the requirements of the program and do a good job of promoting the use of low-mercury (non-mercury) catalysts in the PVC industry for a large number of cleaner production processes; it can significantly reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, ammonia nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, chemical oxygen demand, and heavy metal pollutants. The clean production technologies must focus on research, demonstration, and promotion.

The fourth is to promote ecological design. The chemical industry should actively research and establish an ecological design implementation system, choose some products to take the lead in exploring pilots, and cultivate a group of ecological design products with high clean production levels and strong market competitiveness.

Fifth, vigorously develop responsible care activities. Actively support the China Petrochemical Federation in organizing responsible corporate evaluation activities, and provide incentives and support for advanced corporate social responsibility fulfillment and product recognition.