CAS publishes action plan to support national carbon goals

China vowed to reach carbon peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The action plan demonstrates CAS' timeline in science and technology development to support the country's carbon goals, as well as its 18 major tasks, the CAS said in a press release.

According to the action plan, by 2025, CAS will have realized breakthroughs in several key technologies to support the carbon peak goal, which includes clarifying the mechanism of carbon sinking to form a scientific plan on carbon source monitoring and calculation. By 2030, the key technologies to support carbon peak should reach advanced levels in the world. By 2060, a batch of original and disruptive technologies will be applied to strongly support the realisation of the carbon neutrality goal.

CAS will develop key technologies at low-cost and high-efficiency energies including wind energy, solar energy, biomass energy, ocean energy, geothermal energy, and other renewable energy sources, as well as make breakthroughs in smart grid and distributed energy to support this form of future power systems with new energy as the main body.

“CAS has fully leaned into its advantages of multi-disciplinary institutionalisation to organise academicians and experts to form this action plan with nearly half a year of discussions and refinements. The action plan is an open science and technology plan that keeps pace with the times and will be adjusted and updated according to the international situation and national strategic needs," Zhang Tao, vice-president of CAS, said.

The academy will also make efforts to provide technical support to the safe and sustainable development of nuclear power. It also listed maintaining talent in carbon emission reduction, enhancing multilateral cooperation, promoting the construction of key labs, and publicising and spreading knowledge about carbon goals as part of its key tasks.

"The carbon peak and carbon neutrality goal is not only a political promise by China to participate in global environmental management and confronting climate change, but also a broad and deep systematic revolution in the economic society," Yu Guirui, former deputy director of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of CAS, said. "It is more like a scientific and technological revolution for us.”