Why are zero-carbon industrial parks the most profitable trend of the next decade, and how can ordinary businesses get involved?

Recently, I came across some big news: The National Development and Reform Commission, along with several other departments, issued a "Notice on the Construction of Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks," essentially providing a roadmap for zero-carbon development nationwide. Like many, my first reaction was: "Zero-carbon industrial parks? What kind of high-tech is this? Does it affect me?" Don't worry, let's break this down together.

I. What is a zero-carbon industrial park? Simply put, it's a cluster of "green giant" factories.

Imagine your nearby industrial park undergoing a transformation: rooftops covered in solar panels, parking lots turned into "power stations," factory chimneys emitting water vapor instead of black smoke, and even wastewater used to raise fish—this is the daily life of a zero-carbon industrial park. In short, through various innovative methods, the carbon dioxide emissions from factories, office buildings, and even toilets within the park are reduced to almost zero. The remaining emissions are "absorbed" through tree planting and carbon capture technologies, ultimately achieving "net-zero emissions."

 

Why is the government suddenly focusing on this? It was mentioned as early as the 2024 Central Economic Work Conference and further emphasized in the 2025 Government Work Report. The reason is simple: China aims to achieve its "dual carbon" goals (carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060). Industrial parks, as major energy consumers and carbon emitters, must lead the transformation. Just as weight loss requires controlling one's diet, national emission reduction requires focusing on the "big eaters"—industrial parks.

II. How are zero-carbon industrial parks built? The methods are impressive!

The notice lists eight major tasks, which sound complex, but can be broken down into several practical keywords:

1. Energy Revolution: Green electricity "all you can eat," rejecting "coal bosses"

Previously, industrial parks relied mainly on thermal power (coal-fired power generation). Now, they need to switch to "green electricity." This includes installing photovoltaic panels on rooftops and parking lots, building small wind power stations, or even directly connecting to nearby hydropower stations. Winter heating should also switch from coal to electric heating and geothermal heat pumps. Even the steam used by factories can utilize waste heat recovery. For example, the zero-carbon industrial park in Ordos gets 70% of its electricity from wind and solar power, with the remainder supplemented through green electricity trading, effectively reducing carbon emissions to zero.

2. Energy-Saving Measures: Allowing equipment to "lay flat" and save electricity

Factories in the industrial park need to upgrade their equipment, such as replacing outdated motors with high-efficiency motors and installing LED lights. More aggressively, "ultimate energy efficiency factories" are being built. For example, a certain automobile factory, through production line optimization, achieved energy consumption 30% lower than the national first-class standard. The Tesla Shanghai factory is even more impressive, with a cooling water recycling rate of 98%, recovering 400,000 tons of recycled water annually, and treating wastewater to raise koi fish, leaving even the environmental protection department amazed.

3. Industrial Upgrading: Eliminating "high-consumption" industries and embracing "green gold"

Previously, industrial parks were filled with high-energy-consuming enterprises such as steel and chemical industries. Now, they need to gradually transition to new energy, digital economy, and biomedicine. For example, the Chuxiong High-tech Zone in Yunnan has introduced Envision Energy to build a smart wind turbine blade factory. The blades produced annually can generate 3.12 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity, directly reducing carbon emissions by 1.67 million tons. Even more impressive is the "green-to-green" model, using the park's green electricity to produce green hydrogen, which is then used for energy, forming a closed loop.

 

 

 

 

4. Resource Recycling: Turning waste into "treasure" and scrap into "hot commodities"

Factory wastewater, after treatment, can be used for watering plants and flushing toilets; steel slag remaining from steelmaking can be used as building materials; and waste heat and pressure from workshops can be collected and used for power generation. For example, a certain industrial park in Jiangsu has built a "waste recycling network," where the waste from one factory becomes the raw material for another, and even landfills are becoming obsolete.

5. High-tech Support: AI carbon management and blockchain traceability

Currently popular technologies such as "integrated source-grid-load-storage" (coordinated operation of power generation, power grid, electricity load, and energy storage) and carbon capture technology can be tested in industrial parks. For example, the Qingdao Sino-German Ecological Park uses a hydrogen energy microgrid, achieving an 82% self-sufficiency rate in energy and earning 80 million yuan annually through peak-valley electricity price arbitrage. Even more impressive is the blockchain technology, which can accurately track the source of every kilowatt-hour of green electricity, making it possible to clearly trace the "carbon footprint" of exported products.

III. Not all industrial parks can be built; four hurdles must be overcome first.

Developing a zero-carbon industrial park is not a simple decision. The government has set four "hard requirements:"

High threshold: It must be a provincial-level development zone, such as a national-level economic and technological development zone, a high-tech zone, or a promising provincial-level emerging industrial park. Clear boundaries: Either the entire park must participate, or it must be clearly defined as a "park within a park," avoiding ambiguity.

Accountability: The ability to statistically track, calculate, and monitor energy consumption and carbon emissions, similar to household accounting, requires knowing how much electricity is used and how much carbon is emitted each month.

Compliance: No major safety accidents or environmental pollution incidents can occur within three years; otherwise, no amount of money will suffice.

IV. How is a zero-carbon industrial park deemed qualified? This indicator is key.

Previously, standards varied across regions. This time, the government has unified the core indicator: carbon emissions per unit of energy consumption, that is, how much carbon dioxide is emitted for every ton of standard coal used by the industrial park. Why use this? Because the size and industry of industrial parks differ, directly comparing total emissions is unfair. For example, the total emissions of a chemical industrial park and a software industrial park differ greatly, but comparing "carbon emissions per ton of coal" reveals which is more low-carbon.

In addition to the core indicator, there are five "auxiliary scores": clean energy ratio, unit energy consumption of enterprise products, industrial solid waste utilization rate, waste heat and cold utilization rate, and industrial water reuse rate. This is like giving the industrial park a physical examination, comprehensively scoring it from aspects such as energy, circular economy, and resource conservation.

V. The government provides substantial financial support; zero-carbon industrial parks have a promising future.

Building zero-carbon industrial parks requires investment, and the government has already considered this:

• Financial Support: Existing funding channels are coordinated, local governments provide subsidies, policy banks provide medium- and long-term loans, and enterprises can issue bonds.
• Technical Services: Introducing experts and technology companies to help with energy-saving renovations and carbon emission calculations, even handling product "carbon footprint" certifications.
• Resource Guarantee: Projects are approved through a "green channel," with priority given to land for new energy power stations and power supply facilities.
• Pilot Program Benefits: A number of parks are selected as "national pilot programs," with key support in terms of projects and funding. For example, a high-tech zone in Shenzhen plans to achieve 100% green electricity supply by 2026, while a park in Inner Mongolia uses wind power + energy storage, reducing unit energy consumption carbon emissions by 40%.

VI. Will New Energy Explode? Can Ordinary People Catch This Wave of Benefits?

Experts say that the core of zero-carbon parks is to build an "energy system based primarily on renewable energy." This means that photovoltaics, wind power, and hydrogen energy will take center stage. For example, parks can install photovoltaic rooftops for self-generation and consumption during the day; those near wind energy resources can directly connect to the grid; they can also implement "hydrogen-electricity coupling," using excess green electricity to produce hydrogen, which can then be used for power generation or by factories. In this way, the electricity generated by new energy sources does not need to be transmitted over long distances by the power grid, but is consumed within the park, which can alleviate pressure on the power grid.

Data shows that China's exploitable capacity for photovoltaic technology is 400 billion kilowatts, and for onshore wind power, 100 billion kilowatts, indicating huge potential. Coupled with the nearby consumption of "Gobi Desert" wind and photovoltaic bases and zero-carbon parks, the installed capacity and utilization rate of new energy sources will surely reach a new level.

For ordinary people, this means cleaner air, greener products, and even the creation of new jobs—such as carbon managers and new energy maintenance personnel. One day, you might be asked in a job interview, "Can you read carbon dashboards?"

VII. What Will Future Zero-Carbon Parks Look Like? Scenes from Sci-Fi Movies Will Come True!

Imagine future parks like this:

• Energy self-sufficiency: Rooftop photovoltaic panels, hydrogen pipelines, and energy storage power stations are all available, even streetlights use solar energy.
• All-electric transportation: The park is filled with new energy vehicles, and there are more charging piles than gas stations.
• Buildings that "breathe": Office buildings use triple-glazed windows for insulation and heat retention, even the elevators are energy-efficient, and air conditioning relies on geothermal heat pumps.
• Intelligent management: AI monitors energy consumption and carbon emissions in real time, clearly showing where excesses occur and where savings can be made.

Just like the zero-carbon industrial park in Yancheng, which not only built an LNG cold energy exchange center to recover energy, but also established an "East Data Sea Calculation" ocean computing center, using green electricity to support the big data industry. This "zero-carbon + technology" model may become the standard configuration for future parks.

VIII. What Do Experts Think? Zero-Carbon Parks Are the "Decisive Factor" in the "Dual Carbon" Strategy

Zhang Juntao, deputy secretary-general of the China Energy Conservation Association, said: "Zero-carbon parks are not only an 'experimental field' for carbon emission control, but also an 'accelerator' for economic structural optimization." It can promote the integration of "dual carbon" goals with industrial upgrading, attract the aggregation of innovative elements, and form green industrial clusters. For example, the Ordos zero-carbon industrial park achieved 20.9 billion yuan in new energy output value in 2024, a direct doubling of growth, which is a typical example of a win-win situation for "environmental protection" and "making money".

However, there are also considerable challenges. For example, high energy storage costs, difficulties in coordinating multi-energy systems, and weak digital capabilities in carbon management. However, with technological advancements and policy support, these issues are gradually being resolved.

Conclusion: Zero-Carbon Parks Are Coming, Are You Ready?

The curtain has risen on zero-carbon parks; they are not a "face-saving project" but a necessary choice for industrial upgrading. In the future, parks may no longer be synonymous with pollution but exemplary "green communities." For ordinary people, this is both an opportunity and a challenge—you can choose to complain about change, or you can seize the opportunity to learn new skills, such as obtaining a carbon management certification, which might help you catch this wave of benefits.

Finally, I want to ask: Can the parks near your home catch up with this transformation?