New regulations from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have been issued, ushering in a major overhaul of the green industrial park evaluation process—some parks may now be removed from the list.

From “Bonsai”‑style demonstrations to the widespread promotion of “scenic” models, the development of green industrial parks has entered a new phase.

Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the “Notice on Launching the 2025 Green Factory Recommendation Program,” introducing significant revisions to the application requirements for green industrial parks. This new regulation not only affects these parks’ status as “green benchmarks” but will also directly shape their future development: any park that ranks in the bottom 5% of scores for three consecutive years will be removed from the current list.

Three Major Changes in the Green Industrial Park Selection Process

Jia Zhonghua, director of the Environmental Protection Industry Development Center of the Machinery Industry, revealed to reporters that this year’s application requirements for green industrial parks have undergone three major core changes.

Change One: A Comprehensive Upgrade to the Evaluation System

For the first time, “zero‑carbon transformation orientation” has been incorporated as a core indicator, with new key metrics added, such as the development of green microgrids and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of industrial value added. This change aligns with the joint notice issued in July this year by three government departments on building zero‑carbon industrial parks, signaling that the construction of green industrial parks has entered a new phase.

Change No. 2: The application process has been significantly streamlined.

The mandatory requirement for third-party evaluation reports has been abolished, with companies now responsible for self‑reporting. This change reduces the administrative burden on businesses while reinforcing the review responsibilities of provincial authorities. “The platform also provides policy briefings and video tutorials to guide companies through the application process, helping them submit their filings more effectively,” added Jia Zhonghua.

Change Three: A Dynamic Adjustment Mechanism Has Been Established

Most notably, a dynamic management mechanism that allows for both entry and exit has been established. This means that green industrial parks are no longer granted “lifelong status”; instead, they must continuously maintain a high standard of green development.

Current Status of Green Industrial Park Development

Since the establishment of the green manufacturing system, China has cumulatively developed 491 national-level green industrial parks, covering the vast majority of provincial-level administrative regions across the country.

“Overall, the development of green industrial parks has moved from a ‘showcase’‑style pilot phase to a stage of large‑scale, nationwide promotion, fostering a competitive momentum across the country,” described Jia Zhonghua.

Wang Yipu, Secretary-General of the New Energy and Carbon Neutrality Branch of the China Association for International Development of Industries, pointed out: “As a platform for the low-carbon industrial transition, industrial parks bear significant responsibilities in terms of energy consumption, carbon emissions, and ecological environment.”

The Real-World Challenges Faced by the Park

Although the concept of green development has taken root, industrial parks still face numerous challenges in the course of their transformation.

Technical adaptation challenges are the primary hurdle. Technologies such as green‑power direct supply and hydrogen–electricity coupling entail high implementation costs, leaving resource‑based industrial parks in western China grappling with a dual technological bottleneck: integrating renewable energy and transforming traditional industries.

Guo Chengzhan, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the China Environmental Protection Industry Association, stated: “Building green industrial parks is a crucial lever for implementing the new development philosophy and promoting high-quality development.” Through green transformation, industrial parks can drive a shift in production patterns and strengthen systems for green, low-carbon, and circular development.

Four Major Pathways for Green Development in Industrial Parks

In response to the new reporting requirements, experts have put forward specific development recommendations for industrial parks.

Path One: Uphold planning as the priority and ensure sound top-level design.

Jia Zhonghua recommends that industrial parks must shift from “passive response” to “proactive planning,” formulating a clear roadmap for peaking carbon emissions and setting medium- to long-term goals for green development.

Path Two: Building a Circular Economy Industrial Chain

“The industrial park management authorities should proactively assume the role of matchmaker, identifying and fostering synergistic linkages among enterprises and across industries,” Jia Zhonghua remarked vividly. By facilitating mutual supply of raw materials, turning waste into resources, and implementing cascaded energy utilization, they are striving to achieve the goals of “zero waste” and “near-zero emissions.”

Pathway Three: Strengthening the Green Upgrading of Infrastructure

Significant investments are being made to develop green infrastructure, including district heating systems, integrated energy stations, and centralized wastewater treatment facilities. At the same time, efforts are accelerating to build a smart management platform that enables real-time monitoring and intelligent dispatching of electricity, water, gas, heat, and carbon emissions.

Path Four: Enhancing Green Services and Incentive Mechanisms

By formulating differentiated policies on rents and fees, enterprises can be encouraged to proactively undertake green transformation. Industrial parks should provide high-quality services such as carbon accounting and access to green finance.

Swipe left or right

Four Major Trends in Future Development

Guo Chengzhan predicts that the green development of industrial parks will exhibit four major trends:

Trend 1: Strengthened Policy Impetus and Standard-Driven Development

At the national level, supportive policies continue to be introduced, driving industrial parks to shift from “quantitative growth” to “qualitative improvement.”

Trend Two: Deep Integration of Digital Intelligence and Green Development

Leveraging new technologies such as 5G and the Industrial Internet, a smart energy management platform is being built. Experts particularly emphasize the need to explore innovative approaches to data sharing, establishing a trustworthy, accessible, and tradable data infrastructure while safeguarding corporate data security.

Trend 3: Accelerated Development of Zero-Carbon Industrial Parks

Zero-carbon industrial parks will represent an advanced stage of green development for industrial clusters, with a focus on accelerating the low‑carbon transformation of energy systems and exploring market‑based mechanisms such as carbon capture and utilization.

Trend Four: Deepening Regional Collaboration and Industrial Symbiosis

Green development in industrial parks will be deeply integrated with the region’s high-quality economic growth, and by establishing green supply chains, it will drive coordinated emissions reductions across the upstream and downstream segments of industrial value chains.

Swipe left or right

Innovative Practice: The Transformation from Carbon Dioxide to Methanol

Wang Yipu proposed an innovative development approach: “By building a regional Internet of Things infrastructure, we can promote the rational utilization of industrial by-products generated within industrial parks. For example, captured carbon dioxide can be converted into methanol through catalytic reactions with hydrogen, ultimately helping to achieve the goal of a zero‑carbon park.”

This “turning waste into treasure” approach represents the latest direction in the green development of industrial parks.

Opportunities and challenges coexist.

With the implementation of the new regulations, industrial parks are facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, green development standards have become more stringent, requiring parks to allocate greater resources to transformation and upgrading; on the other hand, early adopters will benefit from policy support and a first-mover advantage in the market.

Jia Zhonghua emphasized: “Through systematic optimization at the park level, it is possible to achieve a substantial reduction in carbon emissions and energy consumption per unit of GDP, which is one of the most effective pathways to achieving the ‘dual carbon’ goals.”

For major industrial parks, seizing the opportunities presented by this green transition will directly shape their future competitiveness and growth prospects. Under the new evaluation framework, green development is no longer a matter of choice but an imperative.