Shanghai will implement a dual-control system for total carbon emissions and carbon intensity to accelerate the green transition, while building a stronger resource-recycling system during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

Key targets

According to the city's plan for energy conservation, carbon reduction, and the circular economy development, by 2030 Shanghai aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 18 percent from the 2025 level.

It also aims to increase the household waste recycling rate from 45.3 percent in 2025 to 50 percent by 2030, and increase the productivity of major resources by 16 percent.

A local product carbon-footprint database will be built, with a target of 5,000 localized datasets by 2030, covering key industries such as steel, chemicals, automobiles, and electronics.

Energy and industry

The plan calls for promoting the application of digital and intelligent technologies to advance energy conservation, carbon reduction, and transformation and upgrading in sectors such as energy and power, manufacturing, transport and logistics.

In the energy sector, Shanghai aims to increase the share of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption from 17.5 percent to 21.5 percent, and enhance the power system's ability to balance supply and demand.

The city will upgrade its industrial structure, deepen energy-saving and carbon-reduction efforts, reduce industrial solid waste at the source, and improve recovery and reuse.

The plan also calls for improving building energy efficiency, shifting buildings toward low-carbon energy use, and developing a greener transport and logistics system. Shanghai will strengthen recycling networks, encourage green consumption, and promote low-carbon lifestyles. It will also foster green industries and upgrade the resource-recycling sector.

Eight priority initiatives will support implementation: developing zero-carbon parks; cutting emissions in key industries; limiting major enterprises' coal use; promoting green computing; upgrading transport equipment; improving energy efficiency in public institutions; developing green, low-carbon supply chains; and improving the use of recycled resources.

The plan includes upgrading the steel, petrochemical, and chemical industries to reduce their energy use by 1 percent annually. It also envisions low-carbon upgrades to coal-fired power generation, aiming to establish the capacity to co-fire at least 10 percent ammonia or biomass by 2030.

In green computing, Shanghai will promote green data centers and the integrated use of liquid cooling, energy-efficient servers, green energy, and AI-based energy management systems. It will also explore developing undersea data centers in conjunction with offshore wind power.

Transport and supply chains

In transportation, the city will promote the introduction of electric and other low-carbon inland waterway vessels, including sanitation boats, government vessels, and ferries.

By 2030, more than 40 percent of passenger cars in Shanghai are expected to be electric, and new residential projects will be required to build charging facilities or reserve installation conditions for 100 percent of parking spaces.

Shanghai will also build an international green fuel bunkering and trading center, aiming to reach a bunkering capacity of one million metric tons for green methanol and biofuels by 2030.

Green, low-carbon supply chains will be developed in sectors such as steel, chemicals, automobiles, shipbuilding, electrical equipment, and fast-moving consumer goods, while product carbon-footprint standards are improved.

Shanghai will also leverage the CN100, an alliance of lead enterprises in green and low-carbon supply chains, to develop locally applicable supply chain decarbonization rules.

Meanwhile, recyclables-sorting facilities will be upgraded with greener, smarter technologies, and the recycling of waste glass, plastics, and textiles will be improved.

Source: General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government