Ministry of Commerce: Will strengthen the government's guiding role and increase support for green consumption policies

Zhitongcaijing · 3d ago

The Zhitong Finance App learned that on January 6, the Information Office of the State Council held a press conference. Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping and relevant officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the General Administration of Market Supervision introduced the promotion of green consumption and answered questions from reporters. Sheng Qiuping pointed out that implementing green consumption promotion actions and establishing a scientific and effective green consumption incentive mechanism is an important support for promoting the upgrading of consumption quality and helping the green transformation of the economy and society. The Ministry of Commerce will strengthen the government's guiding role and increase support for green consumption policies.

Sheng Qiuping said that in recent years, the Ministry of Commerce has thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, leading new supply, creating new demand around new demand, and focusing on key areas and key aspects of green consumption.

The first is to promote a trade-in policy to increase the “green content” of consumption. The authorities, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments, use the trade-in of consumer goods as an important gripper to promote green consumption, and subsidize energy-efficient green appliances, green homes, green building materials, and new energy vehicles in policy design to further stimulate demand for green consumption and smooth the green consumption cycle. From 2024 to 2025, 176.73 million scrapped cars were recycled nationwide, with an average annual growth rate of 45.8%; 396.86 million used cars were traded; and 53 million units of used household appliances and mobile phones were dismantled according to regulations, with an average annual growth rate of about 12%.

At the same time, promoting green consumption is linked to key tasks such as piloting new consumption formats, new consumption models and new scenarios, piloting the construction of an international consumption environment, retail innovation and upgrading projects, and expanding and upgrading convenient living circles in a quarter of an hour, forming a superposition effect of policies. For example, places such as Suzhou and Nanchang have effectively boosted sales of green products by issuing green consumption subsidies and holding green product consumption festivals; in order to standardize the use of temporary food, Shenzhen and other places have launched 24-hour “food banks” to provide them free of charge to needy groups and citizens in need to reduce food waste.

Give full play to the leading role of the market and establish a green consumption points system. Industry associations will be supported to explore the establishment of a common green consumption point system for online and offline exchange, guide retail companies, e-commerce platforms, etc. to standardize point collection, and encourage consumers to obtain points by purchasing green products and using low-carbon services to redeem product discounts or service offers. For example, some use green certificates and green electricity to reduce energy costs; some set up “green consumption accounts” to encourage green consumption behavior with multiple points; others use the “Internet+ recycling” model to redeem coupons to help public welfare projects.

The transcript is as follows:

Zhou Jianshe, Deputy Director of the Information Bureau of the Information Office of the State Council and press spokesman:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council. The Ministry of Commerce and nine other departments have recently released the “Notice on Implementing Actions to Promote Green Consumption”. Today, we invited Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr. Sheng Qiuping, to brief everyone on the relevant situation and answer everyone's concerns. Also attending today's press conference were Mr. Wang Zhibin, Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Finance of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; Mr. Lei Liugong, Director of the Marketing and Information Technology Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Mr. Li Jialu, Director of the Distribution Industry Development Department of the Ministry of Commerce; and Mr. Yao Lei, Director of the Certification Supervision and Administration Department of the General Administration of Market Regulation.

Now, I would like to ask Mr. Sheng Qiuping to give an introduction.

Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping:

Good afternoon, all journalists! First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their continued concern and support for business work, and I am also very happy to have this opportunity to have an exchange with everyone on promoting green consumption.

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to green consumption, and has repeatedly emphasized “promoting green consumption” and “promoting the formation of an economical, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized and healthy lifestyle and consumption model.” The report of the 20th National Congress of the Party proposed advocating green consumption and promoting the formation of green and low-carbon production methods and lifestyles. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized improving the incentive mechanism for green consumption and promoting a green and low-carbon lifestyle. The Central Economic Work Conference made it clear, adhere to domestic demand leadership, build a strong domestic market, thoroughly implement special actions to boost consumption, adhere to “double carbon” leadership, and promote comprehensive green transformation.

Launching green consumption is an important gripper for implementing the concept of green and low-carbon development, thoroughly implementing special actions to boost consumption, and accelerating the overall green transformation of the economy and society. It is a powerful measure to adapt to the trend of consumption upgrading and cultivate new consumption growth points. It can not only promote green changes in production lifestyles, promote the optimization and upgrading of industrial structures, but also help reduce carbon emissions and achieve low carbon goals, and make an important contribution to high-quality economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period.

The Ministry of Commerce resolutely implements the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and regards implementing large-scale consumer goods trade-in policies as an important opportunity to promote green consumption. From 2024 to 2025, 18.3 million cars were traded in, of which new energy vehicles accounted for nearly 60%. Home appliances have been traded in for 192 million units, of which level 1 energy efficiency (water efficiency) accounts for more than 90%. The trade-in policy has driven consumer goods sales of 3.92 trillion yuan, benefiting 494 million consumers. The increase in consumption of green products such as new energy vehicles and green smart home appliances has led to a steady expansion in the scale of the green consumer market. The supply of green products is more abundant, green consumption models continue to innovate, and the environment for green consumption continues to be optimized. However, it also faces problems such as different standards for green products, imperfect incentive mechanisms, and poor awareness of green consumption. In order to further promote the development of green consumption, the Ministry of Commerce, together with nine departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the General Administration of Market Supervision, jointly issued the “Notice on Implementing Actions to Promote Green Consumption”, which clarified 20 measures in seven areas around the entire green consumption chain and made systematic arrangements for green consumption work during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period.

The first is to enrich high-quality supply in the field of people's livelihood security. Increase the supply of green agricultural products, promote green household appliances and home furnishings, improve energy efficiency and water efficiency standards, and promote green automobile consumption. Increase consumption of green services, develop green catering, green lodging, and green housekeeping, promote the use of degradable lunch boxes, packaging bags, and guest room supplies, and innovate domestic service models.

The second is to cultivate new growth points for green consumption, build a green supply chain, promote green procurement, green products, and green packaging, encourage the promotion of green consumption points, explore the establishment of a common green consumption credit system for online and offline payments, innovate green sharing, encourage travel sharing, space sharing, and item sharing, and promote the efficient use of resources. At the same time, promote green recycling, reduce the use of disposable plastic products, and promote recycling of waste products.

The second is to optimize the green consumption environment and promote energy-saving equipment and facilities. Optimize the use of green electricity, popularize the concept of green consumption, and promote green travel for consumers. Strengthen publicity and guidance, encourage the holding of “Community Green Consumption” themed events, cultivate green circulation players, and increase policy support. Strengthen financial security through policy subsidies, credit support, and financial product innovation.

Promoting green consumption is a systematic project that requires the participation of various actors such as the government, enterprises, and consumers to form joint efforts. In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will strengthen coordination with relevant departments, refine implementation measures, promote the implementation of various policies and measures, promote the greening of production methods and lifestyles, integrate the green and low-carbon concept into all aspects, and inject green momentum into high-quality economic and social development. Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

Thank you, Mr. Sheng Qiuping, for the introduction. Everyone is now welcome to ask questions. Please inform your news agency before asking questions.

CCTV reporter at the general station:

Actions to promote green consumption are of great significance in achieving high-quality development and promoting the green transformation of the economy and society. May I ask what major efforts have been carried out in recent years to focus on green consumption, and what results have been achieved? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:

Thank you to the CCTV reporter for the question. I will answer this question. In recent years, the Ministry of Commerce has thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, leading new supply around new demand, creating new demand, focusing on key areas and key aspects of green consumption, and continuing to make efforts in five areas.

The first is to promote a trade-in policy to increase the “green content” of consumption. Together with the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments, we will use the trade-in of consumer goods as an important gripper to promote green consumption, and subsidize energy-efficient green appliances, green homes, green building materials, and new energy vehicles in policy design to further stimulate demand for green consumption and smooth the green consumption cycle. From 2024 to 2025, 176.73 million scrapped cars were recycled nationwide, with an average annual growth rate of 45.8%; 396.86 million used cars were traded; and 53 million units of used household appliances and mobile phones were dismantled according to regulations, with an average annual growth rate of about 12%.

The second is to promote the construction of a green supply chain and establish a green circulation system. Deepen supply chain innovation and application, and prioritize green supply chain development. Develop digital consumption and give better play to the role of e-commerce in promoting a circular economy and spreading green ideas. Carry out special actions for digital supply chain development, use digital technology to drive green supply chain construction, and promote process reengineering, cost reduction and efficiency. Promote the high-quality development of trade and logistics, and promote recyclable environmentally friendly packaging materials and standard trays for logistics container handling. According to estimates by the China Warehousing and Distribution Association, trucking can reduce loading and unloading times by 80%, reduce cargo loss rates by more than 50%, and reduce supply chain costs by about 20%. At present, the standardization rate of pallets nationwide has reached 37.8%, and about 50 million trays can be recycled. Conservative estimates can save 250 million disposable trays, which is equivalent to protecting 50 million trees from being cut down and reducing carbon emissions by more than 2 million tons; the number of green warehouses nationwide has reached 1,092, with a construction area of about 65 million square meters.

The second is to improve the green recycling system and promote resource recycling. Together with 9 departments, the “Notice on Improving the Recycling System for Renewable Resources such as Waste Home Appliances and Furniture” was issued, and 11 tasks were proposed around four areas, 32 pilot cities and 78 pilot enterprises were identified, 32 pilot cities and 78 pilot enterprises were identified to improve recycling networks for used household appliances, etc.; and the “Used Goods Circulation Pilot Work Plan” was issued together with relevant departments to establish the first batch of 10 pilot cities and 28 pilot enterprises to cultivate and expand the second-hand goods distribution market players. According to estimates by relevant associations, the total amount of renewable resources recycled nationwide in 2025 is about 380 million tons.

The next step is to cultivate green distribution enterprises and play a leading and driving role. Promote the construction of green shopping malls, green restaurants, and green restaurants in the fields of retail, catering, lodging, etc., guide enterprises to carry out energy-saving transformation of stores, use energy-saving equipment, carry out resource recycling, prioritize procurement of green and low-carbon products, and set up green product area counters to achieve green upgrades. Up to now, the Ministry of Commerce has guided the China Chamber of Commerce and the China Hotel Association to cultivate 1,161 green shopping malls and 3,500 green hotels across the country. At the same time, many e-commerce platforms promote small and medium-sized merchants to participate in the green transformation by linking upstream and downstream merchants to establish green cooperation alliances and formulate low-carbon operating standards.

Finally, promote a green lifestyle and create a good social atmosphere. The Ministry of Commerce gave full play to the role of important exhibition platforms such as consumer fairs, trade fairs, digital trade fairs, etc., to focus on showcasing green smart products and services, carrying out the first green debut exhibition, and spreading the concept of green consumption. Organize consumer promotion activities such as the Green Consumption Season, the Green Fashion Textile and Clothing Consumption Season, and the Chinese Food Fair to guide consumers to develop green consumption habits in the fields of clothing, food, lodging, and travel. Introduce plastic restrictions in the commercial sector, reduce the use of disposable plastic products, vigorously promote the use of bamboo instead of plastic, and promote a simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle. Thank you.

Guangming Daily reporter:

Recycling and reuse of waste products can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also turn waste into treasure. What specific work has the Ministry of Commerce carried out to promote the construction of a recycling system for renewable resources, and what measures will be taken next? Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

I ask Director Li Jialu to answer this question.

Li Jialu, Director of the Distribution Industry Development Department of the Ministry of Commerce:

Thank you for your question. The construction of a recycling system for renewable resources is a necessary prerequisite for promoting the renewal and consumption of products and raising the level of resource recycling. It is also an important task to promote the formation of a green production lifestyle and strengthen the construction of a beautiful China. As the industry authority responsible for recycling renewable resources, the Ministry of Commerce has continued to promote the construction of a renewable resource recycling system in the following areas in recent years.

In terms of work deployment, we, together with relevant departments, have successively issued the “Notice on Improving the Recycling System for Renewable Resources such as Waste Home Appliances and Furniture” and related supporting documents, which proposed tasks such as improving the planning and layout of recycling networks, cultivating diversified large-scale recyclers, exploring innovative recycling models, and promoting the “integration of the two networks” of household waste classification networks and renewable resource recycling networks. In terms of policy support, renewable resource sorting centers and “car-for-warehouse” mobile recycling projects are supported through funding channels such as modern trade circulation systems and county commercial system construction. In terms of pilot cultivation, we, together with relevant departments, identified 32 pilot cities and 78 pilot enterprises for the construction of renewable resource recycling systems to encourage the development of models such as “Internet+ recycling” and “integration of the two networks”.

In order to deepen the construction of a recycling system for renewable resources, the “Notice” issued this time specifically proposes that the Ministry of Commerce will support enterprises to build high-value recycling projects for renewable resources, which will optimally support the construction of sorting centers. The main consideration is that sorting centers are the downstream core link of the renewable resource recycling system. By transforming sorting centers, sorting efficiency can be improved, loss can be reduced, and transit packaging stations and recycling outlets can also be promoted to raise the level of recycling. In the next step, we will actively support the construction of green, intelligent and specialized sorting centers, encourage local governments to provide policy guarantees for the construction and renovation of sorting centers, guide the flow of more renewable resources to the renovated sorting centers, and drive the high-quality development of the renewable resource recycling industry. At the same time, it will also push all regions to clarify recycling models, consolidate local responsibilities, make good use of financial resources, further improve renewable resource recycling networks, and contribute to promoting resource recycling and cultivating green recycling consumption. Thank you.

New Yellow River Client Reporter:

Green consumption is inseparable from supervision and system guarantees. What other systematic arrangements does the General Administration of Market Regulation have in promoting green consumption? Thank you.

Yao Lei, Director of the Certification Supervision and Administration Department of the General Administration of Market Regulation:

Thank you for your question. Many of the tasks proposed in the “Green Consumption Promotion Action”, such as diversifying the supply of green products, innovating green consumption models, optimizing the green consumption environment, and developing green restaurants, all involve the General Administration of Market Supervision. We attach great importance to and systematically promote various tasks in line with our own responsibilities.

In terms of consolidating the foundation of standards, the first is to continuously improve the national standard system in related fields. At present, 40 green product evaluation standards and 66 energy efficiency and water efficiency standards have been issued. The second is to participate deeply in international standardization work. It has put forward 217 green consumption-related proposals at the International Organization for Standardization, spearheaded the formulation of 178 revised standards, and acted as a secretariat for 14 technical agencies. The third is to actively carry out multilateral and bilateral exchanges and cooperation. For example, two batches of electric vehicle standard texts were exchanged with the ASEAN Standards and Quality Advisory Committee, and the “China-ASEAN Automobile Regulations Dialogue Meeting” was held. Fourth, actively promote the integration of domestic and international standards. The “Management Measures for Adopting International Standards” were revised and issued, highlighting the direction of “accurate bidding” and “efficient transformation”, shortening the conversion time for international standards by nearly half a year.

In terms of strengthening the management of energy efficiency and water efficiency labeling. The first is to improve the institutional system. The National Development and Reform Commission issued the “Administrative Measures on Energy Efficiency Labelling” and “Administrative Measures on Water Efficiency Labelling” to provide support for the efficient use of energy and the promotion of green transformation of production lifestyles. The second is to strengthen filing management. Published 18 batches of 47 energy efficiency labeling product catalogues, with more than 26,000 registered companies and 4 million product models. These filing results were used for data verification in the implementation of “trade-in” policies in various regions, covering 188 million energy-saving products purchased by 76 million consumers. Third, strict supervision and enforcement of the law. In 2025, 525 illegal cases in the fields of energy efficiency and water efficiency labeling were investigated and handled, promoting fair competition in the energy saving market and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

In terms of stopping food waste. The first is to strengthen holiday supervision. At the peak of holiday dining, business entities are urged to effectively implement the main responsibility for food safety and stop food and beverage waste. The second is to issue a proposal to stop food waste. Guide industry associations and takeout platforms to publish proposals to stop food and beverage waste during the Spring Festival, and encourage operators to implement their main responsibilities and jointly build civilized dining tables. The third is to strengthen the governance of takeout platforms. Propose 10 measures such as “optimizing the food supply structure”, and issue guidance documents such as the “Guidelines for Preventing Food and Beverage Waste and Standardizing Marketing Conduct” to standardize the marketing behavior of takeaway merchants, implement the main responsibilities of the platform, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of online catering.

In the next step, the General Administration of Market Regulation will solidly push forward all aspects of green consumption, create a favorable market environment, and enhance people's sense of attainment. The first is to speed up the updating and upgrading of a number of national standards and support domestic stakeholders to participate deeply in international standardization activities in the green field; the second is to improve the energy efficiency and water efficiency labeling system and continue to support data verification in the implementation of the “trade-in” policy; the third is to thoroughly promote the prevention of food and beverage waste and encourage Internet platform companies to launch “green food” service labels; the fourth is to strengthen law enforcement coordination to seriously investigate and punish illegal acts in the fields of green products, energy efficiency and water efficiency labels, and food and beverage waste. Thank you.

Phoenix TV Reporter:

We have noticed that the document mentions promoting green recycling. How can we strengthen the reduction and recycling of waste materials, such as in the fields of electronic products and textiles, to make “trade-in” and recycling more convenient and transparent? Thank you.

Wang Zhibin, Director of the Science, Technology and Finance Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment:

Thank you to this reporter for the question, I'll answer that question. Waste materials are at the end of the consumption chain. Only by breaking through waste disposal blockages can we smooth the green consumption cycle. In recent years, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has taken the construction of a “waste-free city” as a starting point to promote the transformation of waste materials from a “social burden” to an “urban mineral deposit”.

The first is to organize pilot demonstrations at the city level to promote the implementation of a green production lifestyle. A “waste-free city” is an urban development model that minimizes the environmental impact of solid waste. Since the construction pilot began in 2018, 113 prefecture-level cities and 8 regions across the country have carried out construction. We are focusing on two aspects, focusing on reducing volume at the front-end source, vigorously cultivating tens of thousands of units in various scenarios, including parks, enterprises, communities, schools, etc., to implement the “no waste” concept, and promote a green lifestyle such as simple packaging and CD-ROM initiatives. The other hand focuses on the end and makes every effort to improve resource utilization capabilities. For example, Xiamen City has developed intelligent sorting technology for low-value recyclables such as waste plastics and waste textiles in household waste to achieve accurate and efficient sorting and promote resource recycling.

We are also focusing on improving the resource recycling system and promoting standardized recycling of consumer waste products. Residential communities in prefecture-level cities and above have basically set up facilities to collect recyclables. In 2024, more than 11,000 intelligent community recycling facilities will be added nationwide. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with the Ministry of Finance, strongly supports the standardization of dismantling and disposal of used household appliances. In 2025, the central government invested a total of 5 billion yuan to dispose of about 100 million units of waste electrical appliances, and a cumulative output of more than 3 million tons of renewable resources, effectively promoting resource recycling and the green and low-carbon development of the industry.

At the same time, scientific and technological innovation has also greatly facilitated the resource utilization of waste. For example, using microbiological technology, battery waste can be “transformed” into environmentally friendly materials that can absorb heavy metals. Research results such as “treating waste with waste and turning stone into gold” have provided new possibilities for recycling waste. We will accelerate the practical application of these “laboratory tips” through technology catalog promotion and pilot demonstrations.

In the future, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will further promote the construction of “waste-free cities” to a higher standard, smooth the waste recycling cycle, and help develop green consumption. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will promote the construction of “waste-free cities” in about 200 cities, so that the public can personally experience the results of construction and cultivate the green undertone of Chinese-style modernization. Thank you.

Bloomberg Reporter:

What incentives or restrictive measures is China considering to encourage green consumption, and does China hope to introduce specific brands or companies involved in promoting green consumption? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:

Implementing green consumption promotion actions and establishing a scientific and effective green consumption incentive mechanism is an important support for promoting the upgrading of consumption quality and helping the green transformation of the economy and society. The Ministry of Commerce will focus on implementing it from three aspects.

Strengthen the government's guiding role and increase support for green consumption policies. Everyone has also noticed that before New Year's Day, a series of policies to promote consumption and benefit people's livelihood will be introduced one after another. Together with the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments, we will further exert the driving effect of the consumer goods trade-in policy to enrich the supply of green products, and subsidize the purchase of 6 types of household appliances with Class 1 energy efficiency or water efficiency standards, as well as 4 types of digital and smart products with a unit price not exceeding 6,000 yuan. Promote equipment upgrades such as consumer and commercial facilities, energy saving, carbon reduction, and environmental protection into the scope of large-scale equipment renewal policy support. At the same time, promoting green consumption is linked to key tasks such as piloting new consumption formats, new consumption models and new scenarios, piloting the construction of an international consumption environment, retail innovation and upgrading projects, and expanding and upgrading convenient living circles in a quarter of an hour, forming a superposition effect of policies. For example, places such as Suzhou and Nanchang have effectively boosted sales of green products by issuing green consumption subsidies and holding green product consumption festivals; in order to standardize the use of temporary food, Shenzhen and other places have launched 24-hour “food banks” to provide them free of charge to needy groups and citizens in need to reduce food waste.

Give full play to the leading role of the market and establish a green consumption points system. We will support industry associations to explore the establishment of a common green consumption point system for online and offline exchange, guide retail companies, e-commerce platforms, etc. to standardize point collection, and encourage consumers to obtain points by purchasing green products and using low-carbon services to redeem product discounts or service offers. For example, some use green certificates and green electricity to reduce energy costs; some set up “green consumption accounts” to encourage green consumption behavior with multiple points; others use the “Internet+ recycling” model to redeem coupons to help public welfare projects. These are all good practices, and we will summarize and promote them in a timely manner.

Stimulate the main role of consumers and cultivate the concept of green consumption for all. We will promote the inclusion of green consumption in the promotion focus of the National Ecological, Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation Promotion Week, and support the community in carrying out green public welfare activities. Taking this opportunity, we also call on consumers to travel green, bring their own water glasses, cloth bags, and toiletries, and follow “please order an appropriate amount, environmentally friendly and healthy” when ordering takeout. We will guide relevant associations to carry out green consumption public welfare activities, encourage platform companies to continue to promote public welfare activities such as the Qingshan Plan, the Green Green Plan, and the Low Carbon Friendly Action, encourage merchants and consumers to actively participate in energy saving and emission reduction practices, and form a good green and low-carbon culture.

In addition, in addition to incentive measures, the “Notice” also clarifies some restrictive measures, such as stopping food waste, encouraging consumers to order food in an appropriate amount, and carrying out the “CD-ROM Campaign”; not voluntarily providing disposable plastic items in hotel rooms; strictly prohibiting illegal acts such as buying or reselling points, withdrawing points for false purchases, hierarchical rebates, and illegal monetization of points.

Regarding the requirements for brands or enterprises mentioned in green consumption promotion activities, we welcome all types of actors to participate in green consumption promotion activities. Whether they are foreign-funded enterprises or private enterprises, large enterprises or small and medium-sized enterprises, all are welcome to participate actively. At the same time, we also hope that governments at all levels, various public institutions, social organizations, and all sectors of society will participate to form a strong synergy to promote green consumption.

In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will deepen coordination and coordination between departments, give full play to the role of the green consumption incentive mechanism, focus on monitoring the implementation of policies, summarize and promote typical experiences in a timely manner, and promote the concept of green consumption into the hearts of the people and the spread of green consumption behavior. Thank you.

China Business Daily Reporter:

Currently, there is still more than a month until the Spring Festival. In order for everyone to enjoy more high-quality green New Year's goods during the Spring Festival, what measures will be taken to meet the rich and diverse holiday consumption needs of the public? Thank you.

Lei Liu Gong, Director of the Marketing and Information Technology Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs:

I'll answer this question, thank you for asking. During the Spring Festival, every household should buy a variety of colorful New Year's goods. This is the best opportunity for us to promote the concept of green consumption. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs deployed and carried out “two festivals” for New Year's Day and Spring Festival under the theme of “tasting specialty products and finding the taste of the New Year” across the country, and proposed “five batches”: the first is to publish a batch of “souvenir” brand New Year's goods catalogues to provide consumers with clear and reliable consumption guidelines so that everyone can choose green and characteristic New Year products. The second is to organize a number of holiday-themed consumer events, hold a New Year's goods fair, launch a “Taste of the New Year” live broadcast to bring goods, and promote green and high-quality agricultural products to more families. The third is to enhance a number of integrated agricultural, cultural and tourism consumption activities, combining traditional customs, intangible cultural heritage, and mass cultural and sports activities to create a number of immersive and experiential holiday consumption scenarios. Fourth, launch a number of nutrition and health consumption activities, focusing on holiday meal issues and popularizing the concept of green and healthy consumption. At the same time, the quality and safety supervision of agricultural products in key regions, key varieties, and key links will be strengthened. The fifth is to host a number of consumer support and matchmaking activities to guide all sectors of society to buy green and high-quality agricultural and sideline products from underdeveloped regions and create a warm holiday atmosphere. We meet the greening, high quality, and rich and diverse holiday consumption needs of urban and rural residents through “five batches”.

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Chongqing and other large and medium-sized cities, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Chengdu launched the 2026 New Year's Day and Spring Festival “Taste Specialties and Taste the New Year” consumer promotion campaign in Beijing. Provincial and municipal representatives issued “Two Festivals” to promote the consumption of green and high-quality agricultural products, 7 financial institutions introduced 25 financial consumption policies, 6 e-commerce platforms introduced 13 consumer support policies, and 6 national industry associations introduced 18 consumer promotion policies. Various regions are also responding positively, and more than 200 provincial key activities to promote the consumption of green and high-quality agricultural products have been launched. For example, Tianjin launched 20 “Catch New Year's Goods Festival” events, and Nanjing hosted more than 50 “Huinong Market” events. Through these activities, we allow consumers to enjoy more green and high-quality New Year's goods during the Spring Festival.

Here, we also sincerely welcome all media friends to walk and take a look at these event sites, experience the popularity of consumption firsthand, taste authentic flavors, tell the story behind green and high-quality agricultural products through your camera and brushstrokes, and create a strong atmosphere for the whole society to pay attention to agriculture and enjoy the green color. Thank you.

Poster News Reporter:

Currently, the overall scale of China's green consumer market is gradually expanding, showing strong growth momentum and huge potential for development. However, we can also see that under the influence of multiple factors, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the market performance of some green products. How do you think green consumption should be promoted during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period from “policy-driven” to “market-driven+consumer-conscious”? Thank you.

Wang Zhibin:

Thank you to this reporter for the question, I'll answer that question. As you mentioned, the strong trend of green consumption indicates that the concept of green, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly consumption is being accepted by more people. In recent years, our department has collected and published several typical green and low-carbon cases. Judging from these cases, both on the lifestyle side and on the production side, green consumption has gradually become a trend, and many innovative paths and cases have emerged. The key is also to stimulate consumers' endogenous motivation.

Where does endogenous motivation come from? The first is to make personal green and low-carbon behavior valuable. The Wuhan Carbon Inclusion Platform is one such example. The platform has set up a “personal carbon account” for citizens. Through digital technology, it automatically calculates the carbon emission reduction of 11 types of low-carbon activities such as riding buses, subways, cycling, and saving electricity, and can be exchanged for discounts at shopping malls and supermarkets, or donations to support public welfare projects such as the protection of rare fish in the Yangtze River. At present, the number of users of the platform has exceeded 2 million, recorded more than 24 million emission reduction actions, and the cumulative reduction of individual emissions exceeds 40,000 tons.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the green concept, which has also guided enterprises and merchants to transform production and service methods. For example, you can buy drinks with your own cup at a discount. Using 100% biodegradable shopping bags in shopping malls has become a common trend in the retail and catering industry to reduce the use of disposable items. Green products are also constantly emerging, such as shoes made entirely of recyclable materials, furniture with zero formaldehyde and low volatile organic compounds. Manufacturers of these products have made efforts in all aspects of raw material selection, production energy, packaging design, and terminal recycling to create quite a few “zero carbon products” and “green factories.”

Building a beautiful China and promoting green consumption requires everyone to take action. In addition to collecting and publishing typical green and low-carbon cases, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has also organized and carried out the “Beautiful China, I am an Actor” campaign in recent years and jointly issued the “Ten Rules for Citizens' Ecological and Environmental Conduct”, using activities such as National Ecology Day, 65 Environment Day, and National Low Carbon Day to widely promote the concept of green consumption. In the future, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will continue to do a good job of promoting green consumption, promoting the “integration of knowledge and action” among the general public, and encouraging and guiding the whole society to live a simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized and healthy lifestyle and consumption model. We expect that the whole society will act to gather everyone's trickle streams into rivers and seas, and the overall green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society will surely be achieved at an accelerated pace. Thank you.

Upstream News Reporter:

Disposable plastic products such as supermarket shopping bags and takeout tableware are closely related to our daily lives. What are the main tasks carried out to control plastic pollution in the commercial sector in recent years? Thank you.

Li Jialu:

Thank you for your question. Controlling plastic pollution is an important aspect of promoting green consumption. It concerns the improvement of the ecological environment and people's healthy lives. In recent years, the Ministry of Commerce has focused on key aspects such as reducing the use of disposable plastic products in the commercial sector, promoting alternative products, and controlling key industries, and has taken many measures to promote plastic pollution control, with positive results.

The first is to promote a reduction in the use of single-use plastic products. The Ministry of Commerce, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, issued the “Administrative Measures on Single-Use Plastic Products Report by Commercial Operators” to strengthen compliance with the requirements of the national plastic ban. Retail operators should implement the “Administrative Measures on Paid Use of Plastic Shopping Bags in Retail Stores” in accordance with the law. E-commerce platforms should prioritize the use of reusable and easily recyclable packaging, and promote direct delivery of e-commerce express shipments and express delivery boxes to promote a simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle in many ways. At the same time, a reporting system for disposable plastic products has been established, and all regions are regularly organized to report on the use and recycling of plastic products in a timely manner. According to monitoring data from the Ministry of Commerce, the use of environmentally friendly alternatives increased 26.31% month-on-month in the first half of 2025.

The second is promoting bamboo as a substitute for plastic. The Ministry of Commerce is actively building a platform for dialogue and exchange to guide commercial and trade distribution enterprises to connect production and marketing, supply and demand, and actively cultivate a green consumer market for bamboo products. Together with relevant departments, the Ministry of Commerce organized the “Plastic with Bamboo to Promote Green Consumption” forum, “Home Appliance Trade-in and Green Circulation Theme Activities”, etc., to promote the publication of the “Bamboo for Plastic” main product list; relying on the International (Anji) “Plastic Instead of Bamboo” forum to organize and carry out bamboo product promotion and matchmaking activities to promote green alternative products. Daily necessities and handicrafts such as bamboo furniture, bamboo tableware, bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo baskets and bamboo baskets are loved by consumers. Some bamboo products are also popular with foreign tourists after entering duty-free shops in the city.

Then there is the promotion of green food. Nine departments including the Ministry of Commerce issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development of the Catering Industry”, which proposes tasks such as resolutely stopping food waste, promoting low-carbon and environmentally friendly development, and promoting the reduction of the use of disposable plastic products and packaging in the catering sector. At the same time, standards such as “Green Catering Operation and Management”, “Banquet Savings Service Code”, and “Catering Service Unit Savings Management Code” were formulated and revised to clarify requirements relating to plastic bans in the catering industry. For example, the China Culinary Association and the China Restaurant Association promote standards and promote a reduction in the sources of use of disposable plastic products. Beijing proposed “10 plastic restrictions” requiring that food and beverage takeout and dine-in packaging prohibit the use of non-degradable plastic bags and disposable plastic straws.

In the next step, the Ministry of Commerce will continue to implement the national plastic pollution control arrangements, continue to strengthen the reporting management of disposable plastic products, increase the promotion of degradable and green alternative products such as bamboo, deepen plastic reduction efforts in key areas such as catering, improve long-term control mechanisms, promote the deepening and implementation of plastic pollution control in the commercial sector, and contribute to promoting green consumption and building a beautiful China. Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

Please keep asking. There are also two journalists.

21st Century Economic Report Reporter:

Green and high-quality agricultural products are becoming more and more popular with consumers. What measures have been taken to expand the supply of green agricultural products in the market, expand consumption space, and enhance the consumer experience, and how can consumption potential be further stimulated next? Thank you.

Lei Liu Gong:

Thank you for your question. Yesterday, 9 departments including the Ministry of Commerce issued the “Notice on Implementing Actions to Promote Green Consumption”. The first one is to increase the supply of green agricultural products. As you mentioned earlier, green and high-quality agricultural products are becoming more and more popular, and green consumption is becoming more and more popular. In particular, consumer demand for green and high-quality agricultural products is growing rapidly, becoming an important driving force for upgrading the agricultural product supply system. In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the Ministry of Commerce and other departments, have worked together to promote the consumption of green and high-quality agricultural products, and positive progress has been made.

The first is to strengthen departmental collaboration and vertical linkage. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with 10 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce, issued the “Implementation Plan to Promote Consumption of Agricultural Products”, which proposed 23 specific measures in 9 areas according to the policy ideas of optimizing the supply side, innovating the circulation side, and activating the market side. The country's 31 provinces (districts and municipalities) have formulated work plans, introduced 36 supporting policies, and arranged special funds to stimulate consumption vitality of green and high-quality agricultural products. Social forces such as national industry associations, large e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions have been guided to participate widely, and nearly 60 consumer promotion initiatives have been launched.

The second is to promote accurate connection between production and marketing. We focus on the goal of “production, good sales, high efficiency” and build a production and marketing docking platform. The China International Agricultural Products Fair was held, and 36 large and medium-sized cities jointly launched “vegetable basket” product consumption promotion activities, organized “souvenirs” to enter major marketing areas such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu and Chongqing regions, and supported the holding of a number of provincial key agricultural exhibitions, which strongly promoted the accurate connection between agricultural products and large sales areas across the country, especially from underdeveloped regions. At the same time, the “Internet +” project for agricultural products leaving the village and entering the city has been further promoted, and more green and high-quality agricultural products have been sold directly from the production area.

The third is to strengthen brands to lead consumption. We promote green production, focus on environmental protection in production areas, and focus on green, organic, premium, and geographical indication agricultural products, which is what we usually call the “three products and one standard” of agricultural products, continuously increasing the supply of green and high-quality agricultural products and enhancing the adaptability between supply and demand. By the end of 2025, the total number of “three products and one standard” certification registration for agricultural products exceeded 88,000, and the standardized production area of green food ingredients reached 205 million mu. We are also thoroughly implementing the agricultural brand boutique cultivation plan, improving the provincial agricultural brand catalogue. More than 1,400 regional public brands of agricultural products, more than 2,000 corporate brands, and more than 2,300 green high-quality product brands have been included in the catalogue key cultivation, and promoted the transformation of the brand catalogue into a consumer catalogue.

Fourth, promote integrated consumption of agriculture, culture, and tourism, continuously host the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival in the fall, and guide various regions to carry out a variety of festivals to promote consumption, driving sales of green and high-quality agricultural products to more than 160 billion yuan. Promote a number of boutique tourist attractions in rural areas, support mass cultural and sports events in various regions, and promote the deep integration of “country tours” and shopping.

In the next step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will thoroughly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council to vigorously boost consumption, coordinate the development of science and technology agriculture, green agriculture, quality agriculture, and brand agriculture, increase the supply of green and high-quality agricultural products in accordance with the specific arrangements for promoting green consumption, implement agricultural brand promotion actions, and normalize consumption promotion activities to promote the release of the consumption potential of green and high-quality agricultural products. Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

One last question.