State Council Approves Promotion of Green Consumption and Encourages the Use of Environmentally Friendly Biodegradable Packaging Materials

July 13,The State Council has issued a reply concerning the “15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption.” The reply states that the “15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”) is generally approved in principle, and asks that it be carefully organized and implemented.

The approval clearly states that the implementation of the "Plan" should adhere to the strategic basis of expanding domestic demand, deeply implement special actions to boost consumption, expand service consumption, upgrade commodity consumption, enrich business formats and scenarios, enhance consumption capacity, optimize the consumption environment, improve institutional policies, and refine the long-term mechanism for expanding residents' consumption, thereby better leveraging the foundational role of consumption in economic development.

The Plan proposes fostering and developing new forms, models, and scenarios of consumption.Promote green consumption. Strengthen the production and promotion of green and low-carbon products, enrich the supply of products such as green agricultural products, green home appliances and home decoration, green building materials, and new energy vehicles, and develop green catering, green accommodation, and green housekeeping services. Build green supply chains, improve the certification and labeling system for green products, encourage the use of environmentally friendly and degradable packaging materials, expand demand for renewable energy consumption, and promote green procurement. Advance green recycling and circular use, improve the recycling system for renewable resources such as used home appliances and furniture, enhance the operational standards of second-hand goods markets and business enterprises, and promote the regulated development of second-hand goods trading platforms. Advocate green consumption concepts and low-carbon lifestyles, and improve incentive mechanisms for green consumption.

Promote digital consumption.Promote the high-quality development of digital consumption, further advance “AI + consumption,” and implement initiatives to upgrade digital consumption. Expand consumption of digital products, increase the effective supply of new-generation intelligent terminal products such as AI-powered smartphones and computers, smart wearables, intelligent robots, and desktop 3D printing equipment, accelerate the R&D and interconnectivity of intelligent security systems and video care systems, and carry out pilot programs for the market access and on-road operation of intelligent connected vehicles. Enhance consumption of digital services by using technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality to empower life services, scenic areas, and commercial districts, promote the integrated application of AI in fields such as education, healthcare, culture, tourism, and sports, and expand application scenarios for intelligent agents. Innovate consumption of digital content by launching more high-quality digital cultural and museum products, strengthening the supply of ultra-high-definition content for radio, television, and online audiovisual services, and developing new forms of cinema such as virtual reality films and LED digital theaters. Expand digital consumption channels, support the digital marketing of brick-and-mortar commercial enterprises, guide the standardized and healthy development of instant retail, livestream e-commerce, and other models, and improve the standards system for quality e-commerce.