ESG一周丨中办、国办印发《关于健全资源环境要素市场化配置体系的意见》；钢铁、水泥、铝冶炼三大“工业巨头”加入全国碳市场

Group 1: ESG Policies - The Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Improving the Market-oriented Allocation System for Resource and Environmental Factors," aiming to deepen the reform of market-oriented allocation of resource and environmental factors [1] - By 2027, the trading systems for carbon emissions rights and water usage rights are expected to be basically improved, with the establishment of a sound pollutant discharge rights trading system [1] Group 2: Carbon Emission Statistics - The Ministry of Ecology and Environment is accelerating the construction of a comprehensive carbon emission statistical accounting system, deploying 23 key tasks to address current issues such as inconsistent accounting standards and varying data quality [2] - The completion of the national greenhouse gas inventory from 2015 to 2021 and the preliminary completion of the 2022 inventory indicates a move towards a more refined and standardized approach to carbon accounting [2] Group 3: Renewable Energy Development - The "China Renewable Energy Development Report 2024" indicates that 280 million kilowatts of new wind and solar power capacity is expected to be added this year, reflecting both technological maturity and effective policy support [3] - The report emphasizes the need for accelerated construction of grid absorption and energy storage to avoid issues of wasted wind and solar energy [3] Group 4: Carbon Market Expansion - Major industrial sectors such as steel, cement, and aluminum smelting have officially joined the national carbon market, which now covers over 6 billion tons of carbon emissions, accounting for more than 40% of the national total [4] - This expansion is expected to enhance the carbon pricing mechanism's role in guiding industrial emissions reductions [4] Group 5: ESG Fund Growth - As of May 23, the number of ESG public funds in the domestic market reached 669, with a total scale exceeding 824.2 billion yuan, indicating a rapid penetration of sustainable investment concepts into the capital market [6] - Environmental protection-themed ESG funds dominate in both number and scale, while corporate governance-themed funds show a significant shortfall, highlighting a structural imbalance in ESG investment [6] Group 6: ESG Standards and Challenges - The former vice chairman of the China Standardization Association highlighted that the lack of unified international ESG standards and significant industry differences pose major challenges to the effective implementation of ESG systems [7] - A proposed "1+N" model combining general standards with industry-specific guidelines aims to address these challenges and adapt to the needs of different sectors [7] Group 7: Zero Carbon Initiatives - The first "zero carbon island" in the Yangtze River Basin has been put into operation, featuring a wind power project that integrates wind, solar, and energy storage systems to create a self-sufficient clean energy supply [8] - This project serves as an important demonstration of the feasibility of large-scale renewable energy applications [8]