Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the environmental protection industry [1] Core Insights - The Ministry of Ecology and Environment held a press conference on "High-Quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan," indicating ongoing progress in the "dual carbon" policy [1] - Solid waste management and water governance policies are expected to strengthen the fundamentals of hazardous waste and water-related companies [13] - The demand for environmental monitoring equipment is anticipated to continue growing due to the ongoing "dual carbon" policy [13] Summary by Sections Industry Trends - Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the capacity for hazardous waste utilization and disposal has increased by 58.8%, and the capacity for municipal solid waste incineration has increased by 72.4% compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan [10] - Over 3000 solid waste management projects have been implemented across 113 cities, with an investment of approximately 560 billion yuan [10] Solid Waste Management - The solid waste sector has seen a significant improvement in cash flow and dividend payouts, with a focus on operational efficiency and cost reduction [14] - The average revenue growth for the solid waste sector was 1%, with net profit increasing by 8% in the first half of 2025 [14] Water Management - The water sector is expected to experience a cash flow turnaround similar to that of the waste incineration sector, with a projected increase in free cash flow starting in 2026 [18] - Water pricing reforms are being implemented in cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which may lead to a new round of price adjustments [18] Sanitation Equipment - The penetration rate of electric sanitation vehicles increased by 6.53 percentage points to 16.71% in the first eight months of 2025, with sales of electric sanitation vehicles rising by 69.34% year-on-year [22] - The total sales of sanitation vehicles reached 49,577 units, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 3.2% [22] Bio-Diesel - The average price of waste cooking oil increased to 6,713 yuan per ton, while the average price of biodiesel remained stable at 8,400 yuan per ton, resulting in a decrease in profit margins [34] Lithium Battery Recycling - The prices of metals and discounts on ternary battery materials have increased, leading to improved profitability in lithium battery recycling [39]