Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Transport and five other departments have issued opinions on promoting high-quality development of inland waterway transportation, emphasizing the construction of a modern, efficient, green, smart, safe, and resilient inland waterway system to better serve economic and social development [1] Group 1: Development Goals - The focus is on accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of inland waterway transportation, including the development of new energy and clean energy vessels, the creation of green low-carbon ports, and the construction of beautiful green waterways [1][4] - Inland waterway transportation is a crucial part of China's comprehensive transportation system, with the cargo volume expected to reach 4.95 billion tons in 2024, 2.2 times that of 2012, and the cargo turnover expected to reach 22 trillion ton-kilometers, 2.9 times that of 2012 [1] Group 2: Advantages of Inland Waterway Transportation - Compared to other transportation modes, inland waterway transportation has advantages such as lower energy consumption and pollution, with carbon emissions per unit of cargo being only 1/10 of that of road transport [2] - The cost-effectiveness of waterway transport is highlighted, with the ton-kilometer freight rate being only 1/3 of rail and 1/7 of road transport [1] Group 3: Challenges and Solutions - Despite improvements in vessel equipment levels and the acceleration of green and low-carbon transformation, challenges remain, including high costs for vessel retrofitting, poor shoreline management, and inadequate port pollution control [2][3] - The Ministry of Transport reported that under national policies, 2,500 old vessels were dismantled last year, and a new batch of large, standardized, professional, and clean vessels was built, with over 1,000 new energy inland vessels currently in operation [2] Group 4: Environmental Initiatives - To promote the green and low-carbon transformation of inland waterway transportation, efforts must be made to reduce vessel emissions while also advancing the greening of ports and waterways [4] - The Ministry of Transport emphasizes the need for green renovation and expansion of terminals, the construction of near-zero carbon terminals, and the use of distributed energy sources like wind and solar power [4]