By LI Linxu

As part of efforts to accelerate the transition to green development, China has approved the second batch of pilot projects for clean production audit innovation.

A total of 38 projects are on the list, covering a wide range of sectors, such as auto repair, metal alloy manufacturing, packing and printing industry.

Starting from this month, the pilot period will last one year, according to a circular jointly released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Under the pilot projects, audit innovation will be explored, so as to shorten evaluation time, improve audit efficiency, and save audit costs, said the circular.

The audit process, technological approaches and evaluation metrics will be optimized in these projects.

During the pilot process, incentive measures will be rolled out to tackle difficult issues, according to the circular.

A batch of replicable and promotable experience is expected to be gained from these pilot projects.

A wharf of Yaojiagang chemical industry park in Zhijiang city, Hubei province. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

Of particular note is that since its launch in December 2022, the first batch of pilot projects for clean production audit innovation have made progress.

Some replicable and promotable experience has already been gained in the first batch of such projects, said an official from MEE in a seminar recently held in Nanjing, adding that a number of technical results such as guidelines and standards for clean production audit and evaluation have been achieved.

As one of the pilot projects, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area has been exploring an integrated audit model in the auto manufacturing sector, through establishing online platforms and online evaluation systems, as well as adopting differentiated management mechanisms.

In recent years, China has made great progress in the field of clean production. Statistics show that since 2016, more than 40,000 enterprises have carried out compulsory clean production audits.

The pilot projects are a follow-up to the National Clean Production Promotion Program for the 14th Five-Year Plan Period, which seeks to advance the pilot projects for clean production audit innovation in key industries, industrial parks and industrial clusters.