Wednesday marked the National Low-Carbon Day. In recent years, the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone has made significant progress in ecological conservation, green development, environmental health, biodiversity protection, and zero-waste initiatives, fostering a shared green development model.

Ecological conservation: Waters revitalized, landscapes upgraded

Through ecological water preservation efforts that retain native vegetation and introduce new planting species, the zone has enhanced biodiversity to improve water quality. Its smart water management platform enables full-time, whole-process, and basin-wide monitoring. 

The Banjiuyan River Ecological Restoration Project. [Photo/WeChat account: hefeigaoxinfabu]

In May, the Banjiuyan River Ecological Restoration Project was launched to boost the river's self-cleaning capacity and flood resilience, improving waterfront communities and creating an urban-river symbiosis model that can be applied countrywide.

Green low-carbon development: Institutional innovation fuels industrial shift

Pioneering an industrial carbon-credit system, the zone incentivizes companies through the Green Development Awards to adopt energy-saving technologies, enabling market-driven carbon management. This minimizes de-carbonization costs while optimizing resource allocation.

Focused on building green industrial clusters spanning PV energy, new materials, NEVs, and environmental tech, the zone is developing as a Core Solar Zone and accelerating the building of the Hefei International Eco-Tech Park. Pilot projects such as integrating PV with storage, hydrogen, and 5G demonstrate cross-sector innovation. Over 500 green enterprises now operate within the zone, showcasing the benefits of industrial clusters.

The Shuxi Lake branch of Hefei Science Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: hefeigaoxinfabu]

Corporate actions are also amplifying these efforts. The Shuxi Lake branch of Hefei Science Museum has installed a 600 kW rooftop PV system, which is capable of generating over 600,000 kWh annually. The GEOVIS Online Earth R&D building has earned China's 3-Star Green Building certification. Hefei Kobayashi's Phase II green intelligent building is aiming to realize near-zero energy consumption. Sungrow has saved over 1,300 MWh in 2023 through technology upgrades, while its subsidiary iCarbon provides carbon-reduction services across the zone. 

Zero-waste city: Advancing resource recycling

As Hefei's first government-led circular economy project, the zone's Resource Recycling Base has processed approximately 60,000 metric tons of construction waste with a 90% recycling rate. Through systematic collection, sorting, and regeneration, it exemplifies efficient resource recovery work.  

Clear skies and flowing clean waters now characterize the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone's ecological progress. The zone is advancing toward a greener future, and realizing a vision of harmonious human-nature coexistence.