[Ministry of Education] Green and low-carbon development of national education system construction implementation plan

From the Department of Education

 We should integrate the concept of green and low-carbon development into all levels and fields of the national education system, cultivate a new generation of young people who practice the concept of green and low-carbon, adapt to the green and low-carbon society, and lead the green and low-carbon development. We should give full play to the functions of talent training, scientific research, social services and cultural inheritance of the education system, and make unique contributions to the education industry for the realization of the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Formulate the implementation plan.

I. General requirements

(1) Guiding ideology.

 We will build a national education system for green and low-carbon development with distinctive features, links up and down, and rich content, guide young people to firmly establish the concept of green and low-carbon development, and lay a solid ideological and action foundation for achieving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

2. Working principles.

-- Adhering to national planning. Strengthen the overall design and work guidance, give full play to the advantages of the system, and consolidate the responsibilities of all parties. We will adopt policies based on local conditions, encourage active action and lead by example. With the emphasis on concept construction and habit formation, the green and low-carbon orientation will be integrated into all fields and links of the national education system, and the construction of a green and low-carbon national education system will be accelerated.

-- Giving priority to conservation. We give top priority to energy and resources conservation, actively build green schools, continuously reduce energy and resources consumption and carbon emissions in primary and secondary schools, attach importance to campus energy saving technology transformation and campus greening, advocate simple, moderate, green and low-carbon lifestyle, and reduce carbon emissions from the source.

-- Educating people through the whole process. While focusing on the inclusion of green and low-carbon in the education and teaching activities of universities and primary and secondary schools, the latest achievements of ecological civilization construction and the target and task requirements of carbon peak and carbon neutrality will be added to the training of teachers. We should not only pay attention to the school energy-saving technology transformation, energy management, but also pay attention to the creation of campus soft environment, to achieve the effect of moistening things silently.

-- Upholding openness and integration. Priority should be given to the dissemination of green and low-carbon concepts and achievements in technological progress in schools, and leading enterprises in the industry should offer free social practice classes to universities, primary and secondary schools. Institutions of higher learning should increase their investment in green and low-carbon scientific research and technology, and contribute their educational efforts to achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

Ii. Main objectives

By 2025, the concept of green and low-carbon life and the norms of green and low-carbon development will be popularized in universities and primary and secondary schools, and the concept of green and low-carbon will enter the education system of universities and primary and secondary schools. Relevant universities have initially set up a professional system of disciplines related to carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and significantly improved their scientific and technological innovation capabilities and training of innovative talents.

By 2030, we will realize the systematic cultivation and development of students' green and low-carbon lifestyle and behavior habits, form a relatively complete multi-level education system of green and low-carbon concepts and understand the whole growth process of young people, and form a number of first-class disciplines and research institutions with international influence and authority to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutral.

3. Integrate green and low-carbon development into education and teaching

1. Incorporating green and low-carbon requirements into textbooks for all school sections of national education.  Aiming at the psychological characteristics and acceptability of young people at different ages, we will systematically plan and scientifically design teaching content, improve educational methods, and encourage the development of local and school-based curriculum materials. Preschool education focuses on enlightening children's awareness of ecological protection and developing green and low-carbon life habits through picture books and animations. In the stage of basic education, the basic concept and knowledge of carbon peak carbon neutrality should be popularized in the teaching materials of politics, biology, geography, physics, chemistry and other subjects. In the stage of higher education, we should strengthen the integration of science, engineering, agriculture, economics, management, law and other disciplines, establish a core knowledge system covering the fields of climate system, energy transformation, industrial upgrading, urban and rural development, international politics and economy, diplomacy and other fields, accelerate the compilation of cross-field comprehensive knowledge maps, and compile a batch of high-quality teaching materials in the field of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. To form a high-quality resource base. At the vocational education stage, emerging majors or courses such as statistical accounting of carbon emissions, measurement and monitoring of carbon emissions and carbon sinks will be gradually established.

2. Strengthen education and training for teachers on green and low-carbon development. Education administrative departments at all levels, normal colleges and schools of continuing Education for teachers should add the latest knowledge of carbon peak carbon neutrality, the latest requirements of green and low-carbon development, responsibilities and missions in the field of education into the curriculum system of normal university students, principal training and teacher training based on the actual situation, so as to encourage teachers to take the lead in establishing green and low-carbon concepts and enhance their ability to spread green and low-carbon knowledge.

(3) Incorporate the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on carbon peak carbon neutrality into the ideological and political work system of institutions of higher learning. Give full play to the main channel role of the classroom, green and low-carbon development related content organically into college ideological and political theory courses. Through the situation and policy education propaganda of colleges and universities, expert reports, symposia and other special topics, college students are guided to study and discuss on green and low-carbon development, improve their understanding of the importance of achieving the strategic goal of carbon neutrality, and promote the concept of green and low-carbon development into thinking and politics, classrooms and minds. We will coordinate online and offline education resources, give full play to the exemplary and leading role of ideological and political public accounts in colleges and universities, and extensively carry out publicity and education on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

4. Strengthening the development of green and low-carbon related disciplines. In line with the needs of the national work to achieve carbon neutrality, institutions of higher learning and vocational colleges with conditions and foundations will be encouraged to strengthen the construction of disciplines and specialties in relevant fields, innovate their personnel training models, and support those institutions of higher learning with conditions and strength to accelerate the construction of disciplines such as energy storage, hydrogen energy, carbon capture, utilization and storage, carbon emission trading, carbon sinks, and green finance. Universities are encouraged to offer introductory courses on peak carbon neutrality. We will build a number of green and low-carbon future technology colleges, modern industry colleges and demonstration energy colleges, carry out international cooperation and exchanges, and increase the training of high-level professionals in green and low-carbon development. We will deepen the integration of industry and education, encourage schools and enterprises to jointly carry out industry-school collaborative education projects, and establish a carbon peak carbon neutral alliance for the integration of industry and education. We will guide vocational colleges to add more majors in the field of green and low-carbon development. By 2025, there will be no less than 600 majors in the field of green and low-carbon development across the country, publish teaching standards for these majors, and support vocational colleges to increase investment in low-carbon building, photovoltaic, hydropower, wind power, environmental protection, statistical accounting of carbon emissions, measurement and monitoring, and other related fields as needed to strengthen their faculty. We will promote the integration of ecological civilization with professional norms, and the integration of vocational qualifications with green standards for vocational certification. We will improve the curriculum system and training conditions, develop about 100 types of teaching materials, and appropriately expand the training of technical and skilled personnel.

(5) Practice green and low-carbon as an important content of education activities. We will create new forms of green and low-carbon education, make full use of the smart education platform to develop high-quality educational resources, popularize relevant knowledge and carry out online activities. Taking the National Energy Conservation Publicity Week, National Urban Water Conservation Publicity Week, National Low-carbon Day, World Environment Day, World Earth Day and other themed publicity points as opportunities, we organize themed class meetings, special lectures, knowledge contests, essay contests and other forms of educational activities, and continue to carry out life practice activities such as water saving, electricity saving, food saving, garbage sorting and campus greening. Primary and secondary school students should be guided to establish the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and consciously practice the requirements of saving energy and resources and protecting the ecological environment. Social practice will be strengthened, and college students will be organized to visit factories and mining enterprises and rural communities to learn about the progress of carbon neutrality through field visits, social research, voluntary service and the writing of research reports.

4. Green and low-carbon development will lead the way in improving the contribution of education services

6. Supporting institutions of higher learning to carry out research on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. We will strengthen the cultivation of national innovation platforms such as the national key laboratories for carbon peaking, the National Technology Innovation Center, and the National Engineering Research Center, and set up a number of research teams to tackle key problems, and speed up basic theoretical research and breakthroughs in key generic technologies in green and low-carbon fields. We will optimize the layout of innovation platforms for universities in related fields, promote the development of cutting-edge science centers and major platforms for integrating key and core technologies, and build a system for tackling key problems in a whole chain, from basic research and technological innovation to industrialization. We will support joint scientific and technological enterprises of universities and colleges in establishing technology research and development centers, industrial research institutes, pilot pilot bases, and collaborative innovation centers, and build industry-university-research innovation networks for the development of carbon-neutral technologies. We will focus on common needs and difficult issues in the green and low-carbon fields, carry out joint research on green and low-carbon technologies, and promote the transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements to serve high-quality economic and social development.

7. Supporting institutions of higher learning to carry out policy research and social services in the field of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Guide colleges and universities to give full play to their talent advantages, organize professional forces, carry out cutting-edge theoretical and policy research around carbon peaking carbon neutrality, and provide policy advisory services for carbon peaking carbon neutrality. Assist relevant administrative departments in important policy research, decision evaluation and policy interpretation, actively participate in the development of various planning and standards related to carbon peak carbon neutralization, project review and demonstration, and support and guarantee the implementation of key work and key projects.

5. Integrate green and low-carbon development into campus construction

8. Improve the campus energy management system. Encourage all localities and universities to carry out research on campus energy consumption, establish a monitoring system for campus energy consumption, conduct real-time tracking and accurate analysis of campus energy consumption data, and establish a comprehensive campus energy management system covering saving electricity, water and gas, as well as advocating green travel, according to campus energy consumption and the needs of teachers and students in study and work. Accelerate the application of modern information technologies such as mobile Internet, cloud computing, Internet of Things and big data in campus teaching, scientific research, infrastructure, logistics and social services, so as to achieve intelligent and dynamic energy management in the logistics field of colleges and universities, and boost the quality and efficiency of green development, transformation and upgrading of schools.

(9) Giving priority to the use of energy-saving and emission-reduction technology products and services in the construction of new campuses and the renovation of existing campuses. Advanced energy-saving and new energy technology products and services are widely used in the field of campus construction and management. We will gradually reduce the proportion of traditional fossil energy used, increase the proportion of green and clean energy used, and reduce carbon emissions at source. We will accelerate the large-scale development of ultra-low energy consumption, near-zero energy consumption and low-carbon buildings, and improve the energy efficiency of new school buildings. We will vigorously promote energy-saving renovation of existing school buildings and old heating pipelines, promote energy-saving products such as energy-saving doors and Windows and green building materials, and reduce the energy demand of buildings. Encourage the use of natural ventilation, natural lighting and other passive technologies; According to local conditions, efficient refrigeration room technology, intelligent heating technology, intelligent energy control platform and other new technical means to reduce energy consumption. Optimize the energy structure of school buildings. We will accelerate efforts to electrify and decarbonize the energy used in school buildings, and further promote the large-scale application of renewable energy in school construction. In areas where conditions permit, we will carry out rooftop photovoltaic activities for school buildings to promote the integrated development of photovoltaic and architecture. We will vigorously increase the electrification of hot water and cooking utensils in schools. Attach importance to campus greening, encourage the use of roof greening, vertical greening, increasing natural landscape water and other green means, increase the campus natural carbon sink area.

Vi. Safeguard measures

10. Strengthen organizational leadership. Educational administrative departments at all levels should attach great importance to the construction of the national education system for green and low-carbon development, with the goal of serving carbon to achieve peak carbon neutrality and major strategic decisions, coordinate various resources, intensify exploration efforts, and formulate work plans based on local realities and the establishment of green schools. We will give full play to the intellectual advantages of talents in the education system and speed up the construction of the national education system for green and low-carbon development.

11. Promoting coordinated security. We will strengthen leadership in the construction of a national education system for green and low-carbon development, strengthen collaboration between various departments, and form a working mechanism for promoting the construction of a national education system for green and low-carbon development in a coordinated manner. We will provide funding and policy guarantees for major scientific and technological tasks, major subjects, key disciplines and key laboratories in the construction of the national education system for green and low-carbon development, and steadily promote green and low-carbon campus work.

12. Strengthen publicity and guidance. Local governments should take a combination of measures, actively advocate the concept of green and low-carbon development, timely publicize the progress of the construction of the national education system for green and low-carbon development, summarize and promote the experience and practices of schools at all levels and of all types, strengthen the positive publicity of advanced and typical cases, give play to the role of example and demonstration, achieve good publicity results, and guide teachers and students in the education system to form a simple and moderate lifestyle. Create a green, low-carbon and good social atmosphere.