Nine Departments Promote Green Automobile Consumption And Support Purchases Of New Energy Vehicles
On January 5, the Ministry of Commerce and eight other departments issued a notice on implementing the Green Consumption Promotion Action, which sets out measures to advance green consumption across multiple sectors and explicitly calls for promoting green automobile consumption. The notice emphasizes support for consumers purchasing new energy vehicles, strengthening the automotive industry chain, and developing the aftermarket by tapping potential in used cars, car rental, vehicle modification and car‑sharing services. It also encourages exploration of mechanisms to monetize idle vehicles and supports new consumption formats such as recreational vehicle camping, drive‑in cinemas and self‑drive tourism.
The notice, addressed to provincial, regional and municipal commerce, development and reform, industry and information technology, ecology and environment, housing and urban‑rural development, agriculture and rural affairs, market regulation and financial supervision authorities, as well as the Shanghai headquarters of the People’s Bank of China and local branches, frames the Green Consumption Promotion Action as part of implementing the decisions of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and related central government guidance. The objective is to accelerate the green transformation of development and consumption patterns during the 15th Five‑Year Plan period and to expand the supply and uptake of green products and services.
The notice calls for expanding the supply of green agricultural products by encouraging enterprises to increase procurement of certified green and organic produce, specialty agricultural items and geographical‑indication products, and by supporting dedicated sales areas that display quality certification, traceability information and pesticide residue test results. It urges supermarkets and food retailers to manage near‑expiry items with special labeling or centralized displays and to facilitate direct procurement links between production bases and retail or catering outlets to increase market availability of high‑quality green agricultural goods.
In the household sector, the notice promotes the adoption of certified green smart appliances and non‑fluorinated air conditioners, the improvement of energy and water efficiency standards, and the development of a green smart appliance certification system. It encourages selection of green kitchen and bathroom products and green building materials with a focus on sustainability, intelligence and elderly‑friendly design, and supports inclusion of qualified green appliance and home‑decoration brands in national consumer brand lists. The document also calls for continued promotion of high‑quality, green development in bulk cement production.
Regarding automobiles, the notice reiterates support for consumer purchases of new energy vehicles and calls for measures to fortify the automotive supply chain while unlocking the aftermarket’s potential. It highlights opportunities in used‑car circulation, vehicle rental, modification and sharing, and encourages initiatives to activate idle vehicles as income sources. The notice further supports the development of experiential consumption formats such as RV camping, automotive cinemas and self‑drive travel.
On services, the notice urges the catering sector and food‑delivery platforms to comply with relevant laws and green standards, reduce emissions, curb food waste and promote degradable or reusable packaging. It encourages restaurants and institutional canteens to guide consumers toward appropriate portioning and to adopt smaller‑portion options, while inviting internet platforms to introduce green catering labels. In accommodation, the notice promotes green hotels that adopt non‑toxic, water‑saving and degradable cleaning agents and supplies, provide refillable toiletries, and innovate services such as healthy‑sleep rooms, with online platforms encouraged to highlight green hotels and accommodation providers incentivized to reward green consumption through points or vouchers. The notice also supports eco‑friendly housekeeping services, the use of biodegradable cleaning products and smart devices to improve service efficiency.
The document advocates building green supply chains that pursue end‑to‑end green development, promote shared delivery and reusable packaging, prioritize procurement of energy‑ and water‑saving equipment, and encourage adoption of non‑fluorine refrigeration and ultra‑low emission upgrades. It recommends that enterprises conduct supply‑chain carbon‑footprint assessments, expand promotion of green products and packaging, and innovate circular packaging solutions while reducing volatile organic compound emissions. The notice proposes exploring a unified green consumption points system that links product certification with points accrual and redemption, and it calls for the development of green leasing and sharing models that leverage artificial intelligence to optimize resource allocation and scheduling.
On recycling, the notice supports reducing single‑use plastics through alternatives such as reusable bags and recyclable packaging, encourages e‑commerce and logistics cooperation to enable direct shipment of original packaging where feasible, and promotes bamboo‑based substitutes. It calls for construction of a three‑tier recycling network of collection points, transfer stations and regional sorting centers, with emphasis on recovering furniture, appliances, electronics and textiles. Producers are encouraged to establish reverse logistics for parts reuse, and market participants are urged to expand online recycling platforms, trade‑in programs and smart collection services. Financial institutions are invited to increase green credit support for high‑value recycling projects. The notice also supports development of second‑hand goods markets and platforms, rental and buy‑back business models, community flea markets and other initiatives to circulate idle goods.
To improve the green consumption environment, the notice recommends wider adoption of energy‑efficient facilities and smart energy management systems, greater use of green electricity, and optimization of green building design to reduce energy consumption. It calls for public education campaigns to promote low‑carbon lifestyles, encourage consumers to bring reusable items and select low‑packaging products, and to reduce single‑use tableware in food delivery. The notice further proposes integrating green consumption themes into national environmental publicity weeks and community activities to raise awareness.
The notice emphasizes strengthening the institutional foundation for green consumption by encouraging enterprises to adopt standards for green malls, green catering and green hotels, promoting certification and cultivating green operators, and supporting leading enterprises in driving supply‑chain green transformation. It also urges participation in international standard‑setting to align domestic green consumption standards with global norms and to promote exchanges on certification and technical cooperation.
Finally, the notice calls for enhanced policy coordination at local and central levels, linking green consumption promotion with pilot programs for modern trade and circulation systems, new consumption formats, community service pilots and retail innovation projects, and providing incentives for qualified green malls and hotels where conditions permit. It encourages financial institutions to expand green consumption lending, facilitate services for consumers with good green records, develop insurance products for green consumption, compile project databases for green infrastructure, and support issuance of REITs for eligible projects.
Local authorities are instructed to recognize the role of green consumption in expanding overall demand, to plan and implement measures systematically, and to monitor progress in energy‑saving upgrades, green product sales, packaging and recycling, while summarizing and disseminating effective practices.
Issued By: Ministry Of Commerce; National Development And Reform Commission; Ministry Of Industry And Information Technology; Ministry Of Ecology And Environment; Ministry Of Housing And Urban‑Rural Development; Ministry Of Agriculture And Rural Affairs; People’s Bank Of China; State Administration For Market Regulation; National Financial Regulatory Administration.
