Notice of the State Administration of Government Offices on the Work Plan for Energy and Resource Conservation in Public Institutions for 2026

Notice of the State Administration of Government Offices on the Work Plan for Energy and Resource Conservation in Public Institutions for 2026

National Administration of Energy Conservation Document No. 28 [2026]

To the administrative departments for government affairs of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; to the Guangdong Provincial Energy Administration; and to all departments of the central state organs:

　　The year 2026 marks the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Efforts to conserve energy and resources in public institutions must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the successive plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, and earnestly carry out General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on government affairs work. These efforts should also align with the deployment requirements of the National Conference on Government Affairs, remain firmly anchored in their role of supporting economic and social development, take the formulation and implementation of the five-year plan as the central task, and be driven by the goal of peaking carbon emissions. Emphasizing coherence and continuity while fostering exploration and innovation, we will vigorously advance the green and low‑carbon development of public institutions, further bolster the high‑quality development of government affairs based on asset management, and strive to make new contributions to the building of a Beautiful China.

　　 I. Diligently align with and benchmark against relevant standards, thereby contributing to the overarching goal of serving economic and social development.

　　We will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, deeply understand the content of the special chapter in the “Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development,” which calls for accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and building a Beautiful China. We will closely follow General Secretary Xi Jinping’s latest speeches and instructions on conserving energy and resources, and more consciously use Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization to fortify our minds, guide practice, and advance our work. In accordance with the arrangements made at the Central Economic Work Conference, we will vigorously implement the strategy of comprehensive conservation, strengthen full‑chain management and end‑to‑end conservation of all types of resources, and promote the adoption of green and low‑carbon modes of production and living. We will promptly study and put into practice the relevant directives, including the Outline of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, measures to enhance the quality and level of energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction efforts, and the comprehensive evaluation and assessment system for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, ensuring their thorough and faithful implementation.

　　 II. Strengthen overall planning and coordination, and earnestly advance the preparation of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

　　Comprehensively summarize the work of energy and resource conservation in public institutions during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, accurately assess the development landscape, adhere to a problem‑oriented and goal‑oriented approach, and scientifically formulate the plan for energy and resource conservation in public institutions for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Organize and convene the 2026 Conference on Energy and Resource Conservation in Public Institutions, as well as a symposium on the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan for such conservation and on the assessment and evaluation of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, mobilizing all relevant stakeholders to pool their efforts in planning and execution. Actively participate in the drafting and revision of laws and regulations, including the Ecological and Environmental Code, the Energy Conservation Law, and the Water Law; advance the revision of the Regulations on Energy Conservation in Public Institutions; and issue national standards such as the “Guideline for Energy Management of Green Computing Facilities in Public Institutions,” industry standards like the “Guideline for the Configuration and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Public Institutions,” and operational guidelines for air‑conditioning equipment in central administrative and public institutions. By strengthening the legal framework at the top level, these measures lay a solid foundation for the precise implementation of robust standards and norms, thereby better supporting the green and low‑carbon development of public institutions during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

　　 III. Focusing on the carbon peak target, comprehensively refine and implement the dual-control mechanism for carbon emissions.

　　The industry standard “Guidelines for Carbon Emission Accounting in Public Institutions” has been released, clearly defining the scope of accounting boundaries, factor values, and procedural methodologies. Total carbon emission and intensity targets for public institutions during the 15th Five-Year Plan period have been calculated and allocated, and a detailed implementation plan for carbon‑emission assessment in this sector has been formulated. Efforts are underway to optimize energy consumption patterns, promote the electrification of end‑use energy in public institutions, and intensify the deployment of renewable energy sources such as solar power, along with green and low‑carbon technologies and products. Experience and best practices in building a carbon‑inclusive system for public institutions are being systematically summarized, refined, and replicated, while exploration in cutting‑edge areas—such as carbon‑asset trading, virtual power plants, and the integration of green electricity—is being encouraged. A collection of research topics on green and low‑carbon transformation for the 2024–2025 period has been published, and a new round of project applications has been launched.

　　 IV. Leverage the supporting role of projects and vigorously implement energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades.

　　Continue to carry out energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction upgrades for key energy‑using areas and facilities, such as air conditioning systems, elevators, and data centers. All regions should actively coordinate with relevant departments to increase the stable allocation of government‑funded resources for energy and resource conservation in public institutions, and effectively implement the “Two New” policies to advance green transformation. Steadily and orderly promote energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction upgrades in central state organs, and ensure the timely issuance and implementation of the 2026 special central budget investment plan for these initiatives. Develop an implementation plan for the “15th Five-Year Plan” period’s energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction projects in central state organs, enhancing the scientific rigor, foresight, and proactiveness of project decision‑making. Organize a special initiative in 2026 to build charging infrastructure in central state organs, conduct thorough spot checks on 2025 projects, and explore the use of framework agreement procurement. Formulate and issue the “Work Plan for Supervising Energy‑Saving and Carbon‑Reduction Projects in Central State Organs,” strengthening comprehensive management and oversight throughout the entire process.

　　 V. Implement the comprehensive conservation strategy and promote the economical, intensive, and efficient use of resources.  

　　Deepen efforts to promote water conservation by conducting water‑saving assessments in public institutions in accordance with the “Measures for Assessing the Implementation of the Rigid Water‑Resource Constraint System,” publishing the “Interpretation and Practice of the Measures for Water Conservation in Public Institutions,” and advancing the widespread adoption and upgrading of water‑efficient appliances. Enhance the precision of water‑conservation management within central government agencies by verifying the roster of central government units based in Beijing, compiling comprehensive baseline data, and piloting water‑saving upgrades at the headquarters level of these agencies. Fully implement an evaluation and reporting system for the effectiveness of measures to prevent food waste in official canteens, commissioning specialized institutions to assess the performance of anti‑food‑waste initiatives across all government canteens nationwide, and strengthening the application of assessment findings. Continue to advance waste sorting and plastic‑pollution control in public institutions, draft guiding documents for building a circular‑economy framework for waste management, and organize a series of campaigns to collect and recycle used 3C electronic products.

　　 VI. Deepen market-oriented reforms and ensure the steady and orderly implementation of more entrusted‑management projects.

　　Adhering to the principle of combining an efficient market with a proactive government, we will encourage public institutions to engage market‑based service providers for energy‑ and water‑saving technological upgrades, operational management, and related services. We will actively promote effective practices from across the country, compile and publish a collection of case studies on energy‑cost‑management models in public institutions, and collaborate with the Ministry of Water Resources to develop policy documents on the adoption of contractual water‑conservation services by public institutions. These efforts will help ensure that market‑oriented mechanisms are applied more systematically, more broadly, and with higher quality in the public sector. We will also complete an evaluation of the implementation outcomes of energy‑cost‑management schemes in public institutions, aggregate and analyze nationwide data on their deployment, explore ways to refine integrated‑area and industry‑ or system‑specific bundled approaches, and study risk‑mitigation frameworks covering legal and contract‑compliance issues, thereby safeguarding the safe and compliant execution of these initiatives.

　　 VII. Strengthen digital empowerment and optimize statistical reporting, evaluation, and performance assessment for public institutions.

　　Continuously optimize the National Comprehensive Information Platform for Energy and Resource Conservation in Public Institutions, further increasing the proportion of automatically collected water and gas consumption data. Develop modules for energy efficiency grading, energy‑use budget analysis, and carbon‑emission accounting, and deepen the integrated application of energy‑consumption data. Conduct research on and refine data‑sharing mechanisms to promote the seamless integration of energy‑conservation management information with asset‑management data. Deepen research on the quota‑based budgeting system for public‑institution energy consumption, improve the budgeting model, and steadily advance efforts to align central government agencies’ utility‑cost expenditures with energy‑resource‑consumption targets, launching pilot programs in selected regions as appropriate. Organize statistical analyses of energy and resource consumption across all regions and at central government agencies for 2025, and prepare the calculation and allocation of energy‑resource‑consumption targets for central government agencies for 2026. In coordination with the National Development and Reform Commission, carry out performance assessments of energy and resource conservation efforts in public institutions across regions during the 14th Five‑Year Plan period, and conduct evaluations of energy‑conservation initiatives and energy‑efficiency grading assessments for central government agencies.

　　 VIII. Leverage the role of model examples and accelerate the development of green production and lifestyles.

　　In accordance with requirements, we will carry out the selection of public‑institution water‑efficiency leaders (2027–2029) and the 2026 call for green and low‑carbon technologies from public institutions, while supporting the national selection of green computing facilities. We will organize a series of public‑institution energy‑conservation awareness campaigns, including National Ecological Day, National Energy‑Conservation Publicity Week, National Low‑Carbon Day, World Water Day and China Water Week, National Urban Household Waste Sorting Publicity Week, Green Travel Publicity Month and Public Transport Promotion Week, as well as World Food Day. In addition, we will host green and low‑carbon lecture series for public institutions and in‑person training courses for energy‑management officials; co‑organize forums on science and technology innovation to support energy conservation and carbon reduction in public institutions; and encourage participation in remote training programs for public‑institution energy management. Furthermore, we will publicize the exemplary achievements of model resource‑saving public institutions and water‑efficiency leaders for 2023–2024, as well as the outstanding contributions of collectives and individuals recognized with the China Water‑Saving Award.

　　All regions and departments must align their thinking and actions with the central government’s decisions and arrangements, resolutely act as implementers, practitioners, and doers, and ensure the effective implementation of all measures for energy and resource conservation in public institutions by 2026. They should fully leverage the exemplary and leading role of public institutions in accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, thereby securing a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

State Administration of Government Offices

January 27, 2026