Progress, Challenges, and Policy Insights for Collaborative Innovation Pilots on Pollution and Carbon Emission Reduction
This paper systematically reviews the progress and achievements of China's collaborative innovation pilots for pollution and carbon emission reduction, identifies existing problems, and proposes targeted recommendations. As of the first batch, 64 pilot units (21 cities and 43 industrial parks) have issued implementation plans, with overall smooth progress and notable phased outcomes. Most pilots have actively promoted institutional and mechanism innovations, achieving substantial advancements in key sectors and critical areas, and yielding replicable practices. However, challenges persist, including fragmented interdepartmental collaboration, insufficient alignment of management systems, funding shortages for synergistic projects, and inadequate technological support. Recommendations include intensifying awareness campaigns, establishing coordinated promotion mechanisms, accelerating management system implementation, advancing core technology R&D, conducting progress evaluations, and amplifying publicity. For the second batch, suggestions focus on expansion strategies, pilot types, and selection methods, emphasizing incremental tasks, diverse pilot subjects (from provincial to enterprise levels), and clear articulation of expected outcomes and demonstration targets. The paper underscores the need to transform local experiences into institutionalized frameworks, fostering a four-dimensional synergy of carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion, and economic growth, thereby contributing to China's ecological civilization and global climate governance.