Industrial park climate action practices highlighted at COP31

State Grid's climate action commitments and innovative low-carbon practices in industrial parks stood out as a key highlight during the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31).

On November 9 in Antalya, the 2026 Enterprise and Industrial Park Climate Action Achievements Collection was officially released at a press briefing hosted by the UNFCCC Secretariat and organized by the Center for Environmental Education and Communications under China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Two exemplary industrial park practices from State Grid were selected for inclusion, presenting replicable Chinese solutions for the low-carbon transformation and green upgrading of industrial zones.

COP31 places strong global focus on energy electrification, forecasting that electricity will account for 35 percent of global final energy consumption by 2035. As major hubs of energy consumption and carbon emissions, industrial parks are pivotal to advancing worldwide decarbonization. Against this backdrop, State Grid has accelerated the construction of a new-type power grid driven by upgraded grid architecture, breakthrough technologies and comprehensive low-carbon services.

In grid architecture optimization, State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company transmits clean hydropower to Suzhou Industrial Park through ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission lines and operates China's largest active distribution network demonstration zone. The park's core area achieves a power supply reliability rate of 99.999 percent and realizes 100 percent local consumption of renewable energy resources. Meanwhile, Liyang High-Tech Zone has built the largest microgrid cluster in the province and one of China's earliest green power direct-access projects, establishing a robust energy supply system featuring main grid guarantee, distribution grid mutual backup and independent microgrid operation.

In technological innovation, Suzhou's virtual power plant platform delivers 79.4 megawatts of adjustable flexible capacity with a demand response accuracy of 98 percent. Liyang has launched China's first SGS-certified electricity-carbon factor platform, leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms to precisely optimize green power allocation and consumption efficiency.

In low-carbon service innovation, Suzhou has pioneered China's first regional market-oriented carbon inclusion system, covering more than 600 local enterprises. The system has generated 500,000 tonnes of verified carbon reduction credits, with 190,000 tonnes successfully traded. Liyang's integrated electricity-carbon coordination mechanism provides full-spectrum services including carbon accounting, emission reduction management, carbon trading and low-carbon evaluation, and has supported the export of China's first batch of carbon-neutral power transformers.

As global climate governance enters a new phase shifting from climate pledges to concrete implementation, State Grid's industrial park practices demonstrate how power grid operators are evolving from traditional electricity suppliers into core system integrators for green and low-carbon transition. The scalable model offers valuable references for industrial parks with diverse resource conditions worldwide.