[Guangming Forum]
Author: Zhang Xiaoxi (Researcher, Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
Recently, nine departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, jointly issued the "Notice on Implementing the Green Consumption Promotion Action," outlining a clear roadmap for the green transformation of China's consumer market, from top-level design to implementation details. At this crucial juncture of economic transformation in China, this policy will not only help expand domestic demand and boost consumption, but also bring about profound changes in production and lifestyles.
From an economic perspective, the "green vote" from the consumer end will strongly drive supply-side reforms. In the past, policies generally focused on the scale effect of production, with environmental governance concentrated at the end of the production process, such as energy conservation, emission reduction, and pollution control. However, we should also recognize the profound impact of consumption on resources and the environment. If consumption patterns don't change, high-energy-consuming and high-emission products will still have a market, making it difficult for green transformation on the production side to gain sustained endogenous momentum. The core of this policy is to utilize market mechanisms to transmit the pressure and impetus for green development to the consumer end. When consumers are more inclined to choose detergents with the "China Environmental Label" on the shelf, or decisively choose cars with lower energy consumption when purchasing a vehicle, this huge market demand will create a powerful forcing mechanism, compelling companies to innovate green technologies throughout their entire lifecycle. From the "slimmed-down tape" promoted in the express delivery industry to the "bamboo-based" packaging in the food delivery industry, every small consumer choice is forcing the entire industrial chain to improve from raw material acquisition to production processes, and then to the recycling of waste.
From the perspective of market vitality, digital empowerment and model innovation are transforming green consumption from a concept advocacy into a fashionable trend. Today, green consumption is no longer an unattainable concept, but rather integrated into the fabric of commerce through technological means. Major e-commerce platforms have launched "green bills" and "carbon accounts," quantifying consumers' low-carbon behaviors through points redemption and credit benefits. In the secondhand market, from electronics to books and clothing, idle items are circulating on digital platforms, not only extending product lifecycles but also spawning a circular economy market worth hundreds of billions. Meanwhile, offline scenarios are also rapidly evolving. The emergence of the first batch of "zero-carbon cafes" and "green shopping malls" utilizes technologies such as photovoltaic power generation and fully biodegradable materials to provide consumers with an immersive environmental experience. It is worth noting that this policy proposes establishing a "green consumption points system," assetizing and contextualizing green behaviors, making green not only a moral imperative but also a profitable and perceptible credit asset, building a long-term positive incentive mechanism.
From the perspective of people's well-being, green consumption paints a vivid picture of a better life. Green consumption symbolizes a healthier and higher-quality lifestyle. From organic vegetables with traceability codes in supermarkets to "Level 1 energy efficiency" inverter air conditioners selling well in appliance stores; from shared bicycles that can be opened with a tap on a mobile phone to energy-saving lights that automatically adjust in smart home systems, green consumption permeates every aspect of people's lives. Its advocacy of simplicity, moderation, and low carbon emissions effectively corrects the unhealthy trends of excessive packaging and extravagance, representing a new value system that shifts from "having more" to "experiencing better," and is a vivid practice of the concept of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It can be said that promoting green consumption is meeting the people's needs for a beautiful ecological environment and high-quality ecological products, which is also the ultimate goal of high-quality development.
Green consumption is a complex systemic project involving multiple stages such as production, distribution, consumption, and recycling, requiring concerted efforts from the government, the market, and society. The government should play a guiding role, continuously improving the green standards system, maintaining market fairness and transparency, and ensuring consumers are willing and able to purchase green products. The market should play an allocating role, reducing green costs through technological innovation and providing more affordable and high-quality green products. Individuals should actively respond by refusing disposable tableware, adhering to waste sorting, choosing public transportation whenever possible, and prioritizing the purchase of energy-saving products, contributing to a green future.
When the seeds of green development take root and sprout in every rational consumption choice, and when green and low-carbon practices become a shining symbol of "Made in China" on the world stage, China will not only reap economic benefits but also safeguard its ecological foundation of "green mountains and clear waters." Using green consumption as an anchor to guide high-quality development is precisely the source of China's confidence in achieving steady and sustainable economic growth.
Guangming Daily (January 12, 2026, page 2)
