Green consumption paints a vivid picture of a better life
2026-01-12
Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and nine other departments jointly issued the "Notice on Implementing the Green Consumption Promotion Action", which has drawn a clear roadmap for the green transformation of the Chinese consumer market from top-level design to implementation. At the critical juncture of China's economic transformation, the introduction of this policy will not only help expand domestic demand and promote consumption, but also relate to profound changes in production and lifestyle. From the perspective of economic laws, the "green vote" on the consumer side will strongly drive the transformation on the supply side. In the past, policies generally focused on the economies of scale at the production end, and environmental governance was mostly 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 the consumer end on resources and the environment. If the consumption pattern does not change, there will still be a market for high energy consuming and high emission products, and the green transformation of the production side will be difficult to obtain sustained endogenous momentum. The core of this policy is to utilize market mechanisms to transmit the pressure and momentum of green development to consumer terminals. When consumers are more inclined to choose detergents with the "China Environmental Label" in front of the shelves, or decisively choose cars with lower energy consumption when purchasing, this huge market demand will form a strong driving force, forcing companies to carry out green technology innovation throughout their entire lifecycle. From the promotion of "slimming tape" in the express delivery industry to the rise of "bamboo instead of plastic" packaging in food delivery, every small consumer choice is driving the industry chain from raw material acquisition to production process improvement, and then to waste recycling. From the perspective of market vitality, digital empowerment and model innovation are transforming green consumption from a conceptual advocacy to a fashion trend. Nowadays, green consumption is no longer an unattainable concept, but has been integrated into the commercial fabric through technological means. Major e-commerce platforms have launched "green bills" and "carbon accounts" to quantify every low-carbon behavior of consumers through methods such as point redemption and credit rights. In the field of second-hand transactions, from electronic products to books and clothing, idle items have been "transferred" on digital platforms, not only extending the product lifecycle, but also giving birth to a circular economy market worth billions of dollars. At the same time, offline scenes are also accelerating their revitalization. The emergence of the first batch of "zero carbon cafes" and "green shopping malls" provides consumers with immersive environmental experiences using technologies such as photovoltaic power generation and fully degradable materials. It is worth noting that this policy proposes the establishment of a "green consumption credit system", which will assetize and contextualize green behavior, making it not only a moral consciousness, but also a profitable and perceptible credit asset, and building a long-term positive incentive mechanism. From the perspective of people's livelihood and well-being, green consumption has painted a vivid background for a better life. Green consumption symbolizes a healthier and higher quality of life upgrade. From organic vegetables with traceable source code in supermarkets to the popular "first level energy efficiency" variable frequency air conditioners in home appliance stores; Green consumption permeates every aspect of people's lives, from shared bicycles that can be easily scanned by a mobile phone, to energy-saving lights automatically adjusted by smart home systems. The simplicity, moderation, green and low-carbon advocated by it is a powerful correction against negative trends such as excessive packaging and luxury waste, representing a new value system that shifts from "having more" to "experiencing better". It is a vivid practice of the concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. It can be said that promoting green consumption is to meet the needs of the people 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 system engineering that involves multiple links such as production, circulation, consumption, and recycling, requiring collaborative efforts from the government, market, and society. The government should play a guiding role as a "tangible hand", continuously improve the green standard system, maintain market fairness and transparency, and ensure that consumers dare to buy and are willing to buy; The market should play the role of an "invisible hand" in configuration, reduce green costs through technological innovation, and provide more affordable and high-quality green products; Individuals in society should actively respond, refuse disposable tableware, adhere to garbage classification, choose public transportation as much as possible, prioritize purchasing energy-saving products, and contribute to a green future. When the seeds of green take root and sprout in every rational consumption choice, and when green and low-carbon become the shining business card of Chinese manufacturing going global, China can not only reap the economic benefits of "gold and silver mountains", but also maintain the ecological foundation of "green mountains and clear waters". The anchor of green consumption and the direction of high-quality development are the confidence of China's stable and far-reaching economic development. Author: Zhang Xiaoxi (Researcher at the Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
Edit:Luoyu Responsible editor:Wang Erdong
Source:GMW.cn
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