China's Dual-Carbon Goals Challenge Wastewater Treatment Plants, Researchers Find

Chinese wastewater treatment plants face significant challenges in meeting the country's dual-carbon goals, which require integrated pollution control and carbon emission reduction. Despite efforts to address these challenges, critical gaps hinder China's strategies for achieving these goals. A new study by researchers from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other institutions has identified key factors influencing indirect emissions from electricity and chemical consumption, and proposed targeted policies to enhance synergy between pollution control and carbon reduction strategies in China's urban wastewater treatment systems.

Key Takeaways:

• China's dual-carbon goals challenge wastewater treatment plants, requiring integrated pollution control and carbon emission reduction.
• Critical gaps hinder China's strategies for WWTPs, particularly in identifying upgrade needs, optimizing performance, and assessing local benchmark plants as references.
• Indirect emissions from electricity and chemical consumption accounted for 59.9% of total GHG emissions from WWTPs in China.
• Key factors influencing indirect emissions included plant scale, treatment processes, geographic area, operational load, electricity consumption, and influent quality.
• 222 benchmark plants were identified as exhibiting optimal synergy between pollution control and carbon reduction.
• Achieving benchmark standards across all WWTPs could lead to a 30% reduction in total GHG emissions.
• Targeted policies are proposed to enhance the synergy between pollution control and carbon reduction strategies in China's urban wastewater treatment systems.

Statistics:

• 2232 WWTPs across China were analyzed in the study.
• Indirect emissions from electricity and chemical consumption accounted for 59.9% of total GHG emissions.
• 222 benchmark plants were identified as exhibiting optimal synergy between pollution control and carbon reduction.
• 80% of benchmark plants met specific criteria for carbon emission intensity, influent COD, influent C/N ratio, electricity consumption intensity, and operating load.
• 861 plants were classified as priority controls, 730 plants as general controls, and 641 plants as maintenance plants.

Sources:

• Synergistic strategies for pollution and carbon emission reduction in China's wastewater treatment: A comprehensive tiered assessment and benchmarking framework. Eco-Environment & Health, 2025,4(2):100155
• Ministry of Ecology and Environment
• National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Xiaoshu Hou, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Greenhouse Gases Co-control, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Center of Environmental Pollution and Greenhouse Gases Co-control, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing 100041, People's