China National Nuclear Power Deeply Studies and Practices the Ecological Environment Code, Undertaking the Historic Mission of Green and Low-Carbon Energy Transition

The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Ecological Environment Code) officially came into effect on August 15, 2026. The Ecological Environment Code is an important achievement in implementing Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law. It is the second law in China named after a "Code" following the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, providing solid legal safeguards and fundamental legal guidance for the construction of a Beautiful China. China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as China National Nuclear Power), as a main force in China's nuclear energy development and an important force in achieving the "dual carbon" goals, deeply implements the Ecological Environment Code, practices the concept of green development, contributes safe and clean energy, and empowers the construction of a Beautiful China.

Deeply Understand the Significant Implications of the Code's Promulgation and Implementation, and Earnestly Undertake the Mission and Responsibility of Green and Low-Carbon Development

The official promulgation and implementation of the Ecological Environment Code is a milestone event in the process of China's ecological civilization rule of law construction, marking the transition of ecological environment protection and green development governance from fragmented legislation to a systematic, integrated, and modernized new stage. The Ecological Environment Code establishes green and low-carbon development as an independent part, breaking through the limitations of traditional environmental legislation that focuses on end-of-pipe pollution control, promoting the extension of ecological environment rule of law to the source-level coordination of development models, and improving the institutional framework for coordinated advancement of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and economic growth, providing legal guidance for energy structure transition and clean energy development.

The Code coordinates ecological security, environmental governance, energy transformation, and low-carbon development, constructing a comprehensive, full-chain, and full-coverage ecological rule of law safeguard system, providing fundamental legal guidance for industries including nuclear power to carry out green transition in a standardized manner and fulfill ecological responsibilities. Nuclear energy, as a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy source, is the core support for implementing the "dual carbon" goals and optimizing the national energy structure. China National Nuclear Power must proactively align with the Code's legal requirements, adhere to the prevention principle of "insisting on strict management and safety first, promoting the development and peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear technology," deeply grasp the dialectical relationship between ecological governance and energy development in the new era, and promote the green and high-quality development of the nuclear energy industry and comprehensive nuclear energy utilization through rule-of-law thinking and methods.

Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, "Glory of the Nation"

Accurately Grasp the Requirements for Accelerating the Construction of a New Energy System, and Promote the High-Quality Development of the Nuclear Energy Industry Along the Track of Rule of Law

The Ecological Environment Code, for the first time, systematically establishes the legal principles and rule designs for energy green and low-carbon transition. Together with the Atomic Energy Law of the People's Republic of China and the Nuclear Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, it constitutes a "trinity" legal framework for China's nuclear energy regulation. China National Nuclear Power practices the concept of "Harmony of Nuclear Power, Coexistence of All Things," adheres to the principle of "Safety First, Quality First," actively promotes the high-quality development of nuclear power, and contributes "hardcore" strength to accelerating the construction of a new energy system.

Actively, Safely, and Orderly Carry Out Nuclear Power Construction. The Ecological Environment Code stipulates that "the state actively, safely, and orderly develops nuclear power" and "accelerates the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system, and builds an energy powerhouse." Nuclear energy, as a clean, efficient, and stable baseload energy source, undertakes multiple missions of ensuring energy security, supporting the large-scale development of new energy, and promoting deep decarbonization of the power system.

China National Nuclear Power constructs and operates nuclear power units in strict accordance with the world's highest safety standards, strengthens safety supervision across the entire chain and all fields, and continuously improves nuclear safety construction and operation management levels. It strictly implements the Code's relevant requirements on ecological environment protection and nuclear safety, continuously strengthens full-lifecycle environmental management of nuclear power projects, promotes development through safety, and ensures safety through development. It fully leverages the technological advantages of independent third-generation nuclear power technologies such as "Hualong One," integrating the dual concepts of inherent safety and green ecology at the design stage, and advancing standardized and batch construction.

Effectively Protect the Ecological Environment. Part III of the Ecological Environment Code, the Ecological Protection Part, makes systematic provisions on coastal wetland management and control, migratory bird habitat protection, and biodiversity maintenance, strictly constraining disturbances to intertidal zones and tidal flat wetlands caused by coastal development activities, clarifying statutory requirements for avoiding rare and endangered wildlife habitats and ecological restoration, providing clear legal guidelines for nuclear power bases to coordinate energy construction with coastal ecological protection.

Zhangjiang Estuary Mangrove National Nature Reserve

China National Nuclear Power routinely conducts ecological monitoring of water bodies, atmosphere, and organisms around its plants, implements targeted biodiversity protection measures, and effectively maintains a sound ecological environment around its sites. Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power precisely protects the habitat of the white butterfly shell (Pinctada maxima), a national second-class protected species, and cultivates high-quality Australian white pearls by leveraging the stable environment of the surrounding sea area, achieving a win-win outcome for energy, ecology, and humanistic values. Zhejiang Sanmen Nuclear Power carries out special protection for endangered species such as the pheasant-tailed jacana and the reed parrotbill, achieving harmonious coexistence between the industrial plant area and the wetland ecosystem. Fuqing Nuclear Power cares for the habitats of migratory birds, with the endangered black-faced spoonbill inhabiting the Xinghua Bay wetlands around the plant year-round.

Vigorously Promote Comprehensive Nuclear Energy Utilization. Part IV of the Ecological Environment Code clearly upholds green and low-carbon development, encourages the development and utilization of clean energy and low-carbon technologies, and provides clear policy orientation and legal basis for comprehensive nuclear energy utilization. In addition to power generation, nuclear energy for heating, steam supply, seawater desalination, and hydrogen production also plays a unique role in the green and low-carbon energy transition.

China National Nuclear Power actively expands new businesses such as comprehensive energy utilization including nuclear heating and steam supply, and isotope industry R&D, promoting the development of comprehensive energy construction and nuclear power direct-connection industrial parks. In Haiyan, Zhejiang Province, and Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, nuclear heating and steam supply have been realized, benefiting people's livelihoods and enterprises, achieving good operational performance, and verifying the technical feasibility and economic applicability of comprehensive nuclear energy utilization. In cooperation with local governments in Fujian and Jiangsu provinces, zero-carbon industrial parks are being jointly built, deeply coupling nuclear heating and steam supply with chemical park energy consumption, creating a "Nuclear +" comprehensive energy service model to support the low-carbon transition of park energy consumption.

Actively Explore Nuclear Power Empowering New Quality Productive Forces. The Green and Low-Carbon Development Part of the Ecological Environment Code stipulates: "The state optimizes the energy structure, actively, safely, and orderly develops nuclear power, and promotes the green and low-carbon transition of energy." For the first time, the strategic positioning of nuclear energy as a clean and low-carbon energy source is clarified at the level of ecological environment law, providing legal space for the integrated development of nuclear power and the digital industry.

China National Nuclear Power builds smart power plants, leveraging technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and digital twins to improve nuclear power operation efficiency and safety levels, actively explores new paths for the integrated development of nuclear power with computing power and data industries, and cultivates new business forms of "Nuclear Power + Computing Power" integrated development. In terms of smart energy management, it develops a digital platform for comprehensive nuclear energy utilization, achieving coordinated optimization of nuclear power, energy storage, and load, providing clean and stable power support and comprehensive energy solutions for high-energy-consuming industries.

Actively Improve the Nuclear Legal System Through Innovative Practice, and Strive to Write an Outstanding Answer Sheet for the Construction of a Beautiful China

Over the past 70-plus years, China's nuclear industry has grown from nothing and from small to large, and the nuclear legal system has been continuously improved through exploration. The Nuclear Safety Law of the People's Republic of China incorporates the nuclear safety concept of "rationality, coordination, and progress," consolidating the safety development philosophy of the nuclear industry. The Atomic Energy Law of the People's Republic of China establishes the overall principles, management system, and core institutions for the development of atomic energy. The Ecological Environment Code further brings the green and low-carbon development of nuclear energy into the track of ecological civilization rule of law. China National Nuclear Power will deepen legal practice, build on technology, and lead with standards, contributing to the continuous improvement of China's nuclear legal system.

Strengthen Nuclear Safety Technical Support and Standards and Specifications System. China National Nuclear Power has always adhered to the principle of nuclear safety first, continuously strengthening the construction of nuclear safety, nuclear emergency, and nuclear security technical systems. In terms of nuclear safety technology, relying on independent technologies such as "Hualong One," it promotes the formation of an internationally advanced nuclear safety technical standards system covering the full lifecycle of nuclear power. In terms of nuclear emergency technology, it establishes and improves emergency response technical platforms for nuclear power plants, forming rapid-response, coordinated, and linked nuclear emergency technical capabilities. In terms of nuclear security technology, it comprehensively applies physical protection, technical protection, and human protection measures to build a defense-in-depth technical barrier. At the same time, it participates in the formulation of technical standards by international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Association of Nuclear Operators, promoting the alignment of China's nuclear safety technical standards with international standards, and achieving the transition from "technical practice" to "rule export."

Explore Rule Innovation for Nuclear Power Empowering New Quality Productive Forces. China National Nuclear Power, based on energy security and green development, empowers new quality productive forces through legal practice innovation. In terms of nuclear power participation in green electricity trading, it carefully studies relevant national documents, actively promotes the inclusion of nuclear power in the green electricity and green certificate system, and improves the institutional design for nuclear power participation in the carbon market. In terms of green and low-carbon standards, it collaborates with industry associations and research institutes to carry out standard pre-research and formulation work, filling the gap in quantitative standards for the green value of nuclear energy. In terms of nuclear power direct-connection to computing power centers, it actively participates in policy research on nuclear energy innovation pilots, explores models such as nearby power supply and direct connection for nuclear energy, and helps build legal institutions and market mechanisms conducive to comprehensive nuclear energy utilization, providing vivid legal practice samples for nuclear power empowering new quality productive forces.

Lead the Application of Achievements in Green Nuclear Energy Development. China National Nuclear Power leads the green development of nuclear energy with standards and specifications, promoting the formation of a batch of institutional achievements with industry leadership. In terms of ecological protection standards, it summarizes practical experience in white butterfly shell protection and nuclear power wetland protection, promotes the establishment of technical specifications for biodiversity protection at nuclear power bases, and provides operable standard guidance for ecological protection around nuclear power plants. In terms of digital transformation standards, relying on smart power plant construction experience, it participates in the formulation of standards and specifications for digital construction and intelligent operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants, promoting the digital transformation of the nuclear energy industry through standardization. In terms of comprehensive nuclear energy utilization, it leads or participates in the formulation of specifications for emerging fields such as nuclear heating, nuclear steam supply, and isotope applications, gradually establishing a standards system covering new nuclear energy business forms. In terms of international standards, it actively participates in the formulation of technical standards in the nuclear energy field of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), contributing Chinese standards to global nuclear energy safety and green development.

Guided by Law, Steady and Far-Reaching. China National Nuclear Power will take the implementation of the Ecological Environment Code as a new starting point, continue to deeply study and practice the spirit of the Code, consciously integrate legal compliance construction with green and low-carbon transition, continuously improve ecological governance capabilities and green development quality and efficiency, and contribute solid nuclear power strength to the construction of a Beautiful China and the modernization of Chinese-style modernization.