China Sinopec

Advancing Energy
Conservation and
Emissions Reduction

Sinopec remains committed to advancing its Green Enterprise Action Plan, emphasizing the synergistic and integrated reduction of both pollutants and carbon emissions. The Company has steadily adopted cleaner production practices, actively driven energy conservation and emissions reduction, and promoted the circular economy. At the same time, it has accelerated efforts to build a green development model spanning the entire industry, process, and management chains. These efforts have effectively fostered Sinopec's green competitiveness and strengthened its capacity for sustainable, green development.

Green Enterprise Action Plan

The Green Enterprise Action Plan is a core initiative through which Sinopec contributes to China's ecological civilization construction and the vision of a Beautiful China. In 2024, two Sinopec subsidiaries were recognized as national-level green factories, four as industry-level green factories in the petrochemical industry, and eight oil and gas fields were designated provincial-level green mines.

In April 2024, Sinopec launched Phase II of the Green Enterprise Action Plan, setting out 4 categories of quantitative indicators and 22 key tasks focused on reducing carbon emissions, reducing pollution, improving efficiency, and enhancing site greening. By 2028, Sinopec expects to have largely established a green production system, achieved expected progress toward carbon peaking, significantly improved its green competitiveness, and advanced the transformation of the petrochemical industry into a more high-end, intelligent, and green industry, helping to build a Beautiful China supported by a beautiful petrochemical industry.

Implementing Clean Production Measures

Sinopec has intensified its efforts to reduce pollution at the source while strengthening process management and control. By focusing on energy optimization throughout production, the Company has tapped into the potential of clean operations and implemented targeted measures. Clean production audits have been conducted at eight refining and chemical subsidiaries, enhancing employee awareness and effectively embedding clean production practices into enterprise operations, equipment management, and environmental protection. In 2024, these eight subsidiaries invested over CNY 1.7 billion across 722 clean production projects, achieving annual reductions of approximately 114 metric tons of nitrogen oxides, 152 metric tons of VOCs, 1.34 million metric tons of wastewater, 3 metric tons of chemical oxygen demand (COD), and 5,126 metric tons of hazardous waste.

Promoting Emission and Pollution Reduction

Air pollution management

Sinopec has issued the Sinopec Implementation Plan for Sustained Air Quality Improvement, setting clear targets for emission reductions and outlining key air pollution control measures. Subsidiaries in key regions, such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, have successfully completed high-standard air quality assurance tasks during critical periods. In the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and the Fenwei Plain, subsidiaries have actively implemented air pollution prevention and control measures throughout the autumn and winter seasons. The Company has also conducted environmental monitoring assessments and supervision across all oil and gas fields and refining subsidiaries. To reduce emissions, Sinopec has advanced the use of fully enclosed systems for oil and gas gathering and transportation. This included sealed production at wellheads, enclosed transportation at stations, upgraded gathering and transportation pipeline networks, pipeline systems to replace single-well truck transport, and the expanded use of associated gas from oil wells for power generation. Associated gas from scattered wells is also recovered to the greatest extent possible.

Water resource management Building

Building China's first "Waste-Free Group"

Sinopec has issued a series of policy documents, including the Sinopec Pilot Work Plan for Developing a "Waste-Free Group", the Sinopec Evaluation Index System for Pilot Development of a "Waste-Free Group", and the Sinopec Action Plan for Resource Conservation and Efficiency, to clarify objectives and assign responsibilities for the standardized, reduced, recycled, environmentally safe disposal, and digitalized management of hazardous solid waste during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The Company has also implemented several key initiatives, such as greening its processes, adopting clean raw and auxiliary materials, reducing sludge through drying technologies, and promoting waste recycling. In addition, it has strengthened green procurement and packaging practices to cut down on industrial solid waste and encourage resource reuse. By the end of 2024, Sinopec had established 10 regional centers for hazardous waste disposal and recycling, built 52 "waste-free enterprises", and implemented 181 targeted initiatives, generating cost savings and efficiency improvements totaling CNY 550 million. In 2024, the Company achieved 100% compliant disposal across all categories of solid waste, with zero incidents of illegal or non-compliant handling, and the intensity of hazardous waste generation was 10.7 kilograms per CNY 10,000 of industrial output. Notably, Sinopec Jiujiang Company was recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a representative "waste-free enterprise".

In 2024, Sinopec strictly followed updated standards and regulations, including the Standard for Pollution Control on Hazardous Waste Storage and the Technical Specifications for Hazardous Waste Identification Marks, to standardize hazardous waste management at production sites. This included implementing classified collection, storage in designated areas, and compliant disposal. The Company has also strengthened environmental management across the full life cycle of hazardous waste.

Soil and groundwater pollution prevention and control

Sinopec has released the Implementation Plan for Soil and Groundwater Pollution Investigation and Prevention and continued its efforts in self-monitoring, pollutant identification, and targeted remediation in operations affecting soil and groundwater. The Company has mandated that oil and gas fields carry out land reclamation and acceptance inspections upon site decommissioning, as well as conduct pollution investigations and risk assessments for other occupied lands in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Where required, appropriate risk control or remediation measures are implemented. In addition, Sinopec has proactively advanced source control efforts by piloting programs focused on controlling soil and groundwater pollution at the source and during production. Through process optimization, clean production practices, and integrated resource utilization, the Company has reduced solid waste generation intensity and minimized the risk of groundwater pollution. By the end of the reporting period, seven Sinopec subsidiaries had successfully secured and implemented national key projects on soil pollution source control, while six others were designated as national-level pilot enterprises for in-production pollution control.

Noise pollution control

Sinopec has remained committed to preventing and controlling noise pollution across its production and operations. Key measures included optimizing production facility layouts, adopting low-noise processes and equipment, installing noise barriers, and closely monitoring and disclosing noise data. The Company has also launched a targeted campaign to identify and rectify gaps in noise and radiation pollution prevention and control, ensuring full compliance with the revised Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution and maintaining effective radiation safety management.

Oil spill management

Sinopec has strictly enforced environmental management protocols for long-distance pipelines, prioritizing preventive maintenance through enhanced maintenance and inspection, as well as upgraded oil transmission systems, to improve operational safety and environmental reliability. The Company has also strengthened the management of large crude oil storage tanks through regular inspections and safety checks to ensure their safe operations. Leak management for equipment has been improved, particularly in addressing accelerated pipeline corrosion caused by factors such as deteriorating oil quality, supported by corrosion mechanism research and assessments of pipeline conditions. Based on these findings, Sinopec has introduced measures such as structural reinforcement, pipeline replacement, elevating buried pipelines, enhancing corrosion resistance, and applying internal anti-corrosion coatings at points, including stagnant flow zones, buried sections, terminal segments, and road crossings, to eliminate corrosion and leakage risks at the source. Sinopec has also strengthened offshore oil spill management and emergency response by upgrading its stockpile of response supplies and technical equipment.

Advancing the circular economy

Sinopec has actively promoted circular economy practices, guided by the principles of reduction, recycling, and environmentally safe disposal of solid waste, while striving to minimize reliance on landfills. In this regard, it has issued the Sinopec Action Plan for Resource Conservation and Efficiency, developing evaluation index systems: one for oil and gas field subsidiaries, featuring 26 Level III indicators and 116 sub-indicators across 7 key areas, and another for refining and chemical enterprises, which includes 30 Level III indicators and 135 sub-indicators across 6 key areas. The Company has also released its first catalog of applicable technologies under the action plan, marking the beginning of its digitalization of resource conservation and efficient utilization efforts.