Recently, the reporter learned from the official website of the Guangdong Provincial People's Government that Guangdong has issued the "Regulations on the Management of the Development and Application of Bulk Cement and New Wall Materials in Guangdong Province" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"). The Regulations consist of 25 articles and will take effect on March 1, 2024.

The Regulations clarify the responsibilities of the competent administrative departments for the establishment of temporary mixing stations for various specialized projects. They specify the conditions for establishing temporary mixing stations, information reporting, and the requirement to stop production after the completion of specialized construction projects and to dismantle the stations within 6 months; the information on the establishment, production stoppage, and dismantling of temporary mixing stations shall be shared with the housing and urban-rural development department of the people's government at the same level.

The Regulations incorporate information-based means into supervision. The housing and urban-rural development department of the provincial people's government shall establish an intensive information platform for the management of the development and application of bulk cement and new wall materials, and use information-based means to strengthen industry management. The housing and urban-rural development departments of people's governments at or above the prefecture level and at the county level shall use information-based means to collect and record information such as raw materials, product quality, and supply of ready-mixed concrete and ready-mixed mortar production enterprises, and establish a quality traceability mechanism covering the entire process from production to use.

The "Regulations of Guangdong Province on Promoting the Development and Application of Bulk Cement" and the "Regulations of Guangdong Province on the Development and Application of New Wall Materials" shall be repealed simultaneously with the implementation of the Regulations.

Compared with the old regulations, the Regulations add requirements related to green production. Production enterprises of ready-mixed concrete, ready-mixed mortar, precast concrete components, and new wall materials are required to implement green production in accordance with relevant national and provincial provisions.

In addition, the Regulations strengthen ongoing and ex-post management. For example, information reporting is implemented before production for newly built, renovated, or expanded production enterprises of ready-mixed concrete, ready-mixed mortar, and precast concrete components, so as to strengthen ongoing and ex-post supervision.

The development and application of bulk cement and new wall materials referred to in the Regulations means the use of bulk cement as the main raw material to produce ready-mixed concrete, ready-mixed mortar, and precast concrete components; the application of ready-mixed concrete, ready-mixed mortar, and precast concrete components; and the use of non-clay materials as the main raw materials to produce new wall materials and the application of new wall materials and other related activities.

As the most important consumable materials in engineering construction, standardizing the use of bulk cement and new wall materials and reducing carbon emissions are important measures for implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and ensuring the timely achievement of the dual carbon goals in the housing and urban-rural development sector.