Integrating synergistic control of pollutants and carbon dioxide into “Three Lines and One Permit” in China

In recent years, the impact of climate change on human society has become a popular research topic worldwide. To mitigate climate change, China established carbon emission peak and neutrality targets. Therefore, the synergistic control of pollutants and carbon dioxide has become a key objective for ecological and environmental protection in China. The “Three Lines and One Permit” (TLOP) system is an important policy that aims to increase environmental protection at the source and to integrate the advancement of high-quality development and high-level environmental protection. By integrating the synergetic control of pollutants and carbon dioxide into TLOP, planners and decision-makers may be better able to highlight the importance of carbon emission reduction and environmental quality management during the policy and planning stages. Therefore, by approaching the challenges associated with synergistic control of pollutants and carbon dioxide, this study explored the technical framework by combining the technical route and working basis of TLOP and clarified the appropriate technical methods and indicators. This study proposed a concrete path to achieving synergistic efficiency of pollution and carbon reduction in terms of ecological space, the Bottom Line of Atmospheric Environment Quality (BLAEQ), the Upper-limit Line for Energy Use (ULEU), the Integrated Environmental Unit (IEU) and the List of Environmental Permits for human activities (LEP). To promote the application of the technical framework, the research suggested that application should be performed from the following aspects: incorporating the TLOP into relevant laws, strengthening application between departments, and establishing a regional system. •The synergistic control of pollutants and CO2 is integrated into Three Lines and One Permit (TLOP).•The technical structure of TLOP synergistic control is proposed.•The relevant technical indicators in this field are clarified.•Recommendations for application improvement support for TLOP are provided.