As the cradle city of the concept "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", Huzhou has been actively promoting green manufacturing in support of the nationwide industrial transformation campaign.

Green manufacturing, also referred to as green production, is when manufacturing companies (regardless of scale) look to upgrade any outdated forms of production and opt for more environmental manufacturing solutions which reduce the amount of waste they produce.

Official statistics from the Huzhou municipal bureau of economy and information technology show that 3,091 plants from Huzhou have been accredited as green plants, and these facilities account for more than 90 percent of the total enterprises above a designated size in the city.

To date, Huzhou is home to four national green industrial parks, 44 national green factories, 17 national green supply-chain management companies and 49 national green design products, with the total number ranking among the top for prefecture-level cities in the nation.

The strong results can be partly attributed to the handsome incentives offered by local government to mobilize green transformation.

For example, those that make the list of national green manufacturing models are entitled to an award of up to 10 million yuan ($1.54 million).

Enterprises that promote green transformation are rewarded with 10 percent of their investment in equipment, up to a maximum of 5 million yuan.

Loans with low interest rates have also been made available. In 2020, 148 enterprises applied for 3.3 billion yuan in loans to carry out their green transformation plans.

This year, the city will accelerate the formulation of standards for green factories in different industries, and encourage leading enterprises in the industry to take the lead in the formulation of standards for green design products, according to a head official from the Huzhou municipal bureau of economy and information technology.