BEIJING - China rolled out a guideline on May 31 to tighten environmental approval for highly polluting and energy-intensive projects amid efforts to promote green and low-carbon development.

The guideline, issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, requires local ecological and environmental departments to strictly examine the planning for projects within highly polluting industries.

It calls for strict environmental assessment and approval of the polluting projects, involving their construction, reconstruction, and expansion.

China has previously announced that it will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.