for Dual Carbon Goals

On August 8, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) jointly released the Action Plan for Strengthening the Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Standards and Measurement System (2024–2025) (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan").

Highlights of the Plan

The Plan focuses on advancing key carbon measurement and standardization initiatives, including:

- Developing carbon footprint standards for critical products such as electronics, plastics, and construction materials.

- Establishing recycling and dismantling standards for automobiles, electronic products, and home appliances.

- Accelerating the formulation of standards for recycled plastics and metals.

Strategic Goals

Carbon standards and measurements are fundamental to supporting dual carbon targets and the implementation of carbon pricing policies. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China aims to enforce dual carbon controls nationwide, with 2024 and 2025 serving as critical years for laying a solid foundation.

The Plan outlines goals for advancing the dual carbon standard and measurement framework:

1. By 2025:

- Develop an integrated carbon accounting and evaluation standard system for enterprises, projects, and products.

- Achieve internationally advanced energy consumption and efficiency benchmarks in key industries and products.

- Establish 100 pilot enterprises and parks for standardized carbon emissions management.

2. Enhance carbon measurement capabilities, ensuring breakthroughs in key areas and improving the deployment of carbon emission measurement instruments and calibration processes.

Key Actions

1. Accelerating Enterprise Carbon Accounting Standards

Develop and revise carbon accounting standards for sectors such as power, steel, nonferrous metals, spunlace wipes, chemicals, and construction. Establish technical norms for greenhouse gas verification, low-carbon evaluation, and park-level carbon accounting.

2. Building Product Carbon Footprint Standards

Formulate national standards for quantifying product carbon footprints, focusing on key export-oriented goods like new energy vehicles, photovoltaic equipment, and lithium batteries. Develop certification guidelines and national standards for carbon labeling.

Enhancing Project-Level Carbon Reduction Standards

Develop standards for typical carbon reduction projects, including energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy utilization, and methane capture. Integrate voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction methodologies into national standards to support carbon trading and ESG disclosures.

4. Pioneering Carbon Reduction and Removal Standards

Establish standards for advanced technologies like hydrogen metallurgy, photovoltaic systems, and ecological carbon sequestration. Build a comprehensive standard system for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).

5. Advancing Energy Efficiency Standards

Raise energy consumption limits and efficiency benchmarks for key industries, including steel, petrochemicals, and paper manufacturing. Introduce energy efficiency standards for emerging infrastructure like EV charging stations and 5G base stations.

6. Promoting Circular Economy Standards

Develop standards for recycling and reusing automotive, electronic, and renewable energy components such as solar panels and wind turbines. Expand green design standards for recycled materials.

7. Expanding Green Product Evaluation

Revise the general guidelines for green product evaluation, incorporating carbon metrics. Establish evaluation standards for industrial products such as steel pipes and dyes.

8. Strengthening Carbon Measurement Infrastructure

Build a robust system for carbon measurement, including benchmarks and calibration tools. Enhance data accuracy and consistency through advanced technologies like 5G and blockchain.

9. Enhancing Measurement Instrument Development

Accelerate the development of high-precision instruments for carbon monitoring and analysis. Evaluate the performance of domestic continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS).

10. Advancing Research in Carbon Measurement Technology

Conduct research on methodologies for carbon monitoring, including lidar-based technologies and urban-scale emissions analysis.

11. Strengthening Carbon Measurement Centers

Establish and expand national carbon measurement centers to guide capability-building across industries.

12. Improving Energy Measurement Supervision

Conduct energy measurement audits in traditional and emerging industries to resolve measurement-related challenges in emission reduction efforts.

Supporting Measures

1. Enhanced Coordination

The NDRC will lead efforts to integrate measurement and standardization requirements into policy frameworks. Collaborative mechanisms across departments will ensure effective implementation of key tasks.

2. Capacity-Building and Awareness

Promote training on carbon measurement and standards for enterprises. Encourage the establishment of carbon management roles within companies and collaboration with academic and professional institutions.

3. Pilot Programs

Launch pilot programs for standardized carbon management in enterprises and parks. Develop "zero-carbon" park measurement initiatives and share best practices.

4. Financial Support

Increase funding for foundational measurement capabilities and priority standards. Attract private capital to support research, instrument development, and technical guidelines.

5. International Collaboration

Strengthen China's role in international standardization bodies, proposing standards in emerging fields such as EVs and ecological carbon sinks. Expand cooperation in climate-related measurement and standards.