China Unveils National Standards Plan to Address Climate Change, Including Product Carbon Footprint Guidelines 
On May 22, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, along with 14 other government agencies, jointly released the National Climate Change Response Standards System Development Plan. The plan outlines the creation and revision of 45 national standards, categorized into three areas: basic capacity support, climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation.
Among the proposed standards are those related to product carbon footprints, with a focus on key sectors such as lithium batteries, new energy vehicles and components, and electrical and electronic equipment. These standards aim to establish consistent methodologies for calculating carbon footprints, supporting China’s broader climate goals.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculation Standards
The plan calls for the accelerated development and revision of guidelines for calculating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions in major industries, including power generation, building materials, steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, paper, and civil aviation. These efforts are intended to support the phased expansion of China’s national carbon emissions trading market.
Product Carbon Footprint Standards
The new standards will define parameters such as calculation scope, functional units, system boundaries, calculation methods, data quality requirements, and traceability protocols. Key products targeted include:
- Energy and raw materials: electricity, coal, crude oil, natural gas, fuel oil
- Industrial goods: steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, chemical fertilizers, hydrogen, lime, glass, ethylene, synthetic ammonia, calcium carbide, methanol
- Consumer and tech products: lithium batteries, new energy vehicles and components, photovoltaic systems, electrical and electronic equipment
- Services: carbon footprint standards for transportation services
- Data infrastructure: carbon footprint coefficient database management standards
Additionally, the plan includes the development of carbon footprint rating standards to support product labeling and consumer awareness.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulation Standards
China also plans to introduce new standards for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, including:
- Carbon dioxide emissions in industries are not yet covered by the carbon trading market, such as Nitrous oxide emissions in industrial sectors
- Mobile sources: emission standards for small and large vehicles, and non-road mobile machinery
- Stage 7 vehicle standards: limits for air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles
Market and Policy Framework Standards
To support emerging climate policy mechanisms, the plan includes standards for managing:
- Carbon emissions trading markets
- Voluntary emissions reduction transactions
- Low-carbon incentive systems, such as carbon inclusion programs
The original document is available in Simplified Chinese at the following URL:
https://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk2018/xxgk/xxgk03/202505/t20250530_1120372.html
