Shanghai releases plan for mandatory clean production audit for 2021–2023

The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment on July 19 released the Plan for Mandatory Clean Production Audit in Shanghai for 2021–2023 so that this audit can play a more important role in energy saving, pollutant discharge reduction and industrial advancement in the city’s key industries.

The plan designates 13 key industries, including chemical, industrial coating and package printing. In these industries, “two-excess” (双超) and “two-harm” (双有) key companies are subject to comprehensive mandatory clean production audits: two-excess companies are those that exceed national pollutant discharge standards or target discharge amounts set by the state or local government while two-harm companies are those that use or discharge toxic or hazardous substances during production.

New indicators, including carbon dioxide emissions, have been added to the energy consumption indicators for clean production evaluation to be used for work related to greenhouse gas total emissions reduction.

Here are the main measures of the clean production audit plan:

Key companies list

• Carry out research focusing on two-excess and two-harm key companies in the 13 key industries during the first half of 2021, and then create a list of key companies that receive the mandatory clean production audit
• Update this list every six months

Clean production audit for the entire industrial park

Carry out a clean production level evaluation for the entirety of the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park and create a complete report on it by 2023

Digital management system

Implement digital management by developing databases of clean production companies, audit consulting organizations, clean production projects, etc.

Mandatory disclosure

Make it mandatory for companies to disclose their status of clean production audit implementation, as part of the obligation to disclose their environmental credit evaluation and other environmental information

Compilation of model cases

Create a compilation of model cases of mandatory clean production in Shanghai by 2023 to promote effective tools and technologies for clean production

Encouragement and punishment

• Award clean production special grants to key companies that have completed a clean production project and passed the evaluation
• Give priority for support in areas such as green financing and government procurement to companies that have developed a world-class advanced technology or tool for clean production

Companies that violate the Clean Production Promotion Law (中华人民共和国清洁生产促进法) are required to correct the issue. If they refuse, they are punished by the law.

The full text of the mandatory clean production audit plan (in simplified Chinese) is available at
https://sthj.sh.gov.cn/hbzhywpt2025/20210727/d07b541b8d354c27843d7e363c851eea.html.