China aims to establish initial carbon footprint management system by 2027

China aims to establish an initial carbon footprint management system by 2027, in a bid to create a more comprehensive and unified system of standards to measure carbon emissions and push toward the country's carbon-neutral goal, according to a plan issued by government bodies including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on 5 June.

It aims to release carbon footprint calculation standards for about 100 major products by 2027, and increase that number to 200 by 2030, according to the plan.

It will prioritize the calculation standard releases for products including coal, steel, natural gas, aluminium, lithium batteries and new energy vehicles.

China plans to expand carbon trading to sectors such as steel and cement and to head off the impact of Europe's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which will impose tariffs on high-carbon imports.

China will use the new standards to encourage low-carbon consumption, with local governments urged to develop pilot programmes and new policies that could encourage enterprises and individuals to buy cleaner products, it said.

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