Following the announcement to establish a domestic carbon footprint management system in 2024, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and five other government bodies jointly issued the “Guidelines for the Construction of Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Factor Database” on 12 December 2025.
The document provides guidance for entities such as local governments, industry sectors, research institutions and enterprises on how to develop a database for PCF factors.
The guidelines outline a phased development roadmap:
- By 2027: Establishment of a preliminary national PCF factor database using the existing greenhouse gas emission factor repository.
- By 2030: Finalisation of the database
Data collection and validation
Contributing entities are asked to submit carbon footprint factors accompanied by complete unit process data and lifecycle models in order to ensure traceability. The national database will aggregate this information and publish representative national and regional factors with regular updates.
Development of PCF factors
Researchers developing PCF factors are expected to follow a lifecycle assessment approach. The process involves:
- Define objectives and scope – Specify functional units, system boundaries, cutoff criteria, and data quality requirements
- Collect data – Gather information from all unit processes within boundaries
- Build unit process datasets – Verify data and construct datasets for each process
- Model lifecycle inventories – Calculate emissions across the product’s full lifecycle
- Generate carbon footprint factors – Produce complete datasets with documentation
All work should align with standards GB/T 24067-2024 (Greenhouse gases – Carbon footprint of products – Requirements and guidelines for quantification), GB/T 24040-2008 (Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and frameworks), and GB/T 24044-2008 (Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines).
Researchers shall prioritise primary data and may supplement with secondary data like statistics, literature sources, or estimates, when necessary, but must fully document origins to ensure traceability. Core data requires public methodology and validation information. Third-party data needs clear authorisation. When technologies evolve rapidly or regional differences emerge significantly, data shall be updated accordingly.
Evaluation of PCF factors
After developing PCF factors, evaluators shall assess them according to three criteria:
- Multi-dimensional representativeness – Coverage across technological, geographical, and temporal dimensions
- Scientific rigor – Compliance with international and domestic standards
- Traceability – Complete disclosure of data sources, calculation methods, and assumptions
Data should reflect China’s energy systems, industrial practices, and technological progress. Standards evolve based on technological development, policy adjustments, and industry feedback.
Database structure
The system applies unified naming, classification, and coding across all components. Process and product names shall reflect technological characteristics and follow the National Bureau of Statistics’ industry classification standards and product classification catalogues. Elementary flows will receive unique codes that support interoperability between processes, datasets, and databases.
Policy support
Authorities plan to refine standards, explore regular evaluation mechanisms for factor data, and encourage industries and regions to publish datasets periodically. They consider incorporating data into green finance and green procurement applications while strengthening data rights protection.
Source: 关于印发《产品碳足迹因子数据库建设工作指引》的通知
