To reach its goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, China has issued the National Climate Change Standards System Development Plan (hereinafter referred to as the Plan). First announced in 2023, the Plan has now been formally adopted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 14 other ministries and commissions. According to the Plan, the government aims to establish a national standards system by 2030, aimed at guiding actions on mitigation, adaptation, and carbon market operations.
Overall framework
The standards system comprises three primary categories (basic, mitigation and adaptation standards) that are further divided into 15 secondary categories and 45 tertiary categories, covering the full scope of climate response. In line with Chinese policy-making practice, the system is designed to first address the most pressing issues and then improve step by step, with attention to coordination, ease of implementation, and alignment with international practices.
Basic standards
To build a strong foundation for the system, the Plan sets out basic standards for coherency, accounting, verification and monitoring. It provides the technical foundation for carbon trading, carbon footprint product management, and impact evaluation of mitigation actions. For instance, it aims to develop greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards at multiple levels, standardize product carbon footprint verification and support the advanced monitoring of GHGs.
Mitigation standards
The standards system will support comprehensive emission reduction and market mechanism operation. The Plan focuses on the following areas:
- Technological action and emission reduction
These standards target direct emissions reductions across major sectors such as energy, industry, transportation, construction, and agriculture. There is also a strong focus on advancing technologies such as hydrogen energy and circular economy solutions.
Standards for CO₂ removal and utilization will support technical protocols for carbon sinks, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), Direct Air Capture (DAC), and related transport, storage and utilization technologies.
Additionally, GHG emission standards will define emission limits and control requirements for both stationary and mobile sources (e.g. vehicles and ships) with a particular focus on non-CO₂ gases like methane and nitrous oxide. - Market regulation and carbon trading
To support effective market-based mitigation, the Plan includes standards for market mechanism management. These will refine the rules for carbon trading, voluntary reductions, carbon inclusion platforms (which incentivize low-carbon behavior), and climate finance instruments, facilitating a unified national carbon market. - Integrated management and impact evaluation
Mitigation standards will also be integrated into broader environmental governance frameworks. Standards will guide the incorporation of GHG controls into environmental impact assessments, engineering standards, and solid waste treatment, reinforcing synergies between pollution reduction and carbon mitigation.
To ensure accountability, standards to evaluate effectiveness will support the assessment of low- and zero-carbon factories, cities, and industrial parks, along with carbon footprint grades and performance evaluation of advanced mitigation technologies.
Adaptation standards
For the first time, the Plan proposes a comprehensive climate adaptation standards system covering the entire risk management cycle. It includes five components:
- Observation and projection standards contribute to regional climate monitoring, future trend estimation, and extreme weather prediction (such as temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise).
- Impact and risk assessment standards target key areas such as water resources, ecosystems, agriculture, coastal areas, public health, infrastructure, and vulnerable regions.
- Adaptation action standards provide guidelines for local adaptation plans, assessments, and best practice dissemination.
- Technical standards address evaluation methods, early warning, and disaster prevention measures for droughts, floods, and sea level rise.
- Evaluation standards establish methods to evaluate adaptation outcomes in regions, major projects, and ecosystems, ensuring measurability and policy sustainability.
Implementation and support mechanisms
The Plan also foresees measures to ensure effective implementation, such as capacity building activities as well as alignment with international standards and mutual recognition. The National Technical Committee on Carbon Emission Management Standardization (TC548) and others will play an important role to enhance coordination and avoid redundancy.
This system aims to provide solid institutional support for China’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals, while contributing to international climate governance.
