China issues product carbon guideline in reaching its climate goals

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and four other government departments jointly issued a guideline on Wednesday to accelerate the establishment of a product carbon footprint management system.

China aims to establish a national product carbon labeling certification system by 2025 according to the guideline, as the country moves towards achieving its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

Product carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production, transportation and use of a product throughout its life cycle.

It is an important indicator for measuring the carbon level of industrial enterprises and products.

An NDRC official said that the guideline's implementation will help promote industrial upgrading, boost green consumption and enhance the competitiveness of China's export products.

The guideline outlines five key tasks for establishment of the management system, including developing carbon footprint accounting standards; building carbon footprint databases; establish a product carbon footprint certification system; expanding the application of product carbon footprint and promoting international cooperation.

It will help businesses to understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their products as well as allow consumers to make more informed choices about the products they buy.

The guideline is in line with international trends. Many countries have already established or are in the process of establishing product carbon footprint management systems.

The European Union, for example, is set to require batteries to carry a label that reflects their carbon footprint from 2024.

The guideline's emphasis on international recognition is also important. As more countries adopt product carbon footprint management systems, it will be important for China to ensure that its system is compatible with those of other countries. This will help to avoid trade barriers and to facilitate the global trade of products.