Carbon‑footprint labeling certification has reached a new milestone—how should companies plan and prepare?

Selected Excerpts from the Original Policy Text

Establishing a product carbon‑labeling certification system is a major reform task outlined at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and in the National “15th Five-Year Plan” Outline. It also serves as a critical pillar for advancing China’s green and low‑carbon industrial development and achieving the dual carbon goals. The State Administration for Market Regulation has earnestly implemented the reform directives of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, steadily advancing pilot programs for national product carbon‑footprint labeling and certification, and accelerating the establishment of a unified, standardized, and collaboratively efficient system for such certification. As we approach 2026… China Carbon Market Conference On the occasion of the meeting, the State Administration for Market Regulation summarized the practical experience gained from the pilot program and released the results of the initiative.

To address the technical challenges of product carbon‑footprint labeling and certification, the State Administration for Market Regulation has innovatively established a dual‑track certification system—combining “basic general standards” with “product‑specific细化”—and has officially released the “General Implementation Rules for Product Carbon‑Footprint Labeling and Certification (Trial)” along with 17 product‑specific implementation rules. Twenty-six certification bodies have been selected to participate in the pilot program, and a pilot working group comprising government agencies, project owners, industry associations, certification bodies, and other relevant stakeholders has been established, fostering a collaborative mechanism that integrates multiple parties and links industry, academia, and research.

At the same time, adhering to a strategy of systematic planning, coordinated efforts across all levels, and closed-loop management, we have adopted a multi‑pronged approach to ensure that pilot initiatives are implemented in depth and with tangible results. Local market regulation authorities have actively carried out policy communication and skills training, organizing a total of 326 specialized briefings on the pilot program. They have identified 73 leading enterprises across key industrial chains and established routine data collection covering the entire life cycle of product carbon footprints, providing targeted guidance to help companies establish standardized, well‑structured product carbon‑footprint management systems. Meanwhile, the pilot certification bodies have rigorously enforced quality‑consistency controls, conducting project reviews, on‑site inspections, and certification assessments in full compliance with established procedures, thereby ensuring the smooth, orderly, and compliant advancement of the pilot program.

During the pilot program, the State Administration for Market Regulation has rigorously safeguarded certification quality by implementing routine oversight measures such as peer reviews and standardized certificate numbering, thereby strengthening the credibility of the certification system. To date, six industry-leading enterprises have successfully obtained the first batch of China Product Carbon Footprint Labeling Certificates, marking a landmark breakthrough in the country’s product carbon footprint labeling pilot initiative. Meanwhile, to ensure the quality of the pilot work, the Administration has conducted in-depth assessments of certification bodies’ capabilities and, in accordance with the law, revoked the pilot participation qualifications of ten certification bodies, further standardizing institutional management and significantly enhancing the authority of the certification process.

As pilot programs advance, the range of applications for certification outcomes continues to expand, and policy‑based measures to recognize these results are being progressively implemented. Taking Shanghai as an example, the city has introduced a policy that, in the allocation of carbon emission allowances, grants a 0.5% allowance premium to enterprises that have completed product carbon‑footprint certification. This approach effectively stimulates the intrinsic motivation of businesses to pursue green and low‑carbon transformation, providing a model for the market‑based application of product carbon‑footprint certification nationwide.

Going forward, the State Administration for Market Regulation will continue to build on the pilot program’s achievements, dynamically adjust the list of pilot products, refine and improve the rules for product certification, and expedite the issuance of the Measures for the Administration of Product Carbon Footprint Labeling. It will further strengthen the product carbon‑labeling certification system, leveraging institutional innovation to drive the green transformation of industries and support the realization of the “dual carbon” goals.