China has unveiled a comprehensive plan to upgrade its national climate standards system, aiming to enhance the role of technical standards in driving its low-carbon transition and strengthening climate resilience.
Source: People’s Daily
China has unveiled a comprehensive plan to upgrade its national climate standards system, aiming to enhance the role of technical standards in driving its low-carbon transition and strengthening climate resilience.
The National Plan for Developing a Climate Change Standards System, jointly released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and 14 other government agencies, lays out a top-level framework to build a more systematic, practical, and science-based climate standards regime. The initiative is expected to support the development of new productive forces, accelerate green economic transformation, and contribute to the country’s broader sustainability goals.
The framework is structured around three core pillars: Foundational Capabilities，Climate Mitigation，and Climate Adaptation.
1. Foundational Capabilities, this includes four categories of standards:
General and cross-cutting frameworks
Greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting
GHG verification
GHG monitoring
2. Climate Mitigation. Six categories of standards fall under this pillar:
Action plans for emissions reduction
Market mechanism rules (e.g., carbon trading)
Emission benchmarks and limits
Integrated management of GHGs and air pollutants
Evaluation metrics for mitigation outcomes
Technical and management standards for mitigation technologies
3. Climate Adaptation. The adaptation pillar includes five categories:
Climate observation and projection
Impact and risk assessments
Adaptation planning and implementation
Technical specifications for adaptive measures
Metrics for evaluating adaptation effectiveness
By formalizing these categories, the plan seeks to anchor climate policy within a robust technical foundation. Authorities say this will not only help harmonize climate governance across sectors and regions, but also ensure that China’s transition to a green economy is underpinned by clear, enforceable, and science-aligned standards.
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