Five Authorities Including MIIT Issued Guidelines on Development of Zero-Carbon Factories
ISSUING AUTHORITIES:
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
National Development and Reform Commission
Ministry of Ecology and Environment
State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council
National Energy Administration
DATE OF ISSUANCE:
January 14, 2026
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 14, 2026
Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the National Energy Administration, jointly released the Guiding Opinions on the Development of Zero-Carbon Factories (the “Guiding Opinions”).
The Guiding Opinions specify that the development of zero-carbon factories shall follow the principles of sector-specific policies, innovation-driven development, maximum feasible emission reduction, and unified standards and specifications, and shall be implemented through a phased and tiered cultivation approach. Starting from 2026, the first batch of zero-carbon factories will be selected. By 2027, a group of zero-carbon factories will be cultivated in industries including automobiles, lithium batteries, photovoltaics, electronics and electrical appliances, light industry, machinery, and computing facilities, with an industrial ecosystem covering energy supply, technology R&D, standards formulation, and financial support. By 2030, the program will be expanded to high energy-consuming industries such as steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemicals, building materials, and textiles.
The Guiding Opinions set out six key implementation pathways for enterprises. First, enterprises are required to establish a carbon emissions accounting system covering both direct and indirect emissions, and to conduct accounting and reporting in accordance with national standards or technical specifications of the carbon market. Second, enterprises are encouraged to promote the transition of their energy mix toward renewable energy and electrification, including the development of distributed photovoltaic and wind power, industrial green microgrids, and the application of clean hydrogen energy. Third, enterprises shall enhance energy efficiency, with energy consumption per unit of products meeting mandatory national Level 1 standards or benchmark levels, and promote technological upgrades such as high-efficiency equipment replacement, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and the use of recycled raw materials. Fourth, enterprises are required to conduct full life-cycle carbon footprint analysis in accordance with product carbon footprint standards, and to implement zero-carbon supply chain management and green logistics. Fifth, enterprises are encouraged to establish digital energy and carbon management centers, leveraging industrial internet and artificial intelligence technologies to achieve precise measurement and intelligent management of energy and carbon data. Sixth, based on sufficient autonomous emission reductions, enterprises may carry out offsetting through carbon trading, green electricity and green certificates, and disclose relevant information through ESG and other reports.
In addition, the Guiding Opinions require local authorities to formulate implementation plans, improve basic general and sector-specific standards for zero-carbon factories, and foster market-based mechanisms such as integrated energy-saving and carbon-reduction services and green finance.
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