[CMG Policy Radar] Implementation Plan for a Dual-Control System for Carbon Emissions in Industry and IT

China Macro Group | policy · business · strategy 

What it is

Issued by MIIT, the plan applies China’s shift from energy to carbon “dual control” (total volume and intensity) to industry. By 2030 it targets around 400 product carbon-footprint accounting rules, around 500 national zero-carbon factories and computing facilities, and cuts of at least 17% in CO₂ and 10% in energy per unit of above-scale industrial value added versus 2025.

Why it matters

The plan makes carbon accounting become both a governance and a trade tool. Provinces are to set annual industrial carbon targets, which MIIT will assess every year. Footprint rules prioritise products with “urgent foreign-trade needs” and are meant to align with international rules such as the EU’s CBAM. They are also to enter government procurement, and SOEs are encouraged to favour low-carbon products. Enforcement focuses on heavy industry as well as PV and computing facilities.

Implications

Medium-High. Foreign manufacturers will increasingly need verified product-level carbon data to sell to state buyers and to export. Demand should grow for efficient motors, transformers, heat pumps, energy-management software and carbon certification. Firms exporting to the EU may face duplicate carbon reporting under different Chinese and EU methods.

Author:

Max de Bruyn Gomez

Analyst at CMG