Chongqing - Chongqing officials on December 11 outlined a new plan to build an export-oriented carbon-footprint management system, part of China’s broader push to strengthen low-carbon production and respond to tightening global climate requirements.

The plan, presented at a government press briefing, aims to help local industries calculate, label, and trace greenhouse-gas emissions across the entire life cycle of a product.

Liu Ming, deputy director of the Chongqing Ecology and Environment Bureau, said the initiative is intended to establish a key mechanism to advance the city’s green transition. A carbon footprint, he explained, measures the total direct and indirect emissions associated with products or activities. 

For products, this includes emissions from raw-material extraction and manufacturing through transportation, use, and final disposal—an approach widely applied in global climate governance.

Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical project boosts circular production by recycling more than 98% of its waste sulfuric acid. (Photo/Chongqing Ecology and Environment Bureau)

China introduced its national “dual-carbon” goals in 2020, pledging to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Since then, national regulators have issued policy guidance on how provinces should establish carbon footprint systems. Chongqing’s new plan places particular emphasis on export-oriented industries, aiming to support high-quality growth in foreign trade.

Under the plan, Chongqing aims to build a comprehensive carbon footprint system by 2030. Key measures include guiding local companies to participate in drafting more than 10 national carbon-accounting standards, conducting carbon-footprint calculations for over 50 key products—such as electric vehicles, laptop computers, and chemical materials—and advancing the development of a localized emissions-factor database.

Officials said the system is expected to serve three main functions. First, it is designed to support companies’ low-carbon transformation by helping them identify high-emission stages in production and upgrade equipment or processes accordingly.

Second, the system aims to expand the supply of low-carbon products. Chongqing plans to promote carbon-labeling programs and encourage government agencies and state-owned enterprises to prioritize the purchase of low-footprint goods, a measure that could also inform future consumer subsidy policies.

Third, the plan is intended to help exporters comply with emerging global green-trade requirements. The United States, the European Union, and other major markets are increasingly requiring importers to provide carbon footprint data. 

Many of Chongqing’s key export products, including laptops and new-energy vehicles, fall directly under these requirements. Aligning local practices with international accounting methods, officials said, could enhance the global competitiveness of Chongqing-made products.

Zheng Jinqian, an official with the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, described carbon footprint capabilities as “a new passport” in global trade. Zheng outlined additional support measures, including training programs, certification assistance, and efforts to integrate carbon management into foreign-trade service platforms. These initiatives, he said, are intended to turn carbon constraints into new opportunities for exporters.

Chongqing is also piloting carbon-footprint labeling for laptop computers, one of the city’s largest export categories. According to Zhang Yinzheng, deputy director of the Chongqing Administration for Market Regulation, the pilot includes establishing technical standards, forming expert groups, and coordinating with enterprises and universities to test accounting methods. Officials are also exploring pathways for international mutual recognition, which could allow a single assessment to qualify for both domestic and overseas certification.