On 30 October, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued the country’s first dedicated policy on green trade. The new policy seeks to translate national emissions-reduction goals into specific actions for enterprises, and covers green design, manufacturing and logistics, amongst other aspects.
The policy was issued shortly after the release of the Central Committee of the Communist Party’s official recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which suggests that China implement a “dual control system” to manage total carbon emissions and carbon intensity. It also comes months after Premier Li Qiang pledged that China would help bridge the world’s “green gap” by providing a “stable and high-quality supply” of new energy products.
Several senior officials spoke at a State Council press briefing on the policy. Wang Peng, Director-General of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization, told reporters that the government will accelerate green upgrades of the entire industrial chain, from product design and manufacturing, to recycling and reuse.
He added that by 2030, the share of monetary output value from national green factories – certified by the ministry as demonstrating high energy efficiency, waste resource utilisation and low-carbon energy use – is expected to rise to 40% nationwide, up from the “more than 20%” as of end-2024. Wang said the ministry will implement a “green industrial park enhancement plan” to promote the green transformation of high-tech zones and industrial parks, as well as build zero-carbon parks.
Green finance tools are another major focus of the policy. Wang Xin, Director-General of the Research Bureau at the People’s Bank of China, said at the briefing that the country will support the development of domestic green financial products as well as promote the issuance of green financial instruments in global markets. Wang added that the aim is to offer global investors more access to Chinese green assets.
The new policy is likely to be followed with more detailed implementation plans from different ministries and local governments, regarding aspects such as performance targets for green products and industrial zones.
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