China’s first national standard for zero-carbon industrial parks is set to be released later this year, as the Guidelines for Zero-Carbon Industrial Park Development enters final review and approval, officials confirmed at a standards workshop held in Beijing on May 12.
Source: China Energy News
China’s first national standard for zero-carbon industrial parks is set to be released later this year, as the Guidelines for Zero-Carbon Industrial Park Development enters final review and approval, officials confirmed at a standards workshop held in Beijing on May 12.
Industrial parks are a major driver of both economic output and carbon emissions in China—accounting for over 50% of industrial production and nearly 30% of the country's total emissions. Their green transformation has become a key pillar in achieving China’s dual carbon goals.
At the workshop, more than 40 experts from government agencies, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation, as well as researchers from institutions such as the China National Institute of Standardization and Tsinghua University, reached consensus on the urgent need for a unified framework. They noted that current efforts are hindered by inconsistent technical approaches and unclear carbon accounting boundaries.
The upcoming standard outlines classifications for park types and sets requirements across four core areas: system design, energy mix, emissions accounting, and infrastructure. It introduces a “six-system” model covering energy supply, infrastructure, production processes, logistics and transportation, buildings, and ecosystems. Key features include increasing direct supply of renewables, deploying microgrids, enhancing energy efficiency at the enterprise level, and fostering collaboration between stakeholders.
According to experts involved in the drafting, the standard has been three years in the making and is based on field research across major industrial regions. It addresses six major challenges, including definitional ambiguity and inconsistent emissions tracking. By establishing an internationally recognized evaluation system, the standard is expected to position China as a global leader in the development of zero-carbon industrial zones and provide a replicable model for other developing nations.
Shi Yubo, Chairman of the China Energy Research Society, noted that pilot programs have already expanded from Inner Mongolia to industrial clusters in Jiangsu and Guangdong, proving that zero-carbon parks can deliver both economic and environmental benefits.
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