By Abbas Nazil
China has announced plans to accelerate the development of zero-carbon factories across key industrial and information sectors to drive energy conservation, reduce emissions, and promote a green, low-carbon transition.
The initiative, outlined in guidelines issued by five government departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), aims to select a group of pilot zero-carbon factories from 2026 to serve as benchmarks for wider adoption nationwide.
Zero-carbon factory development involves continuously reducing carbon dioxide emissions within factories and moving toward near-zero levels through measures such as technological innovation, structural adjustment, and management optimization.
The program is designed to align industrial growth with environmental protection, supporting China’s targets of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
A phased, tiered approach will guide implementation. By 2027, zero-carbon factories will be promoted in sectors including automobiles, lithium batteries, photovoltaics, electronics, electrical appliances, light industry, machinery, and computing facilities.
By 2030, the program will expand to traditional energy-intensive industries such as steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals, building materials, and textiles, exploring new decarbonization pathways.
Key implementation measures include establishing a carbon dioxide emissions accounting system to quantify emissions and removals, encouraging eligible factories to build industrial green microgrids, and promoting next-generation information technologies to enhance energy efficiency.
MIIT officials stated the ministry will strengthen policy support, advance sector-specific standards and guidance, improve market-based mechanisms for green transitions, and foster the integration of zero-carbon development into green consumption, trade, and finance.
The initiative is expected to create high-quality productive forces tailored to local conditions while supporting China’s broader environmental and economic objectives.
By demonstrating the feasibility of near-zero emissions in pilot factories, the program seeks to inspire industrial transformation across the country, encourage technology adoption, and drive measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
China’s zero-carbon factory plan represents a strategic effort to modernize manufacturing processes, optimize resource use, and reduce the environmental impact of industrial operations while maintaining economic growth.
Experts anticipate that successful implementation will provide scalable models for other industries and regions, promoting innovation, energy efficiency, and sustainable development nationwide.
The program underscores the government’s commitment to combining industrial modernization with environmental responsibility and long-term climate action goals.
Through careful monitoring, technology deployment, and policy guidance, China aims to set a global example in sustainable industrial transformation and low-carbon manufacturing practices.
The pilot factories are expected to serve as demonstration sites, informing policy, guiding industrial adaptation, and accelerating the nation’s transition to a greener economy.
