In order to implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on carbon footprint management, accelerate the improvement of carbon emission management levels for key industrial products, promote the green and low-carbon transformation of industries, and support the realization of the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued and implemented the "Guidelines for the Compilation of Carbon Footprint Accounting Rules and Standards for Key Industrial Products" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines"). The following is an interpretation of the relevant content:

I. Background of the "Guidelines" Development The "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Printing and Distributing the 'Work Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a Dual Control System for Carbon Emissions'" requires the construction of a carbon emission statistical accounting system, a product carbon labeling certification system, and a product carbon footprint management system. To implement the relevant deployment requirements and accelerate the establishment of a carbon footprint management system, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, and other departments jointly issued and implemented the "Opinions on Accelerating the Establishment of a Product Carbon Footprint Management System." This document clearly states that the industry authorities such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in conjunction with relevant industry associations, leading enterprises, research institutes, etc., should research and formulate carbon footprint accounting rules and standards for key products, following the principle of pilot implementation with group standards first and gradually transforming them into industry or national standards. Where conditions are mature, national or industry standards can be directly formulated. The "Notice of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other departments on Printing and Distributing the 'Implementation Plan for Establishing a Carbon Footprint Management System'" also proposes the development of carbon footprint accounting rules and standards for key products, following the principle of pilot implementation with group standards first and gradually transforming them into industry or national standards. The industry authorities, in collaboration with relevant departments, will release a list of recommended group standards. Group standards with a solid implementation foundation will be recognized as industry or national standards. Priority will be given to key products such as electricity, coal, natural gas, fuel oil, steel, electrolytic aluminum, cement, fertilizers, hydrogen, lime, glass, ethylene, synthetic ammonia, calcium carbide, methanol, lithium batteries, new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and electronics. By the end of the year, approximately a dozen key product carbon footprint accounting rules and standards will be formulated and promulgated. Industry is a significant area of carbon emissions. Accelerating the formulation of carbon footprint accounting rules and standards for industrial products is of great importance for constructing a comprehensive product carbon footprint management system. Considering the diversity and wide scope of industrial products, as well as the long and highly interrelated upstream and downstream industrial chains, it is necessary to unify the management of the research and formulation of carbon footprint accounting rules and standards for industrial products, standardize the priority scope, clarify the working procedures, and refine the compilation requirements to support the establishment of a unified and standardized carbon footprint management system.

II. Main Content of the Guidelines The Guidelines include work objectives, scope of formulation, work procedures, compilation requirements, publicity and implementation. They aim to guide relevant industry associations (federations), standardization technical organizations, and standardization professional institutions to strengthen goal-oriented leadership, follow the principles of prioritizing urgent needs and systematic advancement, adhere to government guidance and market-driven approaches, take proactive actions, and coordinate implementation.

(1) Clarify the work objectives. Propose to gradually improve the calculation methods, rules, and standard systems for the carbon footprints of key industrial products, promote the establishment of a product carbon footprint management system that aligns with the national conditions, facilitate the green and low-carbon transformation of the industrial sector, and support the high-quality development of the economy. By the year, formulate and introduce carbon footprint calculation rules and standards for 100 key industrial products, significantly expanding the application scenarios.

(II) Scope of Standard Development. Firstly, regarding product categories, focus on product areas with urgent market demand, significant emission reduction contributions, strong industrial chain relevance, significant supply chain driving effects, and large international trade volumes. Prioritize the development of carbon footprint accounting rules and standards for products in the steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemical, chemical, building materials, new energy vehicles, and electronics industries. Secondly, regarding granularity division, reference should be made to the standards such as the "National Economic Industry Classification," the "Statistical Product Classification Directory," and the "Consumer Goods Classification and Code" of the National Bureau of Statistics. Thirdly, regarding the product scope, expand the coverage of products steadily and orderly according to the working mechanism of advancing in batches and continuously improving, with a focus on maturity.

(III) Clarify Work Procedures. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in collaboration with relevant departments, will organize relevant industry associations, leading enterprises, research institutes, etc., to study and formulate carbon footprint accounting rules and standards for key industrial products, release a list of recommended group standards, and provide unified and standardized rules and standards for enterprises and institutions. Group standards with a solid implementation foundation will be recognized as industry standards or national standards, and those with mature conditions may directly formulate industry standards or national standards.

(IV) Refine the compilation requirements. Firstly, regarding the standard text, the technical framework for product carbon footprint should be consistent with the "Greenhouse Gas - Product Carbon Footprint - Quantification Requirements and Guidelines" (/), and the standard names should be uniformly named as "Greenhouse Gas - Product Carbon Footprint Quantification Method and Requirements - Product", etc. Secondly, regarding the procedures for drafting and revising, it is required to follow the principles of openness, transparency, and publicity, widely involving representatives from producers, operators, users, consumers, educational and research institutions, testing and certification bodies, government departments, and other relevant parties to participate, fully reflecting the common needs of all parties. The development of group standards should comply with the relevant requirements of the "Group Standard Management Regulations" and be issued in the form of social organization documents. Thirdly, regarding the development of standards in cross-cutting areas, it is explicitly proposed that when developing relevant standards in cross-cutting areas, units from various fields should strengthen cooperation and communication, reach a consensus, and then advance collaboratively.

(V) Strengthen the dissemination and implementation of standards. Firstly, expand the channels for standard information dissemination, encourage social organizations to publicly declare their group standard information on the standard information public service platform. Encourage various standardization research institutions or technical organizations to publicly disclose carbon footprint accounting rule standards for free. Secondly, support the organization of standard dissemination and training, support the promotion of product carbon footprint standards through multiple channels and methods, and conduct business training in specific industries and fields to enhance the capability levels of all relevant parties. Thirdly, promote the implementation of standards, actively promote the application of relevant standards in scenarios such as carbon emission dual control, low-carbon technology promotion, government procurement, product carbon labeling, and certification, strengthen policy support and coordination, and accelerate the promotion of products with lower carbon footprints.

III. Next Steps The "Guidelines" have outlined a "roadmap" for the rules and standards of industrial product carbon footprint accounting. Relevant industry associations (federations), standardization technical organizations, and professional standardization institutions should accelerate the research and formulation of standards, steadily expand the coverage of products, and actively build a comprehensive system of rules and standards for industrial product carbon footprint accounting. The work system should follow the gradient of "group standards - industry standards - national standards" to establish mechanisms for the implementation evaluation and continuous updating of standards, providing unified and standardized rules for enterprises and institutions. The carbon footprint of products should be leveraged to drive the green and low-carbon transformation of enterprises, enrich the application scenarios of standards, guide enterprises in low-carbon renovation, promote the transformation and upgrading of industrial chains and supply chains, and enhance green and low-carbon competitiveness.