Greening China’s Competitiveness: Advancing Low-Carbon Competitiveness in Economic and Technological Zones Phase II

The document outlines findings from a project coordinated by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and IISD, focusing on the adoption of carbon management standards in Chinese economic zones. Initial analysis indicates that the uptake of these standards is extremely low and primarily driven by international headquarters or global supply chain clients rather than domestic drivers. The report concludes that a lack of incentives, rather than technical specifications, is the primary barrier to adoption, and suggests enhancing zone capacity and exploring options like public procurement to encourage low-carbon enterprise.

• The adoption of carbon management standards in China is currently very low, and when they are utilized, they are mostly limited to reporting and measurement activities.
• The primary drivers for using carbon standards in Chinese companies are external, specifically requirements from global corporate headquarters or clients within global supply chains, with no significant domestic Chinese drivers identified.
• The main obstacle to the increased adoption of carbon management standards in China is a lack of adequate incentives rather than issues with technical specifications.
• Key factors influencing company practices regarding carbon standards include domestic regulatory measures, global headquarter initiatives, and demands from downstream clients.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2013). Greening China’s Competitiveness: Advancing Low-Carbon Competitiveness in Economic and Technological Zones Phase II. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_greening_china_competiveness_en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Greening China’s Competitiveness: Advancing Low-Carbon Competitiveness in Economic and Technological Zones Phase II. 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_greening_china_competiveness_en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Greening China’s Competitiveness: Advancing Low-Carbon Competitiveness in Economic and Technological Zones Phase II |date=1 August 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_greening_china_competiveness_en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2013greening, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Greening China’s Competitiveness: Advancing Low-Carbon Competitiveness in Economic and Technological Zones Phase II}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_greening_china_competiveness_en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }