Summary:

This report provides a comprehensive overview of China's carbon emissions dual-control policy (controlling both total carbon emissions and carbon intensity), tracing its evolution from the energy consumption dual-control system. It explains the policy's rationale, phased objectives, key tasks, and supporting mechanisms through a structured question-and-answer format. The analysis synthesizes central policy documents from the State Council, NDRC, and MEE, and incorporates subnational case studies from Zhejiang, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou that have pioneered carbon budgeting and project-level carbon assessments. It also examines the policy's linkages with carbon markets, green certificate trading, and voluntary emission reduction mechanisms, offering a systematic reference for policymakers and researchers.

Suggested citation:

Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress (iGDP) & Shanxi Coshare Innovation Institute of Energy and Environment. (2025). Carbon Emission Dual Control Policy: Basic Q&A. Beijing: iGDP. November 2025.

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)