Response to the 'Dual Carbon' policy: 16 national standard (mandatory / recommended) documents on energy saving and low carbon released in foreign languages

Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China released the foreign language versions of 16 national standards in the energy-saving field, including "Limits and Energy Efficiency Classes for Power Consumption of Household Electric Refrigerators". These cover key product categories for China's foreign trade, such as household electric refrigerators, electric washing machines, dishwashers, rice cookers, smart toilets, squatting toilets, and LED products for indoor lighting.

Energy saving standards are an important component of the national energy saving system, serving as an effective means to improve economic quality and efficiency, promote green, low-carbon circular development, and build an ecological civilization. Mandatory energy efficiency standards specify the minimum energy efficiency requirements for energy-using products and equipment entering the Chinese market. They form the foundation for implementing systems such as the phase-out of high-energy-consuming products, energy efficiency labeling, energy-saving product certification, and government procurement of energy-saving products, providing strong support for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.

China began researching energy efficiency standards in the mid-1980s. There are currently 75 valid mandatory product energy efficiency standards, with the number of standards achieving international leadership. Energy efficiency standard indicators for typical products such as room air conditioners and motors have reached advanced international levels. From 2016 to 2020, China issued 26 mandatory product equipment energy efficiency standards, achieving an annual electricity saving of 49 billion kWh, equivalent to a reduction of 2.86 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

This release of the foreign language versions of 16 national standards in the energy saving field timely responds to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council's energy saving decisions and deployments regarding carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, highlights the normative guidance and source control role of China's advanced energy saving standards, helps China carry out international energy efficiency standardization cooperation, and supports the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Next, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China will accelerate the improvement of the standard system in areas related to 'carbon peaking and carbon neutrality', continuously strengthen the development of foreign language versions of China's existing green and low-carbon standards, promote coordination between domestic and international standards, facilitate comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and contribute more Chinese experience and Chinese solutions to global climate change response.