Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, 23 April.

Recently, the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have issued the“Measures for the Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment of Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality”, together with a circular requiring all regions and departments to implement them in full.

The full text of the “Measures for the Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment of Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality” is as follows.

 Measures for the Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment of Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality

(Approved at the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on 26 February 2026; issued by the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on 12 April 2026)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 These Measures are formulated to leverage the strategic guiding role of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, accelerate the development of a system for dual control over the total volume and intensity of carbon emissions, encourage Party committees and governments at local level to adopt and uphold a sound view of performance, and firmly fulfil their responsibilities for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. They are made in accordance with the *Guiding Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Fully, Accurately and Comprehensively Applying the New Development Philosophy to Deliver Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality*, the *Guiding Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transition of Economic and Social Development* and other relevant provisions.

Article 2 These Measures govern the evaluation and assessment, starting from the year 2026, of the performance of Party committees and governments of all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) in delivering carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets and accelerating the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development.

Article 3 Under the centralised and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the evaluation and assessment work is guided overall by the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee and implemented by the National Development and Reform Commission jointly with relevant departments.

Article 4 The evaluation and assessment follows the principle that Party and government officials share equal responsibility and each post carries its own accountability. It adheres to the principles of balanced planning, objectivity and impartiality, scientific standardisation and focus on practical outcomes.

Chapter II Contents of Evaluation and Assessment

Article 5 Evaluation and assessment shall centre on implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as well as the Nationally Determined Contribution targets for climate change response, to drive provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) to meet the targets for dual control over the total volume and intensity of carbon emissions.

Article 6 Two categories of indicators are adopted: control indicators and supporting indicators.

Control indicators cover total carbon emissions, reduction in carbon emission intensity, total coal consumption, total oil consumption and the share of non-fossil energy in energy consumption.

Supporting indicators are representative indicators from energy conservation, industry, urban and rural development, transport, public institutions, carbon emissions trading and other fields that underpin carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Article 7 During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the National Development and Reform Commission shall, jointly with relevant departments, formulate the Carbon Peaking Action Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period to deliver the carbon peaking target by 2030. The Plan shall ensure that carbon emission intensity in 2030 falls by no less than 65% compared with 2005, the share of non-fossil energy consumption reaches 25% in 2030, total coal consumption and total oil consumption reach their peaks, the installed capacity and output of coal-fired power are kept under reasonable control, and annual newly added clean energy power generation gradually covers newly added electricity demand across society.

Article 8 During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Party committees and governments of all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) shall formulate provincial carbon peaking action plans, set five-year and annual targets for various indicators in line with national objectives, and put forward corresponding tasks and measures.

Provincial action plans shall be completed on schedule, reviewed and aligned by the National Development and Reform Commission together with relevant departments, submitted to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for examination and approval, and used as the basis for subsequent evaluation and assessment of each province.

When reviewing and aligning provincial action plans, the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments shall focus on meeting national targets, urge local authorities to implement requirements such as equivalent or offset carbon emissions replacement for new, renovated or expanded high-energy-consumption and high-emission industrial projects, and take into account factors such as main functional positioning, industrial and energy mix and natural resource endowments of different types of regions. Rigid constraints and flexible regulation shall be balanced to reflect differentiated requirements.

Article 9 Starting from the 16th Five-Year Plan period, in the first year of each five-year planning cycle, the National Development and Reform Commission shall, together with relevant departments, formulate a national carbon emission control action plan in accordance with phased targets set by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. All provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) shall formulate provincial carbon emission control action plans to advance progress towards carbon neutrality.

Article 10 The National Development and Reform Commission shall, together with relevant departments, formulate annual implementation plans for evaluation and assessment in a timely manner, refine work measures, define detailed assessment rules for each indicator, and adjust and improve the indicator system as required by evolving circumstances and work needs.

Chapter III Procedures for Evaluation and Assessment

Article 11 Evaluation and assessment are carried out annually and implemented in the year following the assessment year.

Article 12 Party committees and governments of all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) shall conduct self-assessment of their annual carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work, submit self-assessment reports to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on schedule, and send copies to the National Development and Reform Commission and other responsible departments for evaluation and assessment.

Article 13 Relevant departments shall assess national annual progress for the indicators under their purview and evaluate the annual performance of each province (autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government). Evaluation results for individual provincial indicators are classified as “Met Target” or “Failed Target”. Where the result is “Failed Target”, the responsible department for that indicator shall analyse problems and root causes in the province’s work, propose recommendations for improvement and produce written comments. Relevant departments shall submit evaluation results and written comments to the National Development and Reform Commission on schedule.

Article 14 The National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, shall conduct on-site verification of provincial progress, task delivery, target achievement and data authenticity through spot inspections and third-party audits.

Article 15 Taking into account provincial self-assessments, departmental evaluations and on-site verification results, the National Development and Reform Commission shall put forward proposed annual comprehensive evaluation and assessment results for each province in three grades: Excellent, Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory. These proposals shall be discussed with the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee and then submitted to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in accordance with procedures.

Provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) where all control indicators and supporting indicators are met shall be rated “Excellent”. Those where one or more control indicators are not met, or three or more supporting indicators are not met, shall be rated “Unsatisfactory”. All others shall be rated “Satisfactory”.

Chapter IV Application of Evaluation and Assessment Results

Article 16 After examination and approval by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the results shall be fed back to the Party committees and governments of the relevant provinces by the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee and the National Development and Reform Commission in accordance with procedures, with copies sent to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

Article 17 Based on the results, relevant provinces may be subject to interviews, reminder notices or commendation notices.

For provinces rated “Unsatisfactory”, the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee and the National Development and Reform Commission shall urge the local Party committee and government to submit a written report to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council within 30 working days of receiving the feedback, setting out rectification measures and a clear completion deadline. Where rectification is inadequate after the deadline, the province’s Party committee and government may be interviewed by the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly with relevant departments.

For provinces rated “Satisfactory” with some indicators unmet, the responsible department for those indicators shall issue reminder notices within a defined scope.

Provinces rated “Excellent”, or those with outstanding performance on individual indicators, shall receive commendation notices issued by the National Development and Reform Commission together with relevant departments. Good practices shall be summarised, publicised and promoted.

Article 18 Evaluation and assessment results shall serve as an important reference for the comprehensive appraisal, selection, appointment, supervision and management of leading bodies and relevant leading cadres of provincial Party committees and governments.

Where serious dereliction of duty is identified during assessment or rectification, the National Development and Reform Commission together with relevant departments shall put forward proposals for accountability. Relevant issues and supporting documents shall be transferred to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission and the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee in accordance with procedures, and relevant entities and individuals shall be held accountable in accordance with regulations, discipline and law.

Entities and individuals with outstanding performance in the assessment may be commended and rewarded by the relevant provincial authorities and departments in accordance with provisions.

Article 19 Evaluation and assessment shall be realistic, fair and impartial. Any province found to have engaged in fraud, false reporting, data tampering or document forgery that leads to grossly distorted assessment outcomes shall be directly rated “Unsatisfactory”, and the responsible entities and persons shall be held to account in accordance with relevant provisions.

Chapter V Implementation of Evaluation and Assessment

Article 20 Evaluation and assessment shall rely mainly on official national statistical data. Where statistical data are unavailable or not sufficiently timely, national carbon market data and statistics, survey, monitoring and accounting data from relevant departments may be used. The National Bureau of Statistics and other data-holding departments shall provide required data to the departments responsible for assessing each indicator in a timely manner.

Article 21 The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Bureau of Statistics shall continuously improve the system for carbon emission statistics and accounting. Together with other assessment departments, they shall enhance capacity for statistical collection, surveying, monitoring and accounting to strengthen data support for assessment work.

The National Development and Reform Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics and the National Energy Administration shall establish a dynamic monitoring and early-warning system for key indicators. They shall regularly monitor national and provincial carbon emissions, coal consumption, oil consumption, new electricity consumption and new clean energy power consumption, and issue early warnings to relevant provinces where appropriate.

Article 22 All provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) shall coordinate carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, economic and social development and secure energy supply in the context of assessment work. They shall rationally allocate and enforce emission reduction responsibilities, ensure a smooth transition from dual control over energy consumption to dual control over carbon emissions, steadily reduce carbon emissions in traditional industries, and resolutely curb unregulated development of high-energy-consumption and high-emission projects. They shall combine an effective market with a capable government and fully leverage market-based emission reduction mechanisms including the carbon market.

Where assessment results are affected by non-human factors such as major natural disasters and emergencies, the National Development and Reform Commission together with relevant departments shall conduct a comprehensive determination, put forward proposed assessment results based on the facts and provide a separate explanation in the report submitted to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Article 23 The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council shall formulate an evaluation and assessment system for central SOEs’ delivery of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets by reference to these Measures.

Article 24 These Measures shall be interpreted by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Article 25 These Measures shall take effect on the date of issuance.

Source: Xinhua News Agency