AuthorLIUXueyeProjectLeadforGreenEconomics,SeniorAnalystInstituteforGlobalDecarbonizationProgressEmail:liuxueye@igdp.cnAcknowledgmentsSpecialthankstomycolleagueWangYanhuiandXuJiaxuan,seniormanagerofKPMGChina,fortheirvaluablesuggestionsandfeedback.AppreciationtoBaoLinjieforthereport'sdesignandlayout.DisclaimerThecontentofthisreportrepresentstheauthors’personalunderstandingandviewsandisintendedtoenhancediscussionandcommunicationinrelevantfields.Itdoesnotrepresentthepositionorviewsofthereport’ssupporters,theauthors’affiliatedorganizations,ortheresearchexpertsandscholarsconsultedduringthereport’spreparation.Thedataandinformationusedinthisreportareallpubliclyavailable.Theauthorsaresolelyresponsibleforanyerrorsoromissions.CitationRecommendationLiuXueye.2024.Aligninggreenfinanceclassificationstandardswiththe“DualCarbonGoals”.WorkingPaper.iGDP.Page|1ToimplementthemajordecisionsofthePartyCentralCommitteeandtheStateCouncilonpeakingcarbondioxideemissionsandachievingcarbonneutrality,andtomakesignificantstridesingreenfinance,thePeople’sBankofChina,incollaborationwiththeNationalDevelopmentandReformCommission,theMinistryofIndustryandInformationTechnology,theMinistryofFinance,theMinistryofEcologyandEnvironment,theChinaBankingandInsuranceRegulatoryCommission,andtheChinaSecuritiesRegulatoryCommission,recentlyissuedthe“GuidingOpinionsonFurtherStrengtheningFinancialSupportforGreenandLow-CarbonDevelopment”.1TheOpinionscallforestablishingauniformgreenfinancestandardframework,aswellasexpandingresearchanddevelopmentoftransformativefinancialstandards.Howfaroffarethepresentdomesticgreenfinancecategorizationcriteriafrombuildingacohesivesystemthatcaneffectivelysupportgreenandlow-carbongrowth,specificallyinassistingChinainachievingitscarbonneutralitygoal?Thisarticlecomparesandevaluatesexistingdomesticgreenclassificationstandardstoidentifyprospectiveareasofattentionforbuildingnewclassificationstandardswithcarbonneutralitygoals,andthenmakespolicyrecommendations.1.CurrentGreenFinanceClassificationStandardsinChina:IntroductionandComparisonChinacurrentlyhasfournationalgreenfinanceclassificationstandards:GreenLow-CarbonTransformationIndustryGuidanceCatalog(2024Edition),GreenBondEndorsedProjectsCatalogue(2021Edition),SustainableFinanceJointClassificationCatalog(UpdatedEdition,ClimateMitigationSection),andReferenceStandardsforLocalClimateFinancingPilotClimateFinancingProjects.Thefourgreenfinanceclassificationstandardsestablishquantitativetargetsforendorsedeconomicactionsorprojects,frequentlymakingreferencetothegradecriteriaofindustry-specificorequipmentenergyefficiencystandards.Theyrarelyprovidedetailsregardingtherequiredcarbonemissionintensity,totalcarbonemissions,orenergyefficiencystandardsthatcertaineconomicactivities,technologicallyupgradedequipment,orproductionproductsneedtoachieve.1CentralPeople'sGovernmentofthePeople'sRepublicofChina.https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202404/content_6944448.htmPage|2Therefore,itremainsuncertainwhetherthespecificenergyefficiencystandardsandcarbonemissionrequirementsoutlinedintheseclassificationstandardscanmeetChina’s“dualcarbon”goals.1.1.GreenLow-CarbonTransformationIndustryGuidanceCatalog(2024Edition)InFebruary2024,theNationalDevelopmentandReformCommission(NDRC)releasedtheGuidanceCatalogforGreenandLow-CarbonTransformationIndustries(2024Edition)(referredtoasthe“...
