A recent surge in global extreme weather events has made the impacts of climate change increasingly evident. In response, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, along with 18 other government departments, has jointly released the National Climate Change Response Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period (hereafter referred to as the Plan).

This document serves as the overarching guide for climate change efforts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). It emphasizes a balanced approach between mitigation and adaptation, integrates domestic and international considerations, and coordinates policy with market mechanisms. The Plan is built on the strategic position of the 15th Five-Year Plan as a bridge between past and future, adhering to a nationwide coordinated approach. It is driven by the goals of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, organically linking to China's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and fully aligning with the Beautiful China Construction Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan and the 15th Five-Year Plan for Peak Carbon Emissions Action.

A senior official from the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment stated that the central government places a high priority on climate change action, making it a key part of national governance. The strategic decision to peak carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality has been made, pushing climate change response to become a leading example of implementing global governance initiatives. The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a critical stage for achieving the carbon peak, marking a key time for advancing the 2030 and 2035 NDCs. Documents such as the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, the Beautiful China Construction Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan, and the 15th Five-Year Plan for Peak Carbon Emissions Action all contain important strategic deployments for climate change work.

"Today, the global climate governance landscape is undergoing profound changes," the official noted. "We must maintain strategic focus, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, promote a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, effectively reduce the risks and adverse effects of climate change, and provide solid support for high-quality development and high-level security."

Core Objectives

For the first time in a five-year plan, the Plan systematically establishes a comprehensive, cross-sectoral target system for climate change response. This is based on a thorough consideration and full integration of national goals, including the carbon peak target and other relevant binding targets. Specific objectives for the 15th Five-Year Plan period include: achieving significant new progress in climate change response, carbon peaking, and carbon neutrality; meeting the carbon peak target on schedule; fully realizing the 2030 NDC goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP; lowering carbon dioxide emissions per unit of product within sectors covered by the national carbon emissions trading market; developing the national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market and the product carbon footprint management system; improving the monitoring and control of non-CO2 greenhouse gases; enhancing the climate change adaptation system; and increasing China's influence in global climate governance.

Eight Key Priorities

The Plan outlines eight key priority areas:

1. Controlling CO2 Emissions in Key Sectors. This area focuses on accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society, consolidating and enhancing the carbon sink capacity of ecosystems, and deepening the synergy between pollution reduction and carbon reduction. Key measures for the 15th Five-Year Plan period are outlined.

2. Strengthening Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Control. This includes stepping up efforts to control methane emissions, strengthening the control of nitrous oxide emissions, and advancing the control of fluorinated gas emissions during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

3. Enhancing the National Carbon Market. This area outlines work to accelerate the construction of a national carbon emissions trading market, actively develop a high-quality national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market, enhance the vitality and efficiency of the carbon market, and expand the international influence of China's carbon market.

4. Establishing a Robust Carbon Footprint Management System. This work involves consolidating the foundation for carbon footprint work, improving labeling, certification, and management mechanisms, enriching the application scenarios for product carbon footprints, and promoting the international alignment of carbon footprint rules.

5. Enhancing Climate Risk Response Capabilities. This focuses on improving the climate change adaptation work system, conducting climate change risk assessments, and strengthening responses to extreme weather and climate events.

6. Strengthening Climate Change Adaptation Actions. This includes enhancing adaptation actions for natural ecosystems, strengthening adaptation actions for the economic and social system, and implementing adaptation actions in key regions.

7. Improving Climate Change Response Governance Capabilities. This involves improving laws, regulations, and standards in the climate field, perfecting the carbon emission statistical accounting system, leveraging the supporting role of fiscal, pricing, and financial policies, strengthening technological innovation for climate change response, and promoting broad participation from all sectors of society.

8. Actively Participating in and Leading Global Climate Governance. This includes constructively leading the multilateral process of climate change response, earnestly fulfilling transparency obligations, deepening bilateral and multilateral international exchanges and cooperation, and continuously strengthening South-South cooperation on climate change.

Implementation Pathways

To ensure the Plan's effective implementation, three key approaches are defined:

1. Deepening Coordinated Action. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment will strengthen policy coordination and work linkages with relevant departments, guide local governments and industries to advance climate change work in an orderly manner, enhance information sharing and joint scheduling, and ensure all parties act in unison to form a cohesive force.

2. Strengthening Publicity and Training. The Plan will be actively interpreted through various channels. Publicity, education, discipline building, and capacity building regarding climate change will be enhanced to continuously raise awareness and capabilities. This will guide society toward forming green and low-carbon production and lifestyles and encourage broader public participation in climate action.

3. Conducting Tracking and Evaluation. Anchored to the 2030 carbon peak goal, all climate change work will be systematically advanced. Dynamic monitoring, mid-term evaluations, and final assessments of the Plan's implementation will be carried out to ensure the successful completion of all its objectives and tasks.