On October 27, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment held its regular press conference for October, hosted by Liu Youbin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The Director of the Department of Climate Change of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment answered many current concerns:
Excerpts of some questions and answers are as follows:
1. How has the national carbon emission trading performed over the past year? How would you evaluate the role of the carbon market in the past year? What are the next plans?
As of October 21, 2022, the cumulative trading volume of carbon emission allowances was 196 million tons, with a cumulative transaction value of 8.58 billion yuan. The market operation has been generally stable and orderly. On the basis of the stable operation of the carbon market, we will gradually expand the industry coverage of the national carbon market and enrich the types of trading entities, products, and methods.
2. Will China consider restarting CCER this year to meet the demand for CCER in the operation of the carbon market?
Going forward, we will accelerate the effective implementation of various tasks in building the greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market, and strive to launch a greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market that is in line with China's national conditions and reflects Chinese characteristics as soon as possible.
3. Carbon barriers are becoming new technical barriers in international trade. Industries such as batteries and photovoltaics are facing the risk of non-compliance with carbon footprint requirements for exported products. How will China establish carbon footprint evaluation standards and carry out certification for these industries?
First, improve the accounting methods for carbon emissions of key products, and study the general rules for product carbon emission accounting and the detailed rules for carbon emission accounting of key industry products. Work with industry authorities to promote the research and release of detailed rules for carbon emission accounting of key industry products. Second, promote the establishment of a basic database for carbon emissions throughout the product life cycle. Third, work with relevant departments to conduct research on the systems of product carbon footprint and carbon labeling in China, and promote the establishment of relevant systems.
4. Earlier, nine departments including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the *Notice on Carrying out Pilot Work on Climate Finance and Investment*. What is the current development status of China's climate finance and investment? What measures has the Ministry of Ecology and Environment taken to promote the development of climate finance and investment?
5. Recently, three ministries including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment released the *Implementation Plan on Accelerating the Establishment of a Unified and Standardized Carbon Emission Statistical Accounting System*. What considerations went into the formulation of this plan? What are its highlights? What shortcomings can it address?
Annex: Detailed Q&A
(This article is reprinted from the WeChat official account: "Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality")
