context: The PRC has recently speeded up work on carbon footprint standards alongside the carbon market. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently issued guidelines for carbon footprint accounting rules for key industrial products, aiming to establish a unified standard system and enhance carbon footprint management. By 2027, around 100 standards will be developed, expanding to 200 by 2030, focusing on key sectors like power, steel, aluminum, cement and electric vehicles.
Starting 1 May 2025, the PRC’s first national carbon footprint standard for the nonferrous metals industry will be implemented, reports Caixin. Quantification methods and requirements for greenhouse gas product carbon footprint: electrolytic aluminum was announced by Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) on 22 November, and spearheaded by Chinalco’s Zhengzhou Research Institute, with contributions from various companies including Yunnan Aluminum and Baotou Aluminum.
The carbon footprint calculation process is complex, involving numerous stages and challenges like ensuring accuracy, notes Caixin. The standard provides comprehensive guidance for precise quantification, offering essential data for carbon emission checks and supporting policy-making for decarbonisation.
The electrolytic aluminum industry, production of primary alumium, is a major source of industrial carbon emissions. It accounts for about 70 percent of the nonferrous metals sector’s emissions and approximately 5 percent of the PRC’s total carbon emissions. Aluminum smelting is expected to be confirmed included in the PRC’s national carbon market by the end of the year.
As the world’s largest aluminum producer, consumer and exporter, the PRC sees aluminum as vital across industries like construction, transportation and durable goods. Emerging demands from automotive lightweighting and renewable energy further emphasise aluminum’s role.
Aluminum underpins export growth in sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries and photovoltaics, where carbon footprint compliance is becoming a critical trade requirement.
Electrolytic aluminum serves as a foundational raw material for downstream processing but does not directly reach consumers, notes Caixin. Its carbon footprint quantification is driven by downstream customers, primarily to meet international market demands. The new standard adopts a 'cradle-to-gate' approach, covering emissions from
- raw material acquisition
- energy use
- alumina refining
- aluminum smelting
- transportation and auxiliary processes up until the product leaves the factory gate
- it does not include downstream stages like product fabrication, usage or disposal