Report: Chinese and foreign corporate climate actions are showing an overall positive trend, and carbon data disclosure continues to improve

China News Service, Beijing, November 9 (Reporter Ruan Yulin) The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) recently released the "2026 Green Supply Chain CITI Index" and "Corporate Climate Action CATI Index" research reports in Beijing. It shows that the climate actions of Chinese and foreign companies are showing an overall positive trend, and are gradually extending from their own operational emission reductions to the supply chain.

The report shows that with the formulation and implementation of domestic and foreign policies and regulations, the green supply chain is changing from an option for enterprises to a must-answer question. Leading Chinese and foreign companies continue to promote the construction of green supply chains, and many core suppliers have grown into the backbone of upstream management.

According to the report, with the successive promulgation of the “15th Five-Year Plan for Industrial Green and Low-Carbon Development”, the legal and policy foundation for green and low-carbon supply chain construction has been further consolidated. Global climate and environmental governance has gradually extended from national goals to the industrial chain and product levels, and supply chain compliance and information disclosure have also shifted from voluntary norms to mandatory due diligence constraints.

The study found that under the joint action of policy constraints, regulatory enforcement, industrial adjustment, corporate governance and social participation, China's pollution emissions have declined rapidly. Sulfur dioxide emissions have dropped from 25 million tons in 2006 to 2.22 million tons in 2024; nitrogen oxides have dropped from nearly 25 million tons to less than 9 million tons, and various industrial wastewater pollutants have also experienced cliff-like declines. Cleaner production has helped achieve the fastest improvement in air quality in the world. Surface water quality has also been greatly improved. The area affected by acid rain has dropped from 32.6% in 2006 to 2% in 2025.

The intensification of the climate crisis and the signing of the Paris Agreement have brought increasing attention to carbon reduction in the global industrial chain. CATI index research shows that carbon data disclosure by Chinese and foreign companies continues to improve. In order to promote supply chain emission reduction, Chinese and foreign companies have extended climate action to upstream raw material production links through low-carbon product research and development, supplier collaboration and long-term procurement agreements, promoted the use of recycled or low-carbon materials by suppliers, and carried out energy-saving and low-carbon technology applications such as equipment updates and process optimization.

Research shows that the number of Chinese and foreign companies disclosing product carbon footprint data continues to increase, but the disclosure of key emission links and raw material emission data still needs to be improved. All parties need to pay more attention to product carbon footprints. Carbon footprint data still needs to play a greater role in green supply chain management and consumer choices.