On 10 September 2020, the National Technical Committee for Auto Standardisation (NTCAS) held the “2020 Annual Meeting of the Working Group on Green Manufacturing Standards for the Automobile Industry” in Tianjin. The meeting was attended by more than 20 experts from the Auto Standardisation Research Institute (ASRI) of CATARC (the SOE holding the NTCAS), automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), universities and testing agencies.

During the meeting, the representatives of the working group first provided an overview of the work and progress of the working group in 2020. In particular, they presented the framework of the standards system of green manufacturing and circular economy in the automotive industry, reviewed the projects on industrial energy conservation and green standardisation, and also summarised the progress of standardisation research, outlining proposals for follow-up actions.

Then, the working group discussed in detail the drafts of various standards, including:

  • Guidelines for Green Factory of Automobile Industry;
  • Calculation Method of Overall Energy Consumption for Per Unit Output of Automobile Products;
  • Calculation Method of Overall Water Consumption for Per Unit Output of Automobile Products;
  • Evaluation of Green Supply Chain Management Practices in Automobile Industry;
  • Technical Specification for Green-design Product Assessment for Automobiles.

In particular, the experts focused their discussion mostly on the first document (which has been indicated as the key framework document guiding the establishment of the green manufacturing standards system), specifically on how to improve the applicability of the guidelines, its evaluation index weight, and the limit requirements of partial clauses. The Guidelines for Green Factory of Automobile Industry is expected to set up an evaluation index system for green factory that meets the needs of industrial development, guiding the automobile industry to efficiently manage green factories and thus standardise the green manufacturing in factories.

Background:

Following stricter laws and regulations on energy and environmental protection, and the growing momentum for the establishment of green factories, the automobile industry is burgeoning and consuming more energy. At the same time, however, there is a lack of evaluation methods and detailed rules for automobiles green factories in China – highlighting the need to formulate evaluation standards and rules for the industry, thus contributing to green manufacturing.

The Working Group on Green Manufacturing Standards for the Automobile Industry was established by NTCAS against this backdrop, and to improve green manufacturing standards of the auto industry. Its establishment is also seen as a response to the call of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Standardisation Administration of China (SAC) to establish a green manufacturing standards system – which is illustrated in detail in the Guidelines for the Establishment of the Green Manufacturing Standards System jointly formulated by MIIT and SAC. This document is aimed at implementing the Made in China 2025 initiative and promoting the standardisation of green manufacturing.

The document highlighted that the energy-saving and comprehensive utilisation standards systems in various industries and telecommunications should be combined into an integrated system of green manufacturing standards – which is divided into seven key aspects: composite foundation, green products, green plants, green enterprises, green parks, green supply chain and green evaluation and services:

As one of the major industries underpinning the establishment of the green manufacturing standards system, the automobile industry will follow the seven key aspects above. The standards revised by the working group can contribute to improve the whole system of green manufacturing standards in the auto industry, and provide foundation for the green evaluation of automobiles in the future.

http://www.catarc.org.cn/work/detail/1964.html