On 12 January 2023, China’s National Environmental Management Standardisation Technical Committee (SAC/TC 207) convened its 2022 annual meeting online. Several representatives of key government bodies attended, including from the Department of Standards Technology Regulation under the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the Department of Science and Technology Development under the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. Wang Junwei, the director general of SAMR’s Department of Standards Technology Regulation, highlighted that SAC/TC 207 shall optimise the standard system, focus its work on key areas, and facilitate standardisation activities at international level.

During the meeting, SAC/TC 207’s secretariat summarised the work completed in 2022, highlighting in particular performance review, the development and revision of national standards, the activities in ISO/TC 207 and the management of SAC/TC; details on the 2023 work plans were also provided. The three subcommittees (SCs) under SAC/TC 207, namely Environmental Management System SC, Life Cycle Assessment SC, and Environmental Conscious Design SC, also summarised their respective standardisation activities both at the national and international level, especially those involving carbon emission management and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

In the coming months, SAC/TC 207 will:

  • Develop standardsand strengthen awareness-raising activities so as to increase the impact of standards;
  • Research on “Standardisation + Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality + Environmental Management”, enhance the capabilitiesin carbon research, and optimise the standard system for environmental management;
  • Support environmental management through the development, adoption and implementation of standards, etc;
  • Promote capacity-building of Chinese experts that participate in ISO/TC 207activities, cultivate professionals to involve in international standardisation activities, and proactively organise experts to participate in international standardisation activities.