On May 12, 2026, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the international standard project “Digitalization of Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) – Part 2: CFP Data Exchange Format and Guidelines” has successfully approved as New Proposal (NP) in IEC. Proposed by China, this is the first internationally led by China in the field of digital product carbon footprint standardization.

CFP is a key indicator for measuring green and low-carbon industrial development. Implementing CFP management is a critical step toward achieving China’s “dual carbon” goals (carbon peaking and carbon neutrality). Currently, under trade globalization, the electrical and electronic product supply chain spans multiple sectors, including materials, parts, and components. However, inconsistencies in accounting standards, data exchange methods, and formats prevent effective CFP data flow across the value chain, affecting the accuracy of carbon footprint calculations.

The newly approved international standard addresses these challenges by specifying requirements for CFP data exchange formats and providing application guidelines and use cases. It applies to life-cycle carbon footprint data exchange across the entire upstream and downstream supply chain of electrical and electronic products.

The proposal, led by Chinese experts and supported by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and other IEC member states, provides a global solution for the effective transmission of CFP data across industrial chains. Once implemented, the standard will break down data barriers throughout the supply chain, offering a common technical language for global green and low-carbon trade.

The Shenzhen Institute of Standards and Technology, drawing on the industrial strengths of Shenzhen as a global hub for electronic information, led the proposal. It will continue to coordinate domestic and international expert resources to ensure timely publication and implementation.

For European stakeholders, the new CFP standard project introduces technical coordination pressure on the EU’s established Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) framework, pushing policymakers to seek mutual recognition or data mapping between the two systems if it is necessary. At the same time, European manufacturers relying on Chinese supply chains stand to benefit from a unified data exchange format, which will streamline the acquisition and integration of upstream carbon data, reduce manual processing costs, and enable more accurate Scope 3 emissions accounting — thereby supporting compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU Batteries Regulation.

Source: https://www.sac.gov.cn/xw/bzhdt/art/2026/art_8ef9f8c2665a4d6680ffde8515c09283.html

https://www.sist.org.cn/xwzx/yndt/202605/t20260513_2511146.html