China’s 15th Five-Year Plan charts the path for China’s economic and social development for 2026 to 2030. The plan was released and adopted by the National People’s Congress in March 2026. While the previous 14th Five-Year Plan reiterated the previously announced targets of achieving emissions peaking by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, the 15th Five-Year Plan has more references to emissions peaking than to carbon neutrality, and does not mention any target years.
Chapter III Main Objectives
The main objectives of the 15th Five-Year Plan are listed in Chapter III. The climate-related objectives are to achieve the goal of carbon peaking as scheduled, to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17% by 2030, and to build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system.
Chapter VIII Accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and build a beautiful China
The main provisions concerning climate are in Chapter 13, Article 47.
The chapeau paragraph in Chapter VIII calls for the establishment and practise of the concept of ecological civilisation. To achieve carbon peaking and neutrality, China will promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion and growth, improve the quality of the ecological environment, build a strong ecological safety barrier, and enhance the momentum of green development.
Article 47 - Actively and steadily promote and achieve carbon peaking
Section 1: Fully implement the double control of total carbon emissions and emissions intensity
Article 47.1 states that to control total carbon emissions and emissions intensity, China will:
<ul>
<li>Establish a comprehensive evaluation and assessment system for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality;</li>
<li>Establish an industry carbon emission control mechanism, clarifying the requirements for carbon emission management in key industries and promoting production capacity management and carbon emission control;</li>
<li>Strengthen the energy-saving review and carbon emission evaluation of fixed asset investment projects, and implement the replacement of carbon emissions equivalent or reduced in new and reconstruction and expansion of high-energy-consuming and high-emission industrial projects;</li>
<li>Formulate product carbon footprint accounting rules and standards, issue carbon emission limit standards for key products, and establish a product carbon identification certification system;</li>
<li>Improve the statistical accounting system of carbon emissions and the dynamic monitoring and early warning mechanism, and normalise the preparation of the national greenhouse gas list; and</li>
<li>Expand the coverage of the national carbon emission rights trading market and accelerate the construction of a voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market.</li>
</ul>
Section 2: Promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas
Article 47.2 states that China will:
<ul>
<li>Promote coal and oil consumption to peak;</li>
<li>Reduce the energy consumption per unit of GDP by about 10%;</li>
<li>Accelerate the innovative application of green low-carbon technology and equipment, and build zero-carbon factories and parks.</li>
<li>Strengthen the energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformation of existing buildings and municipal facilities, and refrigeration and lighting;</li>
<li>Utilise residual heat resources and non-fossil energy heating, and promote the metering transformation of heating;</li>
<li>Promote the low-carbon replacement of different modes of transportation and freight; and</li>
<li>Improve the energy efficiency of computing facilities.</li>
</ul>

Section 3: Improve the ability to cope with global climate change
Article 47.3 states that China will:
<ul>
<li>Strengthen the monitoring and control of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases;</li>
<li>Increase carbon sinks in ecosystems, and improve the monitoring and accounting system of carbon sinks;</li>
<li>Improve the work system of adapting to climate change, strengthen the assessment of the impact of regional risks of climate change on key vulnerable areas, and improve the ability to cope with climate change, especially extreme weather; and</li>
<li>Actively participate in and lead global climate governance, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, fully implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement, and deepen South-South cooperation on climate change.</li>
</ul>
Targets
The targets related to carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, as indicated in Table 20 in Article 47, are:
<ul>
<li>Increase the transformation of energy saving in key industries such as thermal power, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, petrochemical, chemical and building industries, achieve energy savings for more than 150 million tons of standard coal, and reduce the energy consumption of public institutions by 5%.</li>
<li>Build demonstration projects and promote the replacement of coal consumption in food, textile, paper-making and other industries to reach 30 million tons/year.</li>
<li>Build about 100 national zero-carbon parks to manufacture green products with green energy, with zero-carbon transportation corridors.</li>
<li>Implement non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas control projects such as for methane, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons in coal mining, agriculture, waste, chemical and other sectors, reducing carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 30 million tons.</li>
<li>Build a comprehensive national carbon emissions data management system, a national greenhouse emissions factor database and a national carbon measurement laboratory.</li>
<li>Support the innovation of carbon dioxide capture and bio-dissipation, and support the construction of carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration demonstration projects.</li>
</ul>
Other relevant provisions in Chapter 13 are as follows:
Article 48 - Continuous improvement of environmental quality
Article 48 outlines actions relating to improving environmental quality, including reducing air pollution, improving waste management and environmental governance. One target is to complete the ultra-low emissions transformation of cement production. In Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and the surrounding areas, industrial coal-fired boilers with 65 steam tons/hour and below will be gradually eliminated.
Article 49 - Improving the stability and sustainability of ecosystem diversity
Article 49 outlines actions relating to increasing ecological protection and restoration, to improve the nature reserve system and the protection mechanism, including improving the compensation system for ecological and environmental damage.
Article 50 - Accelerating the formation of green production and a green lifestyle
Article 50 outlines actions to accelerate green production, including strengthening the economic use of water, mineral resources and other raw materials, improving the waste recycling system, promoting a circular economy, implementing environmental protection tax, implementing tax incentives for green products, and guiding the public to reduce waste. China intends to enrich green financial products and services, promote the innovation of carbon financial products and derivatives, and encourage the proportion of investment in the green low-carbon field. It will improve the green certificate trading mechanism and improve green low-carbon standards, with reference to international rules and standards.
More broadly, other relevant provisions in this Plan are as follows:
Article 5 - Cultivating and expanding emerging industries and future industries
Article 5.1 is about the development and expansion of emerging industries, including new energy vehicles. Article 5.2 states China’s aim to promote hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy, as new economic growth points.
Article 7 - Building a modern infrastructure system
Article 7.2 states that China will build a powerful energy country and promote the safe, reliable and orderly replacement of fossil energy with non-fossil energy. This includes coastal nuclear, offshore wind, photothermal, geothermal and hydro energy.
Article 12 - Strengthening the efficient supply of algorithmic data
Article 12.1 states that China will promote the coordinated layout of green power and computing power, for the large-scale, intensive, green and inclusive development of computing resources.
Article 13 - Promoting the empowerment of digital intelligence technology in an all-round Way
Table 10 in Article 13 states that China will promote the application of artificial intelligence in the innovation of power system regulation, energy exploration and development, new energy power prediction and other scenarios.
Article 15 - Vigorously boosting consumption
Article 15 states that China will coordinate to promote employment in the digital, green and silver economies to expand residents' consumption.
Article 16 - Expanding effective investment
Article 16.2 states that China will improve the long-term mechanism for private enterprises to participate in the construction of major projects in railways, nuclear power, hydropower, water supply and other fields, including by increasing the shareholding ratio of private enterprises.
Article 21 - Actively adopting international standards
Article 21.2 states that China will promote the international mutual recognition of rules and standards such as energy efficiency, water efficiency and carbon footprint of key products, and promote the disclosure and voluntary disclosure of enterprise climate information and environmental information in accordance with the law.
Article 22 - Improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation
Article 22.2 states that China will optimise the foreign investment environment, improve the foreign investment service guarantee system, and shape new advantages to attract foreign investment. This is aimed at increasing foreign investment in advanced manufacturing, modern services, high-tech, energy conservation, environmental protection and other fields.
Article 32 - Strengthening the protection of marine development and utilisation
Article 32.3 states that China will explore and carry out marine carbon sink accounting.

15th Five-Year Plan

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

People who are less able to respond to the effects of climate change due to having limited financial or physical assets

A tax advantage is a fiscal incentive where the government reduces or exempts selected activities, goods or actors from taxes.

A loan is a policy instrument where funds are provided to a borrower with the expectation of repaying the principal plus interest.

A subsidy is a direct or indirect payment to individuals or businesses, typically provided as a government cash payment or a specific tax reduction.

Direct investments by the governments using public funds. This can be to support climate initiatives or integrate climate into other projects.

Compulsory, required payments to the government that are levied more-or-less in proportion to the services provided. Fees and charges range from entrance fees to national parks, charges on land-based sewage discharge.

Financial support to help individuals manage the effects of unexpected events, securing their livelihoods and increasing the resilience of people and businesses to the changing climate. It’s especially vital in developing regions where everyday risks, climate-related weather extremes, or crop failures can push people into poverty. Without insurance, people may have to resort to selling assets or cutting consumption to cope with losses.

Tradable permits are market-based tools that grant permission for specific activities, frequently used to regulate emissions. These permits can be issued within a trading system to manage environmental impacts.

Codes and standards are regulatory instruments that specify minimum standards to protect health and safety. This ranges from performance standards, which prescribe outcomes while allowing flexibility to achieve compliance, to the more prescriptive approach of technology-specific standards.

Zoning and spatial planning are both methods for guiding the distribution of people and activities in a space, and are regulatory restriction.

A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

An integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, that enables individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.

A financial institution that manages a country's currency and can promote climate-related initiatives through green monetary policy and other means.

A company that is owned wholly or partially by the state, typically operating in key sectors.

Aligning the skills of the workforce with the requirements of the just transition.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Conditions that enhance the feasibility of adaptation options. Enabling conditions include finance, technological innovation, strengthening policy instruments, institutional capacity, multi-level governance and changes in human behaviour and lifestyles.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater systems to climate change.

Actions to adapt human health, healthcare systems and well-being to climate change.

Actions to adapt and increase the resilience of rural and urban infrastructure and settlements to climate change.

Coastal zone and marine-related actions and measures to adapt and increase resilience to climate change

Actions and measures to adapt and increase resilience of societies and the economy to climate change.

Action or measure that increases resilience of societal, cultural and natural heritage to climate change impacts.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater, coastal and marine systems to climate change.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

A potent, short-lived greehouse gas, largely released from livestock, fossil fuel extraction and waste management.

Replacing technologies that burn fossil fuels directly with alternatives powered by electricity.

Actions to reduce emissions in energy generation and supply.

Investment in electricity transmission and distribution systems capable of integrating renewable energy, supporting electrification and strengthening energy system resilience.

Technologies that capture and hold energy in reserve for later use.

Risks to the ecosystem health of the marine environment, including ocean warming, ocean acidification, and ocean deoxygenation, harming biodiversity, species health, ecosystem services, and coastal community livelihoods.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

A drought is an extended period of unusually dry weather marked by a significant and sustained lack of precipitation, falling below a specific threshold over a large area for more than a month

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Air pollution involves harmful contaminants in the air, affecting both indoor and outdoor environments. It can lead to health issues like respiratory diseases and heart problems, and climate impacts such as global warming. Pollutants can damage plants, trees, habitats, and water bodies like rivers and lakes.

Social protection systems consist of policies that help people manage social risks in order to prevent poverty and maintain decent incomes and living standards

Energy derived from biological compounds that are renewable due to their short life cycle within the carbon dioxide cycle.

Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society—improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity.

Heat extracted from the ground, usually in the form of hot water or steam and typically referred to as hydrothermal fluid.

Electrical energy generated from mechanical devices driven by flowing fresh water.

Electricity generation from devices driven by the movement of salt water, differences in saltwater temperatures, or salinity gradients.

Production of electricity and heat from solar irradiation.

Kinetic energy of airflow transformed into useful energy, mostly electrical energy.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock formed from carbonised plant matter, rich in carbon and hydrocarbons, and occurring in several main types including hard coal and brown coal.

People with different national or cultural traditions from the dominant population

Social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced

Work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for all, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity.

People whose health, both mental and physical, makes them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change

People who have left their homes, whether through force, voluntarily, or a mixture of both

woman and genders outside of the gender binary

Any compulsory, unrequited payment to the government levied on corporations or individuals. This can be for environmental reasons, such as introducing a Carbon tax to set a price that emitters must pay for the greenhouse gases they emit.

Activities of industries that extract natural resources, such as mining, oil, and gas, for commercial use.

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

This sector involves managing waste treatment, sanitation, pollution control and environmental cleanup.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

This sector involves the wholesale and retail selling of goods.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

Activities that provide lodging, food, and entertainment services to guests, including hotels, restaurants, and resorts.

This sector creates and distributes information and entertainment through television, radio, print, and digital platforms.

This sector provides communication services, software development, and IT solutions.

This sector involves activities that impart knowledge and skills to individuals, including formal schooling, vocational training and educational support.

Activities of government agencies and institutions that provide public services, enforce laws and manage public resources.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

Activities involving the management, development, and sale of property assets.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Activities that relate to the production of goods and services from forests.

Activities involving the catching, processing, and selling of fish for food, recreation, and industry.

This sector involves the distribution, treatment, and conservation of water resources.

This sector provides medical services, manufactures medical equipment, and develops pharmaceuticals to maintain and improve health.

the fair distribution of risks and opportunities of climate change and the transition to a regenerative economy, cognisant in particular of disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities and the working class

Procedural justice means ensuring that decision making is safe, transparent and inclusive, emphasizing the agency and influence of vulnerable groups and those most impacted.

Climate change can have a range of impacts on technological system. Extreme weather events can cause infrastructure failures like power outages or damage to roads and bridges, as well as the impacts from waste following natural disasters. Human activities also cause technological impacts, such as the risks posed by oil spillage and leaks.

Any substance with chemical properties that can cause physical harm to people or damage the environment, including ammonia, carbon monoxide, phosphine, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, pesticides, dioxins, microplastics, benzene, asbestos, aflatoxins, fluoride, methanol, and toxins from marine sources.

Climate change impacts our society by disrupting the natural, economic and social systems we depend on. Physical hazards and underlying vulnerabilities can lead to increased resource competition for food and water, which can heighten the risk of conflict.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Heavy precipitation refers to any form of weather where substances fall from the sky, including rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Geohazards are adverse geological phenomenon's that are capable of causing widespread damage or loss to property, life and the environment, such as earthquakes, volcano eruptions and tsunamis. Climate change can increase the frequency and severity of some geohazards, such as landslides, and soil erosion.