Not Just Production, China Requires Manufacturers to Calculate Emissions of Electric Vehicle Batteries

Illustration of an electric car. (Photo: Motorway)

JAKARTA - The Chinese government is starting to lay the groundwork for a new, more sustainable electric vehicle industry. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced a pilot program that will require manufacturers of batteries for new energy vehicles (NEVs) to report the carbon footprint of their products starting in 2026.

In the initial phase, the program will collect data from battery models that are considered representative of the industry. Evaluation of the trial results is carried out throughout 2026, before full reporting is fully implemented in 2027.

MIIT emphasized that this pilot phase is focused on the development of systems and methodologies, not the enforcement of sanctions, while providing a secure platform for manufacturers to send data and coordinate with third-party verification agencies.

As reported by Carnewschina, Thursday, January 1, the power battery has so far been the largest contributor to emissions in the life cycle of electric vehicles, especially high-energy lithium-ion batteries. In contrast, lithium iron phosphate batteries are known to have a relatively lower carbon footprint.

Globally, regulators such as the European Union have previously required reporting of the carbon footprint of batteries per product. As a result, data accuracy and standardization are key to the competitiveness of China's electric vehicle exports.

In this program, MIIT is designing a structured carbon footprint management system, covering calculation standards, data platforms, monitoring, verification, and evaluation. Carbon footprint reporting will cover the four main stages of the battery life cycle, material procurement, manufacturing processes, distribution, and recycling.

All emissions are then normalized against the total energy output of the battery. The collected data is divided into two, namely activity data and background data.

Activity data includes energy and material consumption during production, transportation, and recycling. Meanwhile, background data includes raw material emission factors, energy sources, and components.

Regional electricity factors and green energy certificates are also included to reflect differences in the electricity mix in different regions of China. Emissions calculations are based on national battery cycle standards, but are still aligned with international life cycle assessment frameworks.

A number of stakeholders are involved in this system. Battery manufacturers are responsible for entering data, calculating carbon footprints, and uploading the results.

Suppliers provide verified data related to raw materials, logistics, and recycling. Verification institutions will audit and certify the data, while universities, research institutions, industry associations, and experts are tasked with updating the emission factor database and calculation methodology.

MIIT stated that the results of the trial in 2026 will be the basis for refining standards and drafting supporting policies. This process will be coordinated with other authorities, including market regulators, to be in line with national carbon management policies.

Full reporting is planned to run in 2027, after the workflow and data quality are assessed to be mature. Through this carbon footprint reporting system, China targets the strengthening of the sustainability of the NEV supply chain, increased transparency of emissions, and international recognition of the carbon data of its battery production.