The world's first quantifiable "zero-carbon factory" standard has been officially released! Check it out!

On June 5, World Environment Day, Unilever and more than 20 global authoritative organizations and leading companies, including Envision Technology Group, China Energy Conservation Association, China Quality Certification Center, and Shanghai Energy Efficiency Center, jointly released the "Zero-Carbon Factory Evaluation Method" group standard (hereinafter referred to as the "Standard"), which became the world's first complete and quantifiable "zero-carbon factory" construction standard and evaluation criteria .

"Zero-carbon factory" refers to a factory that has zero carbon emissions through technical energy conservation and emission reduction and carbon elimination measures in the production and manufacturing process. However, the construction of zero-carbon factories around the world is still in its infancy and lacks corresponding rules and standards. Therefore, the formulation and release of this standard will fill the gap in zero-carbon factory standards and help the successful implementation of "zero-carbon factories" from methodology to practice.

The standard was developed by more than 20 institutions and enterprises including Unilever and Envision Technology Group, combining the experience of various parties, after half a year of research, discussion, review and repeated iterations, following scientific, authoritative and strict principles. It aims to provide methodological guidance for the construction of "zero-carbon factories" around the world, guide major companies to build "zero-carbon factories", and contribute China's strength to the global carbon neutrality goal.

This standard has three highlights:

First, the standard combines relevant domestic and international standards and represents the leading development level of international zero-carbon standards, including "ISO 14064", "Greenhouse Gas Accounting System Enterprise Accounting and Reporting Standard", "GB/T 36132-2018 Green Factory Evaluation General Principles", etc.;

Second, the standard adopts the most stringent evaluation and grading rules in the industry. The rating standards are divided into four levels, and the most stringent standard in the industry is set - the six-star "zero-carbon factory", which strictly requires that the factory must achieve zero carbon while offsetting carbon without carbon, and the technical difficulty exceeds the five-star "carbon neutral factory", which sets a new goal for factory emission reduction;

Third, use standards to point the way and promote the implementation of standards through practice. All companies involved in the formulation of standards have pledged to start the construction of zero-carbon demonstration factories within this year to test the standards through practice and lead the industry's zero-carbon transformation.

Chai Qimin, director of the Strategic Planning Department of the National Climate Strategy Center, said: "Under the dual carbon goals, low-carbon and zero-carbon factories will inevitably become the main theme of factory development; leading companies need to take the lead in strengthening capabilities, improving standards, and demonstrating guidance to promote the development of low-carbon and zero-carbon factories in the industry, the country, and even the world."

Zhang Juntao, executive deputy secretary-general of the Carbon Neutrality Professional Committee of the China Energy Conservation Association, said: " The formulation of this standard follows scientific, authoritative and strict principles, providing methodological guidance for the construction of global 'zero-carbon factories'. In the next step, it will become a guidebook for many global leading companies to build 'zero-carbon factories', contributing China's strength to the global carbon neutrality goal ."

Qu Wei, President of Unilever China, said: "In recent years, Unilever has been working hard to achieve zero emissions in its factories in China. As a leading company in sustainable development, we are pleased to see more companies planning to join the ranks of factory emission reductions. We hope that the launch of this standard will help more companies promote the zero-carbon process, and we look forward to working with more partners to achieve China's 'dual carbon' goals."

Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever, said: “Unilever is committed to being a global leader in sustainable business. As part of our commitment to improving the health of the planet, we plan to achieve zero emissions from our operations by 2030. We are delighted to have been involved in the development of this comprehensive and systematic assessment standard. This is a key step in recognising companies with zero carbon footprint and will drive the entire industry towards a more sustainable future.”

The participation in the formulation and launch of the zero-carbon factory standard is a reflection of Unilever's pursuit of zero-carbon production over the years. As a responsible company in the manufacturing value chain, Unilever has always taken sustainability as the core of its corporate development and is committed to "making sustainable living within reach". In its sustainable strategy "Unilever Compass", it has formulated a series of ambitious climate action goals, including achieving zero carbon in production by 2030. In the future, Unilever will continue to work for a zero-carbon future, share practical experience and lead the industry's sustainable transformation.

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