Helping China embark on its carbon trading journey

In the largest emissions trading system (ETS) technical assistance program in the world, ICF supported China with the design and implementation of its regional ETS pilot programs.

The project expanded when the government announced the regional pilots should also lay the foundation for a unified national ETS, which will make China the world's largest carbon market.

25%
of national GDP covered by the provinces and cities chosen for China's pilot ETS

National
GDP

CO2
Emissions

30%
of the world's total CO2 emissions are generated by China

Establishing the delivery model and building capacity

ICF's challenge was to facilitate an ETS model reflecting China's own characteristics and circumstances within the context of global best practices.

8

European countries engaged to share best practices

35

workshops, seminars, and knowledge-sharing activities organized

250+

technical training, presentations, and research resources prepared

8k

public and private sector stakeholders trained to support ETS implementation

2 key concepts championed by ICF

Monitoring plans - to embed data collection quality and transparency

Roadmaps and action plans - to ensure coordinated transition to a national ETS

3 novel ideas initiated

Appointed liaison officer - played key role in building trust with government

Established roundtables - led to sharing of issues and views, plus joint research

Set up large-scale China carbon pricing surveys - drew out industry opinions

Providing training on technical building blocks for ETS

9 ETS building blocks

Enabling a greener future for China

ICF helped China accelerate the process of ETS design and implementation, guaranteeing that the components of the regional pilots would be compatible with a unified national ETS.