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China’s 15th Five-Year Framework Plan: Overview of Key Targets and Priorities for Mitigating Super Climate Pollutants

IGSD / 18 March 2026

China's 15th Five-Year Framework Plan for National Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as “the Plan”), released on March 13, 2026, identifies the country's key targets and priorities for economic and social development during 2026–2030, including on climate change mitigation. This policy brief provides an overview of key targets and priorities that are relevant to the mitigation of non-CO2 super climate pollutants, including methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as for improving cooling efficiency.

The Plan includes a project-based target for specific non-CO2 super climate pollutants. It states that China will develop projects to reduce methane, N2O, and HFCs in the coal mining, crop cultivation and livestock production, waste treatment, and chemical production sectors, with the goal of building 30 million tons of CO₂-equivalent mitigation capacity by 2030.

The Plan also includes other targets relevant to the mitigation of super climate pollutants. These targets include:

  • Reducing CO₂ emissions per unit of GDP by 17% cumulatively for 2026-2030 (a slightly lower target in comparison to the reduction target of 18% and achieved reduction of 17.7% for 2021-2025);
  • Raising the share of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption to 25% in 2030 (from 21.7% in 2025);
  • Reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by around 10% by 2030;
  • Lowering PM2.5 concentration to below 27 micrograms per cubic meter in cities at or above the prefectural level by 2030 (from 28 micrograms per cubic meter in cities at or above the prefectural level in 2025);
  • Reducing the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by over 8% respectively by 2030;
  • Increasing the share of surface water bodies rated at good quality to 85% in 2030 (from 80% in 2025); and
  • Increasing forest coverage rate to 25.8% in 2030 (from 25.1% in 2024).

The Plan includes strategies and priorities that are relevant to the mitigation of super climate pollutants. These are described below.

  • Developing governance and policy frameworks to achieve China’s carbon peaking goal by 2030 that can support the mitigation of super climate pollutants. The Plan provides for the implementation of policies and standards on local carbon assessment, sectoral carbon control, enterprise carbon management, project carbon evaluation, and product carbon footprint. Specifically, China will establish rules and standards for product carbon-footprint accounting, issue standards for key product carbon emissions-limits, create a product carbon-labeling and certification system, regularly update the national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, expand the coverage of the national carbon emissions trading market, and accelerate the development of the voluntary GHG reduction trading market.
  • Promoting key sectoral priorities for energy conservation and carbon reduction that can implement measures on super climate pollutants mitigation. The Plan highlights actions and projects to peak coal and oil consumption, strengthen management of high-energy-consuming and high-emission projects, deploy green and low-carbon technologies, construct zero-carbon factories and parks, and improve cooling efficiency. Furthermore, the Plan calls for strengthening energy efficiency governance in key sectors through the energy efficiency labeling system and Top Runner program.[1]
  • Advancing development priorities in the energy sector that can guide relevant methane mitigation strategies and policies in China. The Plan identifies hydrogen energy as one of the prioritized new growth industries, including its application in transportation, electricity, and industry. Additionally, as part of the energy infrastructure development plan, China will promote green hydrogen and strengthen the operation and dispatch system for the national oil-and-gas network. It is also noteworthy that the China-Russia gas pipelines are listed as one of the key energy-infrastructure projects by 2030. Lastly, China is enhancing energy security through measures such as increasing natural gas production and boosting gas storage capacity.
  • Supporting domestic market-building initiatives that can align with cooling efficiency improvement. As part of China’s efforts to build a strong domestic market, the Plan calls for promoting green consumption, including the sale of green and low-carbon products. These efforts could advance the market penetration of high-efficiency and climate-friendly cooling equipment in China. This is particularly significant given that China produces over 80% of global room air conditioners, with roughly 60% of that production destined for the domestic market.
  • Providing near-term opportunities for international cooperation on super climate pollutant reduction through China’s opening-up agenda and Belt and Road Initiative. As China promotes its high-level opening-up agenda, the Plan highlights efforts to promote compatibility between domestic and international rules and standards, making China’s rules compatible with leading international economic and trade rules. The Plan provides that such measures can help foster a transparent, stable, and predictable trade environment and support the integration of domestic and international trade. Key areas for mutual recognition of international and Chinese rules and standards include energy efficiency, water efficiency, and carbon footprint standards for key products. Additionally, the Plan calls for strengthening policy communication and strategic alignment with partner countries and international organizations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, especially in areas such as energy and green development.
  • Advancing environmental-quality priorities, including controlling air pollution and emerging environmental pollutants, can support the synergistic control of super climate pollutants. For example, the Plan states that China will further strengthen efforts to control particulate matter and VOCs in key regions. These measures reinforce the broader air-quality and industrial-upgrade context in which the policies on mitigating the super climate pollutants can be strengthened and implemented. Additionally, the Plan provides that China will establish a coordinated governance and risk-control system for persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, microplastics, and related substances. This suggests a tightening of the chemical and environmental risk governance system that could further refine the pathways for refrigerant transition in China.

In conclusion, the 15th Five-Year Plan offers key strategic and policy guidance for mitigating super climate pollutants within China's national development planning framework for 2026–2030. Going forward, we will continue to monitor how these targets and priorities are integrated into China’s regulatory and standardization systems, as well as into the sectoral and subnational 15th five-year plans to be released in 2026 and beyond.

Additional IGSD China resources:

[1] China’s Energy Efficiency Top Runner Program provides for the regular publication of catalogues of the most energy-efficient products, enterprises and public institutions together with their energy-efficiency levels. The program is intended to guide products and industries toward continuous technological upgrade and improved efficiency levels. It also establishes a mechanism for the timely incorporation of Top Runner energy-efficiency levels into the mandatory energy-efficiency performance standards and energy-consumption limit standards.

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