Credits and projects · China

China adds 2 forestry CCER methodologies and revises 2 others between 10 October and 9 November 2026

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration published 2 new CCER forestry methodologies on 9 November 2026.

They cover management of existing tree forests (CCER-13-001-V01) and reforestation (CCER-14-006-V01), and take effect on issue.

A month earlier, on 10 October, revised V02 versions of the afforestation and mangrove methodologies were posted, each effective 30 days after issue.

9 Nov 2026Credits and projectsChinaPublished 12 Nov 2026
Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai, seen across the Huangpu River (Shanghai hosts China's national carbon exchange)
Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai, seen across the Huangpu River (Shanghai hosts China's national carbon exchange). Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, source. Resized only; no other change.
Report

What happened

On 9 November 2026 the MEE General Office and the General Office of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) posted a joint notice, dated 4 November and numbered Huanban Qihou Han [2026] No. 428, releasing two methodologies for China Certified Emission Reductions (CCER): tree forest management carbon sinks (CCER-13-001-V01) and reforestation carbon sinks (CCER-14-006-V01). The notice applies from the date of issue.

The notice sets ownership and permanence rules. Credits from these projects belong to the owner of the trees; if the project developer is a different party, it must show proof of ownership and a transfer agreement with the owner. Developers also need a written commitment from the tree owner not to clear-cut within the project lifetime. Provincial and city-level environment departments, working with forestry departments, are to inspect registered projects and handle public complaints.

On 10 October 2026 the MEE posted two revised methodologies. The afforestation methodology was updated from its first version to CCER-14-001-V02 in a notice issued with the NFGA, dated 9 October. The mangrove creation methodology moved to CCER-14-002-V02 in a notice issued with the Ministry of Natural Resources, dated 8 October. Both revisions take effect 30 days after issue, and projects already registered under the earlier versions keep using them.

The mangrove revision allows several mangrove, coastal salt-marsh and seagrass restoration projects in the same province to be bundled into a single registration. Owners of all bundled projects must authorise the application, reductions are counted separately for each project type, and the crediting period of the whole bundle ends if any owner loses rights to its sea area or land.

Context

Background

The national CCER market reopened on 22 January 2024, and the first new credits traded in March 2025, when 0.7488 Mt changed hands on day one at an average CNY 80.45 per tonne. The MEE published 12 methodologies in 2025. By the end of August 2026, 41 projects and 24.2335 Mt of credits were registered, cumulative trading reached 21.7068 Mt, and the average traded price stood at CNY 86.51 per tonne.

CCERs connect to the compliance market through offsets. Covered entities in the national ETS may use them for up to 5% of allowances due. Usage has grown from 3.7174 Mt for 2021-2022 compliance to 6.4727 Mt for 2023 compliance, used by 58 entities.

Data

How it compares

Offset limits in Asian carbon pricing schemes

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE); Laws & Regulations Database of the ROC (Ministry of Justice); Korea Ministry of Government Legislation, National Law Information Center (law.go.kr); METI (Industrial Structure Council); National Environment Agency (NEA). Checked 2026-11-12. Korea's exact limit is set in each allocation plan within the 10% legal ceiling.

Table of the same figures
SchemeOffset credit limitBasis
China national ETS (CCER)5%Of allowances due
Taiwan carbon fee (domestic credits)10%Of chargeable emissions
Korea K-ETS (KOC/KCU)10%Legal ceiling on surrender obligation
Japan GX-ETS10%Of each year's emissions
Singapore carbon tax (ICCs)5%Of taxable emissions, from 1 January 2024
Ahead

What is next

No further dates are set in the official texts we checked.

Record

Sources

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