The global automotive industry continues to thrive, delivering significant mobility benefits while generating substantial carbon emissions. Research indicates highlights the critical need to accelerate decarbonization across upstream supply-chain segments, esp. steel and aluminum. However, limited demand from automakers has constrained large-scale adoption of low-carbon raw materials. Overcoming this bottleneck requires heightened awareness and coordinated support from all stakeholders. In view of this, in 2025, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) and Green Jiangnan, together with nine other environmental organizations, jointly launched the “Auto Carbon Scan” campaign. With the support of several foundations, IPE has also conducted study on the 'Automobile-Steel and Aluminum Green Supply Chain Collaborative Carbon Reduction'. The study focuses on motivating the automotive industry to publicly disclose supply chain carbon reduction targets, implement low-carbon procurement requirements, and incentivize hard-to-abate industries such as steel and aluminum smelting to accelerate the production and supply of low-carbon products.

As the global transition to renewable energy accelerates, demand for transition minerals is surging. Their extraction and processing entail significant environmental costs and potential social ripple effects, posing a shared challenge for global climate governance. From an ecological perspective, this report systematically reviews the environmental impacts across the transition mineral lifecycle. It also examines how stakeholders—including governments, industry associations, supply chain leaders, and civil society—engage in environmental governance and disclosure. Finally, it offers recommendations to enhance environmental transparency across transition mineral supply chains.

In March 2026, through its engagement in environmental and climate action, IPE witnessed 215 enterprises disclosing a total of 217 carbon emission data sheets, and 269 enterprises disclosing a total of 273 PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) data sheets. In addition, 91 enterprises passed the GCA audit, verifying the effectiveness of their corrective actions of 262 supervision records from the Blue Map website.

In 2025, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) and Green Jiangnan, together with nine other environmental organizations, jointly launched the “Vehicle Carbon Footprint Snap” campaign. The active participation of Blue Map App users unlocked the product carbon footprints of more than 280,000 vehicles via street snap, revealing total emissions exceeding 10.26 million tons of CO?. Notably, Volvo Cars' average carbon footprint of the photographed models was 306 grams per kilometer, higher than that of 89.3% of brands in the observed sample. To accelerate low-carbon transformation of China’s automotive sector and provide consumers with more environmentally sustainable choices, the eleven environmental organizations collectively sent an open letter to leading automakers. Several Chinese and international brands responded constructively and engaged in dialogue and exchanges. However, Volvo has yet to provide any response to date.

In February 2026, through its engagement in environmental and climate action, IPE witnessed 93 enterprises passed the GCA audit, verifying the effectiveness of their corrective actions, which led to the removal of 247 supervision records from the Blue Map website. Starting in February, IPE has been upgrading the PRTR and carbon data reporting system, during which the reporting portal has been temporarily closed. The system upgrade is nearing completion, and the reporting portal will be reopened by March 13.

2026 has been widely described as a “landmark year” for corporate environmental information disclosure. With the joint issuance of the Enterprise Sustainability Disclosure Standards No.1 – Climate (Trial) by the Ministry of Finance and eight other ministries, alongside new sustainability disclosure requirements released by the three major stock exchanges, value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure (Scope 3) has formally transitioned from an “encouraged exploration” phase to a stage of standardized regulation. This shift represents not only a test of corporate transparency in environmental information disclosure, but also a profound transformation of corporate digital carbon management capabilities.

In 2025, through its engagement in environmental and climate action, IPE witnessed growing momentum of transparency in the development of green and low-carbon supply chains. As environmental information disclosure enters a landmark year, enhanced environmental and climate transparency across supply chains will further transform corporate ESG systems from a capital market evaluation tool into a driving engine for the green transition of the real economy.