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.

In January 2026, through its engagement in environmental and climate action, IPE witnessed 14 enterprises disclosing a total of 14 carbon emission data sheets, and 18 enterprises disclosing a total of 20 PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) data sheets. In addition, 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.

The "Vehicle Carbon Footprint Snap" campaign has sparked questioning: Why is the carbon footprint of Mercedes-Benz cars consistently high? Which sector of production has a greater impact on a vehicle's carbon footprint? Why do cars that look extremely similar have such vastly different carbon footprints in different market contexts? What is the current situation and what are the problems regarding carbon footprint management in Chinese automotive enterprises? How should work proceed in the future? To address these questions, CPCD invited special guests Ma Jun, Director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) and Ning Lizhe, automotive industry practitioner for an interview.

In December 2025, through its engagement in environmental and climate action, IPE witnessed 74 enterprises disclosing a total of 78 carbon emission data sheets, and 78 enterprises disclosing a total of 83 PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) data sheets. In addition, 116 enterprises passed the GCA audit, verifying the effectiveness of their corrective actions, which led to the removal of 303 supervision records from the Blue Map website.

For shipper companies, logistics activities are often one of the emission hotspots in the corporate value chain. To guide shipper companies in focusing on and reducing carbon emissions in logistics, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), with support from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), developed the "Shipper Company Green Logistics CATI Index" in 2025 and conducted assessments of 50 leading Chinese and international companies recognized for their performance in climate action.

In 2025, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) and Green Jiangnan, together with 9 other environmental organizations, jointly launched the "Automotive Carbon Footprint Snap" campaign. Netizens on the Blue Map app participated actively, unlocking the product carbon footprints of over 110,000 vehicles through street photography, totaling over 4.12 million tons of carbon emissions. Among them, the total carbon emissions of Mercedes-Benz vehicles exceeded 270,000 tons, standing out significantly among hundreds of Chinese and foreign automotive brands. To accelerate the low-carbon transformation among automakers in China and to provide consumers with greener products, 11 environmental organizations jointly sent a letter to a group of leading brands. Some Chinese and foreign automakers responded positively, engaging in exchanges and discussions with the environmental organizations on relevant issues. However, regrettably, Mercedes-Benz has yet to make any response.