Carbon pricing: A game-changer for China’s aluminium industry? Report

Insight 18 September 2023

Get this report*

$1,050

You can pay by card or invoice

Share link

First name
Last name
Job Title
Company
Email
Telephone

Country

Message

Consent

Please keep me informed about Wood Mackenzie products, services and events.

Submit Category

For details on how your data is used and stored, see our Privacy Notice.

- FAQs about online orders
- Find out more about subscriptions

*Please note that this report only includes an Excel data file if this is indicated in "What's included" below

Report summary

Like other economies, China has implemented compliance carbon pricing as a key component of its decarbonisation policy toolkit, aiming to facilitate the shift towards cleaner and more sustainable economic practices. In 2016, China’s State Council announced the 13th five-year plan for greenhouse gas control, including introducing carbon pricing for non-ferrous metals production. In November 2022, the Chinese government rolled out the “Action Plan for Peaking Carbon Emissions in the Non-Ferrous Metals Industry”, reaffirming the inclusion of carbon emissions from key metals production in China’s national ETS. In April 2023, the government released the “Guidelines for Establishing Standards for Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality” to accelerate the development of carbon emissions accounting standards for energy-intensive industries, including the non-ferrous metals sector.

China aims to incorporate carbon emissions from aluminium production into its national Emissions Trading System (ETS)
Aluminium industry not surprised
How will the national ETS operate within the aluminium sector?
Which emissions will likely fall under the scheme’s coverage?
How significantly will carbon pricing impact operating costs?
Carbon pricing will alter the long-term competitive landscape
A positive step forward: empowering smelters with options and incentives

Tables and charts

This report includes the following images and tables:

Two common methods to determine the number of allowances
Anticipated carbon emissions boundary to be included in the national ETS (Highlighted in the red box)
Impact of carbon pricing on China cash cost C1

Impact of carbon pricing on cost competitiveness of aluminium-producing provinces
Proportions of non-fossil power generation capacity within provincial regions (2023) and aluminium smelting carbon intensity (Scope 1&2)
Total carbon emissions and intensity of aluminium smelting by country (Scope 1&2)