China to build unified low-carbon certification system

BEIJING -- China will build a unified certification system for low-carbon products as part of its efforts to boost the consumption of green goods, according to the country's top economic planner.

An independent third-party agency will assess the carbon footprint of products and services and grant low-carbon certificates to those that have met certain requirements, according to a document issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The NDRC will then issue a catalogue of certified products and an identification mark will be printed on the products' packaging, according to the document.

The certification scheme is being piloted in the provincial regions of Guangdong, Chongqing and Hubei. The expansion of the pilot program is part of growing efforts to push for a greener growth model.

By the end of 2015, China aims to lower its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 16 percent from 2010 and lower its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 17 percent, according to the government's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).