The carbon labels designed for fruit bamboo shoots grown on Tianmu Mountain in Lin'an district. [Photo/Tide News]

Hangzhou has launched one of China's first city-level systems to track the full carbon footprint of products, marking a shift in its green transition from factories and energy structure to individual goods and entire industrial chains.

At a press conference on Feb 11, the city released its Work Plan for Building a Product Carbon Footprint Management System, aiming to measure total emissions generated across a product's life cycle — from raw materials and manufacturing to transport, use and disposal. Lower numbers indicate a smaller environmental impact.

Officials say carbon labeling is not only about sustainability but also global competitiveness, as new international carbon rules, including the European Union's carbon border policy set for 2026, require exporters to disclose emissions data. Hangzhou plans to expand clean energy use, targeting an additional 1 million kilowatts of solar capacity by 2026 to help businesses cut emissions at the source.

So far, 144 products in Hangzhou have completed carbon footprint certification, including local specialties such as West Lake Longjing tea and Jingshan tea.

The city aims to establish a basic carbon footprint management framework by 2027 and complete certification for over 100 products by 2030. Measures include encouraging e-commerce platforms to display carbon data, promoting low-carbon product zones in malls, and developing specialized service providers and talent to support greener production and consumption.

Hang Water, a carbon footprint certified product, uses water from Qiandao Lake in Chun'an county. [Photo/Tide News]