China’s revamped voluntary carbon market, the China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) scheme, is back in action as of Monday! After a six-year pause, this rebooted platform lets companies trade carbon credits to offset emissions—think of it like a ‘green stock market’ for the planet.
Why This Matters:
Since its 2017 hiatus, China has tightened regulations to ensure the market drives renewable energy adoption and cuts emissions costs. Now, it’s open to entities in four key sectors: afforestation (tree-planting ), solar power , offshore wind energy , and mangrove restoration. Companies emitting carbon can buy credits from eco-friendly projects, balancing their environmental impact.
How It Works:
Green energy producers—like solar farms or wind operators—can sell credits to offset high operational costs. ‘This creates a win-win for businesses and the environment,’ says Yang Pingjian of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.
Bigger Picture:
China’s national carbon market, launched in 2021, already covers over 4 billion tonnes of annual emissions from 2,000+ power firms—making it the world’s largest. The CCER acts as a ‘sidekick’ to this system, encouraging low-carbon innovation and smarter resource allocation.
With climate goals accelerating globally, this move signals China’s push to lead the green economy—one carbon credit at a time.
After a six-year pause, this rebooted platform lets companies trade carbon credits to offset emissions—think of it like a ‘green stock market’ for the planet. 
), solar power 
, offshore wind energy 
, and mangrove restoration. Companies emitting carbon can buy credits from eco-friendly projects, balancing their environmental impact.
