As the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters its trial phase and is set to officially impose carbon tariffs on relevant imported products starting in 2026, Huai'an City has seized the opportunity to accelerate its strategic planning. Since 2024, the city has been actively promoting the pilot carbon label certification for salt chemical products, paving the way for the local salt chemical industry's rapid transition to green and low-carbon practices and even contributing to the green export of Chinese products.

To ensure the effective implementation of the pilot program, Huai'an City has established a leadership group for the construction of a carbon footprint management system for salt chemical products. The city has also issued the Implementation Plan for Carbon Label Certification of Salt Chemical Products in Huai'an City, which outlines the division of responsibilities for industry research, standard formulation, carbon footprint calculation, publicity and motivation, certification implementation, and result application, thereby promoting the steady and orderly progress of the pilot work.

Efforts have been made to develop a carbon label certification rule system. Huai'an City has explored and defined the contents of carbon footprint label certification, including certificates, labels, validity periods, and subsequent management and supervision. The city has compiled certification documents and conducted online training on carbon footprint calculation standards, carbon label certification, and carbon footprint certification rules. Technical institutions have been organized to provide one-on-one guidance to pilot enterprises, helping them establish carbon footprint-related management systems.

The city is orderly advancing product carbon label certification. Following unified calculation standards, China Quality Mark Certification Group Jiangsu Co., Ltd. has quantified and verified the inputs and outputs throughout the product lifecycle. It has collected qualitative and quantitative data involved in the lifecycle, using the data for the calculation and analysis of the carbon footprint impact of products. Based on the carbon footprint verification results and following the carbon label certification rules, the company formulates audit plans, conducts on-site audits, and issues carbon label certification certificates and label usage permits to enterprises that meet the certification requirements. To date, five enterprises in Huai'an City have been certified, receiving a total of five carbon label certification certificates.