Central SOEs advance green supply chains

China's centrally administered State-owned enterprises have made notable progress in building green supply chains, as shown by the widespread adoption of measures to enhance green and low-carbon design, according to a report released Wednesday.

Unveiled at this year's United Nations climate change conference in Belem, Brazil, the report said central SOEs have increasingly improved their green supply chain management systems.

About 57 percent of them have established leadership bodies for green supply chain management, according to the report, which was compiled by the CSR Cloud Research Institute under the guidance of the Bureau of Social Responsibility of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

Nearly 65 percent of central SOEs have introduced regulations related to green supply chains, and 75 percent have incorporated green and low-carbon supply chains into their overall development strategies.

The report also found significant progress in efforts to transform entire supply chains.

About 99 percent of central SOEs are strengthening green and low-carbon design, it said. Nearly 99 percent are deepening green and low-carbon production, with almost 93 percent improving green and low-carbon management in production processes. The report cited China Mobile as an example, noting the major mobile operator has introduced green electricity in its production processes.

The report also highlighted a series of challenges facing central SOEs as they work to transform their supply chains.

Almost 69 percent of central SOEs cited the lack of unified standards to evaluate their progress in developing green supply chains. Many raised concerns about technological barriers, with about 60 percent saying current green technologies remain immature and costly to apply.

A vast majority expect more government support. Nearly 97 percent said they hope for more training on green supply chain development, and roughly 95 percent said they look forward to policy or economic incentives to support their efforts.