ESTS Certifies Mengniu's Tangshan Plant as "Net Zero Carbon Factory" - the First of Its Kind in China’s Dairy Industry
Recently, ESTS, part of the Cotecna Group, awarded the "Net Zero Carbon Factory" to Mengniu Dairy (Tangshan) Co., Ltd., following the assessment of the Tangshan plant under the ISO 14068-1:2023 international standard for carbon neutrality. Mengniu says the Tangshan plant is now China's first net-zero carbon dairy facility, a key step in aligning the sector with global carbon neutrality standards and exploring pathways to deep decarbonization.
As one of China’s top two dairy companies and a consistent presence in the global top ten, Mengniu operates a broad portfolio of dairy brands across global markets and places sustainability high on its corporate strategic agenda.
To date, Mengniu has built 41 national-level green factories and developed a full-industry-chain carbon accounting system with traceable and verifiable full-process carbon data. Previously, Mengniu’s Qujing plant obtained dual domestic and international zero-carbon factory certifications, while its Wuhan plant was awarded Five-Star Zero-Carbon Factory status. The newly certified Tangshan plant further scales up high-standard net zero practices, marking a key phased breakthrough in the dairy giant’s energy structure upgrading.
Unlike the "carbon neutrality" which allows organizations to reach net zero through offsets such as purchasing carbon sinks and carbon credits, "net zero carbon" requires an organization not to rely on any offsetting measures. Instead, it must rely solely on energy structure reform, energy efficiency improvement and process optimization to substantially reduce direct carbon emissions from Scope 1 (direct combustion of fossil fuels) and Scope 2 (purchased electricity) within its operational boundaries to zero. Through measures such as full green electricity coverage, fossil-free green steam, a digital energy and carbon management system, and energy-efficiency retrofits of equipment, Mengniu's Tangshan plant has achieved true "zero emissions" within its own operational boundaries.
ESTS’ certification of Mengniu’s Tangshan Plant represents successful compliant application of this top-tier global net zero standard in China’s dairy industry. Beyond recognizing the plant’s outstanding low-carbon achievements, this milestone delivers a quantifiable, verifiable, and replicable decarbonization model for the entire domestic dairy sector, filling the gap of standardized net zero verification in China’s dairy manufacturing field.
A Trusted Partner in the Transition to Net Zero Carbon
As a global auditing and certification body under the Cotecna Group, ESTS possesses proven deep expertise in services covering social compliance, sustainability, green and low carbon, food safety, quality system, etc. With recently strengthened capabilities in greenhouse gas verification, ESTS provides extensive carbon management solutions covering organizational GHG verification, product carbon footprint accounting and verification, carbon neutrality assessment, energy audits, Climate Disclosure Support (CDP), CBAM compliance services, and more. Through independent, internationally credible certification, ESTS helps companies turn climate ambition into verifiable results, helping industries move toward a high-quality, sustainable future.
About Mengniu
In 1999, Mengniu Dairy (referred to as Mengniu), among the top nine dairy producers in the world, was founded in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, headquartered in Hohhot, China. As a Hong Kong-listed company (stock code 2319.HK), Mengniu is a constituent stock of Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) and Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (HSSUS). COFCO corporation is the major strategic shareholder of Mengniu.
Mengniu is committed to deliver nutritious, healthy, and exquisite dairy products to worldwide consumers. Mengniu’s products include liquid milk, ice cream, milk powder, cheese, and other categories, composing a variety of brands. Mengniu is a market share leader in the field of deluxe pure milk, fresh yogurt, deluxe fresh milk, and cheese. Mengniu covers not only China market, but also steps into the dairy market in Southeast market, Oceania, North America in over ten countries.
(Source: www.mengniu.com.cn)
About ESTS
Extensive Standard Technical Services Co., Ltd. (ESTS) is a global certification body and audit firm with professional services covering social compliance, sustainability, green and low carbon, food safety, quality system, etc. We are committed to enhancing the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) competitiveness for brands and retailers supply chains, as well as to creating a transparent and reliable supply chain for our clients.
About Cotecna
For over 50 years, we have been supporting agriculture, food and pharma, minerals and metals, and consumer products supply chains all over the world. We provide testing, inspection, and certification services to help our clients navigate evolving regulations, ensure product compliance, and support their sustainability journey.