As the green transition accelerates, “carbon” is increasingly becoming an “invisible asset” for enterprises, with its management evolving from rough to refined practices. Mr. Zhang Hua, Chairman of Fuhua Tongda Chemicals Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Fuhua Chemicals”), once said: “Carbon indicators should be calculated just like profits,” and has since embedded this philosophy into the company’s entire business operations.
Fuhua Chemicals received carbon certification from TÜV SÜD and Carbon Newture at the 2025 Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo
Recently, with technical support from Carbon Newture, Fuhua Chemicals successfully completed carbon footprint assessments for two core products—glyphosate and chloromethane—according to the international standard ISO 14067. These assessments were certified by TÜV SÜD, an authoritative third-party organization. In addition, Fuhua Chemicals also completed its 2024 organizational-level GHG inventory and received certification.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Li Yuanshen, Assistant General Manager of Fuhua Chemicals and Vice President of the Crop Science Business Unit, to learn more about the story behind their philosophy of “calculating carbon like profits”.
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Leshan, Sichuan, China, Fuhua Chemical is a global integrated chemical company engaged in mineral resource development, basic chemicals, and fine chemical application R&D. It ranks among the top 10 agrochemical companies in China and the top 20 globally, and has been recognized as a “Green Factory” by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The company operates across three major business lines—crop science, chemicals, and new materials—forming a full-cycle green circular industrial model that spans mineral resources, chemical intermediates, and end-use chemical products.
Q: What does the phrase “calculate carbon like profits” really mean?
A: Carbon neutrality is not only a climate issue—it’s also an economic and technological one. At Fuhua Chemicals, we believe that low-carbon development can go hand in hand with economic growth. In the future, carbon metrics will essentially become a company’s “second income statement.”
Q: Fuhua Chemicals is a leading company in the crop protection sector and has built a green circular industrial chain that spans from mineral resources to intermediates to end products. Can you elaborate on how this model contributes to carbon reduction?
A: Fuhua Chemicals has always embraced the development concept of “green and low-carbon, digitally empowered,” embedding it throughout company operations and management. We actively pursue low-carbon solutions across the entire value chain—from raw mineral resources to end products. Our “mineral resources–intermediates–end products” green circular model aligns with the 3Rs of the circular economy—reduce, reuse, and recycle—supporting our commitment to green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.
In the resource extraction phase, we focus on developing eco-friendly mining technologies to minimize emissions and ecological impact, while improving efficiency and ensuring a steady supply of low-carbon raw materials. During production, we meticulously track each process to identify carbon reduction opportunities and implement precise decarbonization actions. At the product stage, we pursue maximum resource utilization of every element, reducing environmental impact.
Q: Fuhua Chemicals is actively advancing product carbon footprint assessments and certifications for key products. What is the background and significance of this initiative?
A: Global warming is accelerating biodiversity loss, desertification, and extreme weather events, posing significant challenges to human development. In response, many governments are beginning to incorporate carbon footprint management into regulatory tools. For example, the EU’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) initiative outlines 16 environmental impact categories—including carbon footprint—as part of its product assessment guidelines. Additionally, many multinational companies are now requiring carbon footprint data as part of their sustainable supply chain management.
In this context, Fuhua launched its “Low-Carbon Fuhua” project in 2021. This project focuses on research into low-carbon technologies, establishing carbon footprint methodologies and data systems for core products, developing green technologies, and supporting the development of national and industry-level low-carbon standards with an eye toward international recognition.
Using product carbon footprint reduction as a guiding development strategy, the certification of key products serves two core purposes: first, to drive industrial upgrading and energy efficiency improvements; and second, to overcome green trade barriers and enhance the competitiveness of our export products.
Through carbon footprint management systems, we can comprehensively understand carbon emissions across all stages of our operations. This enables us to carry out targeted energy-saving upgrades, improve production technology, and continue reducing the carbon intensity of our products.
Q: What specific actions has Fuhua Chemicals taken to reduce the carbon footprint of key products like glyphosate? Are there any successful examples you can share?
A: Fuhua Chemicals is advancing green, low-carbon, and high-quality development through several initiatives: development of new low-carbon products and technologies, innovation in production processes, optimization of our energy mix, and building green supply chains.
For example, this year we significantly increased our use of renewable electricity. While this raised costs, it is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of glyphosate by about 10%, cutting roughly 1.2 tons of CO₂ emissions per ton of product. At the same time, we’ve optimized our production processes by replacing outdated equipment with high-efficiency electrolytic systems, which could further reduce emissions by around 0.5 tons per ton of product.
We’re also leveraging our role as a supply chain leader to promote upstream carbon accounting among our raw material suppliers, improve emissions management across the chain, and encourage green procurement—laying the groundwork for a truly green supply chain.
Q: Building a green supply chain is central to Fuhua’s efforts to decarbonize the crop protection industry. What other steps will you take to work with partners up- and downstream to accelerate the industry’s green transformation?
A: As one of China’s leading crop protection enterprises, Fuhua is actively promoting the industry’s green and low-carbon transition. We are proud to be among the first in the sector to receive TÜV SÜD certification for the carbon footprints of glyphosate and chloromethane.
Looking ahead, we plan to collaborate more closely with supply chain partners. This includes expanding the use of new energy vehicles in logistics, working jointly with upstream and downstream players to reduce emissions from production technologies, equipment, and materials, and leveraging southwestern China’s abundant hydropower to reduce carbon intensity in energy use.
We will also continue to improve operational excellence by refining management at every stage, ensuring energy efficiency and consumption reduction. At the same time, we’ll continue to support initiatives like the Crop Protection Industry Low Carbon Alliance and the Carbon Disclosure Platform of Agricultural Chemicals, co-developing new pathways for low-carbon growth and a green ecosystem for the entire sector.
