From Voluntary to Value: Stakeholder-Driven Mechanisms for Carbon Neutrality in China's Tea Industry

This study investigates the stakeholder-driven mechanisms enabling China's tea industry's voluntary transition toward carbon neutrality. Based on the analysis of 11,358 research papers retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, published between 2001 and 2024, and supported by government funding sources, with a focus on carbon neutrality, carbon sink, carbon peaking, carbon storage, and carbon emissions, combined with policy analysis and value chain mapping, we identify key transformation pathways.The findings reveal:(1) Government and scholars play a dominant role in driving the low-carbon transition through policy and technological innovation.(2) Full-value-chain enterprises possess a significant advantage in coordinating technology and equipment upgrades across upstream and downstream segments, enhancing carbon reduction efficiency.(3) Carbon-emitting enterprises face market pressures and struggle to balance economic and environmental objectives.(4) While the tea industry’s capacity for internal carbon balance is limited, it can partially offset external carbon emissions in sectors like forestry.The study provides theoretical insights and policy recommendations to support the green transformation of China's tea industry, offering a reference for low-carbon development in other agricultural sectors.