Abstract

As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the industrial coatings industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven primarily by green and low-carbon development. Guided by the nation’s overarching strategy of promoting new industrialization and building a modern industrial system, the industry will accelerate its transition from being a “chemical powerhouse” to becoming a “chemical superpower.” This report provides a comprehensive analysis of policy orientations, technological trends, and market opportunities related to industrial coatings during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with a particular focus on two key themes: green industry and low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Policy Background: The 15th Five-Year Plan and the Orientation Toward Green Industry

The “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal places “building a modern industrial system and consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy” at the top of its strategic priorities, explicitly calling for the promotion of high-end, intelligent, and green development in the manufacturing sector [1]. Relevant departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, are actively formulating pathways for a green and low-carbon transformation in the industrial sector. They have proposed exploring the establishment of a number of zero-carbon factories and zero-carbon industrial parks during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, thereby setting clear goals for the green development of the coatings industry [2].

Key Policies and Standards

The policy with the most direct impact on the industrial coatings industry is the update of mandatory national standards. The newly released “Limit Values for Hazardous Substances in Coatings—Part 2: Industrial Coatings” (GB30981.2-2025) will officially come into effect on June 1, 2026 [3]. This standard integrates several previously existing standards and significantly tightens the limits on VOCs while expanding the scope of regulatory control, marking the industry’s entry into a phase of stricter environmental oversight.

Green Transition: Low-VOC and Technological Innovation

Driven by strong policy support, the green transformation of industrial coatings has become an irreversible trend. At the heart of industry development lies reducing VOC emissions at the source and vigorously promoting the development and application of environmentally friendly coatings.

Development Goals for Environmentally Friendly Coatings

According to industry forecasts, by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2025), the market share of environmentally friendly coatings—including waterborne coatings, high-solids coatings, powder coatings, and radiation-cured coatings—will approach 70%. As we enter the 15th Five-Year Plan period, this proportion will continue to rise and eventually become the market’s mainstream. Specific development directions include:

• Water-based industrial coatings Technology continues to mature, and its applications in fields such as automobiles and construction machinery will further expand.
• High-solids coating While maintaining excellent protective performance, it effectively reduces solvent usage.
• Powder coating Achieving zero VOC emissions, its application areas are expanding from traditional home appliances and building materials to industrial sectors such as automotive and pipelines.
• Radiation-curable (UV/EB) coatings It features fast curing speed and high efficiency, with significant advantages in fields such as electronics and furniture manufacturing.

Cutting-edge technological innovation

To achieve source control and full-process emission reduction of VOCs, a series of innovative technologies are emerging and will be more widely adopted during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Cutting-edge technologies such as the “Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Green Coating Process Based on VOCs Emission Reduction at the Source” are bringing revolutionary changes to the industrial coating industry. ——“2025 China Coatings Industry Information Annual Conference” [5]

In addition, the research and development and application of new materials—such as self-healing coatings, high-performance organic pigments (which can replace heavy-metal pigments like lead chromate), and long-lasting anti-corrosion and antifouling coatings for marine engineering—will become key drivers for promoting high-quality development in the industry.

Key Application Areas and Market Opportunities

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the development of major national strategies and emerging industries will create vast market opportunities for green industrial coatings.

• New Energy and the Automotive Industry By the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's automobile production and sales are expected to reach the milestone of 40 million vehicles, with the share of new-energy vehicles significantly increasing [6]. This development places higher demands on the performance and environmental friendliness of automotive coatings. As a result, high-performance, low-VOC waterborne coatings with high solid content will see tremendous demand.
• Marine Engineering and High-End Equipment As a key development direction for the new materials industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, long-lasting anti-corrosion and antifouling coatings for ships, offshore wind power, and marine platforms hold broad market prospects.
• Strategic emerging industries Emerging industries—including the low-altitude economy (such as drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft)—have specific demands for coatings that are lightweight, high-strength, multifunctional (e.g., stealth and thermal insulation), and environmentally friendly, thereby giving rise to new niche markets.

Conclusion

In summary, the 15th Five-Year Plan period represents a critical five-year window for China’s industrial coatings industry to achieve a green transformation. Marked by the implementation of new national standards such as GB30981.2-2025, the industry will fully shift toward a development path characterized by low VOCs and environmental friendliness. Enterprises must proactively adapt to these policy changes, step up R&D investment in environmentally friendly coating technologies—including waterborne, powder, and high-solids coatings—and actively explore cutting-edge technologies and emerging markets. Only by doing so can they seize opportunities amid increasingly fierce market competition and achieve sustainable, high-quality development.