A change in accounting estimate shall be accounted for in the period of change if the change affects that period only or in the period of change and future periods if the change affects both. A change in accounting estimate shall not be accounted for by restating or retrospectively adjusting amounts reported in financial statements of prior periods or by reporting pro forma amounts for prior periods. In preparing the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, management makes estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the valuation of inventory, accounts receivable, advances to suppliers, other receivable, loan to a third party, acquisition reversal receivable, due from a related party, allowance for credit losses, useful lives of intangible asset, property and equipment, and right-of-use assets, the recoverability of long-term investments, revenue recognition, and realization of deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates and the actual results, future results of operations will be affected. A change in accounting estimates shall be accounted for in the period of change if the change affects that period only or in the period of change and future periods if the change affects both. A change in accounting estimates shall not be accounted for by restating or retrospectively adjusting amounts reported in financial statements of prior periods or by reporting pro forma amounts for prior periods.

Accounts receivable are presented net of an allowance for credit losses. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses for estimated losses. The Company reviews its accounts receivable on a periodic basis and makes general and specific allowances when there is doubt as to the collectability of individual balances. The Company makes estimates of expected credit losses for the allowance for credit losses based on assessment of various factors, including historical experience, the age of the accounts receivable balances, credit quality of certain accounts receivables, current economic conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions and other factors that may affect its ability to collect from the counterparties. Uncollectible accounts receivables are written off when a settlement is reached for an amount that is less than the outstanding historical balance or when the Company has determined that is not probable for the balance to be collected.

The Company values its inventory at the lower of cost, determined on a weighted average basis, or net realizable value. Costs include the cost of raw materials, freight, direct labor, and related production overhead. Net realizable value is estimated using selling price in the normal course of business less any costs to complete and sell products. The Company reviews its inventory periodically to determine if any reserves are necessary for potential obsolescence or if the carrying value exceeds net realizable value.

Advances to suppliers consist of balances paid to suppliers for services and materials that have not been provided or received. The Company reviews its advances to suppliers on a periodic basis and makes general and specific allowances when there is doubt as to the ability of a supplier to provide supplies to the Company or refund an advance.

Other receivables, loan to a third party, and acquisition reversal receivable are presented net of an allowance for credit losses. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses for estimated losses. The Company reviews its other receivable, loan to a third party, and acquisition reversal receivable on a periodic basis and makes general and specific allowances when there is doubt as to the collectability of individual balances. In evaluating the collectability of individual receivable balances, the Company considers many factors, including the age of the balance, the customer’s payment history and current credit-worthiness, and current economic trends. Accounts are written off after efforts at collection prove unsuccessful.

The Company invests from time to time in equity securities of private companies. If the Company determines that the Company has control over these companies, the Company includes them in the consolidated financial statements. If the Company determines that the Company does not have control over these companies, the Company then determines if the Company has an ability to exercise significant influence via voting interests, board representation or other business relationships.

The Company accounts for the investments where the Company exercises significant influence using either an equity method of accounting or at fair value by electing the fair value option under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 825, Financial Instruments. If the fair value option is applied to an investment that would otherwise be accounted for under the equity method, the Company applies it to all its financial interests in the same entity (equity and debt, including guarantees) that are eligible items. All gains and losses from fair value changes, unrealized and realized, are presented as changes in fair values of equity and long-term investments, net on the consolidated statements of income.

If the Company concludes that it does not have an ability to exercise significant influence over an investee, the Company may elect to account for the security without a readily determinable fair value using the measurement alternative under ASC Topic 312, Investments – Equity Securities. This measurement alternative allows the Company to measure the equity investment at its cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer.

An intangible asset is recognized when it is probable that the expected future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the entity and the cost of the asset can be measured reliably. Intangible assets are initially recognized at cost, less any accumulated amortization and any impairment losses. Changes in the expected useful life or the expected pattern of consumption of future economic benefits embodied in the asset are accounted for by changing the amortization period or method, as appropriate, and are treated as changes in accounting estimates.

The useful life of intangible assets has been assessed as follows:

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. The cost of an asset comprises its purchase price and any directly attributable costs of bringing the asset to its present working condition and location for its intended use.

Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. The estimated useful lives for significant property and equipment are as follows:

Expenditures for maintenance and repair, which do not materially extend the useful lives of the assets, are charged to expense as incurred. Expenditures for major renewals and betterments, which substantially extend the useful life of assets, are capitalized. The cost and related accumulated depreciation of assets retired or sold are removed from the respective accounts, and any gain or loss is recognized in income from operations in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) in income from operations. 

The Company reviews long-lived assets, including definitive-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If the estimated cash flows from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition are below the asset’s carrying value, then the asset is deemed to be impaired and written down to its fair value. There were no impairments of these assets as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025.

The Company accounts for leases following ASC 842, Leases (“Topic 842”).

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, current portion of obligations under operating leases, and obligations under operating leases, non-current on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives and includes initial direct costs incurred. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expenses for minimum lease payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company adopted the practical expedient that allows lessees to treat the lease and non-lease components of a lease as a single lease component. Non-lease components include payments for building management services, utilities and property taxes. It separates the non-lease components from the lease components to which they relate.

The Company evaluates the impairment of its right-of-use assets consistent with the approach applied for its other long-lived assets. The Company reviews the recoverability of its long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. The assessment of possible impairment is based on its ability to recover the carrying value of the asset from the expected undiscounted future pre-tax cash flows of the related operations. The Company has elected to include the carrying amount of finance and operating lease liabilities in any tested asset group and include the associated lease payments in the undiscounted future pre-tax cash flows. As of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025, the Company did not have any impairment loss for its operating lease right-of-use assets.

The Company applies ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 requires disclosures to be provided on fair value measurement.

ASC 820 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Any transfers of assets or liabilities between Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy will be recognized at the end of the reporting period in which the transfer occurs. There were no transfers between fair value levels in any of the periods presented herein.

Unless otherwise disclosed, the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments including cash and restricted cash, accounts receivable, other receivable, loan to a third party, acquisition reversal receivable, due from a related party, other current assets, convertible notes, accounts payable, remaining acquisition consideration payable, due to related parties, and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their recorded values due to their short-term maturities.

The Company accounts for convertible debt instruments in accordance with ASC 470-20 and ASU 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. Under this guidance, the Company no longer separates the liability and equity components of convertible instruments that do not require bifurcation under ASC 815. Instead, the entire convertible instrument is accounted for as a single liability, unless the fair value option under ASC 825-10 is elected or an embedded conversion feature requires separate accounting as a derivative.

The Company first evaluates whether to elect the fair value option under ASC 825-10. If the fair value option is not elected, the Company assesses whether the embedded conversion feature requires bifurcation under ASC 815. If bifurcation is not required and the instrument is not issued with a substantial premium, the convertible debt is accounted for as a single liability instrument under the traditional convertible debt model. Any debt discount or premium is amortized over the expected term of the instrument using the effective interest method and recognized as additional non-cash interest expense.

The Company accounts for revenue recognition under Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). Revenue of the Company is mainly from the sale of activated carbon. For the sale of activated carbon, the Company recognizes revenue when title and risk of loss passes and the customer accepts the products, which occurs at delivery. Product delivery is evidenced by warehouse shipping log as well as signed shipping bills from the shipping company, or by receipt document signed by the customer upon delivery, depending on the delivery term negotiated between the Company and customers on a customer-by-customer basis.

The transaction price of activated carbon is determined based on fixed consideration in the Company’s customer contracts. In determining the transaction price, no significant financing components exist since the timing from when the Company invoices its customers to when payment is received is less than one year.

Revenue is reported net of all value added taxes. The Company generally does not permit customers to return products and historically, customer returns have been immaterial. In the event the Company receives an advance from a customer, such advance is recorded as a liability to the Company. The Company reduces the liability and recognizes revenue after the delivery of goods occurs.

The core principle underlying ASC 606 is that the Company recognizes revenue to represent the transfer of goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in such exchange. This requires the Company to identify contractual performance obligations and determine whether revenue should be recognized at a point in time or over time, based on when control of goods and services transfers to a customer. The Company’s sales contracts of activated carbon have one single performance obligation as the promise to transfer the individual goods is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contracts and is, therefore, not distinct. Therefore, the sale of activated carbon is recognized at a point in time.

There were no contract assets as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025. For the six months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, revenue recognized from performance obligations related to prior periods was insignificant. Revenue expected to be recognized in any future periods related to remaining performance obligations is insignificant.

Cost of revenue includes cost of raw materials purchased, inbound freight cost, cost of direct labor, depreciation expense, and other overhead. Write-down of inventory for lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments is also recorded in cost of revenue.

Research and development expenses include costs directly attributable to the conduct of research and development projects, including the cost of salaries and other employee benefits. All costs associated with research and development are expensed as incurred.

All shipping and handling costs are expensed as incurred and included in selling expenses. Total shipping and handling expenses were $14,022 and nil for the six months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

CN Energy’s subsidiaries in the USA, PRC, Hong Kong and Canada are subject to the income tax laws of the USA, PRC, Hong Kong and Canada, respectively. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes. ASC 740 requires an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes and allows recognition and measurement of deferred tax assets based upon the likelihood of realization of tax benefits in future years. Under the asset and liability approach, deferred taxes are provided for the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. A valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not these items will either expire before the Company is able to realize their benefits, or future deductibility is uncertain.

ASC 740-10-25 prescribes a more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken (or expected to be taken) in a tax return. It also provides guidance on the recognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, years open for tax examination, accounting for income taxes in interim periods and income tax disclosures. There were no material uncertain tax positions as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025. As of March 31, 2026, the tax returns for the calendar years ended December 31, 2020 through December 31, 2025 for the Company’s subsidiaries remain open for statutory examination by tax authorities.

ASC 280, “Segment Reporting”, establishes standards for reporting information about operating segments on a basis consistent with the Company’s internal organizational structure as well as information about geographical areas, business segments and major clients in financial statements for detailing the Company’s business segments. Based on the criteria established by ASC 280, the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer, who reviews consolidated results when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Company.

Sales revenue represents the invoiced value of goods, net of VAT. The VAT is based on gross sales price and VAT rates range up to 13%, depending on the type of products sold. The VAT may be offset by VAT paid by the Company on raw materials and other materials included in the cost of producing or acquiring its finished products. The Company recorded a VAT payable or receivable net of payments in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. All of the VAT returns filed by the Company’s subsidiaries in the PRC, have been and remain subject to examination by the tax authorities for five years from the date of filing.

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash, accounts receivable, advances to suppliers, other receivables and loan to a third party. Substantially all of the Company’s cash is maintained with banks within the PRC. Cash maintained in banks within the PRC of less than RMB500,000 (approximately $70,000) per bank are covered by “deposit insurance regulation” promulgated by the State Council of the PRC. While management believes that these financial institutions are of high credit quality, it also continually monitors their credit worthiness. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. A significant portion of the Company’s sales are credit sales which are primarily to customers whose ability to pay is dependent upon the industry economics prevailing in these areas. The Company also makes cash advances to certain suppliers to ensure the stable supply of key raw materials. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and key suppliers to help further reduce credit risk.

Comprehensive income consists of two components, net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss). Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to revenue, expenses, gains, and losses that under U.S. GAAP are recorded as elements of shareholders’ equity but are excluded from net income. Other comprehensive income (loss) consists of foreign currency translation adjustment from the Company not using U.S. dollar as its functional currency.

The Company’s financial information is presented in U.S. dollars. The functional currency of the Company is the Renminbi (“RMB”), the currency of the PRC. Any transactions denominated in currencies other than RMB are translated into RMB at the exchange rate quoted by the People’s Bank of China prevailing at the dates of the transactions, and exchange gains and losses are included in the statements of income as foreign currency transaction gain or loss. The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with ASC 830, Foreign Currency Matters. The financial information is first prepared in RMB and then translated into U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities and average exchange rates for revenue and expenses. Capital accounts are translated at their historical exchange rates when the capital transactions occurred. The effects of foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders’ equity.

The exchange rate in effect as of March 31, 2026 and September 30, 2025 was US$1 for RMB6.8980 and US$1 for RMB7.1190, respectively. The average exchange rate for the six months ended March 31, 2026, and 2025 was US$1 for RMB7.0061, and US$1 for RMB7.2306, respectively.

The Company computes earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”) in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings per Share. ASC 260 requires companies with complex capital structures to present basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to all classes of ordinary shareholders of the Company by the weighted average number of shares of all classes of ordinary shares outstanding during the applicable period, and is the same amount for the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Diluted earnings/(loss) per share is calculated by dividing net income/(loss) by the weighted average number of ordinary and dilutive ordinary equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Ordinary equivalent shares consist of the ordinary shares issuable upon the conversion of the convertible notes using the if-converted method and ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants using the treasury stock method. Ordinary equivalent shares are not included in the denominator of the diluted loss per share calculation when inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive.

Basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share are not reported separately for Class A or Class B ordinary shares as each class of shares has the same rights to undistributed and distributed earnings.

In accordance with ASC 230, Statement of Cash Flows, cash flows from the Company’s operations are formulated based upon the local currencies, and then translated at average translation rates for the periods. As a result, amounts related to assets and liabilities reported on the statements of cash flows will not necessarily agree with changes in the corresponding balances on the balance sheets.

The operations of the Company are located primarily in the PRC. Accordingly, the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations may be influenced by the political, economic, and legal environments in the PRC, in addition to the general state of the PRC economy. The Company’s results may be adversely affected by changes in the political and social conditions in the PRC, and by changes in governmental policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary measures, currency conversion and remittance abroad, and rates and methods of taxation, among other things.

Substantially all of the Company’s sales, purchases, and expense transactions are denominated in RMB, and majority of the Company’s assets and liabilities are also denominated in RMB. RMB is not freely convertible into foreign currencies under the current law. In the PRC, foreign exchange transactions are required by law to be transacted only by authorized financial institutions at exchange rates set by the People’s Bank of China, the central bank of the PRC. Remittances in currencies other than RMB may require certain supporting documentation in order to effect the remittance.

The Company does not carry any business interruption insurance, product liability insurance, or any other insurance policy except for a limited property insurance policy. As a result, the Company may incur uninsured losses, increasing the possibility that investors would lose their entire investment in the Company.

The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs. Management periodically reviews new accounting standards that are issued.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, which requires that public business entities disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to financial statements at interim and annual reporting periods. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. This ASU may be applied either on a prospective or retrospective basis. We are currently evaluating the impact of this standard on our disclosures.

In January 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-01, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40)，which clarifies that all public business entities are required to adopt the guidance in annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption of Update 2024-03 is permitted.

In May 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-03, Business Combinations (Topic 805) and Consolidation (Topic 810), Determining the Accounting Acquirer in the Acquisition of a Variable Interest Entity, which revised current guidance for determining the accounting acquirer for a transaction effected primarily by exchanging equity interests in which the legal acquiree is a VIE that meets the definition of a business. The amendments require that an entity consider the same factors that are currently required for determining which entity is the accounting acquirer in other acquisition transactions. The amendments in this Update require an entity involved in an acquisition transaction effected primarily by exchanging equity interests when the legal acquiree is a VIE that meets the definition of a business to consider the factors in paragraphs 805-10-55-12 through 55-15 to determine which entity is the accounting acquirer. The amendments in this Update are effective for all entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. The amendments in this Update require that an entity apply the new guidance prospectively to any acquisition transaction that occurs after the initial application date. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.

In May 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-04, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) and Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Clarifications to Share-Based Consideration Payable to a Customer, which revised the Master Glossary definition of the term performance condition for share-based consideration payable to a customer. The revised definition incorporates conditions (such as vesting conditions) that are based on the volume or monetary amount of a customer’s purchases (or potential purchases) of goods or services from the grantor (including over a specified period of time). The revised definition also incorporates performance targets based on purchases made by other parties that purchase the grantor’s goods or services from the grantor’s customers. The revised definition of the term performance condition cannot be applied by analogy to awards granted to employees and nonemployees in exchange for goods or services to be used or consumed in the grantor’s own operations. Although it is expected that entities will conclude that fewer awards contain service conditions, for those that are determined to have service conditions, the amendments in this Update eliminate the policy election permitting a grantor to account for forfeitures as they occur. Therefore, when measuring share-based consideration payable to a customer that has a service condition, the grantor is required to estimate the number of forfeitures expected to occur. Separate policy elections for forfeitures remain available for share-based payment awards with service conditions granted to employees and nonemployees in exchange for goods or services to be used or consumed in the grantor’s own operations. The amendments in this Update clarify that share-based consideration encompasses the same instruments as share-based payment arrangements, but the grantee does not need to be a supplier of goods or services to the grantor. Finally, the amendments in this Update clarify that a grantor should not apply the guidance in Topic 606 on constraining estimates of variable consideration to share-based consideration payable to a customer. Therefore, a grantor is required to assess the probability that an award will vest using only the guidance in Topic 718. Collectively, these changes improve the decision usefulness of a grantor’s financial statements, improve the operability of the guidance, and reduce diversity in practice for accounting for share-based consideration payable to a customer. Under the amendments in this Update, revenue recognition will no longer be delayed when an entity grants awards that are not expected to vest. This is expected to result in estimates of the transaction price that better reflect the amount of consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring promised goods or services to a customer and, therefore, more decision-useful financial reporting.