An evaluation of the international trade-related CO2 emissions for China's light industry sector: A complex network approach

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate China's local implied carbon emission (ICE) caused by the international trade of light industrial products. To do that, a multiregional-multisectoral evaluation model was proposed based on complex network theory. We constructed weighted network of China's imports and exports of light industrial products, and calculated the ICE associated with the trade flows. Then an evaluation index system was proposed based on four indicators: in-strength, out-strength, implied CO2 in import, and implied CO2 in export. Next, three multi-attribute decision-making methods and the minimum-deviation method were used to form a multiregional-multisectoral evaluation model, obtaining the level of the ICE coming from trade. We found that the United States, India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Mexico were the five countries that caused the most serious ICE in China. Within the light industry sector, the most significant light industries responsible for China's local carbon emissions was the household electrical appliances industry. Such results may provide a reference for formulating light industry strategies to have a positive impact on the socio-economic landscape and encourage sustainable development.