Carbon intensity and emission reduction potential in China: spatial measuring method

Liu Chen,Minxi Wang,Xin Li,Sheng Xue,Lingfei Qu

doi:10.1186/s40008-019-0142-6

Abstract

This paper analyzes the spatial and temporal distribution of CO2 emissions intensity and energy intensity in China by using spatial measuring method from 2000 to 2013 and estimates the potential for CO2 emissions reduction. The results obtained in this study include: (1) Both CO2 emissions intensity and energy intensity are declining; (2) the spatial distribution of carbon emission intensity and energy intensity in China shows the characteristics of lower from north to south; (3) China’s total growth of energy consumption and carbon emissions is clearly slowing, which will peak before 2030; the carbon emission reduction potential in China is great with 167,316.91 million tons, and Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Hebei have the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions with 29,885.8 Mt, 32,704.49 Mt and 34,222.1 Mt, respectively; (4) the differences of CO2 emissions intensity and energy intensity among provinces are distinctive. This study can provide a reference for the sustainable development of China’s energy and environment.

Highlights

Economic development is dependent with the energy consumption; the energy consumption will give rise to the increment of C O2 emissions
Carbon intensity refers to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted of per unit GDP which shows that the lower the CO2 intensity, the less C O2 emissions per unit of GDP, while energy intensity is the amount of energy consumed of unit GDP which indicates that the lower the energy intensity, the less energy consumed per unit of GDP
5.1 Conclusion This paper studies the carbon emissions intensity and energy intensity for Chinese different provinces from temporal development and spatial distribution during 2000 to 2013 and compares the energy intensity and carbon intensity among different provinces

Summary

Introduction

Economic development is dependent with the energy consumption; the energy consumption will give rise to the increment of C O2 emissions. According to the “5th Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),”. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 had risen to 391 mg/L by 2011, which were 40% increase over the figures before industrialization. The latest 30 years, that is, from 1983 to 2012 may be the hottest decades in the past 1400 years (IPCC 2014). As global warming has become one of the most serious environmental problems worldwide, issues related to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have attracted close attention in the worldwide (Li et al 2015).

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion