CO2 Mitigation in Fujian Province: an Input-output based Network Utility Analysis Method

Abstract

This paper proposes an input-output based network utility analysis model to diagnose urban CO2 emissions metabolism. It is applied to Fujian Province to demonstrate its feasibility. The direct and indirect CO2 emissions of six major sectors are calculated using the input-output table. It is revealed that the total carbon emissions of the industrial sector were higher than other sectors, accounting for 74% of Fujian Province total carbon emissions. And the indirect emissions generated during the consumption process in the industrial sector were also the largest, with 0.43×109 tons of emissions. The wholesale and retail catering sector had the smallest carbon emissions, with only 14.9×106 tons of emissions. In addition, carbon emissions in all industries were on the rise. Then, network utility analysis is employed to define the various relationships between different sectors. It is found that the mutual relationship between various sectors in Fujian Province has developed from 1 pair of competition relationships to 3 pairs of competition relationships, which has reduced from 13 pairs of exploitation relationships to 12 pairs of exploitation relationships. The results can help to provide integral reference for policy makers to propose the effective mitigation strategies. The study found that Fujian’s carbon emission metabolism system is different from other metabolic systems in terms of industry structure. The competitive relationship represents the mutual suppression of carbon emissions between sectors, which further provides a good opportunity for carbon reduction.