Dynamic Characteristic Analysis of Indirect Carbon Emissions Caused by Chinese Urban and Rural Residential Consumption Based on Time Series Input-Output Tables from 2002 to 2011

Guoxing Zhang,Mingxing Liu,Xiulin Gao

doi:10.1155/2014/297637

Abstract

Carbon emissions caused by residential consumption have become one of the main sources of carbon emission and revealed a huge growth trend in China. By processing data of Chinese input-output tables available and relative Statistical Yearbook, this paper uses RAS method to update the input-output tables to obtain the time series input-output tables from 2002 to 2011. Then, we use input-output method to make a contrastive analysis of changes in carbon emissions caused by Chinese rural and urban residents’ consumption. The results show that the indirect carbon emission caused by urban residents’ consumption is the main part of carbon emission caused by residents’ consumption, and the gap between carbon emission caused by urban and rural residents’ consumption is wider and wider. The annual per capita indirect carbon emissions in urban and rural areas increase by years, and the increment of the town is much greater than that of the country. At last, we analyze carbon emissions from residents’ consumption by sectors and obtain some meaningful results. In accordance with the above conclusions, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions from consumer behaviors, structure of consumption, energy usage, and so on.

Highlights

Since the 1980s, China’s population scale, the proportion of urban and rural, income level, and consumption patterns have undergone significant changes, and these changes have a great impact on the carbon emissions caused by the residential consumption
(1) From 2002 to 2011, the indirect carbon emissions caused by urban and rural residents’ consumption increase gradually, but the percentage it accounts for declines by years
(2) By comparing the indirect carbon emissions, we realize that the carbon emissions caused by urban residents’ consumption is the main component of the whole carbon emissions, and the gap between carbon emissions caused by urban residents’ consumption and rural residents’ consumption is widen

Summary

Introduction

Since the 1980s, China’s population scale, the proportion of urban and rural, income level, and consumption patterns have undergone significant changes, and these changes have a great impact on the carbon emissions caused by the residential consumption. A large number of recent studies indicate that indirect carbon emissions produced by residents’ living consumption should not be overlooked which has become one of the main sources of carbon emissions in China and has a huge growth trend. Wang and Shi’s [1] research points to the fact that China’s carbon emissions caused by residential consumption account for 30% of the total carbon emissions in 2004, up from 19% in 1995. Researches of Liu et al [2], Zha et al [3], Fan et al [4] show that, in recent years, carbon emissions caused by Chinese urban and rural residents’ consumption increase by years. It is significant to make a detail research about carbon emissions caused by Chinese urban and rural residents’ consumption and put forward corresponding measures and suggestions

Methods

Results

Conclusion