Frequent interactions of Tibet's CO2 emissions with those of other regions in China

Jiamin Ou,Yuli Shan,Jing Meng,Zhifu Mi,Heran Zheng,Dabo Guan

doi:10.1029/2018ef001059

Abstract

AbstractTibet is usually missing from China's emission accounts, especially from those of consumption‐based emissions. In this study, we developed a multiregional input‐output table for 31 provinces in China and examined the production‐ and consumption‐based characteristics of Tibet's CO2 emissions in 2012. Results show that the consumption‐based CO2 emissions in Tibet (18.8 Mt, similar to Guinea's emissions in 2015) were three times as high as the production‐based estimate (6.2 Mt). Tibet displays unique emission patterns with the highest ratio of consumption‐ to production‐based emissions in China, which are more similar with the east developed provinces rather than its counterparts in west China. More than half of Tibet's consumption‐based emissions are supported by Qinghai, Hebei, Sichuan, and others, enabled by the Qinghai‐Tibet railway that connected Tibet to China's national railway system. High carbon footprint but low life expectancy is found in Tibet, suggesting the emerging need of a more sustainable consumption pathway under the intensifying interregional connections by Belt and Road Initiative.

Highlights

Located in the most western part of China, the Tibet Autonomous Region is the nation's second largest province in terms of area
While Tibet has a consistent record of some fundamental data, such as population, land use, and gross domestic product (GDP), its energy statistics system has not yet been established, hindering the estimation of both greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions
The multiregional input‐output (MRIO) table for 31 provinces is compiled based on the input‐output tables (IOTs) for 31 provinces, which are released by the National Statistics Bureau of China. (National Statistics Bureau of China, 2013)

Summary

Introduction

Located in the most western part of China, the Tibet Autonomous Region (hereafter referred to as Tibet) is the nation's second largest province in terms of area. Tibet has long been a missing piece of China's national and provincial emission accounts for various reasons. While Tibet has a consistent record of some fundamental data, such as population, land use, and gross domestic product (GDP), its energy statistics system has not yet been established, hindering the estimation of both greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. Due to its remote location and the fragile environment of the Qinghai‐Tibet plateau, the population in this region is sparse, and its industry is less developed. Tibet accounts for only 0.14% and 0.24% of China's GDP and population (data in 2015; National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2016), respectively. The omission of Tibet in China's emission accounts is considered acceptable compared to the inherent uncertainty of emission inventories (Guan et al, 2012; Weber et al, 2007; Zheng et al, 2018)

Methods

Results

Conclusion