Research on the Fossil Fuel CO 2 Emission Factor in the Construction Phase

Abstract

Determining the CO2 emission factor is the foundation of accounting for fossil fuel CO2 emissions. Carbon content, carbon oxidation ratio and heat value are the three main elements on CO2 emission factor by emission factor calculation model. This paper, based on methods of literature review, comparative analysis, and theory with practice, compares and analyzes those three elements affecting CO2 emission factor released by domestic and foreign authoritative institutions, selecting the numerical values suitable for Chinese construction process and applies calculation model to obtains CO2 emission factors of the main fossil fuels released in Chinese building construction phase, therefore to provides references on CO2 emissions calculation. INTRODUTION Global warming caused by greenhouse gases has been more serious than ever before and greatly affected the human survival and social development. There is a global consensus that the climate change problem can be solved by developing green and low-carbon economy and building stronger international cooperation. As the second largest energy-consuming nation, China made the commitment at the 2009 climate change meeting in Copenhagen that the CO2 emissions per unit of GDP in 2020 would be 40% to 50% lower than in 2005. Later, for the first time, “Ecology Culture” was demonstrated independently in the report of 18th CPC National Congress, putting forward three principles of “Promote green development, cycling development, and low carbon development”. It is so remarkable that China will pay closer attention to low-carbon economy, hoping to pave a way to low-carbon development. Hence, so intensively energy-consuming and high polluting as the construction industry, we need to take the commitments and obligations of sustainable development. We should spare no effort to explore theories and methods on energy conservation and emissions reduction, in order to transfer the mode of