Greenhouse Gas Emissions In China Research Articles

A comparative study on carbon footprint of rice production between household and aggregated farms from Jiangxi, China.

Quantifying the carbon footprint (CF) for crop production can help identify key options to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture. In the present study, both household and aggregated farm scales were surveyed to obtain the data of rice production and farming management practices in a typical rice cultivation area of Northern Jiangxi, China. The CFs of the different rice systems including early rice, late rice, and single rice under household and aggregated farm scale were calculated. In general, early rice had the lower CF in terms of land use and grain production being 4.54 ± 0.44 t CO2-eq./ha and 0.62 ± 0.1 t CO2-eq./t grain than single rice (6.84 ± 0.79 t CO2-eq./ha and 0.80 ± 0.13 t CO2-eq./t grain) and late rice (8.72 ± 0.54 t CO2-eq./ha and 1.1 ± 0.17 t CO2-eq./t grain). The emissions from nitrogen fertilizer use accounted for 33 % of the total CF on average and the direct CH4 emissions for 57 %. The results indicated that the CF of double rice cropping under aggregated farm being 0.86 ± 0.11 t CO2-eq./t grain was lower by 25 % than that being 1.14 ± 0.25 t CO2-eq./t grain under household farm, mainly due to high nitrogen use efficiency and low methane emissions. Therefore, developing the aggregated farm scale with efficient use of agro-chemicals and farming operation for greater profitability could offer a strategy for reducing GHG emissions in China's agriculture.

Carbon footprint of China's livestock system – a case study of farm survey in Sichuan province, China

Characterizing and quantifying the carbon footprint (CF) of livestock production would offer insights into how livestock production contributes to climate change and help to establish potential greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation options. In Sichuan, one of the largest provinces for livestock production in China, a questionnaire farm survey was performed in 2012. CFs of livestock and poultry production were quantified using a dataset encompassing 20 farms for egg production, 25 farms for milk production, 20 farms for chicken production, and 32 farms for pork production, including both household and aggregated farms. The results revealed that over both farm types, emissions from manure treatment accounted for 70% and 74% of the total CFs in egg and chicken production, respectively. On average, 39% of the total CF in milk production was contributed by enteric fermentation; meanwhile, emissions by fodder production contributed on average 75% to the total CF of pork production. In general, egg, milk, chicken and pork production in Sichuan were associated with CFs of 3.70, 1.01, 20.02 and 5.42 kg CO2-eq/kg production for household farms, and 3.46, 1.13, 7.86 and 4.29 kg CO2-eq/kg for aggregated farm, respectively. Statistically, egg, chicken and pork production on household farms was characterized by higher CFs than that on aggregated farms. This study highlights that aggregated farm management could be an efficient option to mitigate the GHG emission in China's livestock production.

ICOPE-15-C145 Estimation and characteristic analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in China: 1991-2012

ICOPE-15-C145 Estimation and characteristic analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in China: 1991-2012

Disentangling the ranges: climate policy scenarios for China and India

Greenhouse gas emissions in China and India have been increasing rapidly over the last decade. Scenario studies can provide insight into expected future trends and the emission reduction potential in these regions. The scenarios show that growing population, gross domestic product, and energy demand are likely to lead to a further increase in emissions. At the same time, a decreasing emission intensity would still allow to create decarbonization scenarios in line with the requirements for reaching a maximal warming of 2 °C. There is, however, a wide range of assumptions across these studies. Based on the literature review, this paper observes that key assumptions in scenarios developed by national institutes in China and India differ from those presented by international studies or modeling teams. We explore how this—and other factors like data availability—may influence the interpretation of the scenarios and how international and national modeling groups could learn from each other. Our main recommendation is for more extensive collaboration between national and international research groups, so that national and international scenario studies can be compared in more detail in order to support international negotiations.

Analysis of energy consumption and carbon emission during the urbanization of Shandong Province, China

Since the combustion of fossil fuel became the largest contributing factor of greenhouse gas emissions in China, the growth of energy consumption caused by urbanization has led to significant increase in carbon emissions. Applying both the carbon-emissions-coefficient and the sector-energy-consumption method, we predicted the energy consumption and carbon emissions, explored the characteristics of energy consumption and carbon emissions in different urbanization stages, and analyzed the energy crisis in Shandong which is a typical province in China. The results indicate that in 2015 and 2020, the total primary energy consumption will be 1.57 times and 1.85 times higher than that of in 2009, and the carbon emissions are estimated to be 1.48 times and 1.67 times respectively. The urbanization has distinct positive effects on energy consumption and carbon emissions, and the influence is more obvious in the intermediate-stage than in the early-stage. From a policy perspective, this paper could provide valuable information for planners and decision makers to formulate feasible and practical polices with a view to optimize energy structure and mitigate carbon emissions.

Changes of energy-related GHG emissions in China: An empirical analysis from sectoral perspective

In order to better understand sectoral greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in China, this study utilized a logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition analysis to study emission changes from a sectoral perspective. Based on the decomposition results, recently implemented policies and measures for emissions mitigation in China were evaluated. The results show that for the economic sectors, economic growth was the dominant factor in increasing emissions from 1996 to 2011, whereas the decline in energy intensity was primarily responsible for the emission decrease. As a result of the expansion of industrial development, economic structure change also contributed to growth in emissions. For the residential sector, increased emissions were primarily driven by an increase in per-capita energy use, which is partially confirmed by population migration. For all sectors, the shift in energy mix and variation in emission coefficient only contributed marginally to the emissions changes. The decomposition results imply that energy efficiency policy in China has been successful during the past decade, i.e., Top 1000 Priorities, Ten-Key Projects programs, the establishment of fuel consumption limits and vehicle emission standards, and encouragement of efficient appliances. Moreover, the results also indicate that readjusting economic structure and promoting clean and renewable energy is urgently required in order to further mitigate emissions in China.

Greenhouse gas emissions in China's eco-industrial parks: a case study of the Beijing Economic Technological Development Area

Abstract To pursue the sustainable development of industry, China has been developing eco-industrial parks for more than a decade. However, the low-carbon performance of eco-industrial parks is unverified. In this study, a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory for industrial parks was established, including three sectors: energy consumption, industrial processes and product use, and waste. The Beijing Economic Technological Development Area (BDA), a typical national eco-industrial park of China, was chosen for a case study. The results show that the total greenhouse gas emissions of the eco-industrial park were 3.16 Mt CO 2 e in 2010, and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions accounted for 97% of the total. The greenhouse gas emissions increased by 94% from 2005 to 2010. However, the greenhouse gas emissions intensity decreased by 20%, mainly due to optimization of the energy structure and improvements in energy efficiency. The share of non-industrial sectors in the total greenhouse gas emissions increased from 12% to 33%, and the construction industry became the second biggest emissions source, after manufacturing. Scenario analysis indicates that greenhouse gas emissions in the eco-industrial park could be lower than the 2010 levels as eco-industrial development proceeds, but more efforts are needed to improve energy and material efficiency. The case study has great implications for low-carbon development in other industrial parks. It is vital to build the low-carbon economy by implementing policies that will expand eco-industrial park practice and promote low-carbon development in more than 1500 industrial parks in China.

Super Rice Cropping Will Enhance Rice Yield and Reduce CH4 Emission: A Case Study in Nanjing, China

A pot experiment was performed to learn the differences in plant productivity and CH4 emission between two rice cultivars, super rice variety Ningjing 1 and traditional variety Zhendao 11, which were currently commercially applied in Nanjing, China. Similar seasonal changes of CH4 emission fluxes and soil solution CH4 contents were found between the tested cultivars. Although there was no significant difference in plant biomass production between the cultivars, the grain yield of Ningjing 1 was significantly higher by 35.0% (P < 0.05) than that of Zhendao 11, whereas the total CH4 emission from Ningjing 1 was 35.2% lower (P < 0.05). The main difference in the amounts of CH4 emission between the cultivars occurred in the period from the tillering stage to the heading stage. The biomass-scaled and yield-scaled CH4 emissions were respectively 3.8 and 5.2 mg/g for Ningjing 1, significantly lower than those for Zhendao 11 (7.4 and 12.8 mg/g, respectively). According to the relationships between the plant growth characteristics and the CH4 emission, a stronger root system contributed mainly to the lower CH4 emission of Ningjing 1, as compared with Zhendao 11. Our results demonstrated that super rice has advantages not only in grain productivity but also in CH4 emission mitigation. Further expansion of super rice cropping will enhance rice yield and reduce greenhouse gas emission in China.

Discussion of Four Issues About Inventorying Urban Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Discussion of Four Issues About Inventorying Urban Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Emission Estimates for China: An Inventory for 1990–2010 and a Projection to 2020

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is the most potent greenhouse gas regulated under the Kyoto Protocol, with a high global warming potential. In this study, SF6 emissions from China were inventoried for 1990-2010 and projected to 2020. Results reveal that the highest SF6 emission contribution originates from the electrical equipment sector (about 70%), followed by the magnesium production sector, the semiconductor manufacture sector and the SF6 production sector (each about 10%). Both agreements and discrepancies were found in comparisons of our estimates with previously published data. An accelerated growth rate was found for Chinese SF6 emissions during 1990-2010. Because the relative growth rate of SF6 emissions is estimated to be much higher than those of CO2, CH4, and N2O, SF6 will play an increasing role in greenhouse gas emissions in China. Global contributions from China increased rapidly from 0.9 ± 0.3% in 1990 to 22.8 ± 6.3% in 2008, making China one of the crucial contributors to the recent growth in global emissions. Under the examined Business-as-usual (BAU) Scenario, projected emissions will reach 4270 ± 1020 t in 2020, but a reduction of about 90% of the projected BAU emissions would be obtained under the Alternative Scenario.

New potential carbon emission reduction enterprises in China: deep geological storage of CO2 emitted through industrial usage of coal in China

AbstractDeep geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) could offer an essential solution to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from the continued use of fossil fuels. Currently, CO2 capture is both costly and energy intensive; it represents about 60% of the cost of the total carbon capture and storage (CCS) chain which is causing a bottleneck in advancement of CCS in China. This paper proposes capturing CO2 from coal chemical plants where the CO2 is high purity and relatively cheap to collect, thus offering an early opportunity for industrial‐scale full‐chain CCS implementation. The total amount of high concentration CO2 that will be emitted (or is being emitted) by the coal chemical factories approved by the National Development and Reform Commission described in this paper is 42 million tonnes. If all eight projects could utilize CCS, it would be of great significance for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in China. Basins which may provide storage sites for captured CO2 in North China are characterized by large sedimentary thicknesses and several sets of reservoir‐caprock strata. Some oil fields are nearing depletion and a sub‐set of these are potentially suitable for CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CCS demonstration but all these still require detailed geological characterization. The short distance between the high concentration CO2 sources and potential storage sites should reduce transport costs and complications. The authors believe these high purity sources coupled with EOR or aquifer storage could offer China an opportunity to lead development in this globally beneficial CCS option. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd

Policy Design and Implementation Issues of Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Policy Design and Implementation Issues of Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

A future role for cascade hydropower in the electricity system of China

Due to the dominance of coal power, the electricity sector is the primary contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in China. The increase of peak-load and intermittent renewable power requires significant resources of regulation facilities. Comprehensively utilizing large-scale cascade hydropower plants (CHPPs), which are being rapidly developed in China, as renewable regulating facilities would be a strategic decision, considering the flexibility of hydropower. Jointly modeling a set of CHPP in the upstream Yangtze River indicated that the CHPP can regulate peak-load up to 30–40GW and intermittent renewables to scales of nearly 15GW from wind and solar sources with the help of ±800KV ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmissions. The present study shows that the hydraulic stability of the concerned river reaches can be preserved easily and the comprehensive efficiency of regulation and transmission by CHPPs is much higher than that of pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) stations. As increasingly more giant CHPPs emerge in west China, using them primarily as regulating facilities can enhance the structure of power grids, promote the development of renewables, save energy and reduce emissions. Thus we propose to shift the CHPPs that were originally projected mainly for electricity to facility primarily for power improvement.

Strategic Analysis of Most Energy and Emissions Intensive Sectors of India: Implications for Public Policy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

For more than forty years, scientists have expressed concern about growing carbon concentrations in the atmosphere and resulting global climate change. Public concern has lagged behind the scientific evidence, and political leaders have been even slower to recognize the magnitude of the climate change crisis. A carbon tax is an environmental tax that is levied on the carbon content of fuels. Carbon atoms are present in every fossil fuel (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) and are released as carbon dioxide (CO2) when they are burnt. The rate of global greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity grew by seventy percent between 1970 and 2004. With the rapid industrialization of China and India and inadequate efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions in China and India and in the rest of the world, carbon dioxide emissions are projected to grow by fifty-five percent globally between 2004 and 2030. There are two market-based approaches - taxes and permit trading - send price signals that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so they share much in common, but policymakers around the world have been debating about which one to use or whether to combine the two. The paper reviews the most energy and emissions intensive sectors in the Indian context (Power, Steel, Cement, Aluminum, Fertiliser, Paper and Pulp) under two scenarios:1. Business As Usual (BAU) and 2. Low Carbon (LC); identifies mitigation strategies; analysis the advantages and disadvantages of taxation versus cap-and-trade instruments; highlight Carbon Tax Issues in the Cap-and-Trade Context; to review India’s climate change initiatives; analysis the implications of these for achieving India’s ambitious plans of greenhouse gas emissions.The analysis brings to light that under BAU scenario, the emissions intensity of the GDP from these six sectors will reduce about 20 percent below 2008-09 levels by 2020-21. In an ambitious LC scenario, emissions intensity can reduce by 30 percent below 2008-09 levels by 2020-21. However, after 2020, the emissions intensity of the GDP reduces at a much lower rate. Environmental taxes and tax incentives are not a panacea to address the problem of global warming. However, these are important policy instruments that should be considered along with other environmental measures in any strategy to reduce global warming. In addition to promoting economic efficiency and justice, environmental taxes can also play an educational and transformative role, encouraging environmental awareness and a shared sense of environmental responsibility. These objectives can also justify environmental tax incentives, although these should properly be regarded as tax expenditures and subject to the same scrutiny as other public spending programs. Moreover, as a general rule, environmental taxes and tax incentives should be regarded as complementary to other environmental policies, interacting with environmental regulations, voluntary agreements, tradable permits, informational campaigns, direct subsidies, and the earmarking of revenues for environmental purposes.The paper concludes that the challenge of reducing emissions intensity of GDP in India is essentially a post-2020 challenge. By 2020-21, the emissions intensity of its major emitting industries will be at par with global best practices or what can be practically achieved considering industry characteristics. Post-2020, new, high-cost and not-yet commercially available technologies will be required to significantly reduce emissions intensity.

CARBON CREDITS UNDER FIRE

THE UNITED NATIONS is reviewing carbon credits it awards to firms that claim to be reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China and elsewhere. Critics contend that the firms are gaming the carbon-trading system that awards credits to industrial companies that need to meet Kyoto protocol obligations for carbon emissions. The executive board of the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the body that registers and issues carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol, says it will study six projects whose operators receive credits for destroying the fluorocarbon HFC-23, a potent greenhouse gas. CDM has awarded credits to projects in China, India, South Korea, Mexico, and Argentina, where factories manufacture the refrigerant HCFC-22. The HFC-23 destroyed at the facilities is a by-product that could otherwise be legally released to the atmosphere. Critics claim that chemical firms are producing more HCFC-22 than the market demands to profit from the carbon credits. The projects under review belong to five ...

Greenhouse gas emissions in China 2007: Inventory and input–output analysis

For greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the Chinese economy in 2007 with the most recent statistics availability, a concrete inventory covering CO 2, CH 4, and N 2O is composed and associated with an input–output analysis to reveal the emission embodiment in final consumption and international trade. The estimated total direct GHG emission amounts to 7456.12 Mt CO 2-eq by the commonly referred IPCC global warming potentials, with 63.39% from energy-related CO 2, 22.31% from non-energy-related CO 2, 11.15% from CH 4 and 3.15% from N 2O. Responsible for 81.32% of the total GHG emissions are the five sectors of the Electric Power/Steam and Hot Water Production and Supply, Smelting and Pressing of Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals, Nonmetal Mineral Products, Agriculture, and Coal Mining and Dressing, with distinctive emission structures. The sector of Construction holds the top GHG emissions embodied in both domestic production and consumption, and the emission embodied in gross capital formation is prominently more than those in other components of the final consumption characterized by extensive investment in contrast to limited household consumption. China is a net exporter of embodied GHG emissions, with emissions embodied in exports of 3060.18 Mt CO 2-eq, in magnitude up to 41.04% of the total direct emission.

Energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions during the production of a passenger car in China

Rapidly-rising oil demand and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road vehicles in China, passenger cars in particular, have attracted worldwide attention. As most studies to date were focused on the vehicle operation stage, the present study attempts to evaluate the energy demand and GHG emissions during the vehicle production process, which usually consists of two major stages—material production and vehicle assembly. Energy demand and GHG emissions in the material production stage are estimated using the following data: the mass of the vehicle, the distribution of material used by mass, and energy demand and GHG emissions associated with the production of each material. Energy demand in the vehicle assembly stage is estimated as a linear function of the vehicle mass, while the associated GHG emission is estimated according to the primary energy sources. It is concluded that the primary energy demand, petroleum demand and GHG emissions during the production of a medium-sized passenger car in China are 69,108 MJ, 14,545 MJ and 6575 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2-eq). Primary energy demand, petroleum demand and GHG emissions in China’s passenger car fleets in 2005 would be increased by 22%, 5% and 30%, respectively, if the vehicle production stage were included.

Appliance Efficiency Standards and Labeling Programs in China

▪ Abstract Since the late 1980s, China has developed an extensive program of energy efficiency standards and labeling for household appliances. This development closely traces the rapid growth of appliance ownership and the domestic appliance industry and is an integral part of China's comprehensive energy conservation policy. The implementation of energy efficiency standards and labels for household appliances has not only achieved significant reductions in energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emissions in China, but it has also been instrumental in stimulating one of the world's largest appliance markets. This article reviews the historical development of Chinese programs, summarizes the most recent activities, and documents to the extent possible their impact on appliance efficiency and energy consumption.

Long-term emission scenarios for China

In order to formulate policies in response to climate change, it is essential to forecast future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the long term. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) developed the IS92 emission scenarios in 1992, which have contributed to climate change studies and negotiation activities. Most of these scenarios were developed by research teams in developed countries, and some experts from developing countries have argued that the scenarios did not sufficiently consider the viewpoint of the developing countries. In this paper, we present our study on long-term non-policy emission scenarios for China. This study examines China’s socioeconomic development and energy activities in greater detail. The AIM/emission linkage model was developed for analysis. Seven emission scenarios were derived for China, covering six major gases from energy activities and land use changes. The results show that GHG emissions in China will increase until 2030 accompanying the country’s economic development. However, it is possible for China to maintain low GHG emissions while achieving rapid economic development.

Options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Chinese industrial sector

The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) was established in 1992 to provide assistance to developing countries in addressing global environmental issues. One of the first projects initiated under the GEF was a study of options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China. This article provides an overview of the options considered for the Chinese industrial sector which along with power generation generates 75% of China’s total energy demand. The study involves 25 industrial case studies assessing technology options to reduce CO2 emissions. Individual cases are assessed based upon standard project appraisal techniques as well as on global and local environmental benefits associated with the project. It is found that the energy conservation projects considered here typically have high rates of return. Thirteen of the 24 cases for which environmental benefits were calculated had negative costs per ton of CO2 emission reduction. In addition, 19 of 24 cases had a positive net benefit per ton of CO2 emission reduction. The study suggests that targeted investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can produce a large number of no-regrets outcomes. It is concluded that institutional arrangements must be improved to facilitate the implementation of environmentally benign development technology.