Manufacture Of Non-metallic Mineral Products Research Articles

Cross-Scale Characteristics and Emission Reduction Pathways of Trade-Embodied Carbon Flows in the Global Supply Chains

In the context of the 1.5°C warming target, there is a growing awareness of the increasingly frequent carbon flows between subregions. However, understanding the characteristics and pathways of cross-scale carbon flows between subregions and regions remains elusive and impedes achieving emission reduction targets. This study employs a nested multi-regional input–output model and the structural path analysis method, establishing the characteristics of the carbon emission transfer network within global supply chains and discerning the crucial structural pathways and nodes for carbon emissions. The study found that (1) in 36 major countries, the embodied carbon flows are predominantly influenced by the developed countries around China in Asia and the Pacific. (2) In 30 subregions, coastal subregions with large-scale foreign trade and energy-intensive subregions in China's central and western parts contribute significantly to the larger embodied carbon outflow due to exports. (3) “Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products (S09) → construction (S19)” and “manufacture and processing of metals (S10) → construction (S19)” are the two key pathways of paramount significance of embodied carbon emissions. (4) “R25 South Korea” has the highest number of key pathways and the greatest embodied carbon emissions from critical paths, followed by “R27 India” and “R22 United States.” These findings offer valuable insights for the development of regional emission reduction policies.

Dynamic Analysis on Carbon Metabolism of the Northern Region of China Under the Background of Carbon Emission Trading Policy

The launch of the national carbon emissions trading market in China is a policy to carry out the Beautiful China initiative and to establish a low-carbon economic development system that promotes carbon emission and waste reduction. In order to detect the carbon metabolic processes of the pilot and nonpilot municipalities or provinces in the northern region of China， the theory of urban carbon metabolism and the methods of input-output analysis and ecological network analysis were introduced and used. The results showed that the direct carbon emissions of Beijing and Tianjin had decreased， but their embodied carbon emissions had increased since 2012. The direct and embodied carbon emissions of the pilot sectors in Beijing and Tianjin had the same trend； specifically， the emissions of the sectors of mining and washing of coal， extraction of petroleum and natural gas， and manufacture of non-metallic mineral products decreased significantly， but the sectors of production and supply of electric power and steam with high carbon emission increased. The same trend of the embodied carbon emission intensities of sectors with that of their embodied carbon emissions verified that the embodied added values were not growing with the promotion of the carbon emission trading market. Subsequently， the embodied carbon emission of the pilot sectors in all the municipalities and provinces of the northern region were all contributed mainly by the emissions embodied by a path length less than 6； therefore， it showed that more attention should be paid to the trade among sectors with a path length less than 6 and reducing their carbon emissions. Furthermore， from 2007 to 2012， products or service trading among sectors mostly concentrated on sectors within one municipality or province， and these products or services had the characteristics of low carbon emission. Since 2012， the integration development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration and the new regional economic patterns established in the northern region both promoted the trading across provinces and across sectors. This research is based on the background of the carbon emission trading policy and aims to build a methodology to identify the key actors and paths in a metabolic system. This could provide a scientific basis for regional policy implementation and regional long-term sustainable development.

Research on Spatial Distribution Characteristics of High Haze Pollution Industries Such as Thermal Power Industry in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is subject to the most severe haze condition in China. Against the backdrop of the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, it is of great significance to explore the space-time distribution characteristics of high haze pollution industries in the above region. The purpose of this article is to find high haze pollution industries scientifically, analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of high haze pollution industries in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei correctly, and formulate effective reduction measures for the spatial distribution of high haze pollution industries in different regions of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. It hopes that the measures provide a basis for effective to reduce high haze pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Using the Gini coefficient and location entropy, this paper explores the space-time characteristics of high haze pollution industries in 13 cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The results show that those aforesaid high haze pollution industries present an obvious clustering trend in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Handan, and some areas along the economic axis of China, overall flooding into Eastern coastal and Southern inland areas. By industry, the petroleum processing and coking processing industry, chemical raw materials and chemical products industry, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, and ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing industry witness a declining clustering trend, as opposed to the electricity, heat production, and supply industry. Meanwhile, core cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region have developed high haze pollution industries, and the hinterland lags in economic development. It is necessary to face up to the differences in economic development among areas in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, promote the staggered development of high haze pollution industries, and build a high haze pollution industry chain with coordinated economic and environmental development, thus reducing the economic gap with each area, and realizing the coordinated development of economy, industry, and environment.

Critical Transmission Paths of Aggregate Embodied Carbon Emission Influencing Factors in China

Carbon emissions, being embedded in sectorial production chains, need to be reduced through targeted carbon emission reduction strategies. For such a reason, it is urgent to assess the contributions of different influencing factors among different sectors for different supply chains. Focused on China, being the world’s largest carbon emitter, this paper uses the latest 2018 China’s input-output table to assess different factors, at sectoral scale, related to embodied carbon emissions. The analysis proved that the total final use factor prompted the largest emission growth, while the input-output structure factor inhibited the emission increase significantly. The gross fixed capital formation category was the largest contributor to aggregate embodied carbon emission growth, followed by urban consumption and export categories. The construction was identified as a key sector for its embodied carbon emission, the most relevant intermediate inputs to construction sector are the manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, the smelting and rolling of metals, and the production and supply of electric power and heat power sectors. Results indicate that, in the case of China, low-carbon building materials should be favored in the future. Meanwhile, energy-saving should be promoted among urban residents to increase the effectiveness of carbon emissions reduction strategies.

Ecological network analysis of industrial wastes metabolism based on input-output model for Jiangsu, China

The enormous discharge of industrial waste seriously hinders the sustainable development of cities. However, most studies only involve a single or limited category of industrial pollutants, ignoring the environmental pressure caused by multiple resources and environmental factors. This paper combines input-output analysis and ecological network analysis to construct an industrial waste metabolic input–output (IWMIO) model, which explores the industrial waste discharge and discharge relationships among different sectors in Jiangsu Province from the three aspects of industrial wastewater, industrial waste gas, and industrial solid waste. The results show that the indirect discharge of industrial waste is greater than the direct discharge in the industrial waste metabolism system. TI (Tertiary industry), CI (Chemical industry), SPM (Smelting and pressing of metals), and PSEH (Production and supply of electricity and heat) dominate the industrial waste metabolism system. In addition, MWC (Mining and washing of coal), MNMP (Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products), SPM (Smelting and pressing of metals) have more mutualism and competition relationships with other sectors, so the control of industrial waste discharge in these sectors contributes to achieving emission reduction targets. Based on the research results, this paper proposes corresponding policy recommendations such as considering both direct and indirect emissions of sectors when formulating waste reduction policies and developing pertinent industrial waste reduction programs based on the characteristics of the identified sectors. The results of this paper are helpful to identify the dependence and influence relationships of various sectors in the industrial waste metabolism system, promote industrial waste discharge control, and provide theoretical support for the adjustment of industrial structure and the formulation of related policies in Jiangsu Province.

Эконометрический анализ влияния монетарной политики на отрасли российской промышленности

This paper presents the econometric analysis of the heterogenous effects of monetary policy on industrial output and producer prices in manufacturing sector in Russia. The estimation of the differences in the impulce responses to the interest rate shock is conducted using structural VAR-models, the analysis of key industrial characteristics, explaining differences through monetary transmission channes, is based on principal components and correlations. Our findings reveal the strongest response to monetary policy in such industries as manufacture of rubber and plastic products, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, manufacture of pulp and paper, manufacture of machinery nd equipment, manufacture of electrical, electronic and optical equipment and manufacture of motor vehicles and equipment. Besides, in these industries the response is usually deffered to 2–3 months after the shock. Our findings also show that the impact of monetary shocks on output is particulary strong in industries producing capital goods and supplies for construction but particularly weak in industries with high concentration and high profits. That means that differences in industrial responses to monetary policy can be described by two key channels of monetary transmission — interest rate channel (due to high demand sensitivity to interest rate changes) and bank lending channel (due to important role of bank loans in fi rms’ financing).

Structural path decomposition analysis of resource utilization in China, 1997–2017

With the ever-increasing population and rapid economic development in China, the demand for natural resources has grown substantially. To improve the efficient utilization of resources, it is necessary to know comprehensively the flow and use of natural resources among sectors. The paper uses the environmentally extended input-output analysis (EEIOA) and structural path analysis (SPA) methods to conduct a depth analysis of the flow and use paths of resource consumption in China from 1997 to 2017 in 42 sectors to determine the key supply chains and key sectors, and we also apply the structural path decomposition (SPD) method to investigate the key path changes that drive resource consumption and the key factors that lead to consumption changes in each path. The results show that the crucial supply chain path for the largest resource consumption was “Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products →Construction”, and the flow increased from 1371 million tons in 1997 to 8173 million tons in 2017, the factor production structure was the major driving factor for consumption increase on this path. In addition, the proportion of resources consumed by the agricultural sector decreased during the research period, and consumption intensity was the main driving factor for its consumption decrease. In order to reduce domestic resource consumption as much as possible, policymakers can start with the construction sector to improve the efficient utilization of resources and adjust production structure.

Average propagation length analysis for the change trend of China’s construction industry chain

ABSTRACT The sustainable development of the construction industry in China requires in-depth analysis of the industrial chain related to the construction industry and the transformation of its production mode. Through analysis of input–output tables over years of 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2017 and the adoption of average propagation length (APL) model, this paper investigates the changes of China’s construction industry from a macro level. The results show that the construction industry has stronger economic linkages with the Manufacture of Nonmetallic Mineral Products, the Manufacture and Processing of Metals and Metal Products and the Mining Industry than any other industries. The economic distance between the Manufacture of Nonmetallic Mineral Products and the construction industry is the shortest, taking 1 as its value in all 5 years, which indicates the growth of the construction industry has the strongest positive effect on the development of the industry. In addition, the correlation coefficient between the construction industry and most industries showed an upward trend from 2007 to 2015, and slightly decreased in 2017. In general, the complexity of the construction industry chain has an increasing trend. The linkages between industries have increased and the construction industry chain is relatively stable.

Revealing contributions to sulfur dioxide emissions in China: From the dimensions of final demand, driving effect and supply chain

More stringent air pollution control measures implemented during the 12th Five-Year Plan period contributed to some achievements on air quality improvement in China. Considering more focus on production-side emissions, it requires to identify what drove changes in pollutant emissions during this period from demand-side. This study is devoted to revealing the contributions to changes in SO2 emissions during 2010-2015 from three dimensions including final demand, driving effect and supply chain. Based on the harmonized input-output framework and emission datasets, demand-driven accounting, structural decomposition analysis and structural path decomposition analysis are conducted progressively. The results indicate that fixed capital formation and exports were the main drivers of demand-driven emissions during the study period, contributing more than 60% in the total. Changes in emission intensity and per capita final demand were the effects with most prohibiting and promoting impacts on emissions, decreasing 9.98 million tons (Mt) and increasing 5.99 Mt, respectively. The supply chain contributed most to increasing emissions was “Manufacture of nonmetallic mineral products → Construction → fixed capital formation” mainly affected by increased emission intensity; that contributed most to decreasing emissions was “Production and Supply of Power and Heat → urban residential consumption” mainly affected by decreased emission intensity. Some policy implications targeting the three dimensions are discussed accordingly. The quantified contributions and uncovered driving mechanism regarding SO2 emissions may assist in facilitating more complete air pollution control strategies from multiple dimensions in the future.

Identifying hotspots of sectors and supply chain paths for electricity conservation in China

China is the largest electricity consumers worldwide and the coal-dominated electricity system has led to increasing pressure on climate change and air pollution. Understanding the direct and indirect electricity consumption in China’s economy is a prerequisite for proper energy conservation policy formulation. Therefore, this study drew the electricity consumption flows within the domestic supply chain network of China from the on-site electricity consumption to the final demand from 2007 to 2015. Specifically, hotspots of sectors and supply chain paths were identified by adopting power-of-pull analysis and structural path analysis, respectively. We find that Production and Supply of Electricity and Heat was the most critical sector that pulls other sectors’ electricity consumption, but its impact has been declining during 2007–2015. The most critical supply chain paths originated from the Manufacture of Nonmetallic Mineral Products and Metal Smelting and Rolling, went through Construction and ultimately ended in capital formation, given that around 40% of the electricity consumption was driven by investment. Moreover, the electricity consumption attributed to each production layer for most sectors were more evenly distributed in 2015 than that in 2007, manifesting that the supply chain relationships for most sectors have become more complex. Our results highlighted the importance of indirect energy management and supply chain engagement in the electricity conservation strategies in China.

Multi-scale decomposition of energy-related industrial carbon emission by an extended logarithmic mean Divisia index: a case study of Jiangxi, China

Our objective has been to decompose the energy-related industrial carbon emissions (ERICE) from both the macroeconomic and the microeconomic scales using an extended logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI), which few scientists have applied, for Jiangxi, China, over the period of 1998–2015. The macroeconomic factors were output, industrial structure, energy intensity, and energy structure. The microeconomic factors were investment intensity, R&D intensity, and R&D efficiency. It was found that output, R&D intensity, and investment intensity were mainly responsible for the increase of the ERICE, and their average annual contribution rates were 33.212%, 9.537%, and 4.200%, respectively. However, considering the infeasibility of decelerating industrial activities related to these three drivers, the development pattern of a circular economy was promoted. Then, the driving effect of the energy structure was the weakest (0.017%). Nevertheless, the potential of energy structure optimization to improve energy efficiency in Jiangxi should be given sufficient attention, e.g., greatly reducing the use of coal. Inversely, the R&D efficiency, energy intensity, and industrial structure presented obvious mitigating effects on the ERICE (− 13.737%, − 11, 652%, and − 7.804%, respectively). Therefore, some regulatory policy instruments have been recommended. For example, carbon reduction liability and carbon labels related to R&D investment should be implemented to encourage industrial firms to improve their energy efficiency. Then, reducing the energy intensity unceasingly while inhibiting the possible rebound effect should serve as a long-term strategy for the local government. Last, the potential mitigation effect of industrial structure optimization should be given sufficient attention when designing related reduction policies. Particularly, the top five energy-intensive subsectors S33 (Production and Supply of Electric Power and Heat Power), S23 (Smelting and Pressing of Ferrous Metals), S17 (Processing of Petroleum, Coking, and Processing of Nuclear Fuel), S22 (Manufacture of Non-metallic Mineral Products), and S1 (Mining and Washing of Coal) should be given priority.

Carbon emission abatement quota allocation in Chinese manufacturing industries: An integrated cooperative game data envelopment analysis approach

The Chinese government announced to cut its carbon emissions intensity by 60%–65% from its 2005 level. To realize the national abatement commitment, a rational allocation into its subunits (i.e. industries, provinces) is eagerly needed. Centralized allocation models can maximize the overall interests, but might cause implementation difficulty and fierce resistance from individual subunits. Based on this observation, this article will address the carbon emission abatement quota allocation problem from decentralized perspective, taking the competitive and cooperative relationships simultaneously into account. To this end, this article develops an integrated cooperative game data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. We first investigate the relative efficiency evaluation by taking flexible carbon emission abatement allocation plans into account, and then define a super-additive characteristic function for developing a cooperative game among units. To calculate the nucleolus-based allocation plan, a practical computation procedure is developed based on the constraint generation mechanism. Further, we present a two-layer way to allocate the CO2 abatement quota into different sub-industries and further different provinces in Chinese manufacturing industries. The empirical results show that five sub-industries (Processing of petroleum, coking and processing of nuclear fuel; Smelting and pressing of ferrous metals; Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products; Manufacture of raw chemical materials and chemical product; Smelting and pressing of non-ferrous metals) and two provinces (Guangdong and Shandong) will be allocated more than 10% of the total national carbon emission abatement quota.

Water-energy nexus and its efficiency in China’s construction industry: Evidence from province-level data

The rapidly growing construction industry has accelerated water and energy scarcity in China, threatening its sustainable development. This study integrates multi-regional input-output (MRIO) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to investigate the water-energy nexus in the construction industry at the provincial level through the entire industrial supply chain. Results show that the construction industry accounts for 8.97% and 27.20% of virtual water and embodied energy in China, respectively. The western area experiences the most energy- and water-intensive construction processes given its backward economy and outdated technological development. The northern area faces great challenges with regard to energy intensity improvements, whereas the central regions suffer from large pressure relating to inefficient water use. The manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, smelting, and the pressing of metals are the largest suppliers of virtual water and embodied energy. The efficiency assessment results demonstrate that Jiangsu and Zhejiang are two DEA-effective regions. China has achieved a relatively high level of scale efficiency but suffers from backward technology.

Energy-water nexus embodied in the supply chain of China: Direct and indirect perspectives

Energy and water have become major constraints for China’s sustainable development. Effective measures focused on resource conservation are important to this country. In this study, a comprehensive assessment is conducted of the energy and water use of different sectors using exhaustive data collection and an environmentally extended input-output model. Given the interdependent relationship between energy and water, this paper also identifies the key sectors with most closed energy-water nexus. The results show the following; (1) the key sectors for high direct energy consumption and water use include Mining and Washing of Coal, Manufacture of Chemicals, Manufacture of Nonmetallic Mineral Products, Manufacture and Processing of Metals, and Electricity. (2) The key sectors for high indirect energy consumption and water use include the Manufacture of Chemicals, Manufacture of Electrical Machinery, and Construction. (3) The Manufacture of Chemicals sector should be focused on due to its direct and indirect influences. A focus on the key sectors may provide a greater opportunity for simultaneously achieving energy savings and water conservation, whereas different priorities should be applied; production-based or technology-related measures are effective for influencing direct energy consumption and water use, whereas consumption-based or end-use measures are better suited for influencing indirect energy consumption and water use.

Characterizing embodied energy accounting with a multi-dimensional framework: A study of China's building sector

Given the substantial resource use and emissions generated from the building sector, China is seeking a more sustainable and greener mode of building construction. To grasp the characteristics of the embodied energy use of the building sector across provinces in China, a multidimensional framework is developed to examine the spatial and sectoral distributions through the whole supply chain using a multiregional input-output (MRIO) analysis and structural path analysis (SPA) as the underlying methods. The results show that from a regional perspective, Liaoning, Shandong, and Guangdong are identified as top contributors, while from a sectoral perspective, the manufacture of nonmetallic mineral products, smelting and pressing of metals, and transportation, storage, posts, and telecommunications are the largest energy suppliers. The upstream examination indicates that self-digestion is an obvious and dominant energy use behavior for most regions, while the relative importance of sectoral suppliers changes regularly with the increase in upstream stages. The energy capture that occurred in the cross-regional energy transfers indicates that Zhejiang and Hebei are the national leading net importer and net exporter of energy use in China's building sector, respectively.

Multiplicative structural decomposition and attribution analysis of carbon emission intensity in China, 2002–2012

Abstract Energy/emission intensity indicators measure the relationship between economic development and climate change. These intensity indicators are preferentially used in assessment criteria for mitigation goals in places such as China. This paper investigates the driving factors of changes in the national CO2 emission intensity and their contributions to reductions at the sector level in China from 2002 to 2012 using multiplicative structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and attribution analysis. Both Leontief and Ghosh input-output models are used in the study. The empirical results indicate: 1) the energy intensity effect is the main driver that decreases the aggregate emission intensity from both the demand and supply sides; 2) structural effects, such as the energy structure effect and domestic Ghosh structure effect, promote the increase in aggregate emission intensity principally; and 3) to a large extent, sector “smelting and pressing of metals”, “manufacture of non-metallic mineral products” and “chemical industry” are the top three sectors that contribute to the negative energy intensity effect. Ultimately, several discussions and conclusions associated with the empirical results, result stability and research extensibility are presented.

Structural path decomposition of carbon emission: A study of China's manufacturing industry

Abstract Manufacturing is the foundation of China's economy and accounts for a large proportion of China's CO2 emissions. In this study, the structural path decomposition (SPD) methodology, based on an environmental input-output model, was used to find critical supply chain paths that drive changes in CO2 life cycle in China's manufacturing industry from 1992 to 2012. The changes in CO2 emissions were decomposed into three main factors: carbon emissions intensity, input-output structure, and final demand. In this study, the “weighted average decompositions” method of structural decomposition analysis and the non-comparable input-output table were first applied to the SPD method to obtain accurate results. The results indicate that higher-order paths, especially the paths that started from the “Smelting and Rolling of Metals” and the “Production and Supply of Electricity and Steam” sectors, led to an increase in carbon emissions. This was mainly due to the extension of the industrial chain as well as policy priorities. Moreover, CO2 emissions from the “Chemical Industry”, “Manufacture of Nonmetallic Mineral Products”, and “Smelting and Rolling of Metals” sectors were mainly induced by the increase of final export demands. Based on the results of this study, relevant policy changes have also been recommended.

Multi-perspective comparisons and mitigation implications of SO2 and NO x discharges from the industrial sector of China: a decomposition analysis.

This study is the first attempt to investigate the drivers of Chinese industrial SO2 and NOx emissions from both periodic and structural perspectives through a decomposition analysis using the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI). The two pollutants’ emissions were decomposed into output effects, structural effects, clean production effects, and pollution abatement effects. The results showed that China’s industrial SO2 discharge increased by 1.14 Mt during 2003–2014, and the contributions from the four effects were 23.17, − 1.88, − 3.80, and − 16.36 Mt, respectively. Likewise, NOx discharge changed by − 3.44 Mt over 2011–2014, and the corresponding contributions from the four effects were 2.97, − 0.62, − 1.84, and − 3.95 Mt. Thus, the output effect was mainly responsible for the growth of the two discharges. The average annual contribution rates of SO2 and NOx from output were 14.33 and 5.97%, respectively, but pollution abatement technology presented the most obvious mitigating effects (− 10.11 and − 7.92%), followed by the mitigating effects of clean production technology (− 2.35 and − 3.7%), and the mitigation from the structural effect was the weakest (− 1.16 and − 1.25%, respectively), which meant pollutant reduction policies related to industrial structure adjustment should be a long-term measure for the two discharges. In addition, the sub-sectors of I20 (manufacture of raw chemical materials and chemical products), I24 (manufacture of non-metallic mineral products), and I26 (smelting and pressing of non-ferrous metals) were the major contributors to both discharges. Thus, these sub-sectors should be given priority consideration when designing mitigation-related measures. Last, some particular policy implications were recommended for reducing the two discharges, including that the government should seek a technological discharge reduction route.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s11356-018-1306-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Energy Consumption and Energy-Related CO2 Emissions from China’s Petrochemical Industry Based on an Environmental Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment

The fast-growing petrochemical industry is one of the largest energy consumers and emitters in China, exerting a strong impact on the national economic, energy and environmental systems. We provide a holistic picture of energy consumption and energy-related CO2 emissions from China’s petrochemical industry in 2012 through an environmental input-output life-cycle assessment (EIO-LCA). We combine two perspectives: (1) direct energy consumption and emissions, and (2) the indirect energy and emissions embodied and reallocated from other sectors in the supply chain to satisfy final demand in the petrochemical industry. Results indicate that the total of its direct and indirect energy consumption and CO2 emissions accounts for approximately 32% and 18% of China’s industrial total, respectively, exerting high “influence” and “induction” with regards to the rest of the economic sectors. Most of the petrochemical industry’s embodied energy and CO2 emissions comes from the “Production and Supply of Electric and Heat Power”. We also identified five other sectors key to China’s energy conservation and CO2 mitigation efforts due to their high influence and induction effects: “Smelting and Pressing of Ferrous Metals”, “Manufacture of Non-metallic Mineral Products”, “Smelting and Pressing of Non-ferrous Metals”, “Transport, Storage and Post”, and “Mining and Washing of Coal”. A systematic view of direct and indirect energy, environmental relationships, and the conveying effects among sectors is crucial for policymaking in China to achieve its energy and mitigation goals.

Multi-Perspectives’ Comparisons and Mitigating Implications for the COD and NH3-N Discharges into the Wastewater from the Industrial Sector of China

Taking China as a case study, we analyzed the underlying driving forces of two discharges—chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N)—from both periodic and structural perspectives by the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method. Changes in the two discharges were decomposed into three effects: the economic output effect, the industrial structure effect and the discharge intensity effect. The discharge intensity effect could be further decomposed into the cleaner production (technologies’) effect and the pollution abatement (technologies’) effect. Results showed that the economic output effect was mainly responsible for the growth of the two discharges; the average annual contribution rates were 10.77% and 10.39%, respectively. Inversely, the pollution abatement (technologies’) effect presented the most obvious mitigating effects (−9.71% and −9.52%, respectively). Furthermore, the clean production (technologies’) effect followed it (−4.36% and −5.22%). So, we found that the discharge intensity effect played a crucial role in the reduction of the two discharges. Then, the mitigation effect of industrial structure adjustment was the weakest (−0.19% and 0.47%). However, we could still not ignore the potential impact of industrial structure optimization for reducing the absolute amount of discharges in the long run. In addition, to simultaneously reduce the COD and NH3-N discharges, the sub-sectors of “Processing of Food from Agricultural Products (I7)”, “Manufacture of Foods (I8)”, “Manufacture of Raw Chemical Materials and Chemical Products (I20)”, “Manufacture of Non-metallic Mineral Products (I24)” and “Smelting and Pressing of Non-ferrous Metals (I26)” were suggested to be given prior consideration for the design of related mitigation policies. Finally, some particular policy implications were also recommended for reducing the two discharges.