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With the increasing severity of global warming, the goal of carbon sequestration and emission reduction in various industries has become an important responsibility for sustainable development. As an important part of carbon sink, the improvement of net carbon efficiency in the plantations industry will make a great contribution to the realization of the "double carbon" target in agriculture. However, there are large spatial and temporal differences in the net carbon efficiency of the plantations sector in various provinces, and there is still a large scope for increasing carbon sink and reducing carbon emission. In this paper, we have analyzed spatial and temporal trends in the net carbon sink efficiency of the plantations' production processes in 31 provinces in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) from 2000 to 2020. On this basis, we have analyzed the influencing factors of net carbon efficiency in the plantations' production process through an extended Kaya constant equation. Through the geographically and temporally weighted regression model, we explore the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the influencing factors, and further analyze the driving and restraining factors of net carbon efficiency in plantations' production process, in order to propose appropriate countermeasures. The study shows that: (1) The net carbon efficiency of plantations sector in China increase between 2000 and 2020, and the development of net carbon efficiency is uneven across regions. (2) The geographic center of net carbon efficiency of China's plantations industry shift from the northeast to the southwest and is consistent with the migration direction of agricultural inputs. (3) The influencing factors of net carbon efficiency in the plantations sector show large regional differences, and can be specifically divided into four major types of zones. In this regard, this paper provides more appropriate countermeasure suggestions for increasing carbon sink and reducing carbon emission in each zone, with a view to achieving the goal of double carbon in agriculture with practical significance. • Net carbon efficiency is a new objective indicator to measure the carbon sink level of cropland. • Cultivated land carbon sink capacity is closely related to agricultural inputs. • Regional differences in the factors influencing net carbon efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the environmental regulations affecting carbon emissions is complex, and for many years it has been a hot research topic for researchers. However, few of the previous studies have focused on whether or not environmental regulations can potentially influence carbon emissions through technical efficiency. Therefore, the present study chose to investigate the mediation effects of the technical efficiencies between environmental regulations and carbon emissions using the provincial panel data of energy-intensive industries for the period ranging from 2005 to 2015. The results were as follows: (i) In regard to the entire group of energy-intensive industries, it was found that environmental regulations could not only potentially directly reduce carbon emissions, but also indirectly reduce carbon emissions through technical efficiency. In other words, technical efficiency had played a partial mediation role between the environmental regulations and the carbon emissions; (ii) It was observed that for the different subdivided energy-intensive industries, the different levels of technical efficiency had shown various mediation effects. For example, the mediation effects of technical efficiency in the petroleum processing and coking (PPC) industry; papermaking and paper products (PPP) industry, and raw chemical materials and chemical products (RCMCP) industry, were found to be similar to those of the whole energy-intensive industries. Furthermore, the "Porter Hypothesis" had been verified in the nonmetal mineral products (NMP) industry. However, there were no mediation effects observed in the smelting and pressing of ferrous metals (SPFM) and smelting and pressing of nonferrous metals (SPNM) industries; (iii) In this study, in accordance with the regression results of the double-threshold models, it was found that for the energy-intensive industries as a whole, the carbon emission reduction effects of environmental regulations had become stronger with the increases in technical efficiency. For the PPP and RCMCP industries, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship observed between environmental regulations and carbon emissions when the technical efficiency was taken as the threshold variable. Therefore, based on the research conclusions achieved in this study, some policy recommendations were put forward. • Environmental regulation reduces carbon emission of the energy intensive industries of China. • Technical efficiency plays a partial mediation effect between environmental regulation and carbon emission. • The mediation effects of technical efficiency differ in the subdivided energy-intensive industries. • The "Porter hypothesis" is verified in Nonmetal Mineral Products (NMP) industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's industry is facing a carbon lock-in (CLI) dilemma. Based on the complexity and dynamics of CLI, exploring diversified unlocking paths is an important way to achieve emission reduction goals. This paper innovatively applies system dynamics (SD) to the study of CLI prediction and unlocking path, and systematically constructs an industrial CLI SD model, trying to break the positive feedback mechanism of CLI through multiple causality and feedback chains. This paper simulates and predicts the changing trend of the CLI level of China's industry and 8 major subsectors from 2020 to 2050. At the same time, the random forest algorithm is used to select the regulatory variables of policy analysis. Compared with the previous research methods, the accuracy and objectivity of the selection of regulatory variables are improved, so as to test the effectiveness of the unlocking path under each scenario. The results show that (1) the whole industry faces a serious CLI problem and is still in a deep lock-in state. From the perspective of subsectors, the light, electromechanical, and textile industries have achieved unlocking; the oil and extractive industries are in a moderately lock-in state; the chemical, steel, and power industries are in a deep lock-in state; and the CLI situation is serious. (2) The results of the random forest algorithm show that R&D investment, the proportion of fixed asset investments in the energy industry, car sales, energy structure, and carbon emission industry structure are the most significant factors affecting CLI in each subsystem. (3) Compared with the existing economic development model, the technological, institutional, social, and comprehensive unlocking scenarios can all enable industry to achieve carbon peak and carbon unlocking in advance. However, the effect of each scenario is as follows: comprehensive unlocking scenario > technological unlocking scenario > institutional unlocking scenario > social unlocking scenario. (4) The unlocking times of the oil, chemical, steel, and power industries are relatively late in each scenario. To realize carbon unlocking in industry, these four areas should be focused on in the future. This study helps policymakers formulate reasonable policies to accelerate industrial carbon unlocking and promote the implementation of the "dual carbon" strategy. • The whole industry faces a serious carbon lock-in problem. • The technological, institutional, social and comprehensive unlocking scenarios can all achieve carbon unlocking in advance. • The comprehensive unlocking scenario has the best effect, and the social unlocking scenario has the worst effect. • The oil, chemical, steel and power industries should be focused on in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The study used the NDDF model to measure the efficiency of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance. • We identified the spatial aggregation patterns of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance efficiency. • We compared the magnitude of the drivers of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance efficiency. • There is an east-high and west-low development pattern of carbon mitigation. • The findings suggest enhancement of the capability of urban coordinated governance in carbon mitigation. This paper is based on the construction of the evaluation system of urban pollution reduction and carbon reduction synergistic governance efficiency indicators. Firstly, we used the NDDF model to measure the efficiency of urban pollution reduction and carbon reduction synergistic governance. We then used the ArcGIS technology and spatial autocorrelation method to explore its spatial distribution pattern, and the spatial econometric model is used to explore its driving factors. The results show that from 2006 to 2020, the synergistic governance efficiency of Chinese cities in terms of pollution reduction and carbon reduction is in a state of continuous improvement, with an increase of 38.07 per cent in 2020 compared with 2006, and overall the synergistic governance efficiency of cities in terms of pollution reduction and carbon reduction shows a pattern of development in which the east is high and the west is low, but there is a tendency for the gap to narrow from one year to the next. There is a positive spatial aggregation of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance efficiency, which is further shown by the Lisa aggregation diagram that the spatial aggregation of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance efficiency in China is characterized by urban agglomerations, with the high and high aggregation zones being concentrated in the central and eastern urban agglomerations, such as the urban agglomerations of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Guangdong-Fujian-Zhejiang, and the low and low aggregation zones being concentrated in the western urban agglomerations, such as the Lanzhou-Western urban agglomerations and the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomerations. The results of the SDM model indicate that the efficiency of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance can significantly promote the process of pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance in neighboring areas. The six drivers, namely, industrial structure, economic development level, innovation level, urbanization rate, population size and foreign direct investment, all have a significant impact on the efficiency of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance in a local area. The spatial spillover effects of the remaining variables, except for urbanization rate, on the efficiency of urban pollution reduction and carbon synergistic governance are significantly negative. Based on this, corresponding countermeasures are proposed to improve the synergistic governance of urban pollution reduction and carbon reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple geographically dispersed data center buildings have been increasingly positioned in renewable-rich areas due to their high energy consumption. This paper proposes an optimal multi-energy portfolio for zero carbon data center buildings in the presence of proactive demand response programs. In the data center buildings, the complementarities of hydro-solar-wind hybrid renewable energy sources (RESs) are fully exploited via multi-energy conversion and storage devices, which are modeled as 100% renewable energy hubs for zero carbon multi-energy supplies. In order to exploit the hub-internal operational dispatchability and flexibility, a comprehensive energy consumption model of data center buildings is proposed to facilitate the demand response in terms of available serves, while the variable speed pumped storage (VSPS) is modeled to capture its dynamic operational characteristics. The energy‑carbon production, conversion, storage, and consumption are formulated as an energy‑carbon matrix, which are solved via a two-stage method to obtain the optimal portfolio. Case studies on southwest China data center buildings are implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed methodology on cost-effective accommodation of RESs. Simulations results show that the system portfolio cost can be reduced by at most 17.8% with a higher operational flexibility. • A cost-effective data center building is proposed to accommodate zero carbon targets. • Hydro-solar-wind 100% renewables are formulated for multi-energy supplies. • VSPS and data center energy consumption are modeled to exploit inherent flexibility. • The energy-carbon production, conversion, storage, and consumption are optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is under the pressure of international climate change negotiation, domestic energy security and haze reduction. Replying to these pressures positively, China announced to reduce 40%–45% CO 2 per unit Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020, 60%–65% CO 2 per unit GDP in 2030 based on 2005 level, and to carry out ambitious reduction measures. To achieve this target, low-carbon governance is necessary. The central government expects to build low-carbon society and develop low-carbon economy through pilots. This paper analyzes the framework of low-carbon governance in China. The government plays a guidance role in the governance process which involves enterprises, NGOs and citizens. Different types of measures, policy tools and actions have been implemented as response to the pressure. The governance can be achieved through the integration of technical, spatial and social pathways. The paper analyzes the framework by using Suzhou Industry Park (SIP) as case study which is a very important part of low carbon management of cities. Although the total CO 2 amount in the Park has increased, its CO 2 intensity per unit GDP has been reduced in recent years after the efforts made by its Park Council and enterprisers. The policy implementation indicates that the guidance role of local governments and the process are still based on a top-down management at park level, although the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) hopes to carry out pilot program and summarize experiences from a bottom-up mechanism. Target Responsibility System (TRS) is still the key working mechanism and makes contribution to the reduction of CO 2 per unit GDP. The low-carbon governance experiences of SIP can be learned by other cities, while local government displays positive attitudes towards low-carbon practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars and policy makers put great emphasis on analyzing the mitigation effect of an emissions trading scheme (ETS), while empirical researches on the mitigation effects of China's pilot ETSs are both thin and with significant limitations. This paper tries to analyze this issue from the perspective of industrial sub-sectors at the provincial level. We first calculate the carbon emissions of 37 individual industrial sub-sectors in each of China's 26 provinces from 2005 to 2015, covering both direct and indirect emissions. Cautiously identifying the industrial sub-sectors covered by China's pilot ETSs, we explore the causal impact of China's pilot ETSs on reducing carbon emissions at the initial stage (2013–2015) and analyze the paths of achieved emission reductions, applying a difference-in-difference (DID) model and a combination of DID estimator and propensity score matching technique. Our results yield robust evidence that China's pilot ETSs have significantly promoted carbon emission reductions of the covered industrial sub-sectors, and this impact has presented an overall enhanced trend according to year-by-year analysis. The results also show that the pilot ETSs have failed to enable covered industrial sub-sectors to effectively cut carbon intensity and the impact on carbon intensity is not obvious in any of the first three years, and the carbon emission reductions have mainly been achieved through the decreased outputs of industrial sub-sectors. China's policy makers should tighten the free allowance allocation approaches in order to facilitate low-carbon technology innovations and reduce carbon intensity of industrial sectors. • We explore the causal impact of China's pilot ETS on reducing carbon emissions from the perspective of industrial sub-sectors at the provincial level. • China's pilot ETSs have significantly promoted carbon emission reductions of the covered industrial sub-sectors. • China's pilot ETSs have failed to cause covered industrial sub-sectors to effectively cut carbon intensity. • The carbon emission reductions have mainly been achieved through the decreased outputs of industrial sub-sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon efficiency and abatement costs of the PLEEZ are estimated. • The regional heterogeneity among the three major types of functional zones in the PLEEZ are analyzed. • Major agriculture production zone has a higher carbon efficiency and lowest abatement costs in the PLEEZ. • The global non-radial directional distance function and its dual model are used. In this paper we investigate the carbon efficiency and abatement cost for different main functional regions in China, to test whether major agriculture production zone has higher carbon efficiency and abatement cost than other functional regions. For this purpose, we use a global non-radial distance function to examine the efficiency and abatement cost of carbon emissions and take China's Poyang Lake Ecological Economics Zone (PLEEZ), one of China's national strategy for sustainable development, as an empirical study. By using the non-radial efficiency model, the carbon emissions efficiency indicator can be constructed. By employing the dual model of the non-radial directional distance function, the shadow prices of carbon emissions, which is interpreted as marginal abatement cost can be derived. County level data from 2009 to 2013 of the PLEEZ is used as the empirical investigation. Empirical results show that the CO 2 emissions of the PLEEZ are not performing efficiently and the CO 2 emissions efficiency remains at a very low level with an average value of 0.279. Meanwhile, the shadow prices of CO 2 emissions are calculated, with a mean value of 11.867 yuan per ton, which is relatively low compared with other previous studies of different regions or industry and indicate that carbon emissions are not strictly regulated. Moreover, significant heterogeneities in the carbon efficiency and abatement cost are found among three major functional zones in the PLEEZ remain. Major agriculture production zone shows better carbon efficiency than key ecological function zone, but lower than key economic development zone. It is also found carbon abatement cost of major agriculture production zone is lower than key economic development zone indicating the less pressure under climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government's attention on environmental protection (GAEP) can signal work priorities and resource allocations to firms, promoting them to implement more carbon reduction actions. Based on the data of listed manufacturing firms in China from 2012 to 2021, this paper measures the GAEP and firms' carbon reduction actions through textual analysis, and then examines the relationship between GAEP and firms' carbon reduction actions. We find that the GAEP could improve firms' carbon reduction actions. This study further indicates that the increase in GAEP leads to the better allocation of environmental subsidies, thereby further positively impacting on firms' carbon reduction actions, and we also demonstrate the positive moderating effect of government-firm relationship. In addition, GAEP could be a stronger effect for state-owned enterprises and the firms located in the eastern and central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the interdependence between China's economy and carbon emissions can better serve China's transition towards a low-carbon economy, and can also provide reference for other developing countries. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the dependence of China's economy on CO 2 emissions: (i) the Tapio decoupling model was applied to quantify the decoupling elasticity between China's economy and CO 2 emissions; (ii) the structure decomposition technique was utilized to quantity the contribution of China's economic structure to the decoupling elasticity; (iii) the combined decomposition model which combined Cobb–Douglas (C-D) production function with Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) technique and was solved the residual problem was employed to identify more driving factors (labor input, investment, carbon coefficient, energy structure, energy intensity, economic structure, and technology state) affecting the decoupling elasticity. The main results were as follows: (i) The decoupling elasticity showed a downward trend during the whole period, and the decoupling state was characterized by two types: expansive negative decoupling (2002–2005) and weak decoupling (2000–2002 and 2005–2014). (ii) The industry sector played the most negative effect on the decoupling process expect 2013–2014. From the cumulative effect, the contribution of six sectors to promote decoupling effect was ranked as follows: Construction > Agriculture > Trade > Other > Transport > Industry. (iii) The most critical factor driving the increased CO 2 emissions was the investment effect, accounting for 145.34% of the cumulative total CO 2 emissions, while the energy intensity effect contributed to a cumulative reduction in CO 2 emissions of 1443.72 Mt. Finally, some policy recommendations were offered to achieve the decoupling of China's economic growth and carbon emissions. • Quantifying effects of investment on decoupling economy from emission in China. • Combining C-D function and LMDI to develop non-residual decomposition technique. • The decoupling elasticity showed a downward trend, dominated by weak decoupling state. • Industry sector played the most negative effect on the decoupling process. • The leading contributor to China's CO 2 emissions was the investment effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper incorporates the multiregional input-output (MRIO) and social network analysis (SNA) methods to investigate China's embodied carbon transfer across provinces. We estimate the amount of interprovincial embodied carbon transfer from 2002 to 2012, analyse the spatial correlation network structure of carbon transfer and its determinants. Our work can clarify the spatial distribution and different roles of provinces in the carbon transfer network. The empirical results show the spatio-temporal evolution of embodied carbon transfer; in 2002, embodied carbon transfer occurred from the energy-rich northern provinces to the developed eastern and central provinces, but in 2012, it transferred to developing southwestern and southern provinces. Moreover, the northwestern provinces act as "bridges" between the central and eastern provinces; eastern provinces play a "bidirectional spillover" role that transfers carbon internally and externally. The embodied carbon transfer network proposed here can help policy makers further clarify individual provinces' carbon emissions reduction responsibilities and curb national carbon emissions. • The spatial correlation network structure of embodied carbon transfer in China is analysed. • The carbon emissions is with obvious regional disequilibrium and the transfer is "geographic adhesiveness". • Northwestern provinces act as "bridges" meanwhile Eastern provinces play a "bidirectional spillover" role in carbon transfer. • The environmental path dependence is most important in affecting embodied carbon transfer in 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Household carbon emissions account for a significant proportion of the national total emissions. Using a unique nation-wide survey data, this paper investigates the impact of different subjective measures of social awareness on household carbon emissions in China. Subjective variables are found to have significant impacts on household carbon emissions. Feeling secure, compliance with rules, and happiness have negative and significant effects on household carbon emissions, whereas the impact of interest in social issues is positive, which indicates the existence of a gap between awareness and behavior. The impacts of consumer lifestyles on the relationship between awareness and household emissions are also explored and are found to play a significant role in the relationship between awareness and emissions. People with a frugal lifestyle not only associate with lower emissions but also reinforce the role of social awareness. Furthermore, substantial differences are found across rural/urban areas and regional and income groups in China. The government should further promote a green lifestyle and give households more incentives to engage in green consumption behavior. Highlights • Household emissions are studied based on China Household Finance Survey. • Subjective factors are found to have significant impacts on household emissions. • Lifestyles matter in the relationship between awareness and household emissions. • Regional and income differences are considered in the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coordinating the dilemma of economic development and reducing carbon emissions is of great significance to reaching China's energy-saving and emission-reduction targets. This paper investigates the decoupling relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions from the construction industry of China's 30 provinces, and uses the standard deviational ellipse method to explore the spatial evolution of carbon emissions and the economy. The results indicate that the economic development levels of most provinces were positively correlated with carbon emissions. The spatial differences in the decoupling state of provincial construction industry are significant, and the decoupling states of the same type exhibited a certain spatial aggregation phenomenon. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the output value and carbon emissions exhibited a northeast-southwest pattern. The weighted mean centers of both were located in the east and moved towards the northwestern region. These results may provide a basis for assessing regional construction carbon emissions and formulating strategies for the coordinated development of low carbon emissions in the construction industry. Highlights • The standard deviational ellipse method is employed. • It studies the spatial pattern of economic growth and carbon emissions. • It demonstrates the dynamic evolving trend of the decoupling relationship. • It can further promote carbon emission reduction at the provincial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high spatial resolution CO 2 emissions inventory of 280 Chinese cities was compiled. • Three methods were compared to evaluate the carbon efficiency of Chinese cities. • The best and worst-performing cities were consistent regardless of different methods. • Top-ranking cities were located in the coastal regions of China. • Lagging-behind cities were located in the central and western regions of China. Comprehensive and accurate city-level carbon dioxide emissions inventory is key to success in China's pursuit of low-carbon development. Based on a high-resolution gridded data, this paper evaluates and benchmarks the carbon emissions efficiency of 280 Chinese cities using three different methods, i.e., composite index, data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis. The comparative analysis reveals that the average carbon emissions efficiency of Chinese cities is about 70–90%, with only 9 efficient cities (3%). Although the ranking of intermediate cities varies greatly according to the method employed, the most and least carbon-efficient cities remain consistent. While the best-performing cities are found in the coastal regions, the worst-performing cities are located in the central and western regions, which suggests an imbalanced low-carbon development in China. Guided by the results, local governments are encouraged to compete and learn from similar ranking benchmarks in a new regime of "Top Runner City". Finally, the scores of carbon emissions efficiency can provide a scientific basis for the bottom-up allocation of carbon emissions rights to boost the development of the nationwide carbon market in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • We incorporate a variety of principles and indicators into an improved ZSG-DEA model. • We conduct a multi-criteria allocation of China's CEA by 2030 to provincial shares. • We measure the total and per capita space for carbon emissions by province. • All provinces reach the DEA frontier with different CEA ranging from 4.21 to 16.77 Gt. • Differentiated provincial reduction policies are the key to achieving China's INDCs. Abstract Accelerating global warming has suggested the importance of controlling greenhouse gas emissions associated with human activities. In striving to fulfill the Paris Agreement, China has announced its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) aimed at reducing its carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission intensity by 60–65% in 2030 against the level of 2005. However, China's INDCs cannot be fulfilled without formulating appropriate schemes for the allocation of carbon emission allowance (CEA) at sub-national scales. To help close the gap in our knowledge, this paper starts with measuring the overall CEA of China by 2030, and then proposes a science-based scheme for CEA allocation by developing an improved zero sum gains-data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA) model. It demonstrates that the final CEA of some northern provinces can be cut down as compared to their initial shares and, conversely, most southern provinces experience an increase in their CEA. Comparing the final share of CEA by province with current carbon emissions, we observe that provinces with abundant energy reserves, such as Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, tend to be operating in a state of overshoot in terms of space for carbon emissions (SCE). In contrast, there remains SCE when it comes to Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian, etc. The remaining provinces, such as Heilongjiang, Hebei and Ningxia, are close to the break-even point. In view of the differing SCE of individual provinces, common but differentiated policies for CO 2 emission control would be the key to achieving China's INDCs. The research findings lay a scientific basis for the Chinese government to make its INDCs come true through inter-provincial collaboration on emission reduction, but also serve as a reference for fueling further scientific discussions and development of schemes for the allocation of responsibility for carbon emissions at multiple scales within and beyond China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon storage are predicted with land use simulated by Markov-PLUS and carbon density. • Carbon storage caused by land use/cover change are significantly different in three scenarios. • Ecological policies are important in increasing carbon storage and mitigating carbon loss. Land use/cover change (LUCC) is the primary source of carbon storage changes in the ecosystem. Up to now, there are few studies about the impacts and driving mechanisms of LUCC for carbon storage in the ecosystem at spatial–temporal scales. Characterizing LUCC of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and its role in carbon storage are very important and necessary to elucidate the results of human activities on ecosystems. The policies to address potential future risks should be formulated in advance to achieve effective development. In the paper, we regarded the YRB as the study area, analyzed its LUCC during 2000 to 2020, predicted land use patterns in 2040 under the scenarios of natural trend (NT), ecological degradation (ED), and ecological restoration (ER) using Markov model with Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, and quantified carbon storage in the ecosystems over the last 20 years and under future scenarios according to Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The outcome was as follows: (1) During 2000 to 2040, LUCC in the YRB changed markedly, with cropland being transformed into woodland, grassland and built-up land; (2) During 2000 to 2040, carbon storage in the YRB was on an upward trend with a mean annual increase of 1.93×106Mg C, and woodland was the answer to increasing carbon storage, while unused land could induce carbon storage to decrease; (3) Carbon storage in the YRB varied to different degrees under three scenarios, but under the premise of not causing large-scale damage, the conversion of built-up land was an important means of improving carbon storage, greatly enhancing the carbon sequestration efficiency and capacity of the YRB. In conclusion, the future environmental management of the YRB should be continuously oriented to ecological protection and low-carbon development, so that carbon storage in the basin will be able to develop in a benign direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of its energy transition strategy, China has set ambitious targets for increasing the contribution of renewable energy and, in particular, of wind power. However, the Chinese power sector has not undergone the necessary reforms to facilitate the integration and absorption of a larger share of variable renewable energy. This is evident from the difficulties in absorbing wind power from already commissioned wind farms and the resultant curtailment of wind power. Pumped storage hydroelectricity (PSH) is a flexible power source that can facilitate higher penetration levels of wind power as well as complement China’s growing nuclear power capacity. However, regulatory policy constraints have restricted the effective utilization of existing PSH capacity and discouraged investment in new PSH capacity. This paper examines these constraints and assesses the likely impact of new policies designed to address them. Finally, policy recommendations and concluding remarks are provided. This paper contributes to the literature on renewable energy integration from a new perspective. The lessons from China are relevant to other countries going through the energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapid economic development, the transport industry has been claimed to account for a major part of climate change. This paper investigates total factor carbon-sensitive productivity growth in the regional transport sector in China and decomposes its dynamic changes over time taking account of the regional heterogeneity of different provinces. Thus, the contemporaneous metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger approach that combined with non-radial directional distance functions is proposed and define a new indicator called the contemporaneous metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger carbon emission performance index (CMML). This total factor indicator includes the metafrontier efficiency-change index (MEC), the metafrontier technology-change index (MTC), and the metafrontier technology-gap-change index (TGC). Results show an about 4% increase in overall total factor carbon emission productivity during the period of 2000–2012. Different growth patterns are also observed in the transport sector across different area of China. In the eastern region, the growth of carbon productivity is driven mainly by pure efficiency changes, whereas the central region is driven mainly by innovations in the low-carbon transport technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of a low-carbon supply chain is central for the sustainable development of a country, especially for a large carbon emitter such as China. To better promote supply chain emission reduction, this paper analyzes the carbon emission transfer and emission reduction problem among enterprises within the supply chain, integrating the influence of government emission reduction policies and the low carbon market. Considering the lag time of emission reduction technologies and the low-carbon preferences of consumers, a Stackelberg differential game model (dominated by manufacturers) is constructed under both centralized and decentralized decisions. The results suggest that the lag time of emission reduction technology and the low carbon preference of consumers positively affect the carbon emission transfer level of manufacturers, while not affecting suppliers' undertaking levels. Only when the lag time of emission reduction technology remains within a specific range, will an increase in consumers' low-carbon preferences exert a positive impact on supply chain profits. Notably, under decentralized decision-making, when the emission reduction technology lag time and consumers' low carbon preference remain within a specific range, the carbon emission transfer behavior exerts a positive promoting effect on the emission reduction of the supply chain. This applies when the profit of the supply chain increases and the carbon emission reduction per unit of product decreases. This result provides a new idea for the government to control irrational carbon emission transfer behavior of enterprises. Moreover, considering the lag time of emission reduction technology is also conducive to increasing the acceptability of government carbon quota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the natural resource-based view (NRBV), this paper analyzes the relationship between internal low carbon integration and external low carbon integration and firm performance, as well as the moderating role of quality management within low carbon supply chain, by researching 12 business departments of machinery, electronic, and transportation components industries in China. The results of this empirical study show that internal low carbon integration helps to improve firm's environmental performance, while hinder firm's financial performance. External low carbon integration improves both environmental performance and financial performance. In the meanwhile, quality management strengthens positive relationships that found in this study and weakens the negative relationship between internal low carbon integration and financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the drivers of declining energy intensity is necessary in order to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy in China. To date, studies have typically adopted case analysis to link enterprise features and energy-saving performance. The impact of internal industrial configuration in terms of size and ownership structure on aggregate energy intensity remains to be examined. To fill this research gap, this paper tests the impact of the internal structure of industries on city-level energy intensity, by employing a unique panel dataset of 283 cities for the period 2005 to 2010. The Driscoll-Kraay method and instrumental variable are used to treat residual cross-sectional dependence and endogeneity, respectively. Results suggest that small-scale enterprises exerts a negative effect on energy intensity. A 1% increase in the output-value proportion of small-sized firms will lead to a decrease in total energy intensity of 0.067%. In contrast, the same change by medium enterprises will raise energy intensity by 0.031%. A negative and/or non-significant coefficient suggests that for most energy-intensive large and state-owned enterprises, China's 2006 top-down energy-saving regulation has been quite effective in targeting key energy-intensive enterprises in China. The findings reveal that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) can act as promoters of, rather than barriers to, low-carbon policy implementation in China. Given that the effectiveness of energy-saving regulation will be undermined as a result of diluted regulatory strength in each enterprise, market-oriented energy price reform is proposed as a fundamental driver for guaranteeing a continual decline in energy intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s commitment to the UNFCCC to peak its emissions by 2030, or sooner, signaled a long anticipated shift in China’s model of development with far reaching consequences. Cities in China, and particularly the residential sector in cities, will be charged with making significant reductions in emissions growth even as rates of urbanization continue to climb. Focusing on Beijing and Shanghai, this paper carries out a measures-based economic analysis of low carbon investment opportunities in the residential sector. Results find significant opportunity: between 2015 and 2030, BAU levels of CO 2 emissions could be reduced by 10.2% in Beijing and 6.8% in Shanghai with the adoption of economically attractive low carbon measures. While these headline results underline the case for low carbon investment in the residential sectors of these megacities in China, a closer analysis provides insights for understanding the economics of decarbonisation in cities more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China in 2013 to promote the interconnected development and prosperity of all participating countries. In the context of global response to climate change, understanding the embodied carbon transfer change along economic trade before and after the Belt and Road Initiative is essential to reduce carbon overall emission. In this paper, we used a multi-regional input-output model to study the embodied carbon transfer in trade between the Belt and Road countries that have signed cooperation documents with China from 2004 to 2017. The results showed that from 2004 to 2017, the growth rate that China's carbon emissions imported from other Belt and Road Initiative countries was about 1.9 times that of its exports. From 2004 to 2017, the proportion of China's carbon imports from other Belt and Road countries in China's total carbon imports increased from 3.41% to 3.73%, and exports decreased from 6.52% to 6.03%. In both 2004 and 2017, Electricity, Gas and Water sector, Heavy Industry sector, Transport sector were the three largest carbon transfer sectors in China's multilateral trade. In 2017, the embodied carbon transfer by multilateral trade among other Belt and Road countries except China increased by 15.53% compared with 2004. By comparing the characteristics of carbon transfer between China and the Belt and Road countries from 2004 to 2017, this study will provide insights for carbon emission reduction policy setting of Belt and Road Initiative countries. • We took countries that have signed documents with China as research objects. • MRIO model was used to analyze the carbon transfer change from 2004 to 2017. • The embodied carbon transfer in 2017 of BRI increased by 15.53% compared with 2004. • The growth rate of China's carbon imports from BRI was 1.9 times that of exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the climate is warming up and climate disasters occur more frequently, China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets are gaining attention, with provinces starting to set carbon peak targets and constantly exploring low carbon economic development opportunities. However, the existing evaluation index system mainly focuses on low carbon cities and green cities, and there is no evaluation index system for carbon peak and carbon neutrality. This study adopts a combination of theoretical and empirical research and draws on domestic and international research results to construct the first index system for evaluating China's provincial carbon peak and carbon neutrality. The evaluation index system includes 18 indicators from three dimensions: climate ambition, low carbon status, and emissions trends. Using this index system, we calculated the carbon peak and carbon neutrality indices of 30 Chinese provinces. Further, the 30 provinces were classified into six categories, and corresponding policy recommendations for achieving the "Dual carbon" targets were put forward. The evaluation index system constructed in this paper can provide a reference for future carbon peak and carbon neutrality assessments. By disclosing the integrated index of each province, we hope to effectively curb the increasing local carbon emissions; avert inaction in areas with good natural endowments; and motivate the advancement of the latter, to boost the implementation of the "Dual carbon" targets coherently for the whole country. [Display omitted] • An integrated evaluation system on China's Provincial "Dual carbon" was proposed. • 30 provinces in mainland China were ranked based on the integrated index. • 6 groups were classified to show provincial differences on dual carbon performance. • Policy recommendations to fulfill China's climate commitment were put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Markov-FLUS and InVEST models can effectively predict the spatiotemporal changes of LULC and carbon storage. • Carbon storage will continue to increase in the future, with the largest increase in the ecological protection scenario (EP). • The implementation of ecological engineering and economic development had obvious promotion effect on carbon storage. There are more than 2,800 counties in China, including 341 in the Loess Plateau region. The county is the basic unit of administrative management and is considered to be the best scale for land use control, environmental planning and policy implementation. Since the 1990 s, socioeconomic development and the implementation of ecological engineering have greatly changed the land use and land cover (LULC) patterns in the Loess Plateau counties, and presumably in the county's carbon. However, accurate assessment of carbon storage and driving factors remains a challenge. This paper selected Qingcheng County, a typical county in the Loess Plateau, and used multi-source data and comprehensive environmental modeling methods to evaluate and analyze the temporal and spatial trends and driving factors of carbon storage in Qingcheng County from 2000 to 2030. The results showed that: (1) the carbon storage in the terrestrial ecosystem increased from 2000 to 2030 in Qingcheng, and it was mainly distributed in grassland and forest, accounting for 49 %–53 % and 36 %–40 % of the total carbon storage, respectively. (2) The implementation of ecological engineering had obvious promotion effect on carbon storage in the terrestrial ecosystem. The precipitation and temperature in the past 20 years had provided favorable climatic conditions for ecological engineering. In addition, carbon storage was also affected by economic development, land input intensity, and population size. These findings provide recommendations for achieving sustainable socioeconomic and ecological development at county-level. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between LULC and carbon storage caused by natural environment and socioeconomic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The average carbon reduction performance increases year by year. • The policy has an immediate impact on CO 2 reduction in demonstration cities. • The policy has follow-up impact on carbon emission reduction. • Less thermal power and more research investment are the paths to policy effect. The Energy-saving and Emission Reduction Demonstration City (ESERD) Policy brings more favorable development conditions and opportunities for the cities selected, but the carbon reduction effect of the energy-saving policy is not clear which needs to be quantified and evaluated. By measuring the Total Factor/Energy Carbon Performance Index (TCPI /ECPI) of 286 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2019 and by constructing a quasi-natural experiment, this paper contributes in three aspects. (1) we are committed to a method of calculating the energy consumption and carbon emission of prefecture-level cities in China; (2) we provide evidence to the CO 2 reduction effect of the ESERD policy in a more comprehensive way; (3) we probe the paths of the policy effects. The main findings are: (1) TCPI and ECPI has been rising since 2011, the eastern cities have more outstanding achievement while the performance of the western region has been at a relatively high level during the time period of the study, and the performance of cities have diverged in recent years. (2) The policy's contribution to the demonstration cities' carbon reduction performance is significant, immediate and far-reaching, a lower share of electricity consumption due to indirectly reducing the use of coal, and higher investment in scientific research for improving the technology level of industrial development are both paths to achieve carbon emission reduction in the demonstration cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective evaluation of a city's low carbon development plays an essential role in promoting low carbon development strategies for achieving the city's sustainable development. This paper proposes a data-driven approach to objectively evaluating the low carbon development level of cities. The approach formulates the low carbon development evaluation problem as a multi-criteria decision analysis problem and incorporates the merits of bibliometric analysis, text mining and optimal weighting to evaluating the urban low carbon development performance. The bibliometric analysis is applied to systematically identify evaluation criteria and associated indicators and establish an evaluation system for measuring low carbon development levels of urban cities. Equipped with an objective weighting method based on text mining, the approach determines the local weights of the evaluation criteria and indicators for each city by extracting subjective preferential information from the policy documents available on the local government's websites. Two optimal weighting models are developed to determine the optimal global weights of the indicators and criteria by maximizing the low carbon development performance of all cities. The obtained criteria weighting thus can reflect both the preferences of local city governments and the best common interest of all cities involved in the evaluation. The approach is then illustrated with a case study on three cities involved in urban agglomeration planning in China. The results compare the low carbon development performance of the cities, identify the disparities between the cities and reveal each city's obstacle factors that hinder its development. Policy recommendations are then suggested for developing effective low carbon development policies. • A data-driven approach is developed to evaluate cities' low carbon development (LCD) performance. • LCD evaluation criteria are systematically identified using bibliometric analysis. • Criteria weights are determined by text mining cities' LCD preferences and applying optimal weighting. • Disparities, trends, and obstacles are identified to form effective LCD policies. • LCD evaluation of cities in an emerging economic region validates the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy consumption has a strong driving force for promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, and is a new way to achieve clean and low-carbon development. Based on this, this paper uses the data of renewable energy consumption, carbon productivity, GDP, population, energy efficiency and technological innovation of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, and empirically analyzes the impact of renewable energy consumption on carbon productivity in 30 provinces in China, using STIRPAT model, comprehensively considers spatial horizontally and temporal vertically dimension. The empirical results show that: (1) China's carbon productivity shows a significant spatial spillover effect, its impact can spill over to adjacent areas within 1000 km; (2) China's renewable energy power consumption plays a significant role in promoting the improvement of carbon productivity. (3) Renewable energy consumption in the western region plays the most important role in driving carbon productivity. Finally, according to the temporal and spatial relationship between renewable energy consumption and carbon productivity in different regions, we provide specific regional policy suggestions. • The STIRPAT model is employed to explore temporal and spatial impact, while it considers sub regions. • Spatialy, the impact can spill over to adjacent areas within 1000km. Temporally, the impact fluctuates and rises. • The positive role of renewable energy consumption is found in China's western region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prioritized purpose of this dissertation is to put forward a scientific and plausible interval of carbon price benchmark on the unified carbon trading market, of which will be scheduled to be established in the year of 2016. A model named EMD–GARCH that integrated Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) with Generalized Autoregressive Conditionally Heteroskedastic (GARCH) together is presented here in order to forecast the carbon price of the five pilots (Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, and Tianjin) in 2016 so as to provide exogenous data for later analysis. For further study, a recursive dynamic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model will be structured to explore the impacts on China’s macroeconomics, environmental quality, and energy demand respectively under 8 different simulation scenarios, which are being designed in terms of the aforementioned calculated carbon price outcome. The simulation results illustrate that the unified carbon price policy will exert a comprehensive effect on China in various perspectives that we discussed in this paper. Moreover, regarding the carbon price scenarios, the price level by itself generates a different degree of impacts in improving the environmental quality, decreasing the energy demand, and increasing the macroeconomic growth. Consequently, based on the analysis of those three approaches mix in this study, we suggest the alternative interval of carbon price benchmark in the national unified carbon trading market with a lower bound of 30 yuan/tCO 2 to an upper bound of 50 yuan/tCO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economic growth has been progressively moving towards reducing carbon intensity. In parallel, Japan has long been regarded as the pioneer of energy efficiency worldwide. Why have these two economic giants had such different experiences of carbon intensity in the past decades? A closer examination in both countries may hold vital clues, which are still very unclear. This paper compares the patterns of carbon intensity between China and Japan, in which we propose a bilateral-country decomposition framework by combining production-theoretical decomposition analysis and index decomposition analysis. The decomposition highlights the effects of emission factor, energy structure, sectoral structure, substitution among labor-energy and capital-energy, and technological progress. The results show that the energy structure, sectoral structure, and capital-energy substitution are the main drivers behind that China is much higher carbon intensity than Japan, accounting for 26%, 25%, and 38%, respectively. Yet, these effects also narrowed the carbon intensity gap between China and Japan over the years. Furthermore, the labor-energy substitution effect has generally decreased the carbon intensity gap. The technological effect has a minor impact on the carbon intensity gap per year, while it plays a dominant role in enlarging the carbon intensity gap over time. • An improved approach is proposed to decompose driving forces of carbon intensity. • The approach is applied to carbon intensity gap between China and Japan. • Potential energy intensity of each sector is uncovered by input substitution. • Enabling policymakers in developing countries to reduce carbon intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing ecological models involves using independent data on model performance, which can be difficult or practically impossible to obtain. Individual based models of forest dynamics, or gap models, simulate the change of forests by computing the annual growth, birth and death of each tree at a location in a forest. The models are relatively simple and simulate results that can be translated to multiple response scales: Individual plant growth, population birth-death processes, stand environmental dynamics ( e.g ., evapotranspiration, element cycling, heat flux, etc .), landscape processes, and regional and global change. This paper reviews some of the approaches applied to testing gap models. Then, it demonstrates the testing of the performance of an individual-based gap model of forest dynamics, FAREAST, through comparison against independent data from China and across Russia. As part of this model testing, biomass simulation output for 93 locations is compared to independent field-collected inventory-data from 44 Russian forests, which span a broad range of forest types across Russia. FAREAST captures biomass dynamics and stabilization at specific locations bracketing the measured values. At Changbai Mountain, the model accurately predicts the community dynamics of complex mixed forest types present along an elevational gradient, as well as the broad regional compositional patterns across China and Russia. Validation of regional detailed landscape dynamics shows the model performs with fidelity with an average R2 value of 0.74 for 87 comparisons and an average root mean square error of 10.8 tC ha −1. Performance of the model for historical conditions implies the model's applicability across a broad region and suggests the usefulness of a detailed model for evaluating forest change to management and changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power sector plays a significant role in China's energy transition and emission reduction strategy. Considering that the aggregation of the power sector from different sources in input-output (IO) tables will lead to the "aggregation bias problem", it is vital that we disaggregate the power sector using IO tables when analyzing and comparing the driving forces of embodied carbon emission changes in the power sector. This paper first disaggregates the power sector into seven subsectors; then, it uses structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to analyze the driving forces of embodied carbon emission changes in each subsector and allocates embodied emissions that occur from 2007 to 2015 according to the demand categories. The results show that the embodied carbon emissions from each clean energy sector were relatively lower than those from thermal power during the study period. Consumption volume was the main driving factor for the embodied carbon emission increments. From 2012 to 2015, the production structure was mainly responsible for the embodied emission increases in each clean energy sector, indicating that the embodied carbon emissions caused by power equipment updates or reconstruction processes should receive more attention. In addition, the embodied carbon emission changes induced by urban residential consumption on the thermal power showed a plateaued trend from 2007 to 2015. This paper provides support for the formulation of emission reduction measures and the low-carbon structural transformation of the power sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy consumption keeps increasing in China's building sector with the constant growth of urban population and people's living standard. In order to achieve co-benefits of reducing energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy costs effectively, all respects related to the energy performance in the building sector need to be addressed. Considering the fact that over 80% of total energy use in a building's lifecycle is contributed by the operation stage, the study's focus is put on this stage for well understanding the energy consumption and carbon emissions and exploring the approach to achieve the effectiveness of co-benefits. The energy use in large commercial buildings is 4–6 times higher than residential buildings in China, thus IKEA Xuhui Store as one of large shopping malls in Shanghai is selected as the case study by using the method formed in the study. The outcomes of research show that the benefit of annual 170 MWh of energy use and 150 tons of CO2e reduction as well as the significant economic benefit have been achieved by implementing different measures in IKEA Xuhui Store between 2008 and 2011. Existing investment, technology and capacity barriers to co-benefits approach in a wider consideration of China's building sector are described. The assessment for evaluating co-benefits of cutting energy use and CO2 emissions in the production and demolition stages in a building's lifecycle are also addressed by the paper. However, it is very complicated to make a lifecycle assessment on the overall co-benefits in the building sector because of the complexity and the lack of available data for the research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Green technology is a crucial way to achieve energy conservation, emission reduction and economic growth. Most of the previous literature has studied the influence of green technology on carbon emission from the regional perspective. This paper discusses the direct role in terms of industry of seven green technologies under the International Patent Classification (IPC) Green Inventory classification standard on the reduction of carbon intensity and the indirect impact of technology vertical spillovers generated by transmission via the intermediate input products channel on carbon intensity. Based on empirical research that was conducted by adopting an improved regression on the population, affluence and technology (STIRPAT) model using the panel data of 17 categories of industries in China from 2000 to 2015, the indirect effect was more significant than the direct result, as every green technology innovation level and technology spillover capacity was increased by 1%, the carbon intensity reduced by 0.1303% and 0.1558%, respectively. Energy conservation technology played a direct role in the reduction of carbon intensity and achieved the best results, and its impact was 1.76 times that of waste management technology, which had the weakest effect. Transportation emission reduction technology played an indirect role in the reduction of carbon emission intensity and achieved the best results; its impact was 2.13 times the average value of all types of technology spillover effects. Finally, the paper analyzes seven types of green technology spillover capacities and the heterogeneity in the reduction of carbon intensity efficiency and provides some relevant policy suggestions. • The green technology has been examined from the industry perspective. • The green technology vertical spillovers can reduce the carbon intensity more significantly. • Distinguished seven types of green technology. • Discovered the key kinds of green technology. • Explored the heterogeneity of spillover capacity and their effects on carbon intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Shrinking cities tend to be less energy efficient than their growing counterparts. • Shrinking cities need to consider the environmental effects of shrinkage. • Urban compactness is negatively associated with residential CO 2 emissions. • Intra-city polycentricity is negatively correlated with gas-related CO 2 emissions. This paper analyzes the relationship between urban form, shrinking cities, and residential carbon emissions, based on information collected for prefectural-level and above Chinese cities for the years of 2005, 2010, and 2015. After controlling for a number of urban form and socioeconomic variables (e.g., size, compactness, and polycentricity), this paper pays attention to residential carbon emissions in 'shrinking cities', which have experienced population loss and are a recent urban phenomenon in China. Everything else being equal, shrinking cities tend to be associated with less energy efficient than their growing counterparts, suggesting that these cities may not only be 'battling' with shrinking populations and economies but also need to consider the environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide full supports for carbon market risk management and strengthen anti-risk capacity. We propose an assessment index system with 25 indices in terms of 10 dimensions from three levels of internal, external and interface risks. Furthermore, we propose an integrated model incorporating rough set and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to assess the risk of carbon market. Selecting the data of China as a research example, the empirical results show that the risk of carbon market presents obvious fluctuation in China during 2013–2017. Although the overall risk has declined compared with the beginning of carbon market, it is still at a high level and the gap between carbon markets is gradually increasing affected by regional economic differences and system design. It is also found that external risk is unpredictable, uncontrollable and destructive, meanwhile operational risk in internal risk remains high. • An assessment index system of 25 indices is proposed for carbon market risk. •An integrated model incorporating rough set and TOPSIS is built to assess carbon market risk. •China's carbon market risks present obvious fluctuations during 2013–2017. •The overall risk of China's carbon market is at a high level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Shanghai is the largest industrial and commercial city in China, and its air quality has been deteriorating for several decades. However, there are scarce researches on the level and seasonal variation of fine particle (PM2.5) as well as the carbonaceous fractions when compared with other cities in China and around the world. In the present paper, abundance and seasonal characteristics of PM2.5, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were studied at urban and suburban sites in Shanghai during four season-representative months in 2005–2006 year. PM2.5 samples were collected with high-vol samplers and analyzed for OC and EC using thermal-optical transmittance (TOT) protocol. Results showed that the annual average PM2.5 concentrations were 90.3–95.5 μg/m3 at both sites, while OC and EC were 14.7–17.4 μg/m3 and 2.8–3.0 μg/m3, respectively, with the OC/EC ratios of 5.0–5.6. The carbonaceous levels ranked by the order of Beijing > Guangzhou > Shanghai > Hong Kong. The carbonaceous aerosol accounted for ∼30% of the PM2.5 mass. On seasonal average, the highest OC and EC levels occurred during fall, and they were higher than the values in summer by a factor of 2. Strong correlations (r =0.79–0.93) between OC and EC were found in the four seasons. Average level of secondary organic carbon (SOC) was 5.7–7.2 μg/m3, accounting for ∼30% of the total OC. Strong seasonal variation was observed for SOC with the highest value during fall, which was about two times the annual average. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we report the results and analysis of a recent field campaign in August 2007 investigating the impacts of emissions from transportation on air quality and community concentrations in Beijing, China. We conducted measurements in three different environments, on-road, roadside and ambient. The carbon monoxide, black carbon and ultrafine particle number emission factors for on-road light-duty vehicles are derived to be 95gkg−1-fuel, 0.3gkg−1-fuel and 1.8×1015 particleskg−1-fuel, respectively. The emission factors for on-road heavy-duty vehicles are 50gkg−1-fuel, 1.3gkg−1-fuel and 1.1×1016 particleskg−1-fuel, respectively. The carbon monoxide emission factors from this study agree with those derived from remote sensing and on-board vehicle emission testing systems in China. The on-road black carbon and particle number emission factors for Chinese vehicles are reported for the first time in the literature. Strong traffic impacts can be observed from the concentrations measured in these different environments. Most clear is a reflection of diesel truck traffic activity in black carbon concentrations. The comparison of the particle size distributions measured at the three environments suggests that the traffic is a major source of ultrafine particles. A four-day traffic control experiment conducted by the Beijing Government as a pilot to test the effectiveness of proposed controls was found to be effective in reducing extreme concentrations that occurred at both on-road and ambient environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The glucose monitor with a screen-printed carbon sensor has been in commercial production since 1994. In last 15 years, around 10 companies have been involved in manufacturing and marketing the meters and glucose test strips and are being strong competitors of the companies which import these products. Comparison of early stage glucose meters and glucose test strips with latest fabrications showed a large increase in production volume and improved functional features. It also showed technological development of glucose monitors including circuit improvement, as more integrated computer processor units (CPU) are now being used. The technology of mass-production of disposable screen-printed test strips has been widely used in local industries mainly for the production of blood glucose test strips. The opportunities and challenges in local diabetes market are discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper suggests that the rapid increase in urbanization and human activities has important impacts on visibility in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. A long-term trend of visibility in Guangzhou (one of the largest cities in PRD) shows that between 1954 and 2006, there is a rapid change in visibility. Between 1954 and 1972, low visibility has the smallest occurrence (less than a few days per year). Between 1972 and 1980, the visibility condition is within a transition period, and the occurrence of low visibility increases rapidly. Between 1980 and 2006, the occurrence of low visibility remains very high (150daysyear−1), suggesting that the city of Guangzhou is often under low-visibility conditions since the 1980s. In order to understand the causes of the low visibility in Guangzhou, we analyze physical and chemical characterizations of a low-visibility event occurring between 15 and 29 November 2005. The analysis suggests that high concentration of aerosol particles is a major cause for the low visibility. The threshold aerosol concentration that is corresponding to the low visibility (<10km) is about 120μgm−3. Further analysis indicates that the relationship between aerosol concentrations and visibility appears in a non-linearity correlation. When aerosol concentrations are very high (above 120μgm−3), the change in visibility is not sensitive to aerosol concentration. By contrast, when aerosol concentrations are <120μgm−3, the change in visibility is very sensitive to aerosol concentrations. This study also shows that absorbing aerosol particles (such as element carbon (EC)) play important roles in the reduction of visibility. In most cases, the extremely low visibility (<2km) is often resulted from high EC concentrations (above 15μgm−3). In averaged condition, small scattering aerosol particles (<1μm in radius) have the largest contribution to the reduction of visibility (about 70%). By contrast, large scattering particles have the smallest contribution to the reduction of visibility. This analysis implies that the persistent low visibility is mainly resulted from small aerosol particles, including both scattering and absorbing particles. In order to improve the visibility in the Guangzhou region, the reduction of small particle emissions is urgently needed. This study suggests that there are two important steps to improve the visibility in Guangzhou. First, the aerosol concentration should be reduced to less than the threshold value (120μgm−3). Second, a further decrease in aerosols from its threshold value will lead to a significant improvement in visibility due to the non-linearity relationship between aerosol and visibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China experienced sustainable, rapid economic growth over the period 1980–2003 but, at the same time, energy-related carbon intensity showed a downward trend. It begs the question, therefore, what factors were driving this decline in carbon intensity and will this decline be maintained in future? Moreover, what measures can be adopted to ensure a continual decline in carbon intensity? These questions led to increased research in the factors governing CO2 emission in China. This paper quantifies the driving force behind China''s primary energy-related carbon intensity and measures the material production sectors'' final energy-related carbon intensity. Our results show that the overwhelming contributor to the decline of energy-related carbon intensity was the reduction in real energy intensity. However, policies that focus only on the decline in energy intensity are insufficient to further decrease carbon intensity. The change of primary energy mix can improve the decline of carbon intensity. This should focus on the material production sectors'' development strategies and final energy use. Greater emphasis should be given to secondary industry, which needs national and regional governments'' policy support. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The fundamental requirement of carbon abatement is to complete the carbon abatement task set, at the lowest cost. In this paper, the non-radial distance function method is used to calculate the marginal carbon abatement costs of each unit, and the statistical method is used to estimate the carbon abatement efficiency of each unit. Based on the sum of dynamic carbon abatement costs in each province, the carbon abatement task allocation is optimized, and the data before and after optimization is compared and analyzed. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The function of carbon abatement efficiency can be estimated using the marginal cost of carbon abatement, by which, the carbon abatement cost of each province can be calculated. (2) The correlation between carbon emissions and carbon abatement efficiency of each province is weak, so the overall carbon abatement efficiency of China is low. (3) Optimizing the allocation of provincial carbon abatement tasks can significantly reduce the total carbon abatement cost and improve the carbon abatement efficiency. This study has significant theoretical and practical value for improving China's overall carbon abatement efficiency, and establishing the provincial initial carbon emission quota. [Display omitted] • We estimate carbon abatement efficiency of China and its provinces. • We improve the method for carbon abatement efficiency using the dynamic data. • We fill a gap in research on carbon abatement efficiency based task allocation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy rebound effect leads to "green paradox". • The effect of short-term energy rebound effect is greater than the long-term. • Investment bias and factor market distortion important for policy development. • Government decentralization can suppress the energy rebound effect. Analyzing the influence of energy rebound effect on carbon emissions at different urbanization stages is of great significance to improve the effectiveness of emission reduction polices. In this paper, the energy rebound effect is classified into the short-term energy rebound effect and the long-term energy rebound effect. Based on the environmental Kuznets curve, the nonlinear programming model of urbanization, energy rebound effect and carbon emissions is established to analyzed the influence mechanism of energy rebound effect on carbon emissions at different stages of urbanization. We further discuss how to avoid the impact of energy rebound effect on carbon emission reduction. The results show that: (1) The influence of short-term energy rebound effect on carbon emissions is greater than long-term energy rebound effect, and both of them decrease with the increase of urbanization rate. (2) The "discretionary" and "hitchhiking" behavior of local governments in formulating environmental policies will lead to the "Matthew Effect" of energy rebound effect. (3) Investment bias and factor market distortion could increase energy rebound effect, and they have obvious substitution effect. (4) The decentralization of power by local governments is an effective measure to suppress energy rebound effect. The analysis above could help local governments to formulate policies, suppressing the influence of energy rebound effect and promoting carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the coupling mechanisms between carbon emissions and the eco-environment is essential for building sustainable economies. Based on the coupling coordination model, this paper investigates the coordination degree of carbon emissions and the eco-environment in China from 2009 to 2015. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index decomposition method was used to identify the key factors affecting the coordination degree. Furthermore, different scenarios were simulated to show the impact of changes in government priorities on the coordination degree. The results show that the dynamic relationship between carbon emissions and the eco-environment in China has reached a barely balanced stage, but a few provinces are still struggling with imbalances. The coordination level of carbon emissions and the eco-environment becomes the key factor affecting coordinated development, while the interaction intensity has a limited effect. Further analysis indicated that although the carbon emission evaluation value has a positive effect on promoting an increase in the coordination degree, the eco-environment evaluation value determines the trend of coordinated regional development. Moreover, the priorities of government policymakers have a substantial impact on coordinated development, but these impacts gradually diminish as the differences in evaluation values decrease. These findings contribute to the formulation of effective regional sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming caused by greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions has become a paramount problem for all countries to solve. The construction industry emits 36 percent of the GHG in all sectors globally. China is the largest carbon emitter in the world, and Jiangsu province has been used as a test bed for reforming and developing modern construction industry in China. The aim of the study is to explore the driving factors of the total carbon emissions from the construction industry (CECI) in the provincial region using a hybrid Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model. The findings of the study indicate that: 1) Indirect and operational CECI account for the largest proportion (52.22% and 46.02% in 2016 respectively); 2) The driving factors of CECI in Jiangsu province are the area factor (contribution from 2005 to 2016 is 100.22%) and the output value intensity factor (86.56%) while the restraining factor is the carbon emission intensity (−80.35%). Discussion and implicated policies, such as improving the energy efficiency of related industries and using green building materials have been elaborated at the end of the study. The decomposition and calculation method presented in this paper provides a useful tool for policymakers to evaluate CECI of a province or state and formulate appropriate carbon policies to reduce emissions and promote low-carbon development in a region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of urban carbon emissions, the carbon emissions from household energy consumption are increasing with the continuous improvement of Chinese urbanization. This study divides family population into 4 groups: adolescents (aged 0–17), young people (aged 18–44), middle-aged people (aged 45–59), and elderly people (aged 60 and older) and develops a calculation model for carbon emissions of household energy consumption in accordance with the latest standards of the World Health Organization based on Chinese Family Panel Studies in 2016. Results showed that the marginal and intergenerational effects coexist in various types of household energy consumption: Families with 3–5 people have the most economical consumption scale and the largest marginal sharing effect; multigenerational families or families with a large proportion of middle-aged and older people are beneficial in reducing household energy consumption. This paper suggests it is important to fully consider the impact of the intergenerational effect, marginal effect, and cultural shock caused by the electronic information age on household energy consumption when formulating standards of household energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better achieve the goal of carbon emissions, this paper combined the theory of gravity center and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model to analyze the regional emission differences in China. Researches have shown that the difference in economic development levels between the eastern and western regions is an important factor that causes the shift of the center of gravity of carbon emission and its intensity to the west. In decomposition effects, the economic output effect has the largest contribution (56%) to emissions, and the energy intensity effect has the best effect in suppressing emissions. Except for some industries in the East and Central South of China, energy structure in other regions is still dominated by high-carbon energy. In the energy intensity effect, the suppression effects in the East and Central South of China have reached −83,440 Mt and −78,850 Mt respectively, while the Northeast and Northwest of China areas are not significant. Vigorously developing low-carbon technologies and promoting clean energy can effectively reduce carbon intensity. It is recommended to implement the policy of adapting to local conditions according to the current situation of the region, and gradually phase out high energy-consuming industries under the guidance of the government, so as to strive to implement the emission reduction target. • Industrial energy consumption difference between regions were analyzed for China. • Economic output has the largest effect to emission. • Center of gravity theory is used to analyze emission. • The adjustment of industrial structure has a lagging effect on carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(a) Historical carbon emission mitigation of the residential building sector and (b) emission benchmarks of the future residential building sector in China. • Carbon mitigation of the residential building sector in 2000–2015 is 1.817 (±0.643) BtCO 2. • Residential building will achieve its emission peak in 2037 (±4) at 1.419 (±0.081) BtCO 2. • Floor space per capita and energy intensity are determining in the uncertainty of emission peak. • Future residential building energy benchmark should be controlled at 0.703 (±0.042) Btce. • A benchmark of 1.258 BtCO 2 can achieve the residential buildings' 2030 emission peak goal. Fast-growing carbon emissions from the residential building sector are a hindrance for China to achieve its 2030 emission peak goal. To identify future low carbon roadmaps of residential buildings, this study is the first to assess the historical carbon mitigation and simulate the energy and emission peaks of China's residential building sector using a dynamic emission scenario. It shows that the emission mitigation of the residential building sector during 2000–2015 is 1.817 (±0.643) billion tons of carbon dioxide (BtCO 2), and the normal distribution-based scenario simulation demonstrates that the residential building sector will achieve its carbon emission peak in 2037 (±4) with a peak value of 1.419 (±0.081) BtCO 2. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the impacts of floor space per capita and energy intensity of urban residential buildings are the most significant for the uncertainty of emission peaks. A strict energy demand benchmark of the residential building sector suggests a control at 0.661 billion tons of standard coal equivalent (Btce), and its peaking time is estimated for 2035, which is 5 years ahead of the business-as-usual scenario, with energy savings of 0.042 Btce. For the earliest peaking time, if the residential building sector aims to achieve its emission peak before 2030, the emission peak should be controlled at 1.258 BtCO 2. Overall, this paper can assist the government in more accurate and feasible building emission mitigation strategies. Moreover, the results provide a more powerful decision-making reference in issuing targeted and feasible strategies for future residential building emission mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has made ambitious carbon emission reduction commitments at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in 2015. However, the policies that have been adopted are based on the production accounting principle and are excessively concentrated in high and direct carbon intensity industries. This production-based accounting can lead to unfair responsibility for emissions reduction, mismatch in economic development, and carbon leakage. Embodied CO 2 emissions depict the accumulated emissions generated in the production process of a product, and it is based on the consumption accounting principle. This accounting method addresses some shortcomings on production responsibility, thus providing a new perspective for carbon emission reduction. Based on 1992–2012 input-output tables and direct carbon emissions of China, this study calculated the embodied carbon transfer within 28 industries. A visualized dynamic embodied carbon database was constructed, covering all industries in China within a 20-years period. We characterized the embodied carbon transfer structure among different industries in China. The main embodied carbon input and output sectors were identified, and targeted industry emission reduction recommendations are provided. The power industry (an upstream industry), and the construction industry (a downstream industry) were considered typical net export and import industries. These sectors are suitable for formulating emission reduction policies from their respective supply and demand sides. The chemical industry is in the middle of the industrial chain, where the input and output are equal. Therefore, policies that affect both supply and demand can achieve better results. This paper provides detailed data to support China's overall arrangement of industrial carbon emission reduction. • The study constructs a visualized dynamic embodied carbon database of China from 1992 to 2012. • The study identifies main embodied carbon input and output sectors. • The study gives a differentiated policy orientation based on the characteristics of different typical industries. • The database can provide data support for the improvement of industry climate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on panel data from 2007 to 2016, this paper investigates the carbon abatement effect of China's pilot Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and the influencing paths of the policy at both national and regional level by using Difference in Differences model and parallel multiple mediator model. The results reveal that the policy has reduced the total carbon emission reduction by 13.39%, with an upward abatement trend annually. Secondly, a systematic framework containing technique effect, composition effect and allocation effect is proposed to further investigate the influencing mechanisms of the achieved emission curbing effect. It reflects that the policy has not yet promoted the low-carbon innovation completely, only innovation of high-quality played an effective mediating role. Meantime, two other influencing channels of industrial upgrading and optimized resource allocation are verified. Thirdly, policy's heterogeneous impacts are detected by classifying China into three representative regions according to economic and geographical differences, where western China experiences the strongest emission abatement by 21.57%, whereas central China and eastern China is 9.83% and 6.65% respectively. Fourthly, assessments of the regional influencing mechanisms show that the mediating role of high-quality low-carbon technology innovation is only significant in the western region, while the other two regions tend to have rebound effect. Besides, the promotion of industrial upgrading is positively related to the development levels of regions, with the improvement of 18.01% in the eastern region, followed by 17.34% and 12.46% in the central and western region. Finally, the optimization of the resource allocation has not been promoted regardless of the regions. In general, although the current policy has a significant carbon reduction effect, there is still much space for potential abatement to be developed. • China's pilot ETS has significant carbon reduction effects at both national and regional level. • Mediating effects of high-quality innovation, industrial upgrading and allocation optimization are significant nationally. • Only high-quality innovation is effective in western China, while other mediating roles are not significant regionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]