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For China, greenhouse gas emissions increased by 0.075 gigatons (Gt) in the period of 1995–2000 and increased by 4.23 Gt from 2000 to 2009, then reached the amount of 8.61 Gt in 2009. Different from the traditional analysis focused on accounting sectors’ greenhouse gas emissions under the production-based responsibility, this paper investigates sectoral GHG emissions in China in the period of 1995–2009 from the perspective of consumption-based and income-based responsibility. We found that different metrics yield very different GHG emission responsibilities. The sector of electricity, gas and water supply has the highest GHG emissions responsibility based on the production and income metrics, while the sector of construction is the largest emitter under the consumption metric. In the light of the key driver analysis of GHG emissions from 1995 to 2009, based on the consumption metric, the change in the final demand volume is the largest driver of increase in China's consumption-based GHG emissions (+17.18 Gt). The changes in the production structure and the final demand structure are other contributors (+0.53 Gt, +1.46 Gt). The improvement to the intensity of GHG emissions is the main force for GHG emissions mitigation (−14.86 Gt). According to the income metric, the contributions of input volume changes, input structure changes and GHG intensity changes are similar to the effects of consumption-based responsibility (+19.11 Gt, +1.13 Gt, −14.95 Gt). The difference is that the change in the production structure is another force that offset GHG increase (−0.98 Gt). Results in this paper can give some recommendation on mitigating GHG emissions in China for policy-makers from production-side, demand-side and supply-side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental protection and climate change have become one of the most important issues of great concern. Consequently, improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy have also become the fundamental energy policies of all countries around the world. China has put forward the ambitious goal to speed up the construction of the resource conserving and environmentally friendly society. In Copenhagen Global Warming Summit, held in November 2009, China made a solemn commitment: by 2020, the CO 2 emissions per unit of GDP (i.e. carbon intensity) will decrease by 40% to 45% compared with that in 2005. Therefore, increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption and protecting environment will undoubtedly become the urgent task in China, hence energy saving and emission reduction prove to be the developing trend. The Energy Saving Power Generation Dispatching (ESPGD) Measures (trial) printed by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) was required to carry out energy saving power generation dispatching, so as to maximize the environmental benefits which the renewable energy and other clean energy create, minimize the energy consumption and pollutant emissions, and promote the secure, efficient and clean electric power system. The implementation of ESPGD is facing enormous challenges both in technology and in regulations. How to realize the balance among energy conservation, environmental protection and economic efficiency under the premise of secure and stable system operation, and how to promote the effective implementation through the policy measures, are the key problems to be resolved urgently for China to thoroughly carry out ESPGD. This paper introduces the concept of ESPGD, elaborates the influences of ESPGD on the entire electric power industry, discusses the situation and comparison of ESPGD in the pilot provinces, and puts forward technical and policy suggestions for the effective implementation of ESPGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In contrast to the ever-increasing focus on China's CO2 emissions, little attention has been given to its CH4 emissions, the second largest greenhouse gas. Presented in this paper is a comprehensive assessment of the CH4 emissions in Mainland China by source and region based on the latest statistical data and research literatures available. The total CH4 emission in China 2007 is estimated as 38.6Tg, one and a half times of that in USA. Even by the lower IPCC global warming potential (GWP) factor of 25, it corresponds to 964.1MtCO2-eq, in magnitude up to one seventh of China's CO2 emission and greater than the nationwide gross CO2 emissions in Australia, Canada, and Germany in 2007. As the leading emission source, energy activities are responsible for 45.3% of the total emission, agricultural activities contribute a comparable share of 40.9%, followed by waste management of 13.8%. Among all the 11 major emission sources, coal mining (38.3% of the total), enteric fermentation (21.4%) and rice cultivation (14.4%) essentially shape the CH4 emission profile for China, quite different from that for USA which is characterized by prominent emissions from enteric fermentation, municipal solid waste landfill and natural gas leakage. The Western and Central areas contribute 70.9% of the total nationwide emission and Shanxi is the largest regional CH4 emitter with an amount of 4.6Tg. The five regions of Xizang (Tibet), Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Guizhou are identified with the largest emissions per-capita and emission intensities. In contrast to the focused areas of CO2 emission reduction mainly in the energy-intensive eastern regions, the mitigation potential of CH4 emissions in the western and central regions is huge by integrating emission quantity and structure with emission per-capita and emission intensity at the regional level. Corresponding policy-making implications for CH4 emission mitigation in China are addressed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As the largest CH4 emitter, China produces CH4 at an increasing rate, especially from its energy activities. Presented in this paper is a detailed inventory and analysis of CH4 emissions from energy activities in China from 1980 to 2007 covering all the significant sources. The total energy-related CH4 emissions in China tripled during the period with an average annual increase rate of 4.7% and reached 21,943.1Gg in 2007, 2.4 times of that in USA. As the largest emission source, coal mining increased its share from 69.2% (4559.5Gg) in 1980 to 85.8% (18,825.5Gg) in 2007; The second biggest source was fuel combustion, mainly bio-fuel combustion (2370.3Gg in 2007); Oil and natural gas system leakage was a minor source but at a rapidly increasing rate. This transient emission structure is quite different from the steady structure of USA, which is dominated by the fugitive emissions from natural gas and oil systems. According to the lower IPCC Global Warming Potential, the annual energy-related CH4 emissions were equivalent to 9.1%–11.7% of China′s energy-related CO2 emissions, amounting to 548.6Mt CO2-eq in 2007 which is greater than the nationwide gross CO2 emissions in many developed countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Due to the rapid economic and social development, China''s power generation mix is dominated by thermal power, resulting in rapid growth of CO2 emission during the past decades. Suffering from the two severe problems of energy crisis and global warming, power generation mix should be optimized by installing more new energy during China''s 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan periods. In order to realize the massive utilization of new energy and realize emission reduction targets in the future, it is of great significance for China to promote development of large new energy bases such as hydropower, wind power, solar power, nuclear power etc. In this paper we provide an overall review of China''s large new energy bases development with a detailed presentation of construction status and future plan, analyze the policy problems and technology barriers hindering the development of new energy bases in China, which will provide sound reference for policy makers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Global warming, increased energy demand, and tremendous air pollution are forcing China to revise its energy structure of electricity generation dominated by coal (80% of total electricity) towards low-carbon electricity. Vigorous development of carbon-free energy resources of electricity is a practical way towards low-carbon electricity in China. In this paper, we shall outline renewable power generation (hydropower, wind power, solar energy, biomass energy, nuclear power, ocean energy and geothermal) together with nuclear power for China, present a reserves assessment, the current status, and barriers for further development, and finish with an outlook towards the future. In our view, China has plenty of free-carbon energy resources to revolutionize its electricity structure and redirect it towards low-carbon electricity systems. Needed are the effective energy policies to get to the way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]