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Cities have multiple fugitive emission sources of methane (CH4) and policies adopted by China on replacing coal with natural gas in recent years can cause fine spatial heterogeneities at the range of kilometers within a city and also contribute to the CH4 inventory. In this study, a mobile observatory was used to monitor the real-time CH4 concentrations at fine spatial and temporal resolutions in Beijing, the most important pilot city of energy transition. Results showed that: several point sources, such as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant which has not been included in the Chinese national greenhouse gas inventory yet, can be identified; the ratio "fingerprints" (CH4:CO2) for an LNG carrier, LNG filling station, and LNG power plant show a shape of "L"; for city observations, the distribution of CH4 concentration, in the range of 1940–2370 ppbv, had small variations while that in the rural area had a much higher concentration gradient; significant correlations between CO2 and CH4 concentrations were found in the rural area but in the urban area there were no such significant correlations; a shape of "L" of CH4:CO2 ratios is obtained in the urban area in wintertime and it is assigned to fugitive emissions from LNG sources. This mobile measurement methodology is capable of monitoring point and non-point CH4 sources in Beijing and the observation results could improve the CH4 inventory and inform relevant policy-making on emission reduction in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a framework for combining multi-regional input-output analysis and network indicators to assess the interregional CO 2 flows in China. The interregional CO 2 flows of eight regions were calculated and visualized based on a multiregional input-output (MRIO) model for China. The focus of the research was intermediate use. The results of the network indicators showed that refined petroleum, coke, nuclear fuel and chemical products (07), and basic metals and fabricated metal sectors (09) played key roles in the complex networks. and these sectors in most regions controlled a large share of CO 2 transfer by functioning as key hubs and authorities. They along with commerce, transport, storage, and post (16) acted as agents that brokered the CO 2 flows within and between regions. The roles of some other industrial sectors were also identified, e.g., construction (15) functioned as the largest authority. The results demonstrated the importance and effectiveness of network indicators for identifying the characteristics of CO 2 emissions embedded in the domestic supply chain, and provided new information relevant to policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic trade flourishes with economic development and the spatial separation of production and consumption. Therefore, the prosperity of trade is accompanied by the transfer of pollution from the demand side to the supply side, which could potentially worsen the environmental quality of the supply side. Despite a large number of studies on the pollution haven hypothesis in international trade, little attention has been paid to testing the hypothesis in domestic trade. Here, combining a multiregional input-output analysis and a gravity model of trade in China, we provide an empirical test to address this problem for the first time. We also assess the factors affecting the SO 2 emissions embodied in trade, including population, economic development, coal consumption, distance, and environmental regulations. We found that domestic trade contributed approximate one third of the total SO 2 emissions in China, and interprovincial transfers of SO 2 embodied in trade were significantly determined by the population, economic development, coal consumption of the trade pairs, as well as their distance. SO 2 emission mitigation policies, such as emission reduction target and sulfur dioxide control zone, has a more significant influence on the direct transfer of SO 2 emission via direct bilateral trade, while their effects were largely offset by indirect trade (through third-party transfers). Our results do not support the pollution haven hypothesis existed in domestic trade in China during 2007-2012. Our paper sets an example and provides a reference for the domestic pollution transfer problem from an econometric perspective. Further attempts on testing pollution haven hypothesis in consideration of various pollutants are still needed to arrive at a robust conclusion., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)