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Globalization drives anthropogenic methane (CH 4) emissions from upstream to downstream agents through global supply chains. However, previous studies have overlooked the indirect CH 4 emissions enabled by primary suppliers. In this study, we use the Ghosh Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) model and Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA) to explore the temporal changes in global income-based CH 4 emissions and decompose the socioeconomic drivers. Our results show that global income-based CH 4 emissions increased by 17.21% from 2001 to 2014, with per capita primary inputs and technology being the two key drivers. Specifically, in China and India, income-based CH 4 emissions were mainly from agriculture, and input structure was responsible for restraining the growth in CH 4 emissions from their agricultural activities. On the other hand, service activities dominated the United States and the European Union, and production output structure was accountable for their emission growth related to service activities. To achieve global CH 4 emission mitigation, key sectors of major economies with high income-based CH 4 emissions should optimize their primary input structures, production output structure, and production technologies from the supply-side. It is crucial to reduce enabled CH 4 emissions in emerging economies, particularly in Asia, through the adjustment of primary input activities. [Display omitted] • Per capita primary inputs and technology dominated global CH 4 emission changes. • Income-based emissions decreased in West & Central Europe and the United States. • Agriculture and mining contributed to the high emissions in most emerging economies. • Production output structure accounted for the growth in service-enabled emissions. • Spatial heterogeneity of drivers of income-based CH 4 emissions was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Reducing CH 4 emissions is a major global challenge, owing to the world-wide rise in emissions and concentration of CH 4 in the atmosphere, especially in the past decade. China has been the greatest contributor to global anthropogenic CH 4 emissions for a long time, but current understanding towards its growing emissions is insufficient. This paper aims to link China's CH 4 emissions during 2005–2012 to their socioeconomic determinants by combining input-output models with structural decomposition analysis from both the consumption and income perspectives. Results show that changes in household consumption and income were the leading drivers of the CH 4 growth in China, while changes in efficiency remained the strongest factor offsetting CH 4 emissions. After 2007, with the global financial crisis and economic stimulus plans, embodied emissions from exports plunged but those from capital formation increased rapidly. The enabled emissions in employee compensation increased steadily over time, whereas emissions induced from firms' net surplus decreased gradually, reflecting the reform on income distribution. In addition, at the sectoral level, consumption and capital formation respectively were the greatest drivers of embodied CH 4 emission changes from agriculture and manufacturing, while employee compensation largely determined the enabled emission changes across all industrial sectors. The growth of CH 4 emissions in China was profoundly affected by the macroeconomic situation and the changes of economic structure. Examining economic drivers of anthropogenic CH 4 emissions can help formulate comprehensive mitigation policies and actions associated with economic production, supply and consumption. Highlights • We explore the socioeconomic determinants of China's growing CH 4 emissions. • Supply-side and demand-side structures in the economy affected CH 4 emission growth. • Key sectors and driving forces for embodied and enabled emissions are identified. • Adjusting economic structures could be more effective in mitigating CH 4 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]