Search

Based on household-level survey data collected from Qinghai Province of China, we estimated the greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from spatial perspectives, including household energy consumption in pastoral, agropastoral, and agricultural zones. The findings suggest that the total annual GHG and pollutant emissions per capita in the area was 2296.32 kg per year. The highest amount of pollutants was emitted from the pastoral zones, followed by the agropastoral and agricultural zones. CO 2 is the primary GHG emitted by household energy consumption. Dung burning was the cause of the high PM 2.5 emissions in the pastoral areas, while the use of coal was the primary cause of GHG and pollutant emissions in the agropastoral and agricultural zones. • We used empirical data from rural households in Qinghai, China. • This paper indicates the reliance of local energy consumption on non-commercial energy. • We estimate greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions resulting from solid-fuel combustion. • We compare indoor pollutant emissions from pastoral, agropastoral, and agricultural zones spatially. • This paper provides policy recommendations for energy transition towards clean energy. Energy consumption in the household sector has become an important issue in China's energy consumption and an important unit of China's clean energy transformation. Currently, the potential air pollution, carbon emissions and health risks caused by energy consumption in many areas cannot be ignored, and refined and regionalized index-based research data necessary to support decision making are lacking. Based on household-level survey data collected from Qinghai Province, China, we estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from spatial perspectives, including household energy consumption in pastoral, agropastoral, and agricultural zones. The findings suggest that the total annual GHG and pollutant emissions per capita in the area was 2296.32 kg per year. The highest amount of pollutants was emitted from the pastoral zones, followed by the agropastoral and agricultural zones. CO 2 is the primary GHG emitted by household energy consumption. Dung burning was the cause of the high PM 2.5 emissions in the pastoral areas, while the use of coal was the primary cause of GHG and pollutant emissions in the agropastoral and agricultural zones. These findings highlight the need to integrate household energy policies with rural development to enable a complete transition towards cleaner fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural energy consumption not only significantly affects the national economy but also informs us about the living conditions of rural residents. A comprehensive survey of households in the agropastoral area of Qinghai Province was conducted from 2017 to 2018 to identify its energy consumption characteristics. In this paper, a typical household energy flow model was established. The results show that 1) the proportion of noncommercial energy in the agropastoral area of Qinghai Province is 52.89%, and it is affected by the 'returning farmland to forest' (RFF) policy and the 'returning grazing land to grassland project' (RGLGP). Furthermore, the household energy consumption structure has shifted from traditional biomass to coal and a combination of other energy sources. 2) Households of different cultural backgrounds have different energy consumption patterns. 3) High-income households consume more energy and have more frequent energy flows compared with low-income households. The results of this survey will help policymakers and scholars to formulate strategies for energy conservation and more effectively assess energy policies. • The study is based on household survey during 2017–2018 in Qinghai, China. • A household energy flow model is applied to examine household energy consumption. • The proportion of noncommercial energy use in Qinghai's agropastoral area is 53%. • Household energy use is affected by land policies, cultural backgrounds, and income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]