China CO₂ emission accounts 1997-2015

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Science
• Energy Policy

Background:

• China is the world's largest energy consumer and CO2 emitter, contributing 30% to global emissions.
• Accurate CO2 emissions data are crucial for policy development, yet official annual data for China are unavailable.
• Existing academic estimates show significant discrepancies, hindering effective policy-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a comprehensive, time-series CO2 emission inventory for China and its provinces.
• To provide a standardized dataset for emissions research and policy formulation.
• To address the data gap and discrepancies in current Chinese CO2 emission estimations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions accounting methodology.
• Included energy-related emissions from 17 fossil fuels across 47 sectors.
• Incorporated process-related emissions, specifically from cement production, using a territorial scope.

Main Results:

• Developed CO2 emission inventories for China and its 30 provinces from 1997 to 2015.
• The dataset offers a uniform format for consistent data analysis.
• This inventory provides crucial data support for future research and policy decisions.

Conclusions:

• The constructed CO2 emission inventories offer a reliable data foundation for China.
• The dataset will be updated annually to maintain relevance.
• This work supports evidence-based policymaking for CO2 emission reduction in China.