Virtual CO₂ Emission Flows in the Global Electricity Trade Network

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Energy Systems Analysis
• Climate Change Mitigation

Background:

• Accurate quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity consumption is vital for effective climate change mitigation strategies.
• Traditional methods often use production-based emission factors, which are insufficient given the growing complexity of international electricity trade.
• Cross-border electricity flows complicate the accurate attribution of emissions to consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a network-based approach for quantifying CO2 emissions associated with electricity consumption.
• To account for the impact of international electricity trade on emission factor calculations.
• To provide a more accurate assessment of embodied emissions in electricity consumption for 137 countries/regions in 2014.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a network analysis approach to model the entire electricity trade network.
• Estimated CO2 emissions by tracing electricity flows across international borders.
• Calculated adjusted emission factors that incorporate inter-regional electricity trade impacts.

Main Results:

• Significant impacts of cross-border electricity trade on emission factors and embodied emissions were identified for several countries, particularly in Europe and Southern Africa.
• The network approach revealed substantial differences compared to traditional production-based methods.
• Adjusted emission factors demonstrated the critical role of trade in emission accounting.

Conclusions:

• Considering inter-grid electricity trade is essential for accurate greenhouse gas emission accounting in the electric power sector.
• The findings have significant implications for national climate mitigation policies and international carbon footprint assessments.
• A network perspective provides a more robust framework for understanding and managing emissions in a globally interconnected energy system.