The effect of indirect household energy consumption on PM 2.5 emission in China: An analysis based on CLA method

PM 2.5 emissions caused by household activities are considered to be important drivers of haze formation, and indirect activities closely related to industrial structure account for a large proportion of them. This article quantifies the indirect effects on energy usage and PM 2.5 emissions of urban and rural residents' lifestyles in China during 2005-2015 according to the application of consumer lifestyle analysis. The results show that during this period, the degree of indirect impact on energy consumption of residents' living was 2.44-2.71 times as of direct impact, and there are large regional differences between those two impacts. PM 2.5 emissions from energy consumption per unit of households in North, Northeast and Northwest China are higher than that in other regions, while energy consumption in South China is relatively environmentally friendly. Residential, clothing and transportation are the most energy-intensive and PM 2.5-intensive activities among all indirect energy consumption activities. This is the first time that the CLA method has been used to analyze and calculate PM2.5 emissions caused by household energy consumption in a wide area of China through data collection over a longer period. The calculation results are more accurate than previous studies using other methods. Also, it provides factual evidence for key policies of energy saving and environmental protection, as well as pointing out the main sectors of household energy consumption that caused high PM 2.5 emissions for specific regions. The above contributions can provide a theoretical basis and accurate reference data for governments to more purposefully guide the transformation of energy-intensive industries represented by residence and other industries and improve technology to reduce their emissions.