Remarkable Spatial Disparity of Life Cycle Inventory for Coal Production in China

Coal is the primary energy source in China, and its life cycle inventory (LCI) is widely used as background data for life cycle assessment studies. Previous research indicates that the inventory of coal production varies regionally. However, the development of complete regionalized LCIs for coal production is quite limited. Here, we establish the first provincial-level LCIs of local coal production and market for coal in China, based on a database of 6,122 coal mines and developed models. In the inventory results of local coal production, the coefficients of variation (CVs) of nine indicators exceed 0.5, especially SO₂ and particulate matter emission factors (CVs > 1). Compared with that, the interprovincial coal trade homogenizes the provincial production inventory of market for coal relatively, despite four indicators with CVs exceeding 0.5. Therefore, the regionalized inventory with remarkable spatial differentiation can provide more accurate fundamental data for future research such as electricity production. Furthermore, CH₄ emissions from coal production account for 24% of China's total methane emissions, highlighting its significance in mitigating global warming. Moreover, through the increasing coal trade, the significant and implicit plunder of water resources from the three coal net-exporting provinces, located in water-scarce areas, should be noted.