China's City-level CO₂ emissions from power sector between 2000 and 2019

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Energy Policy
• Climate Change Research

Background:

• The power sector is a significant source of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
• China's power sector contributed over 40% of national carbon emissions in 2020, highlighting the need for decarbonization.
• Accurate, granular carbon data are essential for developing and evaluating China's regional emission-reduction policies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector in 352 Chinese cities between 2000 and 2019.
• To provide broader spatial and temporal coverage of power sector emissions data compared to existing datasets.
• To establish a foundation for regional low-carbon research and policymaking in China.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a particle swarm optimization-back propagation algorithm to model relationships between power generation, socioeconomic indicators, and revenue.
• Derived city-level power generation data based on provincial training outcomes.
• Integrated provincial data with the 2021 electricity CO2 emissions factor from official Chinese sources.

Main Results:

• Developed a comprehensive dataset of CO2 emissions for China's power sector at the city level.
• Achieved wider spatial and temporal coverage than previously available datasets.
• The methodology provides a robust approach for estimating regional power sector emissions.

Conclusions:

• The study provides crucial, detailed data for understanding and addressing carbon emissions from China's power sector.
• The findings support the design of differentiated local policies and the evaluation of their effectiveness in achieving climate targets.
• This research offers a valuable resource for policymakers and researchers focused on China's energy transition and climate mitigation efforts.