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Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change

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01-01-2016 | Original Article

Intersectoral burden sharing of CO₂ mitigation in China in 2020

Authors: Weidong Chen, Qing He

Published in: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide a sector-based method for carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions control and to disaggregate China’s national CO₂ mitigation burden at the sectoral level. Based on a detailed analysis of three burden sharing indicators—responsibility, capacity, and efficiency—this paper derives a mitigation burden index to suggest which economic sectors should bear more (or less) mitigation burden. A multi criteria allocation model of sectoral CO₂ intensity (CO₂ per unit of added value) is then constructed to determine each sector’s mitigation target for 2020. The main findings are: (1) Allocation results based on multi criteria are more acceptable and practical than those based on only one criterion. (2) Policy maker preference for criteria has a significant effect on allocation results. (3) The fours sectors, manufacture of raw chemical materials and chemical products, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, smelting and pressing of ferrous metals, and other services, consistently bear the highest mitigation burden. This paper offers policy makers a sector-based method to control CO₂ emissions. Combining this method with sectoral potential for technological advancement and sectoral mitigation costs would produce a more feasible and cost effective burden sharing scheme.

next article Adaptation strategies for rice cultivation under climate change in Central Vietnam

Foods, beverages and tobacco refers to processing of food from agricultural products and manufacture of foods, beverages and tobacco. Textile and leather includes manufacture of textile, textile wearing apparel, footwear and caps and manufacture of leather, fur, feather and related products. Paper and printing means manufacture of paper and paper products and printing, reproduction of recording media. Manufacture of electronic equipment stands for manufacture of electrical machinery and equipment and manufacture of communication equipment, computers and other electronic equipment. Non-special manufacturing includes processing of timber, manufacture of wood, bamboo, rattan, palm, and straw products, manufacture of furniture, manufacture of articles for culture, education and sport activity, manufacture of medicines, manufacture of measuring instruments and machinery for cultural activity and office work, manufacture of artwork and other manufacturing, recycling and disposal of waste. CO₂ emissions amount of non-special manufacturing is low and accounts for 2.61 % of the whole manufacturing emissions in 2010.

Among all the sub-sectors in industry, except S3 (foods, beverages and tobacco), S4 (textile and leather), S5 (paper and printing), S8 (manufacture of chemical fibers, rubber and plastics), S16 (non-special manufacturing) are light industries, others are heavy industries.

Household is not included in the sector composition because it does not belong to China’s national economic sectors, and it does not fit into the allocation model in this paper.

CO₂ emissions in S17 (electric power, gas and water production and supply) only refer to emissions from final energy consumption. Emissions from power (heat) generation are excluded to avoid double counting.

The indicator values R _i, C _i, E _i are normalized by the “Min–Max” method: x _i is converted to y _i by y _i = (x _i − Minx _i)/(Maxx _i − Minx _i).

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Title: Intersectoral burden sharing of CO2 mitigation in China in 2020
Authors: Weidong Chen
Qing He
Publication date: 01-01-2016
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change / Issue 1/2016
Print ISSN: 1381-2386
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-014-9566-3

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