Decomposition Analysis of the Factors that Influence Energy Related Air Pollutant Emission Changes in China Using the SDA Method

Shichun Xu, Wenwen Zhang, Qinbin Li, Bin Zhao, Shuxiao Wang and Ruyin Long
Additional contact information
Shichun Xu: Management School, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Wenwen Zhang: Management School, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Qinbin Li: Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Bin Zhao: Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Shuxiao Wang: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Ruyin Long: Management School, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: We decompose factors affecting China’s energy-related air pollutant (NO x , PM 2.5 , and SO 2 ) emission changes into different effects using structural decomposition analysis (SDA). We find that, from 2005 to 2012, investment increased NO x , PM 2.5 , and SO 2 emissions by 14.04, 7.82 and 15.59 Mt respectively, and consumption increased these emissions by 11.09, 7.98, and 12.09 Mt respectively. Export and import slightly increased the emissions on the whole, but the rate of the increase has slowed down, possibly reflecting the shift in China’s foreign trade structure. Energy intensity largely reduced NO x , PM 2.5 , and SO 2 emissions by 12.49, 14.33 and 23.06 Mt respectively, followed by emission efficiency that reduces these emissions by 4.57, 9.08, and 17.25 Mt respectively. Input-output efficiency slightly reduces the emissions. At sectoral and sub-sectoral levels, consumption is a great driving factor in agriculture and commerce, whereas investment is a great driving factor in transport, construction, and some industrial subsectors such as iron and steel, nonferrous metals, building materials, coking, and power and heating supply. Energy intensity increases emissions in transport, chemical products and manufacturing, but decreases emissions in all other sectors and subsectors. Some policies arising from our study results are discussed.

Keywords: air pollutant emissions; energy consumption; decomposition analysis; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/10/1742/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/10/1742/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:10:p:1742-:d:113384

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().