Synergistic Effects of Air Pollution and Carbon Reduction Policies in China’s Iron and Steel Industry

Jingan Zhu, Zixi Li, Xinling Jiang and Ping Jiang ()
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Jingan Zhu: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Zixi Li: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Xinling Jiang: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Ping Jiang: Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: As an energy-intensive sector, China’s iron and steel industry is crucial for achieving “Dual Carbon” goals. This study fills the research gap in systematically comparing the synergistic effects of multiple policies by evaluating five key measures (2020–2023) in ultra-low-emission retrofits and clean energy alternatives. Using public macro-data at the national level, this study quantified cumulative reductions in air pollutants (SO 2 , NOx, PM, VOCs) and CO 2 . A synergistic control effect coordinate system and a normalized synergistic emission reduction equivalent (AP eq ) model were employed. The results reveal significant differences: Sintering machine desulfurization and denitrification (SDD) showed the highest AP eq but increased CO 2 emissions in 2023. Dust removal equipment upgrades (DRE) and unorganized emission control (UEC) demonstrated stable co-reduction effects. While electric furnace short-process steelmaking (ES) and hydrogen metallurgy (HM) showed limited current benefits, they represent crucial deep decarbonization pathways. The framework provides multi-dimensional policy insights beyond simple ranking, suggesting balancing short-term pollution control with long-term transition by prioritizing clean alternatives.

Keywords: China’s iron and steel industry; synergistic effects of air pollution and carbon reduction; clean energy; sustainable transition; energy and environmental policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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