Physical and virtual carbon metabolism of global cities

Shaoqing Chen, Bin Chen (), Kuishuang Feng, Zhu Liu (), Neil Fromer, Xianchun Tan, Ahmed Alsaedi, Tasawar Hayat, Helga Weisz, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber and Klaus Hubacek ()
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Shaoqing Chen: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University
Bin Chen: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University
Kuishuang Feng: University of Maryland
Zhu Liu: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University
Neil Fromer: Resnick Sustainability Institute, California Institute of Technology
Xianchun Tan: Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ahmed Alsaedi: NAAM Research Group, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University
Tasawar Hayat: NAAM Research Group, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University
Helga Weisz: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Hans Joachim Schellnhuber: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Klaus Hubacek: Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences (IVEM), Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG), University of Groningen

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Urban activities have profound and lasting effects on the global carbon balance. Here we develop a consistent metabolic approach that combines two complementary carbon accounts, the physical carbon balance and the fossil fuel-derived gaseous carbon footprint, to track carbon coming into, being added to urban stocks, and eventually leaving the city. We find that over 88% of the physical carbon in 16 global cities is imported from outside their urban boundaries, and this outsourcing of carbon is notably amplified by virtual emissions from upstream activities that contribute 33–68% to their total carbon inflows. While 13–33% of the carbon appropriated by cities is immediately combusted and released as CO2, between 8 and 24% is stored in durable household goods or becomes part of other urban stocks. Inventorying carbon consumed and stored for urban metabolism should be given more credit for the role it can play in stabilizing future global climate.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13757-3

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