Approach for Calculating and Analyzing Carbon Emissions and Sinks of Villages: A Case Study in Northern China

Tiantian Du (), Yan Jiao, Yue Zhang, Ziyu Jia, Jueqi Wang, Jinhao Zhang and Zheng Cheng
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Tiantian Du: China National Engineering Research Center for Human Settlement, China Architecture Design and Research Group, Beijing 100044, China
Yan Jiao: China National Engineering Research Center for Human Settlement, China Architecture Design and Research Group, Beijing 100044, China
Yue Zhang: School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Ziyu Jia: China National Engineering Research Center for Human Settlement, China Architecture Design and Research Group, Beijing 100044, China
Jueqi Wang: School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Jinhao Zhang: Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham, Ningbo 315199, China
Zheng Cheng: College of Pipeline and Civil Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Qingdao 266580, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: Despite a gradual decline in rural population due to urbanization, as of 2022, approximately 35% of China’s total population still resides in villages. Over a span of 40 years, carbon emissions from villages have significantly surged, with a sevenfold increase from energy consumption and a 46% rise from agriculture. Consequentially, the development of low-carbon villages is imperative. A comprehensive understanding of the primary sources of carbon emissions in villages is crucial for implementing practical and effective strategies towards low-carbon development. However, limited research has been conducted on quantifying carbon emissions and sinks for Chinese villages. This study aims to address this gap by proposing a methodology for assessing carbon emissions in villages, including the emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O. Inspired by the IPCC standard methodology for greenhouse gas emissions at national levels and provincial greenhouse gas inventory guidelines customized for China’s context incorporating localized characteristics, this approach has been applied to seven villages in Northern China based on field investigations. Employing a range of methods including field surveys, questionnaires, statistical records and big-data platforms, we collected the carbon emission activity levels of the seven villages using the most up-to-date carbon emission factors. Subsequently, the collected data and facts are quantitatively processed to generate results that are compared among the seven villages. These findings are also compared with those from other studies. The analysis indicates that the primary industries in these villages significantly influence the total carbon emissions. Moreover, the study reveals that energy consumption in buildings, agriculture, transportation and waste disposal are the most influential emission sources. These findings provide valuable insights into the carbon emission landscape of villages and can serve as a guide for implementing strategies and policies aimed at promoting low-carbon development in the rural areas of Northern China.

Keywords: carbon emission calculation; low-carbon villages; case study; Northern China (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: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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