Study on Embodied CO 2 Emissions and Transfer Pathways of Chinese Industries

Aishuang Zhou, Jinsheng Zhou (), Jingjian Si and Guoyu Wang
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Aishuang Zhou: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Jinsheng Zhou: Key Laboratory of Mine Ecological Effects and Systematic Restoration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100081, China
Jingjian Si: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Guoyu Wang: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: Industries with low direct CO 2 emissions downstream in the industry chain have significant carbon emissions upstream, which is similar to how carbon leakage in interprovincial regions and international commerce affects these regions. Due to the interchange and transit of goods, there are intermediate production and consumption processes across industrial sectors. The CO 2 emissions produced by each sector are insufficient to satisfy the sector’s ultimate demand. It will also move along with the industrial chain. Investigating embodied carbon transfer across industrial sectors is crucial to strike a balance between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions. Locating the key sectors to reduce carbon emissions provides a basis for formulating resource conservation and environmental protection policies. In this study, the industrial sector divides into 24 subsectors, and the embodied CO 2 emissions and carbon transfer pathways of each are examined from the viewpoint of the industrial chain using the Economic Input–Output Life Cycle Assessment (EIO-LCA) and the Hypothetical Extraction Method (HEM). The indirect CO 2 emissions downstream of the industrial chain are higher than the direct carbon dioxide emissions, and the intersectoral carbon transfer constitutes a significant part of the total carbon emissions of the industrial sector. The upstream sector of the industry chain has a significantly higher direct carbon emission intensity than the indirect CO 2 emission intensity, while the downstream sector is the opposite. The production and supply of electricity, gas and water, and raw material industries transfer significant CO 2 to other sectors. The manufacturing industry is mainly the inflow of CO 2 . CO 2 flows from the mining industry to the raw material industry and from the raw material industry to the manufacturing industry constitute the critical pathway of carbon transfer between industries. A study on the embodied carbon emissions and transfer paths of various industrial sectors is conducive to clarifying the emission reduction responsibilities and providing a basis for synergistic emission reduction strategies.

Keywords: industrial chain; embodied CO 2 emissions; carbon transfer pathway; HEM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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