China's Carbon Footprint: A Deep Dive into CO2 Emissions (2016-2017)

Overview

Paper Summary › Explain Like I'm Five › Conflicts of Interest › Identified Limitations › Rating Explanation › Good to know › Topic Hierarchy › File Information ›

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

This study provides a comprehensive account of China's CO2 emissions for 2016 and 2017, covering 30 provinces and 47 economic sectors. The data reveals variations in emission levels and intensities across provinces, with Shandong, Hebei, and Jiangsu as the top emitters, and highlights the continued dominance of coal in China's energy mix.

Explain Like I'm Five

Scientists found that China made a lot of invisible dirty air (CO2) in 2016-2017, especially in some areas, mostly from burning coal for energy.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Limitations

Limited emission sources

The study acknowledges that it only includes emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production, omitting other sources like waste treatment and industrial processes. While these omitted sources contribute a small percentage to overall emissions, their exclusion makes the inventory incomplete, potentially underestimating the true emissions.

Use of national average emission factors

The study uses national average emission factors for calculating provincial emissions, overlooking potential heterogeneity in energy quality and utilization efficiency across provinces. This could lead to inaccuracies in provincial emission estimates.

Reliance on outdated data for some provinces

The study relies on historical data for nine provinces lacking sub-sectoral energy consumption data, assuming unchanged economic structure over the past ten years. This assumption might not hold true, especially given the dynamic nature of economic activities, and can introduce errors in emission estimations for these provinces.

Rating Explanation

This paper presents a detailed and valuable dataset of CO2 emissions for China and its provinces, offering insights into emission patterns and drivers. The methodology is robust and transparent, using official statistical data and a uniform accounting framework. Despite some limitations regarding the scope of emissions and the use of national average emission factors, the study's strengths, including its detailed sectoral and provincial breakdown and data transparency, outweigh these limitations, leading to a rating of 4.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Field: Environmental Science

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

File Information

Original Title: China CO2 emission accounts 2016-2017

Uploaded: July 14, 2025 at 11:14 AM

Privacy: Public