Title: Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in China: historical analysis (1980-1990) and prospects (2000-2015)

Authors: Yongping Zhai

Addresses: Public Utilities Economist, African Development Bank, 01 B.P. 1387, Abidjan 01, Ivory Coast

Abstract: Fossil fuels are the main source of CO₂ emissions in China. Their contribution to total CO₂ emissions is identified for each of the energy consuming sectors: industry, power generation, tertiary, agriculture and households. The industrial and power sectors are revealed as being responsible for 75 per cent of total emissions from fossil fuels in 1990. Based on this sectoral analysis, a full inventory of CO₂ abatement measures is presented in the Chinese context. The potentials of CO₂ abatement measures are then estimated using a reference economic scenario. Energy conservation is found to be an efficient measure for reducing CO₂ emissions, but CO₂ will continue to increase as the activity effect is overwhelming. The possible targets from now to 2000 and 2015 for China are (i) to reduce the ₂ emission per unit of national income, and (ii) keep the per capita emissions well under the world average level. To reduce the per capita emissions or to curb the total CO₂ emissions is a more challenging task in the long run (beyond 2015) for which international cooperation and assistance are indispensable.

Keywords: carbon dioxide; CO2 abatement; carbon free energy; China; energy conservation; energy consuming sectors; fossil fuels; carbon emissions; international cooperation; international assistance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGEI.1993.063642

International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 1993 Vol.5 No.2/3/4, pp.177-185

Published online: 17 Jul 2014 *

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