Abstract
The number of electric and electronic products (e-products) owned by Chinese households has multiplied in the past decade. In this study, we analyz the GHG emissions from e-products in Chinese households in order to understand and determine how to mitigate their effects on climate change. The results show that the usage stage of e-products has become an important source of GHG emissions in China, with total GHG emissions of these household e-products reaching about 663 million tons CO2 eq., accounting for about 8.85 % of all Chinese GHG emissions in 2012. The average GHG emission per household per year in China was 1538 kg CO2 eq. in 2012, a little higher than that of Norwegian households (1200 kg CO2 eq.). The electricity mix plays a very important role in GHG emissions, and the 78 % coal-fired power consumption accounted for 99.69 % of the total GHG emissions. Our research also supports the view that GHG emissions from household e-products increased with economic level. To reduce the GHG emissions of household e-products, the development of energy-saving e-products and changes to the electricity mix would be very effective measures.
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Acknowledgments
The work was financially supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program (2014BAC03B04), and a special fund of the State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control (11Z02ESPCT).
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Twelve tables containing background information on in-use stock, usage information, main components of e-products, the electricity generation and consumption, and the GHG emissions of e-products in China. Three figures containing electricity composition, volume prediction of e-products, and the past GHG emissions of e-products in China.
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Song, Q., Li, J. Greenhouse gas emissions from the usage of typical e-products by households: a case study of China. Climatic Change 132, 615–629 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-015-1449-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-015-1449-4