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A subsystem input–output decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions in the service sectors: a case study of Beijing, China

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Abstract

The carbon emissions in service sectors have attracted increasing attention around the world. However, few studies have examined the driving forces for CO2 emissions from service sectors in developing countries. With the process of accelerating industrialization, China’s service sectors are facing growing pressure to pursue energy savings and emission reductions, especially in several developed regions. In this paper, in order to better understand how CO2 emissions in Beijing’s service sectors have evolved, we utilized a subsystem input–output decomposition analysis to study the pattern and driving factors of consumption-based emissions in Beijing’s service sectors. The results showed that the transportation sector and the Scientific Studies Technical Services sector caused the most CO2 emissions in Beijing’s service sectors. The emission intensity effect potentially reduced CO2 emissions by 10,833 Mt, primarily due to the decreased energy intensity of non-service sectors. Effects of demand and technology were mainly responsible for the increased CO2 emissions in Beijing’s service sectors. Such influence was mainly related to the external component of service sectors, indicating a strong pull effect exerted by service sectors on non-service sectors. Thus, decarbonizing the supply chain of service sectors and improving the energy intensity are necessary to alleviate CO2 emissions in Beijing.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71373172) and the Humanities and Social Science Planning Fund Project of Ministry of Education (No. 15YJA790091). We especially thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions. All remaining errors are ours.

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  1. School of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Rong Yuan, Tao Zhao & Jing Xu

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  1. Rong Yuan
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  2. Tao Zhao
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Correspondence to Rong Yuan.

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Yuan, R., Zhao, T. & Xu, J. A subsystem input–output decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions in the service sectors: a case study of Beijing, China. Environ Dev Sustain 19, 2181–2198 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9847-y

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