Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Driving forces of indirect carbon emissions from household consumption in China: an input–output decomposition analysis

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Human activities have become a major source of Earth’s climate change, which brings the rise of surface air temperature and subsurface ocean temperature. Therefore, promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns is imperative to minimize the use of natural resources and reduce emissions of pollutants. This study uses Economic Input–Output Life-Cycle Assessment method and structural decomposition model to identify the driving forces that influence the changes in carbon emissions from China’s residential consumption in the context of sustainable consumption. The findings of the study are as follows: (1) indirect carbon emissions from Chinese household consumption increase rapidly over time; (2) the largest carbon dioxide emitting sector turns from agriculture sector in 1992 into service sector in 2007; (3) the consumption level and the emission intensity are the main drivers that influence the change in indirect carbon emissions; and (4) the factor of consumption level presents positive effect on the emissions, while the emission intensity effect plays a negative role. Besides, the factors of urbanization, production structure, population size and consumption structure also promote the rapid increase in carbon emissions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The Chinese input–output table was published each five years in 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007. The input–output table of 2005 is the extended table of 2002. Since the input–output table in 2007 is the latest table, we use it to examine the current situation assuming that the revolutionary changes did not appear in the production technology and economic structure from 2007 up to now.

References

  • Abrahamse W, Steg L (2009) How do socio-demographic and psychological factors relate to households’ direct and indirect energy use and savings? J Econ Psychol 30(5):711–720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-mulali U, Sab CNBC, Fereidouni HG (2012) Exploring the bi-directional long run relationship between urbanization, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emission. Energy 46(1):156–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ang BW (2005) The LMDI approach to decomposition analysis: a practical guide. Energy Policy 33(7):867–871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ang BW, Liu N (2007) Handling zero values in the logarithmic mean Divisia index decomposition approach. Energy Policy 35:238–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartusch C, Odlare M, Wallin F, Wester L (2012) Exploring variance in residential electricity consumption: household features and building properties. Appl Energy 92:637–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess AA, Brennan DJ (2001) Application of life cycle assessment to chemical processes. Chem Eng Sci 56(8):2589–2604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cellura M, Longo S, Mistretta M (2012) Application of the structural decomposition analysis to assess the indirect energy consumption and air emission changes related to Italian households consumption. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 16:1135–1145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang YF, Lin SJ (1998) Structural decomposition of industrial CO2 emission in Taiwan: an input-output approach. Energy Policy 26(1):5–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dai HC, Masui T, Matsuoka Y, Fujimori S (2012) The impacts of China’s household consumption expenditure patterns on energy demand and carbon emissions towards 2050. Energy Policy 50:736–750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong XY, Yuan GQ (2011) China’s Greenhouse Gas emissions’ dynamic effects in the process of its urbanization: a perspective from shocks decomposition under long-term constraints. Energy Procedia 5:1660–1665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan HK, Weber CL et al (2008) The drivers of Chinese CO2 emissions from 1980 to 2030. Glob Environ Change 18(4):626–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickson C, Horvath A, Joshi S, Lave LB (1998) Use of economic input-output models for environmental life cycle assessment. Environ Sci Technol 32(7):184–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2006) IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories

  • Jane G, Dominic M, Meng X. (2008) Chinese urban household energy requirements and CO2 emissions. China’s Dilemma economic Growth, the Environment and Climate Change. ANU E Press/Asia Pacific Press, Washington, DC

  • Ke J, McNeil M, Price L, Khanna NZ, Zhou N (2013) Estimation of CO2 emissions from China’s cement production: methodologies and uncertainties. Energy Policy 57:172–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei Y, Zhang Q, Nielsen C, He KB (2011) An inventory of primary air pollutants and CO2 emissions from cement production in China, 1990-2020. Atmos Environ 45(1):147–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenzen M (1998) Primary energy and greenhouse gases embodied in Australian final consumption: an input–output analysis. Energy Policy 26(6):495–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leontief W (1970) Environmental repercussions and the economic structure: an input–output approach. Rev Econ Stat 52(3):262–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu QY, Peng ZL (2010) Comparable price input-output series table and analysis of China from 1992 to 2005. China Statistics Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu LC, Fan Y, Wua G, Wei YM (2007) Using LMDI method to analyze the change of China’s industrial CO2 emissions from final fuel use: an empirical analysis. Energy Policy 35:5892–5900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu JR, Wang RS, Yang JX, Shi Y (2010) The relationship between consumption and production system and its implications for sustainable development of China. Ecol Complex 7:212–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu WL, Wang C, Mol A (2012) Rural residential CO2 emissions in China: where is the major mitigation potential? Energy Policy 51:223–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China (1993–2008) China energy statistical yearbook. Energy Bureau of Statistics Press and China Statistics Press, Beijing

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China (1993–2009) China statistical yearbook. Energy Bureau of Statistics Press and China Statistics Press, Beijing

  • Nicola C (2011) Distributional aspects of emissions in climate change integrated assessment models. Energy Policy 39(5):2919–2924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosas J, Sheinbaum C, Morillon D (2012) The structure of household energy consumption and related CO2 emissions by income group in Mexico. Energy Sustain Dev 14(2):127–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saidur R, Masjuki HH, Jamaluddin MY, Ahmed S (2007) Energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions from household appliances in Malaysia. Energy Policy 35(3):1648–1657

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schipper L, Bartlett S, Hawk D, Vine E (1989) Linking life-styles and energy use: a matter of time? Annu Rev Energy 11(14):273–320

    Google Scholar 

  • Shekarchian M, Moghavvemi M, Mahlia TMI, Mazandarani A (2011) A review on the pattern of electricity generation and emission in Malaysia from 1976 to 2008. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 15(6):2629–2642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenhof PA, Weber CJ (2011) An assessment of factors impacting Canada’s electricity sector’s GHG emissions. Energy Policy 39(7):4089–4096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su B, Ang BW (2012) Structural decomposition analysis applied to energy and emissions: some methodological developments. Energy Econ 34(1):177–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang ZH, Zhang B, Yin JH (2012) Determinants of the increased CO2 emission and adaption strategy in Chinese energy-intensive industry. Nat Hazards 62:17–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei YM, Liu LC, Fan Y, Wu G (2007) The impact of lifestyle on energy use and CO2 emission: an empirical analysis of China’s residents. Energy Policy 35(1):247–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang XH, Yang ZF, Shen ZY (2004) An multi-objective decision-making ideal interval method for comprehensive assessment on water resource renewability. Science in China, Series E 47(S): 42-49

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang XH, She DX, Yang ZF, Tang QH, Li JQ (2009) Chaotic Bayesian method based on multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) for Forecasting Nonlinear Hydrological Time Series. Int J Nonlinear Sci Numer Simul 10(11–12):1595–1610

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang XH, Zhang XJ, Hu XX (2011) Nonlinear optimization set pair analysis model (NOSPAM) for assessing water resource renewability. Nonlinear Process Geophys 18(5):599–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao CS, Chen CY, Li M (2012) Analysis of rural residential energy consumption and corresponding carbon emissions in China. Energy Policy 41:445–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu BY, Zhang JY, Fujiwara A (2012) Analysis of the residential location choice and household energy consumption behavior by incorporating multiple self-selection effects. Energy Policy 46:319–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu SW, Wei YM, Guo Hx, Ding LP (2014a) Carbon emission coefficient measurement of the coal-to-power energy chain in China. Appl Energy 114:290–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu SW, Wei YM, Wang K (2014b) Provincial allocation of carbon emission reduction targets in China: an approach based on improved fuzzy cluster and Shapley value decomposition. Energy Policy 66:630–644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zha DL, Zhou DQ, Zhou P (2010) Driving forces of residential CO2 emissions in urban and rural China: an index decomposition analysis. Energy Policy 38(7):3377–3383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou WJ, Zhu B, Li Q, Ma TJ, Hu SY, Griffy-Brown C (2010) CO2 emissions and mitigation potential in China’s ammonia industry. Energy Policy 38(7):3701–3709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Q, Peng XZ, Wu KY (2012) Calculation and decomposition of indirect carbon emissions from residential consumption in China based on the input–output model. Energy Policy 48:618–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Reference No. 71173017 and 71172106), Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (Reference No. 20101101110034), State Key Development Program of Basic Research of China (Reference No. 2012CB955703, 2012CB955704) and Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (Reference No. 9112013). The authors would like to express their gratitude to Prof. Yiming Wei for his comments and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    Zhaohua Wang & Wei Liu

  2. Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    Zhaohua Wang & Wei Liu

  3. School of Business, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, 100029, China

    Jianhua Yin

Authors
  1. Zhaohua Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jianhua Yin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhaohua Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, Z., Liu, W. & Yin, J. Driving forces of indirect carbon emissions from household consumption in China: an input–output decomposition analysis. Nat Hazards 75 (Suppl 2), 257–272 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1114-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1114-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation