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Carbon footprint of different industrial spaces based on energy consumption in China

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Abstract

Using energy consumption and land use data of each region of China in 2007, this paper established carbon emission and carbon footprint model based on energy consumption, and estimated the carbon emission amount of fossil energy and rural biomass energy of different regions of China in 2007. Through matching the energy consumption items with industrial spaces, this paper divided industrial spaces into five types: agricultural space, living & industrial-commercial space, transportation industrial space, fishery and water conservancy space, and other industrial space. Then the author analyzed the carbon emission intensity and carbon footprint of each industrial space. Finally, advices of decreasing industrial carbon footprint and optimizing industrial space pattern were put forward. The main conclusions are as following: (1) Total amount of carbon emission from energy consumption of China in 2007 was about 1.65 GtC, in which the proportion of carbon emission from fossil energy was 89%. (2) Carbon emission intensity of industrial space of China in 2007 was 1.98 t/hm2, in which, carbon emission intensity of living & industrial-commercial space and of transportation industrial space was 55.16 t/hm2 and 49.65 t/hm2 respectively, they were high-carbon-emission industrial spaces among others. (3) Carbon footprint caused by industrial activities of China in 2007 was 522.34×106 hm2, which brought about ecological deficit of 28.69×106 hm2, which means that the productive lands were not sufficient to compensate for carbon footprint of industrial activities, and the compensating rate was 94.5%. As to the regional carbon footprint, several regions have ecological profit while others have not. In general, the present ecological deficit caused by industrial activities was small in 2007. (4) Per unit area carbon footprint of industrial space in China was about 0.63 hm2/hm2 in 2007, in which that of living & industrial-commercial space was the highest (17.5 hm2/hm2). The per unit area carbon footprint of different industrial spaces all presented a declining trend from east to west of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geographic & Oceanographic Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Rongqin Zhao, Xianjin Huang, Taiyang Zhong & Jiawen Peng

  2. College of Resources and Environment, North China Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Power, Zhengzhou, 450011, China

    Rongqin Zhao

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  1. Rongqin Zhao
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  2. Xianjin Huang
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  3. Taiyang Zhong
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  4. Jiawen Peng
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Correspondence to Xianjin Huang.

Additional information

Foundation: National Social Science Foundation of China, No.10ZD&M030; Non-profit Industry Financial Program of Ministry of Land and Resources of China, No.200811033; Environment Protection Scientific Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China, No.2009037

Author: Zhao Rongqin (1978–), Ph.D Candidate, lecturer, specialized in carbon cycle and low-carbon economy.

Corresponding author: Huang Xianjin (1968–), Professor, specialized in land use and resources & environmental economics.

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Zhao, R., Huang, X., Zhong, T. et al. Carbon footprint of different industrial spaces based on energy consumption in China. J. Geogr. Sci. 21, 285–300 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-011-0845-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-011-0845-6

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