scholarly journals Embodied carbon emissions of aluminum-containing commodities in international trade: China’s perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 166 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiangfeng Li ◽  
Huabo Duan ◽  
Tianjiao Li ◽  
Yanjing Zhou ◽  
Ying Chen ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiangfeng Li ◽  
Huabo Duan ◽  
Tianjiao Li ◽  
Yanjing Zhou ◽  
Ying Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract In recent years, global climate change has become an increasingly serious problem. Developing countries have assumed excessive responsibilities for carbon emissions under the principle of producer responsibility. A system that considers material flows to establish the responsibility for carbon emissions more accurately and fairly was proposed. In this study, the embodied carbon emissions (ECEs) of aluminum-containing commodities (ACC) in China’s international trade from 2008 to 2017 were analyzed via material flow analysis. The carbon emission coefficients of China’s imported and exported ACC were calculated and discussed. The main conclusions were as follows: (1)The annual imported and exported aluminum in ACC showed a fluctuating growth from 2008 to 2017. Overall, China imported a large amount of alumina and exports a large amount of aluminum-containing end products (ACEP) and semi-products (SP). (2) The imported and exported ECEs of ACC were mainly due to ACEP, which account for 57% and 68% of the imported and exported ECEs of ACC, respectively. (3) The ECEs of ACEP in international trade were mainly associated with vehicles, manufacturing equipment, and aircraft. (4) The share of exported and net exported ACC’s ECEs in domestic carbon emissions (calculated using the principle of producer responsibility) also increased from 1.3 and 0.9% to 2.8 and 1.7%. In addition, a more accurate share of international carbon emission responsibility was discussed, and policy recommendations to reduce carbon emissions and actively respond to global climate change were provided.


2016 ◽  
pp. 235-266
Author(s):  
Yu Mei Wong

Large amounts of carbon emissions and pollution are generated during the manufacturing process for consumer goods. Low carbon manufacturing has been increasingly enquired or requested by stakeholders. However, international trade blurs the responsibility for carbon emissions reduction and raises the questions of responsibility allocation among producers and consumers. Scholars have been examining the nexus of producer versus consumer responsibility among supply chains. Recently, there have been discussions on the share of producer and consumer responsibility. Both producer and consumer responsibility approaches have intrinsic shortcomings and are ineffective in curbing the rise of carbon emissions in supply chains. Shared responsibility based on the equity principle attempts to address these issues. This chapter relates a case study of carbon impact on China's export and economy with scenarios which show that the benefits of carbon reduction by producers can trickle down along the supply chain and motivate the sharing responsibility under certain circumstances. The share of producer and consumer responsibility for low carbon manufacturing can be enabled when embodied carbon emissions in goods and services are priced and such accurate information is available. A mechanism engaging the global participation is recommended. The author calls for further research on the system pricing embodied carbon emission, the universal standard to calculate the embodied carbon emissions and to disclose the information, and the way to secure global cooperation and participation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinghui Wu

Abstract SDA (Structural Decomposition Analysis) model was applied to analyze the driving factors of embodied carbon and SO2 emissions transferred in Shanxi during 2007–2012 based on the input-output model from the perspectives of region and industry. The results showed that the change of embodied carbon emissions and embodied SO2 emissions of Shanxi and other regions were hindered by the carbon (sulfur) emissions strength effect, but promoted by the intermediate (final) demand scale effect, the intermediate (final) structure effect and the input-output structure effect. The carbon emissions strength effect had a significant contribution to reducing the embodied carbon emissions transferred from industries in Shanxi to other regions. The intermediate (final) demand scale effect was the driving factor to increase the embodied carbon emissions transferred from industries in Shanxi to other regions. The sulfur emissions strength effect was the only factor that reduced the embodied SO2 emissions transferred from Shanxi to other industries. The change of embodied carbon emissions from industries in other regions to Shanxi was hindered by the carbon emissions strength effect, but the input-output structure effect and final demand scale effect both increased the embodied carbon emissions from industries in other regions to Shanxi. The change of the embodied SO2 emissions transferred from industries in other regions to Shanxi was inhibited by the sulfur emissions strength effect, but the input-output structure effect, the intermediate demand structure effect and the final demand scale effect were both the driving force effect of increasing the embodied SO2 emissions transferred from industries in other regions to Shanxi. The corresponding suggestions and measures were put forward.


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