Carbon Emissions in China

This study analyzes the spatial-temporal pattern and processes of China’s energy-related carbon emissions. Based on extensive quantitative analysis, it outlines the character and trajectory of China’s energy-related carbon emissions during the period 1995-2010, examining the distribution pattern of China’s carbon emissions from regional and sectoral perspectives and revealing the driving factors of China’s soaring emission increase. Further, the book investigates the supply chain carbon emissions (the carbon footprints) of China’s industrial sectors. Anthropogenic climate change is one of the most serious challenges currently facing humankind. China is the world’s largest developing country, top primary energy consumer and carbon emitter. Achieving both economic growth and environmental conservation is the country’s twofold challenge. Understanding the status, features and driving forces of China’s energy-related carbon emissions is a critical aspect of attaining global sustainability. This work, for the first time, presents both key findings on and a systematic evaluation of China’s carbon emissions from energy consumption. The results have important implications for global carbon budgets and burden-sharing with regard to climate change mitigation. The book will be of great interest to readers around the world, as it addresses a topic of truly global significance.

Zhu Liu is the Sustainability Science Research Fellow at Harvard University. His research focuses on assessing the human impacts on the earth system in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. With research case many addressed in China, Zhu’s work quantifies carbon emission and explores solutions for a low-carbon pathway for China’s sustainable development. He conducted his Doctoral study in Ecology at the Institute of Applied Ecology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and graduated with CAS highest honor (CAS Presidential Special Award). Zhu received his Ph.D. from Chinese Academy of Sciences (2013) with joint turning by University of Cambridge (2012). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Northwest University (2007) and a Master’s degree in Ecology from China Agricultural University (2009). His research on energy and climate has been published in international high-profile peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, Nature Climate Change and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS).