Vulnerability of exporting nations to the development of a carbon label in the United Kingdom

Carbon labels inform consumers about the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) released during the production and consumption of goods, including food. In the future consumer and legislative responses to carbon labels may favour goods with lower emissions, and thereby change established supply chains. This may have unintended consequences.We present the carbon footprint of three horticultural goods of different origins supplied to the United Kingdom market: lettuce, broccoli and green beans. Analysis of these footprints enables the characterisation of three different classes of vulnerability which are related to: transport, national economy and supply chain specifics.There is no simple relationship between the characteristics of an exporting country and its vulnerability to the introduction of a carbon label. Geographically distant developing countries with a high level of substitutable exports to the UK are most vulnerable. However, many developing countries have low vulnerability as their main exports are tropical crops which would be hard to substitute with local produce.In the short term it is unlikely that consumers will respond to carbon labels in such a way that will have major impacts in the horticultural sector. Labels which require contractual reductions in GHG emissions may have greater impacts in the short term.     

陕西省建设用地增长与碳排放变化的相关分析

通过分析2002~2011年间陕西省建设用地和碳排放的变化,基于LMDI模型分解方法,探讨了10年间建设用地变化对碳排放增长的影响。结果表明:研究时序内,陕西省建设用地和碳排放量均呈增长态势,建设用地年扩展率1.25%,碳排放年均增长8.84%,建设用地变化与碳排放量正向效应显著,建设用地对碳排放的贡献度为12.36%,对建设用地采取总量控制原则,能有效控制碳排放量,对陕西省实现"十二五"期间碳减排目标具有重大意义。     

碳排放与能源消费和经济增长的灰色关联分析

中国碳排放问题成为世界关注的焦点问题。研究碳排放与经济增长、能源消费关系有助于实现2020年碳减排目标。选取2001～2009年碳排放与能源消费、经济增长数据,运用灰色关联分析模型,分别计算碳排放与能源消费、经济增长的灰色关联度。研究结果表明,无论是从折线的相似程度还是相对于始点变化速率的接近程度来看,碳排放曲线与能源消费曲线、经济增长曲线十分相似,说明碳排放与能源消费、经济增长之间存在紧密联系。     

An integration of net imported emissions into climate change targets

There is an international divide between net emissions importers and net emissions exporters, with industrialised nations mainly falling into the former and emerging economies the latter. Integrating emissions transfers into climate policy, so as not to disadvantage export-intensive countries, has been suggested to increase participation in international emissions reduction commitments. Consumption-based scenarios are presented for the UK identifying the geographic and sectorial source of emissions to meet future consumer demands given the current international climate policy landscape. The analysis is applied to the UK yet the discussion is applicable to international climate policy; assigning national responsibility for global emissions reductions; and extending the mitigation potential for net importing countries. Two trajectories for UK consumption emissions are calculated in which (1) international reduction targets are consistent with those pledged today equating to four degrees of temperature rise and (2) international reduction targets achieve a two degree future. By 2050 it is estimated that UK consumption emissions are 40–260% greater than UK territorial emissions depending on the strength of global reduction measures, and assuming the UK meets its 80% reduction in 1990 emissions by 2050 target. Cumulative emissions are presented alongside emissions trajectories, recognising that temperature rise is directly related to every tonne of carbon emitted. Whilst this paper argues that the current UK emissions targets underestimate the UK's contribution to global mitigation for two degrees, it shows how expanding the focus of policy towards consumption introduces new opportunities for reduction strategies at scale. The paper advocates the implementation of consumption-based emissions accounting which reveals underexploited policy interventions and increases the potential to break down barriers that exist between industrialised and emerging economies in international climate policy.     

重庆市工业耗能相关碳排放变化驱动因素研究

在构建重庆市工业耗能相关碳排放影响因素分解模型的基础上,采用因素分解方法分析了过去十余年间(1999²011)4种驱动因素对重庆市工业碳排放变化的影响,并识别出关键驱动因素。结果显示:能耗增长的主要原因是工业经济发展;工业能源强度是促进重庆市工业耗能相关碳减排的主要影响因素;产业结构因素对重庆市工业耗能相关碳排放变化的影响存在波动,但其累积效果表现为减排;能源结构因素对重庆市工业耗能相关碳排放变化没有显著影响。最后,结合各关键因素的未来发展趋势,提出重庆市工业未来低碳发展的可行途径为技术进步和产业升级。     

电动重卡替代柴油重卡的全生命周期碳减排效益分析

为精准预测电动重卡替代柴油重卡的全生命周期碳减排效益,以单辆重卡为对象,通过预测2023~2050年的电力和柴油碳排放因子变化特性,耦合两类重卡寿命及生命周期行驶里程,分阶段构建了重卡动态碳排放模型,深入分析了“2050年净零排放（NZE）情景”、“承诺目标（APS）情景”和“既定政策（STEPS）情景”下两类重卡的碳排放足迹,并计算碳减排量和碳减排率.结果表明,电池生产和电池回收是分别导致电动重卡生产阶段和拆解回收阶段碳减排效益不佳的重要因素.电力碳排放因子（以CO₂计）每降低1 g·（kW·h）^-1,电动重卡全生命周期碳排放可减少1.74 t.3种情景下,两类重卡运行阶段碳排放均占全生命周期碳排放总量的90%以上.碳减排效益由高到低的情景依次为NZE、APS和STEPS,其对应的全生命周期碳减排量分别为1 054.68、1 021.78和1 007.97 t,碳减排率分别为54.38%、52.68%和51.97%.     

Making carbon sequestration a paying proposition

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) has increased from a preindustrial concentration of about 280 ppm to about 367 ppm at present. The increase has closely followed the increase in CO₂ emissions from the use of fossil fuels. Global warming caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the major environmental challenge for the 21st century. Reducing worldwide emissions of CO₂ requires multiple mitigation pathways, including reductions in energy consumption, more efficient use of available energy, the application of renewable energy sources, and sequestration. Sequestration is a major tool for managing carbon emissions. In a majority of cases CO₂ is viewed as waste to be disposed; however, with advanced technology, carbon sequestration can become a value-added proposition. There are a number of potential opportunities that render sequestration economically viable. In this study, we review these most economically promising opportunities and pathways of carbon sequestration, including reforestation, best agricultural production, housing and furniture, enhanced oil recovery, coalbed methane (CBM), and CO₂ hydrates. Many of these terrestrial and geological sequestration opportunities are expected to provide a direct economic benefit over that obtained by merely reducing the atmospheric CO₂ loading. Sequestration opportunities in 11 states of the Southeast and South Central United States are discussed. Among the most promising methods for the region include reforestation and CBM. The annual forest carbon sink in this region is estimated to be 76 Tg C/year, which would amount to an expenditure of $11.1–13.9 billion/year. Best management practices could enhance carbon sequestration by 53.9 Tg C/year, accounting for 9.3% of current total annual regional greenhouse gas emission in the next 20 years. Annual carbon storage in housing, furniture, and other wood products in 1998 was estimated to be 13.9 Tg C in the region. Other sequestration options, including the direct injection of CO₂ in deep saline aquifers, mineralization, and biomineralization, are not expected to lead to direct economic gain. More detailed studies are needed for assessing the ultimate changes to the environment and the associated indirect cost savings for carbon sequestration.     

Reducing black carbon emissions from diesel vehicles in Russia: An assessment and policy recommendations

The paper assesses options and challenges of reducing black carbon emissions from diesel vehicles in Russia. Black carbon is a product of incomplete diesel combustion and is a component of fine particulate matter. Particulate matter emissions have adverse health impacts, causing cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer; black carbon is also a large climate forcer. Black carbon emissions from Russian diesel sources affect not only the Russian territory but also contribute to overall pollution. This paper analyzes current ecological standards for vehicles and fuel, evaluates policies for emission reductions from existing diesel vehicle fleet, and assesses Russia's attempts to encourage the use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel. Based on best practices of black carbon emission reductions, this paper provides a number of policy recommendations for Russia.     

The Kyoto Protocol: provisions and unresolved issues relevant to land-use change and forestry

This paper describes the relevant text of the Kyoto Protocol and its implications for land-use change and forestry (LUCF) activities and addresses some of the technical issues that merit further consideration and clarification before the treaty comes into force. Although the phrasing of the Protocol is sometimes ambiguous and the opportunities limited, the Protocol does provide for some selected forest-related activities to be used to meet national commitments for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To implement the forest-related portions of the Protocol, most importantly: (1) a clear definition for the word ‘reforestation' is required, (2) contradictory wording in Article 3.3 needs to be clarified to establish how credits are to be measured, (3) further thought should be given to the sentence in Article 3.7 which provides that countries with a net carbon sink in LUCF in 1990 cannot include emissions from land-use change in their 1990 baseline, whereas countries with a net carbon source in LUCF can include those emissions in their 1990 baseline, (4) the rules and baseline issues for joint implementation and the clean development mechanism need to be clarified and (5) inclusion of additional forest management activities needs to be considered.     

国际标准差异对产品碳足迹核算的影响分析——以胶版印刷纸为例

产品碳足迹以碳标签的形式日益广泛地应用于产品供应链，通过影响企业和消费者行为而有效地促进全球碳减排.然而产品碳足迹核算标准种类繁多，不同标准对产品碳足迹的核算规定存在差异，致使其核算结果难于有效对比.本文以胶版印刷纸为例，对比分析了目前最权威的3个国际标准PAS2050、GHG Protocol和ISO14067，识别了三者对于8点产品碳足迹核算要素的不同规定，定量解析了标准差异对产品碳足迹核算的影响.结果表明，3个标准规定的差异可导致产品碳足迹核算结果产生较大的不确定性，GHG Protocol和ISO14067结果分别比PAS2050高61%和49%，其中，"碳存储、消费者交通、固定资产和延迟排放加权影响"4个方面的差异对案例产品碳足迹影响最为显著.因此，按照产品类别制定统一的核算要求是碳标签交流对比的基本前提，明晰的标准规定是降低核算结果不确定性的必要途径.     

电厂二氧化碳捕集分离技术研究综述

电厂二氧化碳捕集与封存是二氧化碳减排措施研究热点,也是全球二氧化碳减排的重要任务之一,可分为物理吸附/吸收、化学吸收、物理-化学吸收、膜技术及生物技术等。其中物理吸附/吸收、化学吸收为电厂二氧化碳捕集主流技术。开发具有高选择性、高效率吸收剂及捕集技术,提高能源利用效率,合理布置尾部烟气脱碳处理设施是电厂二氧化碳捕集技术面临的挑战。     

陕西省土地利用碳排放演变与影响因素分析研究

以陕西省统计数据为基础,利用土地利用碳排放模型和STIRPAT模型,分析了陕西省1999年-2013年土地利用碳排放演变与影响因素,结果表明:陕西省碳排放量呈增加趋势,增加了4.07倍,其中建设用地碳排量增加起主导作用.碳排放经历了减少(1999-2000年)、稳步增加(2001-2006年)和快速增加(2007-2013年)3个阶段.人口数量和GDP是陕西省土地利用碳排放变化的影响因素,其中人口数量对碳排放变化的贡献高于GDP.经济集约式发展和个人集约式低碳消费是碳减排的重要方向.     

Wood-based building materials and atmospheric carbon emissions

This study investigates the global impact of wood as a building material by considering emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Wood is compared with other materials in terms of stored carbon and emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel energy used in manufacturing. An analysis of typical forms of building construction shows that wood buildings require much lower process energy and result in lower carbon emissions than buildings of other materials such as brick, aluminium, steel and concrete. If a shift is made towards greater use of wood in buildings, the low fossil fuel requirement for manufacturing wood compared with other materials is much more significant in the long term than the carbon stored in the wood building products.As a corollary, a shift from wood to non-wood materials would result in an increase in energy requirements and carbon emissions.The results presented in this paper show that a 17% increase in wood usage in the New Zealand building industry could result in a 20% reduction in carbon emissions from the manufacture of all building materials, being a reduction of about 1.5% of New Zealand’s total emissions. The reduction in emissions is mainly a result of using wood in place of brick and aluminium, and to a lesser extent steel and concrete, all of which require much more process energy than wood. There would be a corresponding decrease of about 1.5% in total national fossil fuel consumption. These figures have implications for the global forestry and building industries. Any increases in wood use must be accompanied by corresponding increases in areas of forest being managed for long term sustained yield production.     

未来黑碳气溶胶排放对区域气候变化的影响模拟

黑碳气溶胶是大气气溶胶的重要组分,其对从可见光到红外波段范围内的太阳辐射都具有强烈的吸收作用,对区域气候有较大影响。利用区域气候模式RegCM3,加入自主编制的黑碳排放清单,以2013年为基准年,模拟研究了2030年基准排放情景(BB)、政策排放情景(EE)、政策能源排放情景(EB)和政策控制排放情景(BE)下排放的黑碳气溶胶对大气层顶太阳辐射量的影响,分析不同情景下黑碳气溶胶排放引起的气候效应。结果表明:4种情景黑碳排放量排序为BB>EB>BE>EE;BB下2030年全国的气温及降水量分布与2013年基本一致,变化不明显;EB和BE二者排放量基本一致,但是减排侧重点不同,引起的气候效应稍有差异,但差别不大;而EE下减排力度达到最大,排放量减至98万t,其引起的气温和降水量的变化相比于其他3种情景较为明显,在黑碳减排的同时,升温效应减少,降温效应突出。对比BE和EB下的排放量发现,工业部门在BE下的减排量较大,民用部门在EB下的减排量较大,表明排放控制措施在工业部门可以发挥较大的作用,民用部门的减排中能源结构调整措施较为重要。     

On international equity in reducing emissions from deforestation

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) can be an effective and efficient means of mitigating climate change. However, the perceived equity in the distribution of financial incentives for REDD could also emerge as a critical issue in international negotiations. The design of reference levels, which provide the benchmark for crediting emissions reductions, affects the economic incentives for national participation in a REDD mechanism and thus the overall willingness to reach an agreement on REDD. This paper compares the equity impacts of five proposed reference level designs using a partial-equilibrium model. Tradeoffs among equity, environmental effectiveness and cost-efficiency indicate the proposals trigger similar aggregate emissions reductions but lead to different outcomes in efficiency and alternative measures of equity. If equity across countries is measured as the financial incentive provided relative to a country's forest carbon stock, then a REDD mechanism compensating a uniform share of at-risk carbon stocks is the most equitable. On the other hand, if equity is evaluated as the financial incentive relative to the opportunity costs of participating in REDD, then the most equitable approach would be compensating emissions reductions but withholding a part of the payments to compensate for carbon stocks, which also encourages broader country participation under our model.     

Sensitivity of amounts and distribution of tropical forest carbon credits depending on baseline rules

One of the largest sources of global greenhouse gas emissions can be addressed through conservation of tropical forests by channeling funds to developing countries at a cost-savings for developed countries. However, questions remain to be resolved in negotiating a system for including reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in a post-Kyoto climate treaty. The approach to determine national baselines, or reference levels, for quantifying REDD has emerged as central to negotiations over a REDD mechanism in a post-Kyoto policy framework. The baseline approach is critical to the success of a REDD mechanism because it affects the quantity, credibility, and equity of credits generated from efforts to reduce forest carbon emissions. We compared outcomes of seven proposed baseline approaches as a function of country circumstances, using a retrospective analysis of FAO-FRA data on forest carbon emissions from deforestation. Depending upon the baseline approach used, the total credited emissions avoided ranged over two orders of magnitude for the same quantity of actual emissions reductions. There was also a wide range in the relative distribution of credits generated among the five country types we identified. Outcomes were especially variable for countries with high remaining forest and low rates of deforestation (HFLD). We suggest that the most credible approaches measure emissions avoided with respect to a business-as-usual baseline scenario linked to historic emissions data, and allow limited adjustments based on forest carbon stocks.     

基于MIDAS模型中国碳排放量的实时预报与短期预测

随着全球气候变暖问题不断加重,二氧化碳排放量预测成为各国制定碳减排措施的核心问题.传统的二氧化碳排放量预测模型是基于同频数据进行的,高频数据必需处理为低频数据,这样不仅忽略了高频数据携带的有效信息,还影响了模型预测的及时性,降低了模型预测的精度.本文将混频数据抽样模型(MIDAS)用于碳排放量预测研究,分析了高频季度GDP滞后阶数变化效应及其对低频二氧化碳排放量的影响效应.研究结果表明,季度GDP对碳排放量具有正负两种效应,该效应会持续6个季度且以正效应为主,碳排放量自身之间也存在着相互影响,该影响会持续4年之久,这与中国的经济运行状况相吻合,说明混频数据抽样模型(MIDAS)对二氧化碳排放量预测的合理性.此外,混频数据抽样模型(MIDAS)在中国二氧化碳排放量的短期预测方面具有较高的预测精度,在实时预报方面具有显著的可行性和时效性.     

The Kyoto Protocol could make a difference for the optimal forest-based CO2 mitigation strategy: some results from GORCAM

The Kyoto Protocol was agreed on by more than 150 nations in December, 1997 and (if and when ratified) will establish international commitments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Under the Kyoto Protocol, some of the carbon emissions and removals within the land-use change and forestry sector can be counted toward a country's commitments for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. In addition to the impacts that land-use practices have on CO₂ emissions from fossil-fuel combustion, changes in the carbon stocks of forests (possibly including forest soils) caused by the direct human activities afforestation, reforestation and deforestation and taking place in the `first commitment period' (2008–2012), are to be accounted for under the Kyoto Protocol. Credits for carbon sinks in the biosphere are limited to projects initiated since 1990. A modified version of the model GORCAM has been used to assess eligible emission-reduction credits under the Kyoto regime and to illustrate how the optimal forest-based strategy for carbon dioxide mitigation might change under the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol offers rewards for only some of the changes in carbon stocks that might occur and hence the forestry project that produces the most emission reduction credits under the Kyoto Protocol is not necessarily the same project that produces the greatest benefit for net emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Supplementing the Protocol with appropriate definitions, interpretations and agreements could help to make sure that it does not provide incentive for activities that run counter to the objectives of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.     

“双碳”目标下中国海洋渔业碳排放效率区域差异及碳减排潜力研究

基于“碳排”和“碳汇”核算中国海洋渔业碳排放量,运用非期望产出超效率SBM模型测算1980-2019年海洋渔业碳排放效率,并用基尼系数、泰尔指数和变异系数等数理统计分析方法定量分析其区域差异,最后测算中国海洋渔业碳减排潜力。结果表明：研究期间海洋渔业碳排放量整体呈逐年增长的趋势;中国海洋渔业碳排放效率平均水平较高,整体呈先上升后缓慢下降的趋势;中国海洋渔业碳排放效率区域差异明显,数理统计分析法测算变动趋势一致性较高,整体呈波动扩大的演变格局;中国海洋渔业碳减排潜力水平相对稳定,整体呈波动上升的趋势,主要分为3个波动期,碳减排潜力类型多样。     

Integrating carbon footprint into supply chain management: the case of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in the automobile industry

The purpose of this paper is to improve our understanding of carbon footprint within the context of automobile supply chain management. The case study approach is employed as a research method. Primary data were collected through site visits and extensive interviews with HMC’s corporate and plant management. First, identification and measurement of direct and indirect carbon footprint is critical for mitigating supply chain risks. Second, setting the system boundary of measurement is another important issue to integrate the issue of carbon footprint into supply chain management. Third, developing a map of product carbon footprint facilitates identification and measurement of carbon emissions across the supply chain. Companies today operate in a carbon-constrained world. In particular, the automobile industry is under pressure to take a close look at its product carbon footprint. Managing the downstream consequences of the use of its products and inputs from upstream suppliers is critical for developing carbon risk-mitigated supply chain management. This paper is of benefit to academics and managers by providing a new way to integrate carbon emissions in supply chain management. Since climate change and carbon footprint present challenges to many industries, increasing our understanding of how to integrate carbon footprint in supply chain management is necessary, but has seen little research in the automobile industry.