An Empirical Study on the Environmental Kuznets Curve for China＇s Carbon Emissions： Based on Provincial Panel Data

Based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory, the authors choose provincial panel data of China in 1990-2007 and adopt panel trait root and co-integration testing method to study whether there is Environmental Kuznets Curve for China＇s carbon emissions. The research results show that： carbon emissions per capita of the eastern region and the central region of China fit into Environmental Kuznets Curve, but that of the western region does not. On this basis, the authors carry out scenario analysis on the occurrence time of the inflection point of carbon emissions per capita of different regions, and describe a specific time path.     

Empirically Analysis of the CO2 Emissions Embodied in Exports of China

In this paper,using the input-output model,the author first calculated the CO 2 emissions embodied in exports of China in 2002 and 2007.Then,the author empirically analyzed problems existing in the composition of exported products and analyzed its possible reasons.The research results of this paper are as follows:Since China’s entry into WTO,the CO 2 emissions embodied in exports of China have been increasing rapidly;the value of exported products of high-carbon emissions industries accounts for a relatively higher proportion to China’s total exports value because China’s carbon intensive products have a certain competitive advantage.Additionally,this paper has put forward relevant suggestions based on these results.     

江苏省13城市1996～2008年碳排放时空变异分析

运用秩相关系数、变差系数、曲线拟合等方法,以市域为基本单元,以人均碳排放量、碳排放强度、脱钩指数等为指标,对江苏省1996～2008年的碳排放时空变异特征进行分析,研究得出：(1)近13 a来,江苏省碳排放量不断增加,年均增长率高达13%,2008年已达20 000万t;经济较发达城市人均碳排放量较大,但碳排放强度相对不大;经济落后城市人均碳排放量小,但碳排放强度增加较快。(2)江苏省13城市人均碳排放、碳排放强度差异在不断缩小。(3)从人均碳排放看,江苏省及各市人均碳排放都随人均GDP呈线性增加关系,而南京、苏州、扬州、徐州作为各个区域发展较好的中心城市,人均碳排放随人均GDP增加最快。(4)从碳排放强度看,江苏省碳排放强度与人均GDP呈倒U型曲线关系,其拐点在人均GDP 25万元左右;但是各个城市碳排放强度与人均GDP呈波浪型曲线关系。(5)从脱钩指数看,脱钩水平受经济政策、产业结构、清洁技术水平的影响较大     

中国碳排放与经济增长的协整与因果关系分析

中国碳排放与经济增长的关系是目前热点问题。研究碳排放与经济增长关系有助于实现中国2020年碳减排目标。选取1953～2008年中国碳排放量和经济增长数据,运用协整和误差修正模型及Granger因果关系,研究碳排放与经济增长关系。研究结果表明：从长期来看,碳排放与经济增长之间存在长期均衡关系(协整关系),GDP增加1%,碳排放将增加036%,即碳排放对经济增长的长期弹性为036;在短期内,两者存在着动态调整机制,非均衡误差项的存在,保证了两者之间长期均衡关系的存在。误差修正系数(-0669 4)为负,调整方向符合误差修正机制,并且误差修正模型的拟合效果比较理想。Granger因果关系研究表明：总体来说,碳排放与经济增长之间互为双向因果关系。针对研究结果,提出了“发展低碳经济、提高能源效率和发展非化石能源”的策略,减少能源消费和降低碳排放,实现碳排放与经济增长的相对脱钩     

河南省水泥生产过程中CO2排放量估算

水泥是重要的建筑材料,水泥工业的快速发展有力地支撑了我国经济的高速增长。但水泥生产过程中石灰石分解产生的CO2已成为重要的CO2排放源。根据2006年IPCC提供的水泥生产过程碳排放估算方法,采用全国吨水泥熟料比推算河南水泥熟料产量,对1990--2010年河南水泥生产过程CO2的排放量进行了估算,其结果可为河南省节能减排政策的制定提供科学依据。     

近10年四川省碳排放特征分析

本文基于一次能源消费的统计数据,计算了四川省2000～2009年的碳排放总量、人均碳排放量和碳排放强度。结果表明:2000～2009年四川省能源消费总量、碳排放总量和人均碳排放量均呈显著上升趋势;第二产业碳排放量的比重最大,并且增大趋势明显;2000～2009年四川省碳排放强度年平均下降率小于国内生产总值的年平均增长率,未能实现二氧化碳的绝对减排。     

An international registration and tracking system for greenhouse gas emissions trading: elements,possibilities, problems and issues for further discussion

International emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol or an alternative international regime need a registration system to prevent the creation of fake emission permits. We suggest a two-tier system consisting of an International Registry (IR) and a set of national registries. National registries have to adhere to a set of minimum standards. The IR maintains accounts for countries and private entities. The latter would thus be ensured against expropriation. We suggest that permits should become fungible across all Kyoto Mechanisms, and are allocated a serial number to allow tracking. The IR should collect fees for adaptation and administration. It should also be charged with reallocation of emission budgets owing to various causes, enforcing of eventual caps, and discounting of permits owing to non-compliance. We discuss the registration process and a timetable for the set-up of the registries. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Options for Change in the Australian Energy Profile

Climate change is occurring largely as a result of increasing CO₂ emissions whose reduction requires greater efficiency in energy production and use and diversification of energy sources away from fossil fuels. These issues were central to the United Nation climate change discussions in Durban in December 2011 where it was agreed that a legally binding agreement to decrease greenhouse gas emissions should be reached by 2015. In the interim, nations were left with the agreement reached at the analogous 2009 Copenhagen and 2010 Cancun meetings that atmospheric CO₂ levels should be constrained to limit the global temperature rise to 2 °C. However, the route to this objective was largely left to individual nations to decide. It is within this context that options for reduction in the 95 % fossil fuel dependency and high CO₂ emissivity of the Australian energy profile using current technologies are considered. It is shown that electricity generation in particular presents significant options for changing to a less fossil fuel dependent and CO₂ emissive energy profile.     

PCDD/Fs atmospheric deposition fluxes and soil contamination close to a municipal solid waste incinerator

Bulk depositions and surface soil were collected in a suburban area, near the Adriatic Sea, in order to assess the contribution of a municipal solid waste incinerator to the area’s total contamination with polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs). Samples were collected at two sites, situated in the area most affected by plant emissions (according to the results of the Calpuff air dispersion model), and at an external site, considered as a reference. Results show that the studied area is subject to low contamination, as far as these compounds are concerned. Deposition fluxes range from 14.3 pg m⁻² d⁻¹ to 89.9 pg m⁻² d⁻¹ (0.75 pg-TEQ m⁻² d⁻¹ to 3.73 pg-TEQ m⁻² d⁻¹) and no significant flow differences are observed among the three monitored sites. Total soil concentration amounts to 93.8 ng kg⁻¹ d.w. and 1.35 ng-TEQ kg⁻¹ d.w, on average, and confirms a strong homogeneity in the studied area. Furthermore, from 2006 to 2009, no PCDD/Fs enrichment in the soil was noticed. Comparing the relative congener distributions in environmental samples with those found in stack emissions from the incineration plant, significant differences are observed in the PCDD:PCDF ratio and in the contribution of the most chlorinated congeners. From this study we can conclude that the incineration plant is not the main source of PCDD/Fs in the studied area, which is apparently characterized by a homogeneous and widespread contamination situation, typical of an urban area.     

Developing spatially stratified N(2)O emission factors for Europe

We investigate the possibility to replace the – so-called – Tier 1 IPCC approach to estimate soil N₂O emissions with stratified emissions factors that take into account both N-input and the spatial variability of the environmental conditions within the countries of the European Union, using the DNDC-Europe model. Spatial variability in model simulations is high and corresponds to the variability reported in literature for field data. Our results indicate that (a) much of the observed variability in N₂O fluxes reflects the response of soils to external conditions, (b) it is likely that national inventories tend to overestimate the uncertainties in their estimated direct N₂O emissions from arable soils; (c) on average over Europe, the fertilizer-induced emissions (FIE) coincide with the IPCC factors, but they display large spatial variations. Therefore, at scales of individual countries or smaller, a stratified approach considering fertilizer type, soil characteristics and climatic parameters is preferable.