Worsening Carbon Inequality Embodied in Trade within China

Abstract

The mismatch between trade-embodied economic benefits and CO 2 emissions causes carbon inequality, which is seldom analyzed from the intracountry level, especially across a long-term period. This study applied an environmentally extended multiregional input−output model to trace this mismatch and measure the carbon inequality quantitatively within China during 2007−2017. The results show that during the past decade, China's national carbon inequality was continuously worsening with carbon Gini coefficients rising regardless of production-(0.21− 0.30) or consumption-based (0.12−0.18) accounting. The regional carbon inequality was deteriorating, where less developed provinces with 20% of total value-added emitted 32.9% of total CO 2 emissions in 2007, while this figure rose to 42.6% in 2017. The eastern provinces (Jiangsu and Shanghai) had entered into net economic and carbon beneficiaries keeping high trade advantages, by contrast the northwest provinces (Ningxia and Xinjiang) were trapped in a lose−lose situation with trade benefits declining by 68%. The southwest provinces (Yunnan and Guangxi) shifted from being net carbon and value-added exporters to net importers, stepping into the earlier development mode of eastern provinces. This hidden and exacerbated carbon inequality calls for regional-specific measures to avoid the dilemma of economic development and CO 2 mitigation, which also gives a good reminder for the rising economies, like India.

Large Virtual Transboundary Hazardous Waste Flows: The Case of China

“…Given the unavailability of global hazardous waste information, more complicated assumptions about hazardous wastes in other countries may dilute the findings based on reliable Chinese data, thereby contributing to further uncertainties. Similar assumptions have been accepted in previous studies on virtual networks of multiple environmental consequences, such as carbon emissions 61 , 82 and air pollution 38 , 48 , 83 in China.…”

“…Following previous studies, , we assume that the waste intensities of other economies are zero in consumption-based accounting. This may lead to an underestimation of China’s consumption-based hazardous wastes.…”

Consumption in Non-Pastoral Regions Drove Three-Quarters of Forage–Livestock Conflicts in China

“…Strengthening interregional cooperation is also important to mitigate China’s FLCs. This study can support the establishment of cooperation mechanisms by identifying interregional trade pairs . Distant final consumers (e.g., Shandong and Hebei) could take collaborative measures with their upstream suppliers (e.g., Inner Mongolia and Tibet) to reduce their FLCs.…”

“…This study can support the establishment of cooperation mechanisms by identifying interregional trade pairs. 88 Distant final consumers (e.g., Shandong and Hebei) could take collaborative measures with their upstream suppliers (e.g., Inner Mongolia and Tibet) to reduce their FLCs. A potential measure could be the ecocompensation mechanism through different approaches including but not limited to technology transfer and in-kind payment.…”

Tracking Carbon Flows in China’s Iron and Steel Industry

“…The iron and steel industry (ISI) is the second largest carbon emitter in China and characterized as energy- and pollution-intensive. , In 2022, guidelines were issued to ensure that China’s ISI would peak carbon emissions before 2030 . However, complex material and energy flows in ISI, including mining, transportation, consumption, and recycling, and provincial disparities in steel demand and production make challenges for mapping the carbon flow panorama in ISI. − Meanwhile, China’s provincial carbon transfer aggravates the unfairness of the initial allocation of emission rights. − Regional-specific measures, such as allocating CO 2 emission allowance and decomposing CO 2 emission reduction task, were needed to address this hidden and exacerbated carbon inequality and promote CO 2 mitigation. , To allocate reduction responsibilities from the nation to provinces, accurate and up-to-date carbon flows from mines to steel users are needed to capture when, where, and how much CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 eq, including CH 4 and CO 2 ) is emitted. , …”