Tracking the CO[sub.2] Emissions of China’s Coal Production via Global Supply Chains

• Published in: Energies (Basel) 2022-08, Vol.15 (16)
• Main Authors: Yang, Zheqi, Dou, Xuming, Jiang, Yuqing, Luo, Pengfei, Ding, Yu, Zhang, Baosheng, Tang, Xu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coal; Coal-fired power plants; Production data
• ISSN: 1996-1073; 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en15165934

Coal's green mining and scientific utilization is the key to achieve the national vision of carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Clarifying the CO[sub.2] flow of coal production is the core part of decarbonization. This study uses an environmental extended multi-regional input-output (EEMRIO) model to analyze the impact of embodied emissions on the indirect CO[sub.2] emission intensity of coal production between China's coal mining sector and 141 countries/regions. It is found that the CO[sub.2] emission intensity of China's coal production was 34.14 gCO[sub.2]/MJ in 2014, while the direct and indirect emission intensities were 16.22 gCO[sub.2]/MJ and 17.92 gCO[sub.2]/MJ, respectively. From 2007 to 2014, the direct emission intensity of China's coal production increased by 23%, while the indirect emission intensity decreased by 30%. The key material and service inputs affecting indirect carbon emissions of coal production in China are electricity service, metal manufacturing, chemical products, coal mining, and transport, which accounted for 85.5% of the total indirect emission intensity of coal production in 2014. Globally, a large portion of CO[sub.2] from Chinese coal production is emitted to meet foreign direct and indirect demands for material and service inputs. Policy implications related to this outcome are further discussed in the study.