IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v11y2020i1d10.1038_s41467-020-15883-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mapping global carbon footprint in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yuantao Yang

    (Beijing Institute of Technology
    Beijing Institute of Technology
    Beijing Institute of Technology
    University of Michigan)

  • Shen Qu

    (University of Michigan)

  • Bofeng Cai

    (Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning)

  • Sai Liang

    (School of Environment, Beijing Normal University)

  • Zhaohua Wang

    (Beijing Institute of Technology
    Beijing Institute of Technology
    Beijing Institute of Technology)

  • Jinnan Wang

    (Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning)

  • Ming Xu

    (University of Michigan
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan)

Abstract

Developing localized climate mitigation strategies needs an understanding of how global consumption drives local carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with a fine spatial resolution. There is no study that provides a spatially explicit mapping of global carbon footprint in China―the world’s largest CO2 emitter―simultaneously considering both international and interprovincial trade. Here we map CO2 emissions in China driven by global consumption in 2012 at a high spatial resolution (10 km × 10 km) using a detailed, firm-level emission inventory. Our results show that the carbon footprints of foreign regions in China are concentrated in key manufacturing hubs, including the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and North China Plain. Approximately 1% of the land area holds 75% of the global carbon footprint in China. The carbon footprint hotspots in China identified are the key places in which collaborative mitigation efforts between China and downstream parties that drive those emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuantao Yang & Shen Qu & Bofeng Cai & Sai Liang & Zhaohua Wang & Jinnan Wang & Ming Xu, 2020. "Mapping global carbon footprint in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15883-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15883-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15883-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-020-15883-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15883-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.