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Mitigating emissions and costs through demand-side solutions in Chinese residential buildings

Author

Listed:
  • Kairui You

    (Beijing Institute of Technology
    Basic Science Center for Energy and Climate Change)

  • Yan Li

    (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Weiguang Cai

    (Chongqing University)

  • Lulu Zhang

    (Beijing Institute of Technology
    Basic Science Center for Energy and Climate Change)

  • Zhengxuan Liu

    (Delft University of Technology)

  • Wei Feng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Yi-Ming Wei

    (Beijing Institute of Technology
    Basic Science Center for Energy and Climate Change)

Abstract

The building sector plays a pivotal role in climate change mitigation. By regulating the demand for services and products from supply sectors, building sector can contribute to decarbonization. To assess the decarbonization and cost-saving potential of demand-side solutions for China’s residential building sector, this study develops a demand-side solution framework and an end-use technology model. The model covers the building sector and major supply sectors, considering the heterogeneous impacts of demand-side solution measures on different supply sectors. Here we show that the most optimistic cost-effective demand-side solution can reduce cumulative CO₂ emissions by 47% (42.21 Gt CO₂-eq), while achieving a 16% saving in the net present value of costs over the period 2020−2060. Additionally, results indicate that the demand-side solution enable China’s rural residential buildings to achieve carbon neutrality without carbon dioxide remove options, while simultaneously mitigating uncertainties in reaching carbon neutrality targets.

Suggested Citation

  • Kairui You & Yan Li & Weiguang Cai & Lulu Zhang & Zhengxuan Liu & Wei Feng & Yi-Ming Wei, 2025. "Mitigating emissions and costs through demand-side solutions in Chinese residential buildings," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62675-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62675-0
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