The pain of inequality:Income gap and carbon intensity of well-being

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations sets out 17 sustainable development goals(SDGs)that call for global action to end poverty,protect the planet,and improve the lives and futures of all people,including reducing inequality and taking climate action.The academic and policy issues corresponding to these two goals are income distribution and low-carbon development respectively.This paper makes a connection between the two and examines the impact of income gap on carbon intensity of well-being(CIWB)based on panel data of 40 countries around the world,which has important theoretical significance and empirical reference value.The main conclusions are as follows:(1)During the sample period,the carbon intensity of well-being of 36 in the 40 countries showed a downward trend,indicating that the pressure brought by the increase of unit well-being level on carbon emission space was gradually decreasing.The biggest drop in carbon intensity of well-being is in Estonia.(2)According to the average value of the past years,the income gaps are large in Colombia,Costa Rica,Paraguay,Ecuador and Peru,and the five countries with the smallest income gap are Ukraine,Slovenia,Belarus,the Czech Republic and Kyrgyzstan Republic.(3)The regression results of the econometric model with carbon intensity of well-being as the dependent variable,income gap as the independent variable,and urbanization rate,energy consumption structure and export trade as the control variables show that the increase of income gap will increase carbon intensity of well-being,and the increase of urbanization rate,renewable energy consumption and export dependence will reduce carbon intensity of well-being.Finally,according to the research conclusions,the policy implications for China's future high-quality development are extracted.

Conduction pathways of resource endowment affecting carbon intensity:Based on interprovincial data in China

By establishing a mathematical model and a basic analytical framework for the impact of resource endowments on carbon intensity,a traditional panel model without spatial panel effects was firstly constructed,a Durbin-Wu-Hausman test was conducted,and the model was set as a fixed-effects model based on the statistical values;secondly,the traditional panel model without spatial effects was estimated,and LM tests and robustness tests were conducted on the regression residuals.The LM test was then used to remove the fixed effect terms by the de-meaning method,and the Matlab 7.0 software was used to estimate the model.The stepwise introduction of variables was used to observe the effect of each variable on economic growth and to analyze the relationship between the magnitude and significance of the regression parameters of each variable.Finally,the path of conduction effect of resource endowment through mediating variable sinfluencing economic growth and carbon emissions,and thus carbon intensity,was constructed.The conclusion is that carbon intensity is inversely proportional to economic growth for a given level of carbon emissions.Therefore,if resource endowment promotes economic growth through mediating variables,it will lead to a decrease in carbon intensity,which is conducive to the achievement of emission reduction targets;conversely,if resource endowment hinders economic growth through mediating variables,it will lead to an increase in carbon intensity,which is not conducive to the achievement of emission reduction targets.

Effect of fire intensity on active organic and total soil carbon in a Larix gmelinii forest in the Daxing'anling Mountains,Northeastern China

Studying contents and seasonal dynamics of active organic carbon in the soil is an important method for revealing the turnover and regulation mechanism of soil carbon pool. Through 3 years of field sampling and lab analysis, we studied the seasonal variations, content differences, and interrelationships of total organic carbon （TOC）, light fraction organic carbon （LFOC）, and particulate organic carbon （POC） of the soil in the forest areas burned with different fire intensities in the Daxing＇anling Mountains. The mean TOC content in the low-intensity burned area was greater than that in the unburned area, moderate-intensity, and high-intensity burned areas in June and November （P 〈 0.05）. LFOC and POC in the low-intensity burned area were greater than that in either moderate-intensity or high-intensity burned areas, with significant differences in LFOC in September and November （P 〈 0.05）. A significant difference in LFOC between the unburned and burned areas was only found in July （P 〈 0.05）. However, the differences in POC between the unburned and burned areas were not significant in all the whole seasons （P 〉 0.05）. Soil LFOC and POC varied significantly with the seasons （P 〈 0.05） in the Daxing＇anling Mountains. Significant linear relationships were observed between soil TOC, LFOC, and POC, which were positively correlated with soil nitrogen and negatively correlated with soil temperature in the Daxing＇anling Mountains.

Industrial Carbon Emission Distribution and Regional Joint Emission Reduction:A Case Study of Cities in the Pearl River Basin,China

China’s low-carbon development path will make significant contributions to achieving global sustainable development goals.Due to the diverse natural and economic conditions across different regions in China,there exists an imbalance in the distribution of car-bon emissions.Therefore,regional cooperation serves as an effective means to attain low-carbon development.This study examined the pattern of carbon emissions and proposed a potential joint emission reduction strategy by utilizing the industrial carbon emission intens-ity(ICEI)as a crucial factor.We utilized social network analysis and Local Indicators of Spatial Association(LISA)space-time trans-ition matrix to investigate the spatiotemporal connections and discrepancies of ICEI in the cities of the Pearl River Basin(PRB),China from 2010 to 2020.The primary drivers of the ICEI were determined through geographical detectors and multi-scale geographically weighted regression.The results were as follows:1)the overall ICEI in the Pearl River Basin is showing a downward trend,and there is a significant spatial imbalance.2)There are numerous network connections between cities regarding the ICEI,but the network structure is relatively fragile and unstable.3)Economically developed cities such as Guangzhou,Foshan,and Dongguan are in the center of the network while playing an intermediary role.4)Energy consumption,industrialization,per capita GDP,urbanization,science and techno-logy,and productivity are found to be the most influential variables in the spatial differentiation of ICEI,and their combination in-creased the explanatory power of the geographic variation of ICEI.Finally,through the analysis of differences and connections in urban carbon emissions under different economic levels and ICEI,the study suggests joint carbon reduction strategies,which are centered on carbon transfer,financial support,and technological assistance among cities.

Intensity Allocation Criteria of Carbon Emissions Permits and Regional Economic Development in China——Based on a 30-Province/Autonomous Region Computable General Equilibrium Model

The intensity allocation criteria of carbon emissions permits and its influence on China＇s regional development are analyzed through the 30-province/autonomous region computable general equilibrium （CGE） model. Simulation results show that： industrial intensity criteria without taking regional economic development into account deepen the unbalance of regional economic development; regional intensity criteria without taking industrial properties into account exert little negative impact on regional harmonious development, but relatively high negative influence on high-carbon emission industries. The two-step allocation scheme that the central government allocates emissions permits to provincial governments based on regional economic development and then provincial governments allocate emissions permits to emission resources or entities based on industrial properties is a feasible and operable choice.

Determination of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Fractions in Tartaric Acid, Oxalic Acid, Glucose and Fructose—National Center of High Technologies of Georgia

Tartaric acid, oxalic acid, glucose, and fructose are highly important compounds. A comprehensive study of these substances is fascinating from a scientific perspective. They are key components found in wine, vegetables, and fruits. Understanding the isotopic compositions in organic compounds is crucial for comprehending various biochemical processes and the nature of substances present in different natural products. Tartaric acid, oxalic acid, glucose, and fructose are widely distributed compounds, including in vegetables and fruits. Tartaric acid plays a significant role in determining the quality and taste properties of wine, while oxalic acid is also prevalent but holds great interest for further research, especially in terms of carbon isotopic composition. We can unveil the mechanisms of processes that were previously impossible to study. Glucose and fructose are the most common monosaccharides in the hexose group, and both are found in fruits, with sweeter fruits containing higher amounts of these substances. In addition to fruits, wheat, barley, rye, onions, garlic, lentils, peppers, dried fruits, beans, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, and other foods are also rich sources of fructose and glucose. To determine the mass fraction of the carbon-13 isotope in these compounds, it is important to study their changes during natural synthesis. These compounds can be modified with a carbon center. According to the existing isotopic analysis method, these compounds are converted into carbon oxide or dioxide [1]. At this point, the average carbon content in the given compound is determined, but information about isotope-modified centers is lost. Dilution may occur through the transfer of other carbon-containing organic compounds in the sample or by dilution with natural carbon or carbon dioxide during the transfer process. This article discusses the possibility of carbon-13 isotope propagation directly in these compounds, both completely modified and modified with individual carbon centers. The literature provides information on determining carbon-13 substance in organic compounds, both with a general approach and for individual compounds [2] [3].

Double dividend of carbon intensity:environmental-quality improvement and sustainable economic growth

This paper established an equilibrium model including representative household,government,and eight industries,and two different environmental policy tools such as carbon intensity and carbon cap were added into the model.The paper points out that the carbon intensity policy imposed on major high-emission industries achieved double dividend of environmentalquality improvement and sustainable economic growth under the condition of proper constraint target.This result supports the environmental Porter hypothesis.This paper finds out that the double dividend is due to the fact that environmental governance policy leads to the rising price of resources and demand of labors,resulting in an effective redistribution of production factors among industries and sustainable economic growth.Furthermore,this paper estimates the marginal effect of economic structure on carbon emission and carbon intensity and provides targeted suggestions.

Response of cyanobacterial carbon concentrating system to light intensity:a simulated analysis

Cyanobacteria possess a delicate system known as the carbon concentrating mechanism （CCM）, which can efficiently elevate the intracellular inorganic carbon （Ci） concentration via active transportation. The system requires energy supplied by photosystems; therefore, the activity of the Ci transporter is closely related to light intensity. However, the relationship between CCM and light intensity has rarely been evaluated. Here, we present an improved quantitative model of CCM in which light is incorporated, and developed a CCM model that modified after Fridlyand et al. in 1996. Some equations used in this model were inducted to describe the relationship between transport capacity and light intensity, by which the response of the CCM to light change is simulated. Our results indicate that the efficiency of the carbon concentrating system is sensitive to light intensity. When the external Ci concentration was low, CO2 uptake dominated the total Ci uptake with increasing light intensity, while under high external Ci concentrations HCO3^- uptake primarily contributed to the total Ci uptake. Variations in the ratio of energy allocated between the transport systems could markedly affect the operation of CCM. Indeed, our simulations suggest that various combinations of Ci fluxes can provide a possible approach to detect the way by which the cell distributes energy produced by the photosystems to the two active Ci transport processes. The proportion of the energy consumed on CCM to the total energy expenditure for the fixation of one CO2 molecule was determined at 18%-40%.

Impact of Greenization on the Marginal Utility of Intensity of Carbon Emissions and Factors Affecting it in China

The impact of greenization on the marginal utility of the intensity of carbon emissions in China and factors influ-encing this relationship are explored in this study.China’s level of greenization is evaluated by using an index system developed based on the comprehensive index method.The intensity of carbon emissions is determined by using the standards for the coefficients of conversion of coal equivalent and coefficients of carbon emission.The impact of greenization on the marginal utility of the intensity of carbon emissions is then evaluated by using an elastic formula and factors affecting this relationship are verified by regression analysis.The results are as fol-lows:(1)China’s level of greenization has exhibited a trend of constant increase.The intensity of carbon emissions has followed a continual downward trend while the impact of greenization on the marginal utility of the intensity of these emissions has been declining.(2)Urbanization as well as scientific and technological developments have slowed the reduction in the marginal utility of the intensity of carbon emissions,whereas the structure of energy consumption has expedited it under the diminishing impact of greenization.The standard of living of the popu-lation,intensity of environmental regulation,and environmental quality have had different influences under dif-ferent conditions.

Relationship between Industrial Coupling Coordination and Carbon Intensity in the Bohai Rim Economic Circle

Coordinated development of new high-tech industries and traditional industries is crucially important for economic growth and environmental sustainability,and it has become a focus of academic and governmental bodies.This study establishes the comprehensive evaluation index system of high-tech industries and traditional industries,and uses the method of principal component analysis,coupling and coupling coordination degree model to determine the level of industry coordinated development.Then,Pearson correlation test is used to further analyze the correlation between regional industrial coupling coordination and carbon intensity of the seven provinces in the Bohai Rim Economic Circle(BREC).The results are as follows.(1)There is a negative correlation between industrial coupling coordination and carbon intensity.(2)The degree of industrial coordination of Beijing,Tianjin,and Shandong is significantly higher than other provinces in the BREC,as both the high-tech industries and traditional industries of these three provinces have reached a high level of development and achieved high coupling.The high-tech industries of the three provinces show positive changes,whereas the traditional industries show negative changes,which indicates that the new high-tech industries are driving the upgrading of the traditional industries by the application of high technologies.(3)From 2011 to 2016,the number of provinces with a low degree of high-tech and traditional industrial coordination fell from three to one.The traditional industries in Hebei and Inner Mongolia have been upgraded by strengthening their technological innovation with the introduction of rapid high-tech industrial development.These findings are a useful reference for regional industrial coupling coordination and carbon emission reduction.

Study on carbon intensity trading market based on carbon finance mechanism

As the largest developing country in the world, China has not be involved in the obligation of emissions reduction in the （〈Kyoto Protocol）） . But it has become the largest CO2 emissions countries in the world. This makes China confronted with more pressure of carbon emissions reduction in the post-Kyoto era, and face great challenges in response to climate change issues. On one hand, China＇ s economic growth stage has decided that the situation of more energy consumption and increased carbon emissions is diffficult to reverse in the short term; On the other hand, the traditional policy under the control of total amount of carbon emission has largely restricted economic development. If a developing country in economic transition is carried out compulsory absolute amount of carbon reduction policies, its economic activity and social consumption will be imposed additional constraints inevitably, which will eventually lead to lower economic competitiveness and decline in social standards of living. Ultimately it will affect the good effects of carbon emissions reduction, so the policy can not achieve a satisfactory result. This paper introduces the financial mechanism into the carbon market model, extends the time of model from one phase to multi-phase. And this paper tries to establish a cross-time carbon credits trade system, and the current strength of the traditional carbon emission market trade model is extended. The paper designs two type of option mechanism model--call options trade carbon emissions model and put options carbon emissions model. Models＇ results show that choosing options tool to extend our traditional carbon market model can bring following impacts on carbon market development： trade costs have fallen, the carbon intensity also has descended, and has realized the flow of carbon intensity in diffident time; it enables manufacturers to effectively avoid the risk of carbon emissions trade; it increases the flexibility and maneuverability of the carbon trade market. Finally, the policy recommendations in the financial mechanisms carbon market trade are put forward.

Convergence Study of Chinese Carbon Intensity

This paper establishes the theoretical hypothesis of carbon intensity convergence, and through statistics to analyze and describe the whole country and the eastern and western regions with the use of mixed regression model and fixed effects regression method, and test σ -convergence, absolute convergence and conditional convergence in order to have an empirical study on carbon convergence hypothesis.

Inter-provincial carbon emission intensity factor analysis and carbon intensity projection calculation in China

The extended “STIRPAT” model and the GM(1,1) model are used to predict the factors influencing inter-provincial carbon emission intensity and carbon intensity in China respectively. In this paper, based on the collation of inter-provincial carbon emission data, the extended “STIRPAT” model is formulated for carbon dioxide emissions and carbon intensity emissions, and the Hausman test is used to determine the influence form of the models. The main influencing factors of carbon intensity were identified: economic development level, energy intensity, and energy consumption structure. The paper constructs GM(1,1) model for carbon emission intensity from 2010-2019 using the gray prediction method,and calculates the carbon emission intensity of China’s inter-provincial 2022 by residual test, correlation test, variance, and small error probability test, and then predicts the carbon demand of each province and city in 2022 according to the expected average annual growth rate, and finally concludes that using carbon emission intensity as the carbon emission reduction target of each region, and it cannot fundamentally solve the problem of carbon pollution in China. Compared to the regional carbon emission reduction target, there is a greater degree of regional imbalance in carbon intensity between provinces in China, and the target of reducing carbon emission intensity somehow avoids the fact that the carbon emission reduction intensity target can be achieved without reducing the absolute amount of carbon emissions that continue to increase. The focus of achieving the “double carbon” target lies in the reduction of total carbon emissions, and the target of reducing carbon intensity will eventually be transformed into a binding target of total carbon emissions in the process of implementation, so attention should be shifted from recessiontype carbon reduction and efficiency-type carbon reduction to innovative carbon reduction. It is necessary to increase investment in renewable energy, and gradually expand the scope of application of photovoltaic, and wind power to ensure the reduction of total carbon emissions.

The Impact of Industrial Agglomeration on Carbon Emission Intensity:Evidence from China

The paper measures the total carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity of different Chinese provinces between 2000 and 2012,then analyses the spatial features and dynamic evolution of carbon emission intensity through exploratory spatial data analysis,to explore its clustering characteristics of spatial and temporal distribution and dynamic evolution.The effect of industrial agglomeration on the carbon emission intensity in China is estimated by using spatial econometric model.According to the research,three new findings are revealed as follows:firstly,inter-provincial carbon emission intensity in middle-west and northeast areas is much higher than southeast areas in China.Secondly,the spatial domain dependence and difference of China's inter-provincial carbon intensity exist simultaneously.Thirdly,the elastic coefficient of carbon intensity for industrial agglomeration change is between-0.228%and-0.37%.On the basis of these conclusions,the paper will put forward several policy recommendations according to empirical study.

A hefty target of reducing the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions

At the end of January, China formally handed over the report on pollution reduction targets to the United Nations.

A Distributed Computing Algorithm for Electricity Carbon Emission Flow and Carbon Emission Intensity

The calculation of the indirect carbon emis-sion is essential for power system policy making,carbon market development,and power grid planning.The em-bedded carbon emissions of the electricity system are commonly calculated by carbon emission flow theory.However,the calculation procedure is time-consuming,especially for a country with 500-1000 thousand nodes,making it challenging to obtain nationwide carbon emis-sions intensity precisely.Additionally,the calculation procedure requires to gather all the grid data with high classified levels from different power grid companies,which can prevent data sharing and cooperation among different companies.This paper proposes a distributed computing algorithm for indirect carbon emission that can reduce the time consumption and provide privacy protection.The core idea is to utilize the sparsity of the nodes’flow matrix of the nationwide grid to partition the computing procedure into parallel sub-procedures exe-cuted in multiple terminals.The flow and structure data of the regional grid are transformed irreversibly for pri-vacy protection,when transmitted between terminals.A 1-master-and-N-slave layout is adopted to verify the method.This algorithm is suitable for large grid compa-nies with headquarter and branches in provinces,such as the State Grid Corporation of China.

Shifts in Carbon Stocks through Soil Profiles Following Management Change in Intensive Agricultural Systems

Soil carbon content is an important ecosystem property, especially under the ongoing climate change. The stability of soil organic matter (SOM) is controlled by environmental and biological factors including anthropogenic-induced agricultural management change. However, understanding the effects of anthropogenic activities (e.g., intensive agricultural practices) on carbon stability of soil profiles remains a challenge. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in carbon stocks through soil profiles following agricultural management change from grain fields to greenhouse vegetable fields. The sampling sites were located in an intensive vegetable production area in northernChina. A total of 20 pairs of grain fields (GF) and adjacent vegetable fields (VF) within a distance of50 mwere selected. The results showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) storage increased by 10.6 mg C ha-1 in upper soil layers but decreased by 5.3 mg C hm2 indeeper soil layers due to large input of organic manure and chemical fertilizer following the conversion from GF to VF. Conversion to VF also led to increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations. Extremely higher input of chemical N fertilizer in the VF led to the soil C:N ratio decreased by 2.02 times and the -N leached to deeper soils increased by 3.7 times compared to that in the GF. The pH value and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content were lower in the VF than in the GF. These results indicate that excessive nitrogen application as fertilizers might lead to deeper soil carbon depletion. Reducing nitrogen addition in intensive agricultural systems is thus necessary to reduce soil carbon loss and to maintain a relatively sustainable soil system.

Effect of thinning intensity on the stem CO_(2) efflux of Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr

Background:Stem CO_(2) efflux(E_(S))plays a critical role in the carbon budget of forest ecosystems.Thinning is a core practice for sustainable management of plantations.It is therefore necessary and urgent to study the effect and mechanism of thinning intensity(TI)on E_(S).Methods:In this study,five TIs were applied in Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr 21-,25-,and 41-year-old stands in North China in 2010.Portable infrared gas analyzer(Li-8100 A)was used to measure ES and its association with environmental factors at monthly intervals from May to October in 2013 to 2015.In addition,nutrients,wood structure and nonstructural carbon(NSC)data were measured in August 2016.Results:The results show that ES increased with increasing TI.The maximum ES values occurred at a TI of 35%(3.29,4.57 and 2.98μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1))and were 1.54-,1.94-and 2.89-fold greater than the minimum E_(S) value in the CK stands(2.14,2.35 and 1.03μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1))in July for the 21-,25-and 41-year-old forests,respectively.The E_(S) of the trees in low-density stands was more sensitive to temperature than that of the trees in high-density stands.Soluble sugars(SS)and temperature are the main factors affecting ES.When the stand density is low enough as 41-year-old L.principis-rupprechtii forests with TI 35%,bark thickness(BT)and humidity should be considered in addition to air temperature(T_(a)),wood temperature(T_(w)),sapwood width(SW),nitrogen concentration(N)and SS in the evaluation of ES.If a change in stand density is ignored,the CO_(2) released from individual 21-,25-and 41-year-old trees could be underestimated by 168.89%,101.94% and 200.49%,respectively.CO_(2) release was estimated based on the stem equation in combination with the factors influencing ES for reference.Conclusions:We suggest that it is not sufficient to conventional models which quantify ES only by temperature and that incorporating the associated drivers(e.g.density,SS,SW and N)based on stand density into conventional models can improve the accuracy of ES estimates.

Has EU ETS caused carbon leakage in the EU carbon-intensive industries?A study from the perspective of bilateral trade

Reducing carbon leakage is one of the important reasons that was put forward by the EU for their border adjustment tax proposal.However,there are not many empirical evidences supporting significant carbon leakage in the EU carbonintensive industries.This paper applied the structural breakpoint test for the time series of import and export of cement,aluminum,and steel between EU and China.No significant structural changes were detected in the import and export of cement and aluminum.However,there proved to be two breakpoints,i.e.,2003 and 2008,in the import and export of steel,in which at the second point the overall level of steel import increased.Furthermore,Granger causality test was applied to the carbon price from European Climate Exchange and the import and export of steel.It was found that the carbon price was the Granger cause for the changes of steel import,but not the Granger cause for the export.The results of the study showed that the impacts of EU ETS on the EU carbon-intensive industries were limited.Among the three industries,partial evidence of carbon leakage was only found in the steel industry.Therefore,reducing carbon leakage could not serve as a convincing justification for border adjustment tax.

中国粮食主产省区农业碳排放特征及影响因素

[目的]分析粮食主产省区农业碳排放特征及影响因素,为促进碳减排、农业可持续发展提供参考。[方法]基于农用投入物质、农作物种植、畜禽业养殖、秸秆焚烧4类农业碳排放源测算2010—2020年粮食主产区的农业碳排放并采用TAPIO脱钩模型和LMDI模型分析粮食主产区农业碳排放特征及影响因素。[结果]2010—2020年粮食主产区碳排放呈现先增长后下降的趋势,2010年的860.78 Mt增长至2020年的871.64 Mt,增加了10.86 Mt,增幅1.26%。2017年达到峰值927.68 Mt;农用投入物质为主要碳排放源。碳排放强度呈下降趋势,省域最高碳排强度可达3.99 t/万元。农业碳排放与经济增长的关系上,低排高产区为理想状态,目前,除河北省为低排高产区域,其余研究省域多数处于高排、低产区域。粮食主产区农业碳排放与农业经济的关系不断改善,2020年已有7省处于强脱钩状态。农业生产效率、地区产业结构、农村人口、农业产业结构是抑制碳排的主要因素。[结论]实现粮食主产区碳减排,促进农业可持续发展应从提升农业生产效率、控制畜禽出栏量和存栏量等多方面协同推进。