Exploring the driving factors and their mitigation potential in global energy-related CO2 emission

In order to quantify the contribution of the mitigation strategies,an extended Kaya identity has been proposed in this paper for decomposing the various factors that influence the CO2 emission.To this end,we provided a detailed decomposition of the carbon intensity and energy intensity,which enables the quantification of clean energy development and electrification.The logarithmic mean divisia index(LMDI)has been applied to the historical data to quantify the contributions of the various factors affecting the CO2 emissions.Further,the global energy interconnection(GEI)scenario has been introduced for providing a systematic solution to meet the 2℃goal of the Paris Agreement.By combining LMDI with the scenario analysis,the mitigation potential of the various factors for CO2 emission has been analyzed.Results from the historical data indicate that economic development and population growth contribute the most to the increase in CO2 emissions,whereas improvement in the power generation efficiency predominantly helps in emission reduction.A numerical analysis,performed for obtaining the projected future carbon emissions,suggests that clean energy development and electrification are the top two factors that can decrease CO2 emissions,thus showing their great potential for mitigation in the future.Moreover,the carbon capture and storage technology serves as an important supplementary mitigation method.

CO2 emissions and their bearing on China＇s economic development： the long view

Greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in China have aroused much interest, and not least in recent evidence of their reduction. Our intent is to place that reduction in a larger context, that of the process of industrialization. A lengthy time perspective is combined with a cross-sectional approach-China plus five other countries-and addressed through two general models. The findings are salutary. First, they suggest that a diversified economic structure is consistent with diminished intensity in energy use. Secondly, and the obverse of the first, they imply that a diversified energy structure promotes reductions in CO2 emissions. Finally, one is led inevitably to the conclusion that, together, the findings point to a path for countries to transform their economies while at the same time undertaking to drastically moderate their energy use, switching from a pattern of heavy carbon emissions to one in which lighter carbon emissions prevail. The implications of such findings for environmental management are enormous.

Simulation and optimization of an industrial gas condensate stabilization unit to modify LPG and NGL production with minimizing CO2 emission to the environment

In the present study, a great effort was made to improve the performance of an industrial liquefied petroleum gas(LPG) and natural gas liquid(NGL) production unit in one of the major gas refinery located at Pars special economic zone in Iran. To demonstrate and obtain the optimal condition, the unit was simulated by using a steady-state flowsheet simulator, i.e. Aspen Plus, under different operational conditions. According to the simulation results,the unit was not operational under its optimal conditions due to some defects in the cooling system at top stage of the debutanizer tower(DBT) during hot and humid seasons. Additionally, the vapor pressure of produced LPG and accordingly the amount of its flaring were decreased by reducing the temperature of debutanizer tower at top stages. In the optimization section, the DBT condenser and reboiler heat duty, temperature, and pressure were regulated as adjustable parameters. The simulation results demonstrated that by applying the optimum suggestion in the hot months, the reflux stream temperature was reached about 55 ℃ which caused an efficient increment in LPG production(about 4%) with adjusting the propane component in LPG, based on the standard range as the plant criteria. Moreover, after applying modifications, about 750 t of LPG product was saved from flaring during five hot months of the year, which resulted in 360000 USD extra annual income for the company.Finally, from environmental point of view, this optimization caused to reduce 81 t of CO_2 emission to the environment. Therefore, the current investigation must be introduced as a friendly environmentally process.

An efficient methodology for utilization of K-feldspar and phosphogypsum with reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions

The issues of reducing CO_2 emissions, sustainably utilizing natural mineral resources, and dealing with industrial waste offer challenges for sustainable development in energy and the environment. We propose an efficient methodology via the co-reaction of K-feldspar and phosphogypsum for the extraction of soluble potassium salts and recovery of SO_2 with reduced CO_2 emission and energy consumption. The results of characterization and reactivity evaluation indicated that the partial melting of K-feldspar and phosphogypsum in the hightemperature co-reaction significantly facilitated the reduction of phosphogypsum to SO_2 and the exchange of K^+(K-feldspar) with Ca^(2+)(CaSO_4 in phosphogypsum). The reaction parameters were systematically investigated with the highest sulfur recovery ratio of ~ 60% and K extraction ratio of ~ 87.7%. This novel methodology possesses an energy consumption reduction of ~ 28% and CO_2 emission reduction of ~ 55% comparing with the present typical commercial technologies for utilization of K-feldspar and the treatment of phosphogypsum.

CO2 emission driving forces and corresponding mitigation strategies under low-carbon economy mode:evidence from China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

On account of the background of China's "new normal" characterized by slower economic growth, this paper analyses the low-carbon economy status quo in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and empirically investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide(CO_2) emissions and its various factors for China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region using panel data econometric technique. We find evidence of existence of Environmental Kuznets Curve. Results also show that economic scale, industrial structure, and urbanization rate are crucial factors to promote CO_2emissions. However, technological progress, especially the domestic independent research and development, plays a key role in C0_2 emissions abatement. Next, we further analyze the correlation between each subregion and various factors according to Grey Relation Analysis. Thereby,our findings provide important implications for policymakers in air pollution control and C0_2 emissions reduction for this region.

Temperature Effect Investigation toward Peat Surface CO2 Emissions by Planting Leguminous Cover Crops in Oil Palm Plantations in West Kalimantan

The aim of this research was to know the impact of planting leguminous cover crops （LCCs） of Mucuna bracteata and Calopogonium mucunoides in oil palm plantation on peatland on reducing CO2 emissions. Atmosphere temperature, peat surface temperature, in-closed chamber temperature and peat surface CO2 fluxes were monitored on two adjacent experimental plots. The first experimental plot was on the newly opened peat surface （NOPS） and another was on the eight years planted oil palm land （EPOL）. The closed chamber techniques adopted from International Atomic Energy Agency （IAEA） （1993） were implemented to trap CO2 emissions emitted from 24 treatment plots at the 1st, 3rd and 6th months observations. Average CO2 fluxes observed on no LCCs plots in the NOPS site were 61.25 ± 8.98, 33.76 ± 2.92 and 33.75 ± 3.45 g/m2.h, while in the EPOL site were 55.38 ± 15.95, 29.90 ± 5.32 and 27.70 ± 4.62 g/mLh at the 1st, 3rd and 6th months monitoring, respectively. Average CO2 fluxes observed on the planted M. bracteata plots in the NOPS site were 68.2 ± 24.5, 12.88 ± 3.70 and 10.40 ± 1.28 g/m2.h, whereas in the EPOL site were 54.04 ± 6.70, 11.45 ± 2.00 and 9.33 ± 3.49 g/m2.h at the 1st, 3rd and 6th months monitoring, respectively. Average CO2 flux observed on the planted C. mucunoides plots in the NOPS site were 66.5 ± 23.7, 15.41 ± 1.51 and 9.74 ± 2.55 g/m2.h, while in the EPOL site were 47.00 ± 5.00, 9.34 ± 1.23 and 10.52 ± 4.80 g/m2.h at the 1st, 3rd and 6th months, respectively. P-value for the experimental sites was 0.008 （〈 0.05）, indicating the significant difference in the level of CO2 fluxes between the sites. P-value for the treatments in the experimental plots was 0.000 （〈 0.05）, indicating markedly different level of CO2 fluxes among treatments. P-value for the age ofM. bracteata and C. mucunoides planted on the experimental plots was 0.000 （〈 0.05）, indicating the significant difference in the level of CO2 fluxes due to the enhanced LCCs age performing at the increase of shading effects. The comparison of CO2 fluxes among experimental plots shows that planting M. bracteata and C. mucunoides on the peatland could reduce CO2 emission.

The Influence of Allowance Allocation Methods on CO2 Emission Reduction： Experiences From the Seven China Pilots

One of the key elements influencing the performance of a carbon trading system, are the methods of allocating the initial CO2 emissions. This paper tries to use a quantitative description method to analyze the influence of the different allocation methods on the level of CO2 emissions based on the seven pilot trading markets from 2009 to 2013 in China. The results show that different methods bring about various degrees of impacts, through direct and indirect constraint mechanism, influence the CO2 emission cut finally. Although due to the complexity of the direct and indirect constraint mechanism, attempting to compare the effects of different allocation methods is difficult by using the data of carbon emission cut from seven pilot markets in China, the paper shows that the allowance allocation methods, through the constraints imposed on enterprises, significantly reduce regional carbon emissions.

Life Cycle Input-Output Analysis Extended to Use, Disposal, and Recycling Stages Applied to Embodied CO2 Emissions of a Refrigerator

Input-output analysis is widely employed to analyze inventories of a product＇s embodied energy and environmental burdens. However, input-output analysis focuses only on the production stage and ignores other life cycle phases. Input-output analysis is not exactly a LCA （life cycle assessment） method in the strict sense of ISO 14040 standards, which must cover all stages of a product＇s life cycle, ＂from the cradle to the grave＂, so to speak. A tiered hybrid LCA is a useful tool that covers all life cycle stages by combining a process analysis with the input-output analysis method. This study aims to extend input-output analysis to the use, disposal, and recycling stages by using matrix-based method. The new method is applied to the analysis of the embodied CO2 emissions of a refrigerator as a case study. The entire life cycle C02 emissions are estimated to be 2.9 tons, including indirect emissions, and the reduction in CO2 emissions due to recycling steel scrap is calculated as 48.5 kg. The authors conclude that the new method enables a consistent inventory analysis for all life cycle stages by combining process and input-output methods.

CO2 Emission from Electricity Generation in Malaysia： A Decomposition Analysis

In tenth Malaysian Plan, Malaysian government had voluntarily targeted to reduce its emission intensity to 40% compared to the 2005 level by the year 2020 and recently re-pledge to reduce more and declared for 45% emission reduction by 2030. Looking at the country＇s high dependency to the fossil fuel generation it is a high concern on the increasing CO2 emission in Malaysia. This paper intends to analyze the current status of CO2 emissions from electricity generation in Malaysia during the period 1992-2014 by applying the LMDI （logarithmic mean Divisia index） technique to find the nature of the factors influencing the changes in CO2 emissions. The decomposition analysis observed three biggest factors contributed to the reduction of CO2 emission throughout the period which is thermal generation effect, electricity generation efficiency effect and electricity structure effect.

Iron ores matching analysis and optimization for iron-making system by taking energy consumption,CO2 emission or cost minimization as the objective

An optimization model for iron-making system covering sinter matching process to blast furnace process is established, in which the energy consumption, CO_2 emission and cost minimizations are taken as optimization objectives. Some key constraints are considered according to practical production experience in the modelling. The combination of linear programming(LP)and nonlinear programming(NLP) methods is applied. The optimal sinter matching scheme under given conditions and the optimization results for different objectives are obtained. Effects of sinter grade and basicity on all the optimal objectives and coke ratio in blast furnace process are analyzed, respectively. The results obtained indicate that compared with the initial values,the energy consumption/CO_2 emission of iron-making system decreases by 2.03% for objectives of energy consumption/CO_2 emission minimizations and 1.89% for the objective of cost minimization, the cost decreases by 17.88% and 18.13%, respectively.All the three criteria decrease with the increasing lump usage, coal powder injection, blast temperature, and decreasing coke ratio for the iron-making system.

Energy use, CO2 emission and foreign direct investment： Is there any inconsistence between causal relations？

In this study, the causal relations between inward foreign direct investment （FDI）-energy use per capita and inward FDI-CO2 emission per capita were analyzed and the inconsistency between the causal relations was investigated via bootstrap-corrected panel causality test and cross-correlation analysis. In this direction, data from 76 countries including the period of 1980-2009 was processed. No supportive evidence was found for changing causal relations to country group which was classified into income level. The findings indicated that while the pollution haven hypothesis was supported for Mozambique, United Arab Emirates and Oman, the pollution halo hypothesis was supported in the case of India, Iceland, Panama and Zambia. For other countries, energy use and CO2 emission were neutral to inward FDI flows in aggregated level. Furthermore, this study urged that increased （decreased） energy use due to the inward FD1 flows did not necessarily mean an increase （decrease） in pollution level, and vice versa. For policy purpose, FDI attractive policy should be regulated by taking into account this possibility.

Measuring the Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on CO2 Emissions in Laos

This paper aims to explore the determinants of C〇2 emissions in Laos by accounting for the significant role played by foreign direct investment(FDI)in influencing C 02 emissions during the period 1990-2017.We apply a Johansen co-integration testing approach to investigate the presence of co-integration,and the empirical findings underscore the presence of a long-run co-integration relationship between CO2 emissions,FDI,per capita GDP,and industrial structure.We also employ an error-correcting model to examine the short-term dynamic effect of FDI on CO2 emissions.The empirical results show that FDI has a significant short-term dynamic effect on changes in CO2 emissions,indicating that the relationship between FDI and CO2 emissions is an inverted U-shaped curve.This is a validation of the EKC.Changes of FDI,per capita GDP,and industrial structure increase CO2 emissions.Based on the analysis results,this paper puts forward policy suggestions emphasizing the need for both Laotian policymakers and Chinese investors to improve eco-environmental quality.

Analysis on CO2 Emissions Transferred from Developed Economies to China through Trade

Based on a global input-output model, this paper investigates the CO2 emission transfer between China and developed economies through trade. The results show that approximately 15-23 percent of China＇s production-based emissions during 1995-2009 were induced by the production of goods and services satisfying final demand in developed economies. Decomposition of emission transfers shows that trade of intermediate products played a significant role in emission transfer from developed economies to China. Most developed economies have consumption-based emission responsibilities that are higher than their production-based responsibilities, whereas China＇s consumption-based responsibility is significantly lower than its production-based responsibility. We argue that a fair and efficient carbon accounting approach should take CO 2 emission transfers from developed economies to developing economies into consideration. It is important that China and its developed trade partners cooperate in reducing emission transfers.

Analysis of CO2 Emissions and the Mechanism of the Industrial Enterprises above Designated Size（IEDS） in Resource-based Cities by Application of Geographical Detector Technology

Resource-based cities are the most important players in responding to climate change and achieving low carbon development in China.An analysis of relevant data(such as the energy consumption)showed an inter-city differentiation of CO2 emissions from energy consumption,and suggested an influence of the Industrial Enterprises above Designated Size(IEDS)in resource-based industrial cities at the prefecture level and above in different regions.Then by geographical detector technology,the sizes of each influencing mechanism on CO2 emissions from energy consumption of the IEDS were probed.This analysis showed that significant spatial differences exist for CO2 emissions from energy consumption and revealed several factors which influence the IEDS in resource-based cities.(1)In terms of unit employment,Eastern and Western resource-based cities are above the overall level of all resource-based cities;and only Coal resource-based cities far exceeded the overall level among all of the cities in the analysis.(2)In terms of unit gross industrial output value,the Eastern,Central and Western resources-based cities are all above the overall level for all the cities.Here also,only Coal resource-based cities far exceeded the overall level of all resources-based cities.Economic scale and energy structure are the main factors influencing CO2 emissions from energy consumption of the IEDS in resource-based cities.The factors influencing CO2 emissions in different regions and types of resource-based cities show significant spatial variations,and the degree of influence that any given factor exerts varies among different regions and types of resource-based cities.Therefore,individualized recommendations should be directed to different regions and types of resource-based cities,so that the strategies and measures of industrial low carbon and transformation should vary greatly according to the specific conditions that exist in each city.

Effect of intensity and duration of freezing on soil microbial biomass,extractable C and N pools,and N2O and CO2 emissions from forest soils in cold temperate region

Freezing can increase the emissions of carbon dioxide （CO2） and nitrous oxide （N2O） and the release of labile car- bon （C） and nitrogen （N） pools into the soil. However, there is limited knowledge about how both emissions respond differ- ently to soil freezing and their relationships to soil properties. We evaluated the effect of intensity and duration of freezing on the emissions of CO2 and N2O, net N mineralization, microbial biomass, and extractable C and N pools in soils from a mature broadleaf and Korean pine mixed forest and an adjacent secondary white birch forest in northeastern China. These soils had different contents of microbial biomass and bulk density. Intact soil cores of 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depth sampled from the two temperate forest floors were subjected to -8, -18, and -80℃ freezing treatments for a short （10 d） and long （145 d） duration, and then respectively incubated at 10~C for 21 d. Soil cores, incubated at 10℃ for 21 d without a pretreatment of freezing, served as control. Emissions of N20 and COz after thaw varied with forest type, soil depth, and freezing treatment. The differ- ence could be induced by the soil water-filled pore space （WFPS） during incubation and availability of substrates for N20 and CO2 production, which are released by freezing. A maximum N2O emission following thawing of frozen soils was observed at approximately 80% WFPS, whereas CO2 emission from soils after thaw significantly increased with increasing WFPS. The soil dissolved organic C just after freezing treatment and CO2 emission increased with increase of freezing duration, which paralleled with a decrease in soil microbial biomass C. The cumulative net N mineralization and net ammonification after freezing treatment as well as N2O emission were significantly affected by freezing temperature. The N2O emission was nega- tively correlated to soil pH and bulk density, but positively correlated to soil KzSO4-extractable NO3 -N content and net am- monification. The CO2 emission was positively correlated to the cumulative net N mineralization and net ammonification. From the above results, it can be reasonably concluded that for a wide range of freezing temperature and freezing duration, N2O and CO2 emissions after thaw were associated mainly with the changes in soil net N mineralization and the availability of substrate liberated by freezing as well as other soil properties that influence porosity.

CO2 emissions from cement industry in China： A bottom-up estimation from factory to regional and national levels

Much attention is being given to estimating cement-related CO2 emissions in China. However, scant explicit and systematical exploration is being done on regional and national CO2 emission volumes. The aim of this work is therefore to provide an improved bottom-up spatial-integration system, relevant to CO2 emissions at factory level, to allow a more accurate estimation of the CO2 emissions from cement production. Based on this system, the sampling data of cement production lines were integrated as regional- and national-level information. The integration results showed that each ton of clinker produced 883 kg CO2, of which the process, fuel, and electricity emissions accounted for 58.70%, 35.97%, and 5.33%, respectively. The volume of CO2 emissions from clinker and cement production reached 1202 Mt and 1284 Mt, respectively, in 2013. A discrepancy was identified between the clinker emission factors relevant to the two main production processes （i.e., the new suspension preheating and pre-calcining kiln （NSP） and the vertical shaft kiln （VSK））, probably relevant to the energy efficiency of the two technologies. An analysis of the spatial characteristics indi- cated that the spatial distribution of the clinker emission factors mainly corresponded to that of the NSP process. The discrepancy of spatial pattern largely complied with the economic and population distribution pattern of China. The study could fill the knowledge gaps and provide role players with a useful spatial integration system that should facilitate the accurate estimation of carbon and corresponding regional mitigation strategies in China.

Analyzing and forecasting CO2 emission reduction in China＇s steel industry

Recent measures of carbon dioxide emissions from the steel industry of China have indicated a high rate of total CO2 emissions from the industry, even compared to the rest of the world. So, CO2 emission reduction in China＇s steel industry was analyzed, coupling the whole process and scenarios analysis. First, assuming that all available advanced technologies are almost adopted, this study puts forward some key potential-sectors and explores an optimal technical route for reducing CO2 emissions from the Chinese steel industry based on whole process analysis. The results show that in the stages of coking, sintering, and iron making, greater potential for reducing emissions would be fulfilled by taking some technological measures. If only would above well-developed technolo- gies be fulfill, the CO2 emissions from 5 industry production stages would be reduced substantially, and CO2 emissions per ton of steel could be decreased to 1.24 （ton/ton-steel） by 2020. At the same time, the scenarios analysis indicates that if mature carbon-reducing technol- ogies are adopted, and if the difference between steel output growth rate and the GDP growth rate could be controlled below 3%, CO2 emissions from China＇s steel industry would approach the goal of reducing CO2 emissions per GDP unit by 40%-45% of the 2005 level by 2020. This indicates that the focus of carbon dioxide emissions reduction in China lies in policy adjustments in order to enhance technological application, and lies in reasonably controlling the pace of growth of GDP and steel output.

Comparative study of energy consumption and CO2 emissions between Beijing and London

From the view of geographic location, climate and population status, this paper makes a comparative study of the economy structure, transport system, energy supply and carbon emissions among a few cities, especially between Beijing and London, two mega-cities in the world. The developed tertiary industry, consummate transport system and low-carbon energy supply system in London can be referenced to assist Beijing in establishing a low-carbon development pathway. The difference in the statistical coverage of population between these two cities also brings about the divergence of energy consumption per capita and CO2 emissions per capita between them.

Intelligent optimization of renewable resource mixes incorporating the effect of fuel risk, fuel cost and CO2 emission

Power system planning is a capital intensive investment-decision problem. The majority of the conven- tional planning conducted since the last half a century has been based on the least cost approach, keeping in view the optimization of cost and reliability of power supply. Recently, renewable energy sources have found a niche in power system planning owing to concerns arising from fast depletion of fossil fuels, fuel price volatility as well as global climatic changes. Thus, power system planning is under-going a paradigm shift to incorporate such recent technologies. This paper assesses the impact of renewable sources using the portfolio theory to incorporate the effects of fuel price volatility as well as CO2 emissions. An optimization framework using a robust multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, namely NSGA-II, is developed to obtain Pareto optimal solutions. The performance of the proposed approach is assessed and illustrated using the Indian power system considering real-time design prac- tices. The case study for Indian power system validates the efficacy of the proposed methodology as developing countries are also increasing the investment in green energy to increase awareness about clean energy technologies.

An Analysis of the Increase of CO2 Emissions in China： Based on an SDA technique

This paper creates an extended import-competitive economy-energy-environmental input/output model and employs a structural decomposition analysis （SDA） approach based on double-layer nested structural formulae to break down China＇s carbon dioxide emissions growth between 1992 and 2007from three perspectives： the overall economy, by-industry and by industrial sectors. Analysis results indicate that the energy intensity effect remains the biggest factor behind carbon emissions reduction. This paper also .found that between 2002 and 2007, China＇s carbon emissions growth obviously accelerated compared to the previous period, which indicates a ＂high carbon＂ tendency in the new round of industrialization. Therefore, in addition to developing a circular economy and clean production, accelerating the phasing out of backward capacities, and developing new energies, China should further encompass the positive role of energy intensity.