IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i13p5681-d1428227.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessment and Driving Factors of Embodied Carbon Emissions in the Construction Sector: Evidence from 2005 to 2021 in Northeast China

Author

Listed:
  • Xujie Sun

    (College of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Heilongjiang Institute of Technology, Harbin 150050, China)

  • Xiaocun Zhang

    (School of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Geography Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China)

Abstract

Reducing embodied carbon emissions in the construction sector is pivotal for achieving sustainable development goals, mainly those related to health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action. Hence, it is crucial to delve into the trends and influencing factors of construction-embodied carbon, especially in countries like China, where extensive construction projects are underway. Previous studies have investigated carbon emissions at both national and regional levels, whereas research specific to the construction sector in Northeast China remains limited. This study assessed the embodied carbon of the construction sector in Northeast China from 2005 to 2021. The results indicated that embodied carbon initially rose before declining, peaking at 278.9 MtCO 2e in 2012. Based on the Logistic Mean Divided Index (LMDI) approach, the variations in embodied carbon were decomposed into seven driving factors, including emission source structure, embodied carbon intensity, construction mechanization, machinery requirement, industrial structure, economic development, and population scale. While construction mechanization and economic development were identified as primary drivers of the changes in embodied carbon, carbon emission intensity and population scale exerted inhibiting effects on the rise. Moreover, potential strategies for mitigating construction-embodied carbon in Northeast China were delineated, underscoring the regionality across different provinces. The results and suggestions can help foster a low-carbon construction industry from a provincial perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Xujie Sun & Xiaocun Zhang, 2024. "Assessment and Driving Factors of Embodied Carbon Emissions in the Construction Sector: Evidence from 2005 to 2021 in Northeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:13:p:5681-:d:1428227
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5681/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5681/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Swan, Lukas G. & Ugursal, V. Ismet, 2009. "Modeling of end-use energy consumption in the residential sector: A review of modeling techniques," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(8), pages 1819-1835, October.
    2. Lu, Mengxue & Lai, Joseph, 2020. "Review on carbon emissions of commercial buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Zhang, Junjie & Yan, Zengfeng & Bi, Wenbei & Ni, Pingan & Lei, Fuming & Yao, Shanshan & Lang, Jiachen, 2023. "Prediction and scenario simulation of the carbon emissions of public buildings in the operation stage based on an energy audit in Xi'an, China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    4. Smriti Mallapaty, 2020. "How China could be carbon neutral by mid-century," Nature, Nature, vol. 586(7830), pages 482-483, October.
    5. Ang, B. W., 2005. "The LMDI approach to decomposition analysis: a practical guide," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 867-871, May.
    6. Huo, Tengfei & Cong, Xiaobo & Cheng, Cong & Cai, Weiguang & Zuo, Jian, 2023. "What is the driving mechanism for the carbon emissions in the building sector? An integrated DEMATEL-ISM model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    7. Huang, Lizhen & Krigsvoll, Guri & Johansen, Fred & Liu, Yongping & Zhang, Xiaoling, 2018. "Carbon emission of global construction sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 1906-1916.
    8. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W. & Wang, H., 2012. "Energy and CO2 emission performance in electricity generation: A non-radial directional distance function approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 221(3), pages 625-635.
    9. Zou, Chenchen & Ma, Minda & Zhou, Nan & Feng, Wei & You, Kairui & Zhang, Shufan, 2023. "Toward carbon free by 2060: A decarbonization roadmap of operational residential buildings in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    10. Ma, Minda & Ma, Xin & Cai, Wei & Cai, Weiguang, 2020. "Low carbon roadmap of residential building sector in China: Historical mitigation and prospective peak," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Kai & Ma, Minda & Xiang, Xiwang & Feng, Wei & Ma, Zhili & Cai, Weiguang & Ma, Xin, 2022. "Carbon reduction in commercial building operations: A provincial retrospection in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PB).
    2. Khozema Ahmed Ali & Mardiana Idayu Ahmad & Yusri Yusup, 2020. "Issues, Impacts, and Mitigations of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the Building Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-11, September.
    3. Pérez-Sánchez, Laura À. & Velasco-Fernández, Raúl & Giampietro, Mario, 2022. "Factors and actions for the sustainability of the residential sector. The nexus of energy, materials, space, and time use," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    4. Li, Dezhi & Huang, Guanying & Zhu, Shiyao & Chen, Long & Wang, Jiangbo, 2021. "How to peak carbon emissions of provincial construction industry? Scenario analysis of Jiangsu Province," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    5. Wang, Changjian & Miao, Zhuang & Chen, Xiaodong & Cheng, Yu, 2021. "Factors affecting changes of greenhouse gas emissions in Belt and Road countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    6. Xiaogang Song & Shufan Zhai & Na Zhou, 2024. "The Carbon Emissions from Public Buildings in China: A Systematic Analysis of Evolution and Spillover Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-22, August.
    7. Li, Rui & Liu, Qiqi & Cai, Weiguang & Liu, Yuan & Yu, Yanhui & Zhang, Yihao, 2023. "Echelon peaking path of China's provincial building carbon emissions: Considering peak and time constraints," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    8. Wang, Miao & Feng, Chao, 2021. "The consequences of industrial restructuring, regional balanced development, and market-oriented reform for China's carbon dioxide emissions: A multi-tier meta-frontier DEA-based decomposition analysi," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    9. Zhen Hu & Mei Wang & Zhe Cheng, 2022. "Mapping the knowledge development and trend of household energy consumption," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6053-6071, May.
    10. Xiang, Xiwang & Ma, Minda & Ma, Xin & Chen, Liming & Cai, Weiguang & Feng, Wei & Ma, Zhili, 2022. "Historical decarbonization of global commercial building operations in the 21st century," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 322(C).
    11. Vaisi, Salah & Varmazyari, Pouya & Esfandiari, Masoud & Sharbaf, Sara A., 2023. "Developing a multi-level energy benchmarking and certification system for office buildings in a cold climate region," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    12. Miao, Ankang & Yuan, Yue & Wu, Han & Ma, Xin & Shao, Chenyu & Xiang, Sheng, 2024. "Pathway for China's provincial carbon emission peak: A case study of the Jiangsu Province," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    13. Chen, Jiandong & Xu, Chong & Huang, Shuo & Shen, Zhiyang & Song, Malin & Wang, Shiqi, 2022. "Adjusted carbon intensity in China: Trend, driver, and network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    14. Nie, Hongguang & Kemp, René, 2014. "Index decomposition analysis of residential energy consumption in China: 2002–2010," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 10-19.
    15. Jiaojiao Yang & Ting Wang & Yujie Hu & Qiyun Deng & Shu Mo, 2023. "Comparative Analysis of Research Trends and Hotspots of Foreign and Chinese Building Carbon Emissions Based on Bibliometrics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-24, June.
    16. Chen, Xing & Lin, Boqiang, 2021. "Towards carbon neutrality by implementing carbon emissions trading scheme: Policy evaluation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    17. Chao Dai & Yuan Tan & Shuangping Cao & Hong Liao & Jie Pu & Haiyan Huang & Weiguang Cai, 2024. "Analysis and Short-Term Peak Forecasting of the Driving Factors of Carbon Emissions in the Construction Industry at the Provincial Level in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-15, August.
    18. Tang, Liwei & Luo, Mansi & Li, Ke & Zhang, Fan, 2024. "Driving factors and peaking of CO2 emissions: An empirical analysis of Hunan Province," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    19. Yan, Ran & Ma, Minda & Zhou, Nan & Feng, Wei & Xiang, Xiwang & Mao, Chao, 2023. "Towards COP27: Decarbonization patterns of residential building in China and India," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 352(C).
    20. He, Jianjian & Yang, Yi & Liao, Zhongju & Xu, Anqi & Fang, Kai, 2022. "Linking SDG 7 to assess the renewable energy footprint of nations by 2030," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:13:p:5681-:d:1428227. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.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.