IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/nathaz/v82y2016i1d10.1007_s11069-016-2197-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quantification of CO2 emissions of macro-infrastructure in China with simplified life cycle assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Weining Yang

    (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology)

  • Zhongying Qi

    (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology)

Abstract

The main policies of China have promoted the development of the urbanization and the industrialization. The rise of infrastructure energy consumption shows the process of modernization in our country; however, despite there are a lot of researches about the energy consumption in the field of construction, transportation and other infrastructure, in academia, there are less statistics about energy consumption for the infrastructure as a whole, and its proportion in total energy consumption in the whole country. Thus, this paper tries to characterize infrastructures of China, which include construction, transportation, energy, water supply and drainage, post and telecommunication system by establishing an estimation model of infrastructure system CO2 emissions through national official macro-level statistical data. We employ the simplified LCCO2A method to analyze the activities in each stage and calculate associated CO2 emissions throughout infrastructures’ whole life cycle in China from 1993 to 2012. The results show that CO2 emissions from the infrastructure have rapidly grown over the past decades. The total emissions of the standard coal were 888.16 million tons in 1993, up to about 7.76 billion tons in 2012. The operation stage emissions dominate over the infrastructure emissions, accounting for 80–90 % of the impact. In this paper, on the one hand, from the perspective of the overall environmental benefits, we provide a more comprehensive environmental assessment analysis method for the policy makers. On the other hand, the infrastructure construction of China has periodic characteristic. We analyze the specific features of the infrastructure CO2 emissions in different stages, and put forward emission-reduction measures in consideration of the current conditions, which reflects that the key of balancing the relationship between modernization and environment is adjusting emission reduction policy according to different stages to adapt to the “new normal”. In addition, the method development is also important for future quantifications of CO2 emissions of other sectors in China and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Weining Yang & Zhongying Qi, 2016. "Quantification of CO2 emissions of macro-infrastructure in China with simplified life cycle assessment," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 82(1), pages 545-569, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:82:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11069-016-2197-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-016-2197-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-016-2197-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11069-016-2197-0?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chau, C.K. & Leung, T.M. & Ng, W.Y., 2015. "A review on Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Energy Assessment and Life Cycle Carbon Emissions Assessment on buildings," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 395-413.
    2. Poudenx, Pascal, 2008. "The effect of transportation policies on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission from urban passenger transportation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 901-909, July.
    3. Zhao Liu & Ling Li & Yue-Jun Zhang, 2015. "Investigating the CO 2 emission differences among China’s transport sectors and their influencing factors," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 77(2), pages 1323-1343, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Xinyu Liu & Daan Schraven & Mark de Bruijne & Martin de Jong & Marcel Hertogh, 2019. "Navigating Transitions for Sustainable Infrastructures—The Case of a New High-Speed Railway Station in Jingmen, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-21, August.

    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. Zong, Fang & Li, Yu-Xuan & Zeng, Meng, 2023. "Developing a carbon emission charging scheme considering mobility as a service," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    2. Cui, Yin & Li, Zhiyong & Sun, Yu & Sun, Weizheng, 2023. "Environmental performance of an urban passenger transport system and influencing factors: A case study of Tianjin, China," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    3. Sehyeon Kim & Markus Holz & Soojin Park & Yongbeum Yoon & Eunchel Cho & Junsin Yi, 2021. "Future Options for Lightweight Photovoltaic Modules in Electrical Passenger Cars," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-7, February.
    4. Patricia González-Vallejo & Radu Muntean & Jaime Solís-Guzmán & Madelyn Marrero, 2020. "Carbon Footprint of Dwelling Construction in Romania and Spain. A Comparative Analysis with the OERCO2 Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Lindsey, Marshall & Schofer, Joseph L. & Durango-Cohen, Pablo & Gray, Kimberly A., 2010. "Relationship between proximity to transit and ridership for journey-to-work trips in Chicago," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(9), pages 697-709, November.
    6. Zhang, Hong & Jin, Gui & Zhang, Zhengyu, 2021. "Coupling system of carbon emission and social economy: A review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    7. Ana Ferreira & Manuel Duarte Pinheiro & Jorge de Brito & Ricardo Mateus, 2022. "Embodied vs. Operational Energy and Carbon in Retail Building Shells: A Case Study in Portugal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    8. Mastrucci, Alessio & Marvuglia, Antonino & Leopold, Ulrich & Benetto, Enrico, 2017. "Life Cycle Assessment of building stocks from urban to transnational scales: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 316-332.
    9. Malin Song & Nan Wu & Kaiya Wu, 2014. "Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency of the Transportation Sector in Shanghai," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-16, February.
    10. Belen Moreno Santamaria & Fernando del Ama Gonzalo & Matthew Griffin & Benito Lauret Aguirregabiria & Juan A. Hernandez Ramos, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of Dynamic Water Flow Glazing Envelopes: A Case Study with Real Test Facilities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    11. Wang, Zhaohua & Liu, Qiang & Zhang, Bin, 2022. "What kinds of building energy-saving retrofit projects should be preferred? Efficiency evaluation with three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    12. Changwei Yuan & Jinrui Zhu & Shuai Zhang & Jiannan Zhao & Shibo Zhu, 2024. "Analysis of the Spatial Correlation Network and Driving Mechanism of China’s Transportation Carbon Emission Intensity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-23, April.
    13. Liu, Xiuli & Guo, Pibin & Yue, Xiaohang & Qi, Xiaoyan & Guo, Shufeng & Zhou, Xijun, 2021. "Measuring metabolic efficiency of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration: A slacks-based measures method," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    14. Zejun Yu & Yao Wang & Bin Zhao & Zhixin Li & Qingli Hao, 2023. "Research on Carbon Emission Structure and Model in Low-Carbon Rural Areas: Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-22, August.
    15. Brand, Christian & Anable, Jillian & Tran, Martino, 2013. "Accelerating the transformation to a low carbon passenger transport system: The role of car purchase taxes, feebates, road taxes and scrappage incentives in the UK," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 132-148.
    16. Kong, Minjin & Ji, Changyoon & Hong, Taehoon & Kang, Hyuna, 2022. "Impact of the use of recycled materials on the energy conservation and energy transition of buildings using life cycle assessment: A case study in South Korea," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    17. Claudia Calle Müller & Mohamed ElZomor, 2024. "Addressing Post-Disaster Challenges and Fostering Social Mobility through Origami Infrastructure and Construction Trade Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-17, April.
    18. Craig Langston & Edwin H. W. Chan & Esther H. K. Yung, 2018. "Hybrid Input-Output Analysis of Embodied Carbon and Construction Cost Differences between New-Build and Refurbished Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    19. Rosaria E.C. Amaral & Joel Brito & Matt Buckman & Elicia Drake & Esther Ilatova & Paige Rice & Carlos Sabbagh & Sergei Voronkin & Yewande S. Abraham, 2020. "Waste Management and Operational Energy for Sustainable Buildings: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-21, July.
    20. Michael W. Mehaffy, 2018. "Neighborhood “Choice Architecture”: A New Strategy for Lower-Emissions Urban Planning?," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 3(2), pages 113-127.

    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:spr:nathaz:v:82:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11069-016-2197-0. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.