•Household indirect energy consumption is decomposed by input-output subsystem method.•Indirect consumption is 1.3 and 1.65 times of direct in 2012 and 2017 respectively.•Coal indirect consumption ...accounts for 50.2%, 54.6% in 2012 and 2017 respectively.•Spillover effect is the most one among the four components.•Ferrous metal smelting and rolling sector is most affected by household activities.
In recent years, China's rapid economic development and steady growth of household consumption have contributed to the continuous growth of energy consumption. In addition to considering direct household energy consumption, the indirect effects of people's consumption activities on energy consumption in other productive sectors can't be ignored. According to the input-output analysis framework and consumer lifestyle analysis, this paper mainly studies the direct and indirect consumption of energy by Chinese household consumption ways and the relationship between energy structure and lifestyle. From the perspective of structural analysis, the input-output subsystem model (scale component, own internal component, feed-back component and spillover component) is used to analyze the energy supply and demand relations among 36 sectors of the national economy related to the lives of household in 2012 and 2017, revealing the change trend and transmission mechanism. This paper also focuses on the impact of household consumption ways on energy consumption of industrial sector and changing consumer lifestyles on energy saving, meanwhile it also forecasts China's future household energy consumption under four scenarios. The results show that in 2012 and 2017, total consumption of energy which is influenced by household consumption ways in China is 28461.82 PJ and 44759.96 PJ, respectively, accounting for 26.9% and 34.1% of total consumption of final energy. The indirect energy consumption is 1.3 times and 1.65 times of direct, respectively. The coal consumption accounts for the majority of indirect energy consumption. The smelting and pressing of ferrous metals is the industrial sector which is most affected by the household consumption ways. The scale component, own internal component, feed-back component and spillover component has accounted for 18.5%, 1.3%, 0.1% and 80.0%, from 17.5%, 2.0%, 0.2% and 80.3% of energy consumption in total, respectively. Under the four scenario development modes (NN, NA, LN and LA), it is predicted that the indirect energy consumption in household life in 2025 is 43740.56PJ, 34922.93PJ, 39149.37PJ and 31257.28PJ, respectively. The implementation of low-carbon consumption mode and the accelerated decline of energy intensity will help to reduce energy consumption.
China's paper industry development is rapid, but the recycling rate of China's waste paper has been low all the time. Meanwhile, material flow analysis can help determine the flow of waste paper, and ...life cycle assessment (LCA) is the methodological framework for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, present study integrates these two methods into the model construction of China's waste paper recycling decision system. Present study constructs a benchmark model of China's waste paper recycling decision system in 2017, focusing on the impact of nonstandard waste paper recycling on the economic and environmental benefits of China's domestic waste paper recycling system. This model construction is followed by sensitivity analysis of the relevant parameters affecting the efficiency of the waste paper recycling system. Finally, present study forecasts the system's economic benefits and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the context of integrating and regulating nonstandard recycling vendors. The results show that the economic benefit of China's waste paper recycling in 2017 is approximately 458.3 yuan/t and that the GHG emissions are 901.1 kgCO2eq. The standard recovery rate and nonstandard recovery acceptance rate will both have a significant impact on the system's economic benefits and improve the GHG emissions structure. In the context of integrating nonstandard recycling enterprises and individual recycling vendors, the economic benefits will rise to 3312.5 yuan/t in 2030, while GHG emissions will rise to 942.9 kgCO2eq. Present study can play a certain guiding role for policy makers in formulating waste paper recycling industry specifications and formulating relevant policies.
•Present study constructs the life cycle framework of Chinese paper and paperboard by the combination of MFA and LCA.•Quantitative analysis of the economic benefits and GHG emissions generated by China's waste paper recycling system.•Sensitivity analysis on the main parameters of the economic and environmental benefits of the waste paper recycling system.•Benefits of China’s waste paper recycling from 2018 to 2030 are evaluated by integrating nostandard and standard recycling.
To study the key drivers of China's carbon dioxide emissions, this study combines the structural decomposition analysis method and the input-output subsystem analysis method to construct a ...decomposition model of the factors influencing the amount of change of the carbon dioxide emissions in China. From the perspective of final demand, this decomposition model (own internal component, feed-back component, spillover component, scale component) is used to analyze the amount of change of China's carbon dioxide emissions in the two periods of 2012–2017 and 2017–2018. Four scenarios are set up to predict the carbon dioxide emissions of China before 2035. The results show that in 2012, 2017 and 2018, the carbon dioxide emissions generated by final demand were respectively 9,018,810, 8,715,226, and 8,803,201 kt, of which the spillover component accounted for the largest share, namely 85.5%, 85.6% and 84.7% respectively. This indicates that the increase of carbon dioxide emissions in China is due to intersectoral pulling effects, and the activities of the Construction sector have had pulling effects on the carbon dioxide emissions of other sectors to a greater extent. The energy intensity effect is the significant influencing factor that inhibits carbon dioxide emissions and economic development is the main driver of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions; this implies that changing the current energy structure is necessary to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The technical progress scenario (QN) and the energy structure optimization scenario (GN) are predicted to achieve the carbon peak in 2025 and 2030, respectively.
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•Total carbon emissions generated by final demand are decomposed into four subsystems, with a structural decomposition.•The spillover components account for the largest proportion of carbon emissions.•Construction industry has pulled the carbon emissions of other sectors to a greater extent.•Under GN and QG scenarios, it is expected to achieve carbon peak in 2025 and 2030 respectively.•Technical improvements are effective in most sectors.
Tackling coal-burning industrial boilers is one of the key solutions to meeting the climate change and solving the environmental problem in China. Assessing the economics of various options to ...address coal-fired boilers is essential to identify cost-effective solutions. This paper discusses our work in conducting a comprehensive techno-economic analysis to evaluate various strategies for improving efficiency and maximize fuel-switching of industrial boilers. The analysis focused on three options: (1) fuel switching to replace coal with alternative fuels for small size of boilers; (2) retrofitting boilers through a series of efficiency improvement measures; (3) developing community-scale, distributed systems to replace otherwise scattered boilers operated by individual industrial facilities. Key barriers that prevent these solutions from being fully captured are discussed and policy recommendations to tackle these barriers are provided.
•Tackling coal use in industrial boilers becomes a key solution to climate change.•Three options to address coal-fired industrial boilers in China are analyzed.•We examine various barriers that prevent opportunities from being fully captured.•We recommend actions needed to remove the barriers.
•Analyzing coal production capacity from the perspectives of market and quantifying government regulation.•A simultaneous equation model (SEM) is built to explore the formation mechanism of China’s ...coal production capacity.•Effect of production capacity policy is inconsistent between two levels of government.•By 2020, coal supply is projected to be at least 109 million tons greater than coal demand.
This study thoroughly explored the origin of coal production capacity using simultaneous equation model (SEM) with 2006–2014 data sample. Scenario analysis, including market regulation scenario (MRS), central policy strengthening scenario (CPE), and two-level government policy strengthening scenario (TPE), was also conducted to determine the degree of influence on resolving overcapacity considering construction industry development, policy control, forecasted coal production capacity, and future supply and demand changes. Results show that (1) construction industry development plays a significant and sustained role in the advancement of four major coal-consuming industries. (2) Construction industry development, coal prices, industrial policy, and natural resources positively affect capacity investments in coal production. (3) The policies put forward by the central government inhibiting capacity investments exert greater effect than those promoting capacity investments. (4) The central and local governments make production policies based on their independent interests has minimal success. And the effect of refinement policies by local governments is generally better than that of those by the central government. (5) Under MRS, CPE, and TPE, the coal production capacity (CPC) will reach 5.399, 5.044, and 4.952 billion tons, respectively, by 2020; the coal supply will reach 4.304, 4.174, and 4.139 billion tons, respectively, by 2020. The coal demand will reach 4.03 billion tons by 2020. By 2020, coal supply is projected to be at least 109 million tons greater than coal demand. From industrial restructuring and upgrading to refining and implementing capacity policies are suggested along with the market-oriented reform of the supply side of coal industry.
Based on the classic Keynesian theory of money demand and city panel data, in this study, we investigate the impacts of different money demand motives on urban household consumption in China, and ...provide ideas for promoting sustainable growth in household consumption in China. The results of this study show the following: First, in general, the theory of money demand motivation can adequately explain household consumption in large and medium-sized cities in China. Second, the CPI time series has a significant adverse effect on the real money demand of most households. Third, residents significantly reduce food consumption to satisfy speculative money demand for financial instruments, and the lower the income level, the keener households are to invest in high-risk stocks. Fourth, even for high-income households, the precautionary money demand generated via the purchase of commercial insurance still has a significant crowding-out effect on their total consumption. Social security spending, which reduces the precautionary money demand of households, has a much more positive impact on high-income households.
Recycling medical plastic waste has the potential to significantly reduce environmental pollution while also providing significant economic benefits. This study develops a benchmark model for the ...benefit evaluation of China's medical plastic waste recycling decision system in 2019, focusing on the recovery system's benefits and costs. Following model construction, a sensitivity analysis is conducted on the relevant parameters affecting the recycling system's efficiency. Finally, the system's primary recovery indexes are predicted for three development scenarios based on the results of sensitivity analysis: low-speed, medium-speed, and high-speed development. The results indicate that each ton of medical plastic waste generates an economic benefit of 2708.6 yuan in 2019, 187.8 μg TEQ of dioxin during incineration, and 1.48 tons of carbon dioxide during the recovery process. The total emission reduction is approximately 0.76 tons when compared to the initial production. If the illegal recovery rate is reduced by 0.5% and the mixed disposal rate is reduced by 5%, the comprehensive benefits increase by approximately 15.3% and 2.2%, respectively. The results of the scenario simulations indicate that the recovery benefit and potential for emission reduction associated with each ton of medical plastic waste increase year after year, while carbon dioxide emissions exhibit an inverted “U" shape evolution.
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•Material flow analysis and LCA for medical plastic recycling system is constructed.•Benefits and losses of the recycling system are analyzed quantitatively.•The sensitivity analysis of three main factors affecting the system is carried out.•The recovery benefits are predicted under scenarios of low, mid and high speed.•Recycling makes the safe disposal of medical waste and brings considerable benefits.
The global warming problem caused by carbon emissions from transportation has caused widespread concern, and the choice of private vehicle type directly affects the carbon emissions of individuals’ ...travel. Therefore, replacing internal combustion vehicles with battery electric vehicles turns out to be an important measure to solve traffic-related pollution. Battery electric vehicles are high-intervention environmentally friendly products. In addition to considering their functional benefits, consumers will also value the symbolic meaning of electric vehicles, which could be an effective expression of their identities. This study explored the factors of the electric vehicle adoption intention from the perspective of the symbolic meaning, and explored the boundary conditions of symbolic meaning’s effects on adoption intention from the perspective of consumer self-identity and traditional cultural value (face consciousness). The conclusions of this paper are as follows: (1) The status symbol, environmentalism symbol, and innovation symbol of electric vehicles have significant positive impacts on the adoption intention of consumers. Compared to status symbol, environmentalism symbol and innovation symbol have stronger influences; (2) The influence of the environmentalism symbol on adoption intention is positively moderated by environmentalist self-identity; (3) The influence of the innovation symbol on adoption intention is positively moderated by innovator self-identity; (4) The influence of the innovation symbol on the adoption intention is positively moderated by face consciousness. This research provides a theoretical support for electric vehicle companies to develop promotion strategies and target customers, and can effectively promote the popularity of electric vehicles.
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•Chinese consumers’ perception of different symbolic meanings of electric vehicles and their adoption intention were comprehensively investigated.•The status, environmentalism, and innovation symbol of electric vehicles have positive impacts on consumers’ adoption intention.•Consumer self-identity plays a moderating role in the influence of symbolic meanings on adoption intention.•The influence of the innovation symbol on the adoption intention is moderated by face consciousness.
•Dynamic material flow and life cycle assessment for recovery system is constructed.•Economic benefit and CO2 emission of recovery system are analyzed quantitatively.•The sensitivity analysis of ...three main factors affecting the system is carried out.•The peak volume will reach to 16 million by using dynamic material flow analysis.•The recovery benefits are predicted under scenarios of low, mid and high speed.
China’s automobile industry is developing rapidly, but the recycling rate of end-of-life vehicles has been low. In 2018, the recovery rate of end-of-life passenger vehicles was less than 18% of the scrapped amount. Dynamic material flow analysis can predict the amount of end-of-life passenger cars in China in the future, and analyze the flow of materials in recycling system. Life cycle assessment can be used to quantify greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, this paper integrates these two methods into the model construction of recycling decision system. Meanwhile, sensitivity analysis of the important factors affecting the efficiency of the recovery system is carried out. Finally, the main recovery indexes of the system are predicted under three scenarios: low-speed, medium speed and high-speed development, which are set based on scrap volume, standard recovery rate, proportion of assembly into remanufacturing and carbon tax price. The research results show that in 2018, 656.9 kg/vehicle of iron, 150.2 kg/vehicle of aluminum and 7.9 kg/vehicle of copper are recovered from end-of-life passenger car in China, and the carbon emission during the recovery process is 651.1 kg of CO2eq/vehicle, with a total emission reduction of 3816.1 kgCO2eq/vehicle compared with the original production, and the economic benefit is about 5055.5 yuan/vehicle. The scenario prediction results show that by 2050, from the low-speed development scenario to the high-speed development scenario, the total amount of iron, aluminum and copper recovered rise from 3.96 million tons, 915 thousand tons and 46 thousand tons to 697 thousand tons, 1.61 million tons and 80 thousand tons respectively throughout the year. The carbon emission in the recovery process rise from 4.98 thousand tons to 9.32 million tons. Compared with the original production, the carbon emission reduction increases from 2.21 million tons to 38.3 million tons, the economic benefit increases from 58.9 billion yuan to 118.8 billion yuan, and the comprehensive benefit increases from 57 billion yuan to 111.6 billion yuan.
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