Analysis and Assessment of Industrial Carbon Footprint of Textiles

With huge population and vast exports of textiles, China has become the largest textile production and consumption centre in the world. However, the industrial production process of textiles consumes lots of electricity, coal oil, gas and other energy which have caused lame amounts of GHG emissions. Therefore, it is important and necessary to reduce GHG emissions and improve the carbon efficiency of textiles production process in China. Focusing on the GHG emission in the process of textile production, we investigated the theory and methods of GHG assessment and production process of typical textile enterprises, discussed the implication of industrial carbon footprint in textile industry from the viewpoint of life-cycle approach, and analyzed the constitution and structure of the industrial carbon footprint. We divided the industrial carbon footprint of textiles into two parts: direct emissions which were caused by combustion of fossil fuel such as coal, oil and gas etc and indirect emissions which were caused by the consumption of secondary energy. And we proposed system boundary, composition, assessment methods of industrial carbon footprint in textile industry. Finally, we discussed the application mechanism and development of the industrial carbon footprint in textile industry. We hope the implication, composition and assessment methods of industrial. carbon footprint in textile industry can help in improving carbon efficiency of textile production and stimulating low-carbon textile consumption.