Estimation of China's Embodied CO2 Emissions during 2000-2009

The problem of CO2 embodied in international trade has attracted increasing attention in China. To analyze this issue, the present paper directly calculates emission factors for 15 industries in 2002, 2005 and 2007. We then examine a consumption-based system and a single-region inputoutput model to estimate China's embodied emissions during 20002009. Our results show that, when a consumption-based system is adopted, China's emissions are lower than those reported by some international organizations. The rapid growth in China's exports is a key determinant of China's rising total emissions. All countries should strengthen their cooperation in improving their current greenhouse gas inventories. Furthermore, China needs to encourage trade in low-carbon products and technology.