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Accurate estimate of the size of land carbon sink is essential for guiding climate mitigation actions to fulfill China's net-zero ambitions before 2060. The atmospheric inversion is an effective approach to provide spatially explicit estimate of surface CO 2 fluxes that are optimally consistent with atmospheric CO 2 measurements. But atmospheric inversion of China's land carbon sink has enormous uncertainties, with one major source arising from the poor coverage of CO 2 observation stations. Here we use a regional atmospheric inversion framework to design an observation network that could minimize uncertainties in inverted estimate of China's land carbon sink. Compared with the large spread of inverted sink (∼1 Pg C a−1) from state-of-the-art inversions using existing CO 2 observations, the uncertainty is constrained within 0.3 Pg C a−1 when a total of 30 stations were deployed, and is further reduced to approximately 0.2 Pg C a−1 when 60 stations were deployed. The proposed stations are mostly distributed over areas with high biosphere productivity during the growing season, such as Southeast China, Northeast China, North China, and the Tibetan Plateau. Moreover, the proposed stations can cover areas where existing satellites have limited coverage due to cloud shadowing in the monsoon season or over complex topography. Such ground-based observation network will be a critical component in the future integrated observing system for monitoring China's land carbon fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural climate solutions (NCS) offer immediate and cost-effective ways to tackle the climate crisis by transforming atmospheric carbon to soil carbon or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. However, the climate mitigation potential and economic costs of NCS for cropping systems in China remain inconclusive. The major objectives of this study are (i) to estimate the NGHG reduction potential across Chinese main cropping systems caused by NCS, (ii) to quantify the economic costs of adopting optimal management with different abatement potentials. The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to estimate the NGHG, including SOC sequestration, N 2 O emissions, and CH 4 emissions. After calibration, we ran the DNDC model with derived data at municipality-level. We estimated the NGHG under current management, adopting optimal management individually, and integrated optimal management to project the maximum NGHG reduction potential caused by NCS. We used the marginal abatement cost method to estimate the economic cost. The four natural climate solutions, N fertilization management (NFM), straw returning management (SRM), tillage management (TM), and rice irrigation management (RIM) can reduce national NGHG in main cropping systems by approximately 118.8 Tg CO 2 -eq, 116.3 Tg CO 2 -eq, 35.2 Tg CO 2 -eq, and 74.4 Tg CO 2 -eq, respectively. The integrated optimal management may potentially reduce NGHG by 256.9 Tg CO 2 -eq, equivalent to 90.2% of current NGHG, and 80% of which can be realized at the price of CN¥ 285 (Mg CO 2 -eq)−1. We further identify the priority NCS for different crops and regions and conclude that nitrogen fertilization management should be the priority NCS at the national level. Our findings highlight the great potential of NGHG reduction by adopting NCS precisely and the importance of optimizing agricultural management as a whole, and they will help policy makers to develop smart-agriculture in China. [Display omitted] • Estimating net greenhouse gas emissions (NGHG) reduction potentials of agriculture. • IPCC recommended tier 3 method was applied for seven cropping systems in China. • The integrated optimal management may potentially reduce NGHG by 256.9 Tg CO 2 -eq. • 80% of NGHG mitigation can be realized at the price of CN¥ 285 (Mg CO 2 -eq)−1. • The priority NCS was identified for different crops and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning power system (PS) towards renewable energy is crucial for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission as well as mitigating climate change. However, the inherent uncertainty and hierarchical structure of PS pose intractable challenges to the planning process. This study develops a multi-GCM-based interval bi-level programming (MIBP) method that can balance two-level decision-making conflict between CO 2 -emisison reduction and system cost minimization. MIBP can also deal with uncertainties expressed as interval values in objective functions and constraints. Then, a MIBP-PS model is formulated to plan PS for China (2021–2050), where the upper-level objective is to minimize CO 2 emission and the lower-level objective is to minimize the system cost. The major findings are: (i) the CO 2 emission for PS would reach peak value before 2030 and then reduce by [10.2, 20.4]% in 2050, which is mainly owing to the curtailment of fossil fuel; (ii) compared with the conventional model, CO 2 emission from MIBP-PS model could decrease by [3.1, 4.8]%, which shows the superiority of the developed model; (iii) the fossil-fuel power would be gradually replaced by renewable energy, and the proportion of coal-fired power would decrease by 38.8% by 2050, especially small coal-fired facilities (i.e., below 0.3 GW) should be gradually phased down. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Global Change Assessment Model is used to assess CCUS potential in Chinese provinces. • CCUS deployment depends on policy approaches and total mitigation needs. • Near-term CO 2 capture focuses on industrial and synthetic fuel production sectors. • CO 2 capture in the power sector becomes increasingly important toward mid-century. • Storage is not a constraint except for provinces with limited onshore storage. China is the world's largest energy consumer and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emitter. China has committed to limit its greenhouse gas emissions. With its heavy reliance on domestic coal resources, China faces an enormous challenge of transitioning its economy to a low-carbon energy mix to achieve long-term climate and local air quality goals. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is widely recognized as an important option for emissions mitigation. The near-term readiness and cost of CCUS technologies, the sectors and regions of CO 2 capture, and the location and adequacy of CO 2 storage sites all affect the application of CCUS in China's low-carbon development. This study uses GCAM-China, a global integrated assessment model with details for 31 provinces in China, to examine the role of CCUS as part of China's climate mitigation strategy over the period of its Nationally Determined Contributions as well as in the transition to deeper emissions reductions toward mid-century. The inclusion of new provincial CO 2 storage cost curves gives a more detailed evaluation of where, in terms of geography and sector, and when CCUS deployment in China may take place. The results suggest that the scale of deployment varies depending on socioeconomic development pathways and the level of deployment of other low-carbon technologies. Across provinces and development pathways, early deployment of CCUS occurs within industrial and synthetic fuel production sectors, followed by increased deployment in the power sector by mid-century. Several provinces, such as Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Henan, emerge as particularly important in CCUS deployment, as a result of large CO 2 point sources and storage availability. Results indicate that storage resource availability is unlikely to constrain CCUS deployment in most provinces through the end of the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 2050 primary energy use can be the same as in 2010 with a 7-fold increase in GDP. • Coal use can peak around 2020, then oil in 2033, and natural gas in 2045. • Non-fossil energy is 28% in 2030, higher than China's Paris Agreement goal of 20%. • Industry CO 2 emissions can peak ∼2020, buildings ∼2029, and transportation ∼2035. • CO 2 emissions can peak in 2025, earlier than China's Paris Agreement goal of 2030. Abstract As part of its Paris Agreement commitment, China pledged to peak carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions around 2030, striving to peak earlier, and to increase the non-fossil share of primary energy to 20% by 2030. Yet by the end of 2017, China emitted 28% of the world's energy-related CO 2 emissions, 76% of which were from coal use. How China can reinvent its energy economy cost-effectively while still achieving its commitments was the focus of a three-year joint research project completed in September 2016. Overall, this analysis found that if China follows a pathway in which it aggressively adopts all cost-effective energy efficiency and CO 2 emission reduction technologies while also aggressively moving away from fossil fuels to renewable and other non-fossil resources, it is possible to not only meet its Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments, but also to reduce its 2050 CO 2 emissions to a level that is 42% below the country's 2010 CO 2 emissions. While numerous barriers exist that will need to be addressed through effective policies and programs in order to realize these potential energy use and emissions reductions, there are also significant local environmental (e.g., air quality), national and global environmental (e.g., mitigation of climate change), human health, and other unquantified benefits that will be realized if this pathway is pursued in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean vehicle fleet will greatly benefit air quality and climate change mitigation. Here, we employ an integrated model to systematically investigated the contribution of combined clean vehicle policies to "emissions, exposure, and health benefits" from a regional perspective 2019–2035 in China. We find that driven by clean vehicle polices, the national vehicle CO 2 will likely to peak around 2028 with about 1327 million tons, and then reduce by 7.8% from 2028 to 2035. The developed region will peak CO 2 before 2030, while the developing region probably peak after 2030. In general, most air pollutants emissions from vehicles will decrease, subsequently leading to obvious PM 2.5 and O 3 exposure decrease. About 68 thousand PM 2.5 related and 33 thousand O 3 related deaths will be avoided 2019–2035 nationwide. Note that the health benefits are unequal, with higher PM 2.5 -O 3 related excess deaths be avoided per 100000 in developed region than developing region. Besides, results show that emission standard upgrade contributes largest to emission reduction and related health benefits, followed by electric vehicles, road-to-railways and waterways, and fuel consumption regulation in general. This work is able to provide valuable information for policy makers to collaboratively reduce CO 2 , air pollutants and premature deaths in China and other developing countries. [Display omitted] • Emissions in CO 2 and air pollutants were both investigated based on a dataset with 27 vehicle categories from 338 cities. • The contribution of vehicle clean policies to abated PM 2.5 -O 3 exposure and related deaths was quantified and decomposed. • This work proposed region-specific clean vehicle pathways from a national and regional perspective 2019-2035. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CO 2 sequestration and EGR are experimentally evaluated in two shale gas reservoirs. • Pore heterogeneity and connectivity are evaluated via multifractal analysis. • Shale composition controls on gas storage is evaluated from gas adsorption measurements. • Links between MICP and gas adsorption measurements were used to evaluate EGR suitability. In the global effort toward climate change mitigation, geologic storage of CO 2 in shale plays is becoming critical while it can improve production from these reservoirs. In this study, the gas storage capacity and CO 2 sequestration suitability of the Longmaxi and Niutitang shale gas reservoirs is investigated and compared via XRD analysis, programmed pyrolysis, low pressure N 2 and CO 2 adsorption, high pressure CH 4 adsorption, and MICP analysis. Results showed that clay and TOC controls on micropore heterogeneity and connectivity happens only within the Longmaxi Formation. Furthermore, both components play a role in the adsorbed quantities of gas in the formation which revealing a higher storage capacity in mesopore-macropores. This was verified by a positive correlation between adsorbed volume within the mesopore-macropore space. The Longmaxi Formation was also found to own better pore connectivity and PSD homogeneity of mesopore-macropores, indicating easier pathways for CO 2 movement channels within the pore network. Furthermore, the samples from the Longmaxi exhibited a positive relationship between adsorbed volume with the CO 2 breakthrough pressure and median pore diameter, alike between the mesopore-macropore volume and CO 2 breakthrough pressure. This means, the injected CO 2 will displace adsorbed methane within the mesopore-macropore and will be adsorbed and stored in such pores. Overall, superiority of the Longmaxi shale over the Niutitang for CO 2 storage and EGR would be significant for future operations in similar shale gas reservoirs in China and around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TUEEC in 10 urban agglomerations in China are substantially different. • TUEEC within urban agglomeration have an impact on CO 2 emissions. • Ecological construction partially mitigated emissions growth. • Guarding against unsustainable development is vital to carbon neutral. Urban agglomerations are major generators of CO 2 emissions owing to human socioeconomic activities. Evaluating the trade-offs between urban expansion and ecological construction during rapid urbanization is a crucial step towards climate change mitigation and carbon neutrality. This study investigated the impacts of trade-offs between urban expansion and ecological construction on CO 2 emissions using multi-source data and spatial and statistical analysis. Ten urban agglomerations in China, with various development levels, were selected as study areas. The results indicated that (1) urban development in the 10 urban agglomerations expanded by 90%–288.9%, while ecological land changed by −28.1–2.3%. (2) CO 2 emissions grew by 154.2–291.2% in urban agglomerations, and the south and east of China emitted more CO 2. The high-value clusters of CO 2 inside of all urban agglomerations expanded outward from cities. (3) Urban expansion increased emissions, while ecological construction partially mitigated emissions growth. Moreover, ecological development within cities helps to reduce excessive urban emissions and should be given more attention. (4) It is as important to guard against unsustainable development as it is to reduce existing high emissions. Low-carbon development paths must continue to be supported in western China. On the basis of the results, we identify important implications for meeting China's target of carbon neutrality. These contribute to an understanding of future development modes for urban agglomerations and reveal the impact of trade-offs of land use on CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting technology development co-operation is particularly relevant while addressing global climate change or regional pollution. Investors may contribute to increasing environmental-related patents, which may help to improve the quality of the environment as long as supported by proper regulations and policies. In the quest towards a cleaner environment via the mitigation of climate change, this study investigates the relationship between technological innovation, income level, renewable energy and carbon emissions in both the United States and China. Applying the dynamic auto-regressive distributive lag (DARDL) simulation method revealed varying impacts of regressors on CO 2 emissions in the short-run and long-run. Accordingly, this study empirically confirms that (i) technological innovation reduces carbon emissions in the United States but it is not statistically significant in China. (ii) Renewable energy reduces carbon emissions in both countries. (iii) The impact of income level on emissions decreases from short-run to long-run in both countries. Decision-makers in China should stimulate more effective environmental-related innovations to decrease CO 2 emissions and should permit easy access to environmental-related patents together with reducing its cost of registration. • Investigates the role of green technological innovation in decreasing CO 2 emissions. • Applies the novel Dynamic ARDL simulation. • Green technological innovation reduces CO 2 emissions in the U.S. Only. • Confirms that renewable energy mitigates CO 2 emissions both in the U.S. and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CCUS chain relies on a functioning regulatory and legal system at domestic level. • CCUS regulation benefits from clarity on project permitting and risk allocation. • Promotion of CCUS requires mainstreaming it in the climate mitigation portfolio. • Compliance with international law provides a common denominator for CCUS chain. The development of the carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) supply chain will require the establishment of a regulatory and legal regime, both at the international and domestic level, to manage risks at various parts of the supply chain and to support technology investment. Within this regulatory and legal framework, the regional and domestic regime has been identified as a crucial factor that could facilitate or inhibit the creation of a CCUS supply chain at a larger scale. According to the relevant literature, policy backing for CCUS has been supported in several countries and jurisdictions which represent both the source and sink of carbon dioxide. To evaluate the legal and regulatory developments which underpin the global matching of CO 2 sources and sinks, this article reviews and critically analyzes the legal and regulatory systems to address various challenges facing the CCUS development in Europe, China and the Middle East, because these jurisdictions have good representations, as sinks and sources of CO 2 , in developing the CCUS supply chain. These challenges include ensuring regulatory clarity to support CCUS development, integration of CCUS in the portfolio of climate change mitigation to create an enabling environment to improve the financial viability of CCUS, and ensuring consistency with international law. The findings of this article suggest that the regulatory systems in the three regions face various challenges and this article proposes some regulatory changes that are necessary for facilitating the CCUS supply chain at the domestic and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement on climate change has calls for urgent, radical, and transformative actions in mitigation and adaptation, particularly in terms of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. There are many terms used to describe the process of reducing GHGs, including decarbonization, low carbon development (LCD) or low carbon transition (LCT). The conceptualization of these terms remains puzzling and there has not been any consensus to explain the meaning and their interrelationship. Clearer definition and conceptual boundaries are necessary to improve the coherence of overarching practices to cut CO 2 emission. The paper aims to review key concepts related to climate change mitigation related to the reduction of CO 2 and efforts toward net-zero emission in the academic literature, by (1) examining progress of the literature over time, (2) identifying geographical locus and sectoral focus of the literature, (3) determining the interrelationships between the key concepts. We use a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method for data collection by selecting peer-reviewed literature from Scopus and analyzing the data with content analysis and bibliometric analysis. The findings are, firstly, the publications of the literature are influenced by global and national climate change policies and the interest of scholars affiliated to institutions from major emitter countries. Therefore, the literature is mostly originating from countries that emit the most CO 2 while also implement mitigations to reduce CO 2 emission. Secondly, China is the country where studies are mostly focused and also where the authors are affiliated/located. However, publications from the United Kingdom are cited the most. Thirdly, there are three clusters of literature found, namely that LCD and LCT are the terms used to identify visions for climate mitigation, while decarbonization is the actions and processes to achieve either LCD or LCT (as the visions). • The dynamic of climate change policies influence the literature trend. • The literature is mostly originating from major CO 2 emitter. • Low carbon development and low carbon transition are visional terms. • Decarbonization indicates the processes of decoupling CO 2 to achieve the visions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]