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Carbon tax is a policy instrument that facilitate the phase-out of coal as a chemical feedstock and help China achieve an early carbon peak. However, the policy design is challenged by the complex dynamics of global warming potentials (GWP) from upstream methane emissions, which have a short atmospheric lifetime but a high climate impact. In this study, we compared the life-cycle GWP of two propylene production routes in China: Coal-to-Olefin (CTO) and Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH). We also conducted a cost-profit analysis that incorporates the carbon tax, considering uncertainties in the dynamic radiative forcing of methane. We derived a range of optimal carbon tax rates that can enhance the economic competitiveness of low-carbon propylene routes PDH and discourage the expansion of coal-fed CTO propylene routes. Results show that, for the propylene sector in China, the carbon tax rate should be between 86 and 600 Chinese Yuan (CNY) or 12–84 US dollars (USD) per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which corresponds to 1–10% of the typical propylene price in the Chinese market. Our study provides spatiotemporal insights into the carbon tax for China's propylene sector to decarbonize and control upstream methane emissions. Since propylene is one of the key raw materials for chemical (e.g., plastic) productions, our analysis contributes to the climate benefits of global chemical trade. • Carbon tax contributes to controlling upstream methane emissions from coal-based chemical production. • Time-horizon is crucial for taxing carbon, especially as short-lived greenhouse gas emissions affect propylene producers' profits. • Carbon tax is necessary at provincial scale since the intensity of methane emissions from coal and propane feedstock supply chains vary regionally. [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]

COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and quarantines have led to significant industrial slowdowns among the world's major emitters of air pollutants, with resulting decreases to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in nations such as China, India and US, deemed to be major sources of global CO 2 emissions, as well. However, there are major concerns that these decreases in atmospheric pollution can be hampered as economies are reactivated. Historically, countries have weakened environmental legislations following economic slowdown to encourage renewed economic growth. Such a policy response now will likely have disproportionate impacts on global Indigenous people and marginalized groups within countries, who have already faced disproportionate impacts from COVID-19 and environmental pollution. Our "new normal" remain nimble enough to allow us to fine-tune our interventions, research tools and solutions-oriented research to quickly enough to stay ahead of the pandemic trajectory in the face of air pollution and climate change. Societal and behavioral changes to reduce these anthropogenic cumulative stressors should be advocated, while prioritizing the public health of marginalized groups around the world, promoting new approaches to champion environmental health along with educational programs addressed to the population. Bold government decisions can restart economies while pre-empting future inequities and committing to environmental protection in an era of COVID-19 and global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tillage practices have major impacts on soil properties, grain yield, soil carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas emissions. Conservation tillage is an agriculture practice aiming to minimize soil disturbance and protect soil structure. It is reported that more and more croplands are being converted from conventional tillage to conservation tillage in China. However, the information is lacking as to where and when conservation tillage practice is implemented at a regional and national scale. The objectives of this study are 1) to develop a new framework for classifying tillage practices with a random forest model and Google Earth Engine platform to overcome the limitations in mapping tillage practices across China; and 2) to map the spatiotemporal patterns of tillage practices across Chinese croplands from 2016 to 2020. We generated a 1 km grid dataset for tillage practices across Chinese croplands during 2016–2020 based on Sentinel-2 imagery. First, we generated two ground reference sample pools about tillage practices based on literature review and high-resolution maps. Then, we produced Sentinel-2 features during the tillage period by composting 18 bands related to the ratios of returned crop residues. Next, we trained an optimal random forest (RF) classifier by conducting a cross-validation. Finally, we applied the optimal RF classifier to composited features to produce tillage maps from 2016 to 2020. The validation with ground reference samples shows that the classification results have an overall accuracy of 0.80. Comparisons at a provincial scale show the estimated proportion of conservation tillage is significantly correlated with statistic data with R2 being 0.88. Results show that conservation tillage practice is adopted in about 36% of Chinese croplands, mainly distributed in northeast China, northwest China, and the North China Plain. The proportion of conservation tillage ranged from 29% to 40% during 2016–2020 although with a large spatial heterogeneity. This study develops a sound framework to map tillage practices and provides more details about the spatiotemporal patterns of tillage practices, supporting regional planning of agricultural management and climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-level concerns about climate change can not only affect individual low-carbon behaviors but also exert intense pressure on carbon emission reduction strategies and policy design. However, whether public concern about climate change can affect per capita carbon emission is still unclear. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China and 188,943 climate change-related blogs from 2012 to 2019, this research investigates the impact of public concern on per capita carbon emissions. Results show that, in general, public concern about climate change has a significant negative impact on per capita carbon emissions in China, indicating that climate crisis awareness has a supervisory effect on greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the effects of different public concerns on per capita carbon emissions are different, with the topics of "low-carbon appeal" and "concern for future" have significant positive impacts on per capita carbon emissions, while the topics of "carbon governance performance" and "climate change mitigation strategies" have significant negative impacts on per capita carbon emissions. The findings yield new opportunities to delve into the relationship between the externality of people's will and governmental behaviors and provide in-depth insights for decision-makers to develop tailor-made solutions towards carbon reduction and sustainable development. [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]

The contribution of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) to anthropogenic mercury and CO 2 emissions have become increasingly important over the past decade. This study developed an inventory of anthropogenic mercury emissions and CO 2 emissions during the period of 2014–2020, of MSWI process in China using a bottom-up inventory at the plant level. Overall, national MSWI anthropogenic mercury emissions increased from 2014 to 2020 by province. It was estimated that total 8321.09 kg of anthropogenic mercury emissions from 548 MSWI plants were scattered in 31 provinces of mainland China in 2020. The average intensity of mercury emission in China was 0.06 g·t−1 in 2020, which was much lower than the pre-2010 level. Furthermore, the increased CO 2 emission generated by MSWI from 2014 to 2020 is 1.97 times. Anthropogenic mercury emissions and CO 2 emissions were concentrated mainly in developed coastal provinces and cities. The general uncertainty of national mercury emissions and CO 2 emissions was estimated to be −123% to 323% and −130% to 335%, respectively. Furthermore, future emissions were predicted from 2030 to 2060 based on different scenarios of the independent and collaborative effects of control proposals, the results indicate that the enhancement of advanced air pollution control technologies and effective management of MSWI represent pivotal factors in realizing future reductions in CO 2 and mercury emissions. The findings will supplement those for mercury and CO 2 emissions, and be useful for relevant policy-making and to improve urban air quality, as well as human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Global land-use impacts of China's bioenergy import schemes were explored. • Major sustainability concerns arise when relying on any single market for biomass import. • Economically optimized biomass import can partly mitigate sustainability tradeoffs. Most ambitious climate change mitigation pathways indicate multifold bioenergy expansion to support the energy transition, which may trigger increased biomass imports from major bioenergy-consuming regions. However, the potential global land-use change and sustainability trade-offs alongside the bioenergy trade remain poorly understood. Here, we apply the Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) to investigate and compare the effects of different increasing bioenergy import strategies in line with the 1.5℃-compatible bioenergy demand in China, which is projected to represent 30% of global bioenergy consumption by the middle of the century. The results show that sourcing additional bioenergy from different world regions could pose heterogeneous impacts on the local and global land systems, with implications on food security, greenhouse gas emissions, and water and fertilizer demand. In the worst cases under strict trade settings, relying on biomass import may induce up to 25% of unmanaged forests converted to managed ones in the supplying regions, while in an open trade environment, increasing bioenergy imports would drastically change the trade flows of staple agricultural or forestry products, which would further bring secondary land-use changes in other world regions. Nevertheless, an economically optimized biomass import portfolio for China has the potential to reduce global overall sustainability trade-offs with food security and emission abatement. However, these benefits vary with indicator and time and are conditional on stricter land-use regulations. Our findings thus shed new light on the design of bioenergy trade strategies and the associated land-use regulations in individual countries in the era of deep decarbonization. [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]

Understanding the competitive uses of straw resources as substitutes for fertilizer nutrients, forage and fossil energy is critical to maximize the mitigation of climate change. Focusing on the mitigation of global warming, we developed an uncertainty model for the optimal use of straw in China based on available studies of life-cycle assessment that have determined the advantages of energy savings and reductions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) of 14 conversion technologies. The current pattern of straw use has saved China 0.75 EJ of energy and has reduced GHGs by 270.76 Mt CO 2 e on average annually. Among all competitive uses, the use of straw as forage was most environmental friendly, followed by the uses of straw as alternative sources of nutrients and energy. Simulated scenarios for policies of competing straw uses suggested that joint decision-making among administrative departments was vital to maximize the national mitigation of global warming (i.e. 1.84–2.26 EJ of energy saved or reductions of GHGs of 464.89–568.61 Mt CO 2 e annually) by considering all straw uses comprehensively instead of overemphasizing a single use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The responses of grain yield and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to climate warming in rice paddies are serious concerns for both global food security and climate change mitigation. However, the impact of free-air temperature increase (FATI) on grain yield and methane (CH 4) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions remains unclear for one of the most globally significant rice production practices: the double rice cropping system. Here, we conducted a two-year field experiment to examine the effect of FATI by infrared heaters on grain yield and CH 4 and N 2 O emissions in a double rice field in subtropical China. FATI increased rice canopy temperature by 2.0 °C and soil temperature by 1.2 °C on average but had no effect on either early or late rice yield production. FATI did not affect CH 4 emissions, but significantly increased N 2 O emissions in both the early and late rice seasons. Averaged across two years, N 2 O emissions increased by 0.3 kg ha−1 and 0.7 kg ha−1 in the warmed plots for the early and late rice seasons, respectively. Consequently, FATI enhanced the global warming potential (GWP) and GHG intensity (i.e., yield scaled GWP) in the double rice cropping system. In addition, warming increased the abundance of ammonia-oxidising bacteria, ammonia-oxidising archaea, and a nitrite reductase gene (nirS), but decreased that of a nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ). Our results indicate that warming by FATI does not affect grain yield and CH 4 emissions but stimulates N 2 O emissions in the double rice cropping system and therefore promotes a potential positive feedback with future climate warming. • Free-air temperature increase (FATI) with infrared heater was performed in a double rice field. • Moderate warming by FATI had no significant effect on rice yield. • Moderate warming by FATI did not significantly affect CH 4 emissions. • Moderate warming by FATI stimulated N 2 O emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever-increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide make it quite challenging to meet country-specific Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets. Therefore, it is evident that the existing emissions abatement measures need to be taken a step further. Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) are allowed in Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement as a cooperative approach to achieving NDC goals. There is a potential to create ITMOs between Canada and China by replacing coal use in China with British Columbia (BC)'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. Replacing coal with LNG in energy generation applications is a promising approach to mitigate emissions. With global and national pressures to reduce emissions, China has created a market for LNG imports to cater to its rising natural gas (NG) consumption due to the coal-to-gas source switching strategy. However, the terms under Article 6.2 requires generated ITMOs to ensure environmental integrity, support sustainable development goals, and have a robust accounting system. Therefore, the current study aims to quantify the life cycle environmental outcomes of generating ITMOs by exporting LNG from BC to Chinese end-users while integrating uncertainties and to provide policy recommendations in adherence with the requirements of Article 6.2. Different LNG export scenarios were generated in the study and environmental impacts of each scenario were assessed and compared using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework developed by the authors. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted to understand the impacts created by the data uncertainties in the final result. By replacing conventional coal with NG, approximately 40–45% and 26%–32% emissions reductions can be obtainable for Chinese textile and chemical industries, respectively. The highest emissions reduction of approximately 60% was observed when coal is replaced with NG for district heating. The life cycle emissions (LCE) quantification framework provided in the study provides stakeholders with a systematic approach to determine the total GHG emissions and emissions reduction potential of different LNG export scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy consumption have become a major focus all over the world. Cities, especially, are playing an important role in responding to the challenges of global climate change. However, there is still a lack of case studies on the whole life stage (including energy import, production, and consumption) at the city level. This is the first study to systematically estimate the whole lifecycle GHG emissions of urban energy consumption in Macau using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. It identifies the main contributors, draws the balance framework diagram of energy GHG emissions, and proposes the effective reduction measures through a scenario analysis. The results show that the total GHG emissions of energy consumption in Macau increased from 2.10 × 103 kt CO 2 eq. in 2000 to 5.34 × 103 kt CO 2 eq. in 2018. In 2018, the energy-related GHG emissions in the import phase, production phase, and consumption phase were 3.37 × 103, 4.08 × 102 and 5.34 × 103 kt CO 2 eq., respectively. Since the return of Macau from Portugal to China (December 20, 1999), its GHG emissions from energy import have come to depend more on Mainland China, increasing from 71% in 2000 to 98% in 2018. For the consumption phase, indirect GHG emissions are more important, accounting for 75.3% of total GHG emissions in Macau. From the final consumption perspective, the gambling industry results in the largest GHG emissions (38.07% in 2018), followed by the transportation industry; while for the final energy consumption types, electricity consumption has become the predominant source. The scenario analysis shows that under an ideal scenario, the GHG emissions can be slowed down and will peak in 2033. [Display omitted] • It firstly estimates the whole lifecycle GHG emissions from Macau urban energy consumption. • The GHG emission dependence on the mainland China increases from 71% to 98% since 2000. • It draws the balance framework diagram of energy GHG emissions. • Gambling industry results in the largest GHG emissions in Macau. • Under ideal scenario, the GHG emissions will peak in 2033. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rational reducing fertilizer and water inputs could effectively reduce N 2 O emission and Net-GWP together with maintain the grape yield. • High N 2 O emission and Net-GWP in table grape vineyard was probably attributed to the high fertilizer and water inputs. • The Manufacture and transport of N fertilizer, N 2 O emission, and electricity generation were the main contributors to vineyard Net-GWP. Ensuring fruit productivity and mitigation climate change under low consumption of fertilizer and irrigation can contribute to sustainable agriculture. The objective of this study was to determine whether higher fruit production and lower net global warming potential (Net-GWP) could be realized concomitantly by reducing the amount of fertilizer and water applied. The effect of water and fertilizer management on fruit yield, N 2 O and CH 4 emissions variation was measured over a two-year period to gain insight into Net-GWP and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) in wine grape vineyard (WGV) and table grape vineyard (TGV) in North China. Two fertilizer and water managements were set in each vineyard: optimized practice (OP) treatment and traditional practice (TP) treatment. The results showed that the OP treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased grape fruit by 10.2 % and 10.7 % in WGV and TGV, respectively, in comparison with TP treatment. Besides, the fluxes N 2 O and CH 4 showed significant seasonal variation and the maximum were occurred from April to September and the N 2 O emissions were strongly decreased in OP treatment. Compared with the TP treatment, the OP treatment significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the Net-GWP and GHGI by 13.2 % and 21.5 % in WGV, as well as decreased that by 21 % and 28.6 % in TGV. The process of manufacture and transport of N fertilizer, the N 2 O emission and the electricity generation for pumping irrigation were the three main contributors to vineyard Net-GWP. Thus we concluded that higher fruit production and lower Net-GWP could be realized concomitantly by reducing fertilizer and water application in WGV and TGV in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Halocarbon emissions in the building sector is increasing. • Non-Annex parties become bigger emitter instead of Annex parties. • Building sector accounts for more than half of global HFCs emissions. • Data sufficiency is key barrier for policy making. • Building cooling demand increase will push further halocarbon emissions. Estimates of the non-CO 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributed by the buildings sector are necessary to evaluate this sector's potential for climate change mitigation. As data is lacking on fluorinated gases (F-gases) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions from the buildings sector, this study aimed to estimate these emissions. First, the share of total global GHG emissions represented by buildings-sector emissions was estimated. Then, the HFC emissions of the buildings sectors in several countries (USA, EU, Japan, and China) are compiled. Next, based on necessary assumptions, global buildings-sector HFC emissions were estimated. Finally, this paper discusses implications for policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two key drivers, ocean warming and ocean acidification, affect the oceans and adds to the climate change adversely. International legal and policy instruments contain certain measures to tackle these growing effects. China is also committed to addressing the effects of climate change on the oceans. The overlapping of different systems has, however, created some difficulties in practice and further coordination is urgently required. This paper uses qualitative methods to investigate China's legal practices in addressing the effects of climate change and their impact on the oceans. The study considers newly introduced policies and recent actions launched by the Chinese Government to chart a clearer picture of the current practices. To this end, it is concluded that the ultimate solution in avoiding the worsening effects of climate change on the oceans would be to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases worldwide, and China aims to take advantage of playing leading role in such efforts. • International legal and policy instruments contain certain measures to tackle the effects of climate change on the oceans. • China has also committed to addressing the effects of climate change on the oceans. • The overlapping of different systems has, however, created some difficulties in practice and further coordination is urgently required. • The ultimate solution in avoiding the worsening effects of climate change on the oceans would be to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases worldwide and China wishes to take a leading role in such efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]