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China is now the largest emitter of CO 2 in the world, having contributed nearly half of the global increase in carbon emissions between 1980 and 2010. The existing literature on China׳s carbon emissions has focused on two dimensions: the amount of CO 2 emitted within China׳s geographical boundaries (a production-based perspective), and the drivers of, and responsibility for, these emissions (a consumption-based perspective). The current study begins with a comprehensive review of China׳s CO 2 emissions, and then analyzes their driving forces from both consumption and production perspectives, at both national and provincial levels. It is concluded that China׳s aggregate national CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption and cement production maintained high growth rates during 2000–2010. National emissions reached 6.8–7.3 billion tons in 2007, nearly 25% of which were caused by net exports (i.e., exports minus imports) to other countries. However, emission characteristics varied significantly among different regions and provinces, and considerable emission leakage from the developed eastern regions to inland and western areas of the country was found. The objectives of China׳s policies should therefore be broadened from continued improvement of energy efficiency to accelerating regional technology transfer and preventing mere relocation of carbon-intensive economic activities from developed coastal regions to less developed, inland provinces. To rapidly and effectively cut down China׳s carbon emissions, moreover, its energy supply should be aggressively decarbonized by promoting renewable and low carbon energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to evaluate the characteristics of household solid waste (HSW) generation and to identify opportunities and benefits for waste recycling in a typical developed city of Suzhou in East China. A four-stage systematic tracking survey of 240 households was conducted for one week in each season starting from the summer of 2011 to the spring of 2012. And the driving forces behind HSW generation were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. Results show that Suzhou's HSW generation rate was 280.5 g/cap/day, and the annual generation of HSW reached 568 thousand tons, among which, 89.3% were compostable and recyclable waste. Education level of the household daily manager has a major impact on HSW generation rate. And other factors, such as local customs and culture, consumption patterns and residential lifestyles could also influence HSW generation. It could achieve annual economic benefit of 15.9 million RMB, reduce 32.6 million tons of CO 2 equivalent emissions, and supply nearly 3500 job opportunities in Suzhou if source separation practice well. Implications of our results for HSW management in Suzhou and other Chinese cities were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s CO 2 emissions have sharply increased in recent years with soaring economic development and urbanization. Consumption-based accounting of CO 2 emissions could provide new insights for allocating regional mitigation responsibility and curbing the emissions. A multi-regional input–output model is used to study the trends and disparities of consumption-based emissions from Chinese provinces during the period 2002–2007. Results show that China’s consumption-based CO 2 emissions grew from 3549 Mt in 2002 to 5403 Mt in 2007 with an annual average growth rate of 8.8%. The annual growth rate in the richer eastern region was over 10% because of a rapid increase in capital investment and the growth of urban consumption. Consumption-based CO 2 emissions embodied in interprovincial trades contributed only 10% (351 Mt) to the national total of such emissions in 2002, but 16% (864 Mt) in 2007. Given low per capita emissions currently, China’s consumption-based emissions have much room to grow because of further development of urbanization and stimulation of domestic demand. The government should pay greater attention to controlling CO 2 emissions from a consumption-based perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiyear inventories of vehicular emissions in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou from 1995 through 2005 have been developed in this paper to study the vehicle emissions trends in China''s mega cities during the past decade. The results show that the vehicular emissions of CO, HC, NO x and PM10 have begun to slow their growth rates and perhaps even to decline in recent years due to the implementation of measures to control vehicular emissions in these cities. However, vehicular CO2 emissions have substantially increased and still continue to grow due to little fuel economy improvement. Passenger cars and large vehicles (including heavy duty trucks and buses) are the major sources of vehicular CO2 and CO emissions while large vehicles were responsible for nearly 70% and 80% of the vehicular NO x and PM10 emissions in these mega cities. Motorcycles are also important contributors to vehicular emissions in Guangzhou and Shanghai. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a heterogeneous waste stream, which is harmful for human health and the ecological environment if it is not well managed. Based on results from different authors by analyzing the generation, physical components and management of MSW from different cities, this paper presents an overview of the temporal trends and spatial variation characterization of MSW generation and its physical components in China. Total MSW generation has increased from 31,320 thousand tons in 1980 to 178,602 thousand tons in 2014, and MSW generation per capita has also increased from 448.3 g to 653.2 g. The distribution of MSW generation is mostly concentrated in the coastal southeastern region, as well as large point sources of more than 200 thousand tons per year are mostly distributed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hebei and Guangdong provinces. The review shows that the largest proportion of food waste, plastics and paper is 61.2% (54.2–65.9%, 95% CI), 9.8% (7.2–14.0%, 95% CI), 9.6% (6.7–12.3%, 95% CI), respectively, in 2014; the best estimates of other waste were as follows: 3.1% textile, 2.1% glass, 1.1% metal, 1.8% wood and grass, 1.3% rubber and leather, 1.8% ceramic, 2.5% ash, 1.2% hazardous waste, and 4.5% miscellaneous. To better manage China’s MSW, several possible and appropriate solutions (e.g., concentrating on key regions, intensifying source separation, promoting green lifestyle, and establishing specialized regulations and policies) should be adopted, which might facilitate the application of China’s 13th Five, and identify gaps in our knowledge of MSW management subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Emissions from power plants in China and India contain a myriad of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 , PM ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter) precursors, posing significant health risks among large, densely settled populations. Studies isolating the contributions of various source classes and geographic regions are limited in China and India, but such information could be helpful for policy makers attempting to identify efficient mitigation strategies. We quantified the impact of power generation emissions on annual mean PM 2.5 concentrations using the state-of-the-art atmospheric chemistry model WRF-Chem (Weather Research Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry) in China and India. Evaluations using nationwide surface measurements show the model performs reasonably well. We calculated province-specific annual changes in mortality and life expectancy due to power generation emissions generated PM 2.5 using the Integrated Exposure Response (IER) model, recently updated IER parameters from Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2015, population data, and the World Health Organization (WHO) life tables for China and India. We estimate that 15 million (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 10 to 21 million) years of life lost can be avoided in China each year and 11 million (95% CI: 7 to 15 million) in India by eliminating power generation emissions. Priorities in upgrading existing power generating technologies should be given to Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan provinces in China, and Uttar Pradesh state in India due to their dominant contributions to the current health risks. Highlights • Health risks of emissions from power plants in China and India are estimated using the state-of-the-science framework. • Both mortality burdens and years of life lost (YLL) are calculated for each province/state in China and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Exposure to ambient ozone (O 3) is a risk factor for public health and causes damage to vegetation, including agricultural crops. In this study, we performed a comprehensive estimate of the spatial distribution of premature deaths and main crop yield losses attributed to ambient O 3 , across China in 2014, by applying the Global Burden of Diseases approach and AOT40 metric (i.e., above a threshold of O 3 concentration of 40 ppb). Our results show that China's total premature deaths in 2014 due to COPD attributed to O 3 exposure were 89,391 (CI95: 32,225–141,649) with spatial variation across provinces. O 3 induced production losses from all crops were 78.4 million metric tons, and the relative yield losses ranged from 8.5 to 14.0% for winter wheat, 3.9–15.0% for rice, and 2.2–5.5% for maize. The top four Chinese provinces (Sichuan, Shandong, Henan and Hunan) for premature deaths attributed to O 3 pollution also suffered severe losses in yields of winter wheat and rice. Our results provide quantitative evidence of O 3 induced impacts on both the public health and crop yields across Chinese provinces, which have important policy implications for the government to alleviate O 3 pollution in addition to PM 2.5 pollution that is currently being addressed. Highlights • Impacts of O 3 on both public health and crop yield were analyzed for China. • Premature deaths attributed to ambient O 3 were 89,391 in 2014. • O 3 induced reductions of winter wheat, rice and maize reached 78.4 Mt in 2014. • Top provinces of O 3 induced health burden also suffered serious crop yield losses. • More attention should be paid to exacerbated O 3 impacts in some inner provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious air pollution has caused about one million premature deaths per year in China recently. Besides cross-border atmospheric transport of air pollution, trade also relocates pollution and related health impacts across China as a result of the spatial separation between consumption and production. This study proposes an approach for calculating the health impacts of emissions due to a region's consumption based on a multidisciplinary methodology coupling economic, atmospheric, and epidemiological models. These analyses were performed for China's Beijing and Hebei provinces. It was found that these provinces' consumption-based premature deaths attributable to ambient PM 2.5 were respectively 22,500 and 49,700, which were 23% higher and 37% lower than the numbers solely within their boundaries in 2007. The difference between the effects of trade and trade-related emissions on premature deaths attributable to air pollution in a region has also been clarified. The results illustrate the large and broad impact of domestic trade on regional air quality and the need for comprehensive consideration of supply chains in designing policy to mitigate the negative health impacts of air pollution across China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recent assessments have quantified the burden of air pollution at the national scale in China, air quality managers would benefit from assessments that disaggregate health impacts over regions and over time. We took advantage of a new 10 × 10 km satellite-based PM 2.5 dataset to analyze spatial and temporal trends of air pollution health impacts in China, from 2004 to 2012. Results showed that national PM 2.5 related deaths from stroke, ischemic heart disease and lung cancer increased from approximately 800,000 cases in 2004 to over 1.2 million cases in 2012. The health burden exhibited strong spatial variations, with high attributable deaths concentrated in regions including the Beijing–Tianjin Metropolitan Region, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Sichuan Basin, Shandong, Wuhan Metropolitan Region, Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan, Henan, and Anhui, which have heavy air pollution, high population density, or both. Increasing trends were found in most provinces, but with varied growth rates. While there was some evidence for improving air quality in recent years, this was offset somewhat by the countervailing influences of in–migration together with population growth. We recommend that priority areas for future national air pollution control policies be adjusted to better reflect the spatial hotspots of health burdens. Satellite-based exposure and health impact assessments can be a useful tool for tracking progress on both air quality and population health burden reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid economic growth, China has witnessed increasingly frequent and severe haze and smog episodes over the past decade, posing serious health impacts to the Chinese population, especially those in densely populated city clusters. Quantification of the spatial and temporal variation of health impacts attributable to ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has important implications for China's policies on air pollution control. In this study, we evaluated the spatial distribution of premature deaths in China between 2000 and 2010 attributable to ambient PM 2.5 in accord with the Global Burden of Disease based on a high resolution population density map of China, satellite retrieved PM 2.5 concentrations, and provincial health data. Our results suggest that China's anthropogenic ambient PM 2.5 led to 1,255,400 premature deaths in 2010, 42% higher than the level in 2000. Besides increased PM 2.5 concentration, rapid urbanization has attracted large population migration into the more developed eastern coastal urban areas, intensifying the overall health impact. In addition, our analysis implies that health burdens were exacerbated in some developing inner provinces with high population density (e.g. Henan, Anhui, Sichuan) because of the relocation of more polluting and resource-intensive industries into these regions. In order to avoid such national level environmental inequities, China's regulations on PM 2.5 should not be loosened in inner provinces. Furthermore policies should create incentive mechanisms that can promote transfer of advanced production and emissions control technologies from the coastal regions to the interior regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-level ozone (O 3) pollution has become an increasingly prominent environmental problem in China and India, causing serious negative health effects. Based on the global fine-resolution simulation of O 3 concentrations and epidemiological results, O 3 pollution and corresponding mortalities were evaluated at provincial-level across China and India. Our results revealed that the population-weighted mean O 3 concentrations in China and India were 49.2 and 63.4 ppb, respectively, in 2014. The annual deaths attributable to O 3 exposure were estimated to be 76,000 (95% confidence interval (CI): 27,000–120,000) and 96,000 (35,000–149,000) in China and India, respectively. The finding of 32.2% less O 3 -attributable mortality in China than in India was attributed to the combined effects of population size (+39.4%), population aging (+29.2%), baseline mortality rate (−43.7%), and ambient O 3 exposure (−57.1%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that O 3 -related health burdens in China and India have been reported and compared at the provincial level. The results will improve our understanding of O 3 -related health impacts and provide a valuable reference for policy makers. [Display omitted] • Based on the refined-grid estimation, ozone pollution caused a higher health impact in India compared to China in 2014. • High-density populations living in heavy-pollution regions resulted in higher ozone exposure in India than in China. • The higher baseline mortality rate in India largely contributed to the Sino-India discrepancy in attributable mortality. • Reaching the same ozone level as India, China will have higher health risks due to an elder and larger population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]