Many organizations publish data on Chinese emissions of heat-trapping gases.
- The Chinese government provides official emissions estimates for all heat-trapping gases in its Biennial Update Reports to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The most recent biennial update was submitted in 2018, reporting 2014 data. 47
- Chinese government agencies, including the National Bureau of Statistics, publish estimates of fossil fuel use, electricity consumption and other economic activity, in some cases as often as monthly. The China Electricity Council publishes estimates on these topics as well. English translations of this material are often provided on China Energy Portal. These data and other information are used by experts around the world to estimate Chinese emissions. 48
- Among the organizations that publish information on Chinese emissions are the International Energy Agency, European Commission, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center at Appalachian State University, Global Carbon Project, World Resources Institute, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. (See Figure 1–9 below.) Estimates from these organizations vary in coverage and scope.
The table below summarizes recent estimates of Chinese emissions.
Figure 1-9: China’s Annual Emissions of Heat-Trapping Gases (2012-2021) (Gt)
References
47
People’s Republic of China, First Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (in Chinese) (December 2016); People’s Republic of China, Second Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (December 2018).
48
See National Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Communiqué (February 28, 2022);
China Electricity Council—Data and Publications; China Energy Portal.
49
People’s Republic of China, First Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (in Chinese) (December 2016) at p.22; People’s Republic of China, Second Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (December 2018) at p.16.
50
Climate Watch-China (Data Source CAIT) (accessed August 13, 2022).
51
J. Gütschow, A. Gunther, M. Pflüger, PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2019) v2.3.1 (September 22, 2021).
52
Climate Action Tracker-China (May 2022 update) (Data Download) (accessed August 13, 2022). This data source uses PRIMAP data through 2019 and extrapolates for 2020–21.
53
M. Crippa et al., GHG emissions of all the world countries 2021 Report-Downloads (accessed August 17, 2022).
54
Jos Olivier, Trends in Global CO2 and Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (April 2022) at p.45. This data source uses EDGAR data through 2018 (adding Hong Kong and Macau emissions as well as CH4 & N2O emissions from savannah burning) and extrapolates for 2019–20.
55
Yuru Guan et al., “Assessment to China’s Recent Emission Pattern Shifts,” Earth’s Future 9, No. 11 (October 21, 2021): e2021EF002241; Yuli Shan et al., “China CO2 Emission Accounts 2016–2017,” Scientific Data 7, No. 1 (February 13, 2020): 54; Yuli Shan et al., “China CO2 Emission Accounts 1997–2015,” Scientific Data 5, No. 1 (January 16, 2018): 170201. Data is available at Carbon Emissions Accounts and Datasets–Nation (accessed August 16, 2022).
56
Gilfillan D; Marland G; Boden T; Andres R (2021): Global, Regional, and National Fossil-Fuel CO2 Emissions: 1751-2018 CDIAC-FF, Research Institute for Environment, Energy, and Economics, Appalachian State University.
57
P. Friedlingstein et al. Global Carbon Budget 2021, Earth Systems Science Data (April 26, 2022). GCP’s data adds process emissions of CO2 from lime production to CDIAC-FF estimates. See Robbie Andrew and Glen P. Peters, “The Global Carbon Project’s fossil CO2 emissions dataset,” CICERO Center for International Climate Research, section 2.2.3.
58
Yuru Guan et al., “Assessment to China’s Recent Emission Pattern Shifts,” Earth’s Future 9, No. 11 (2021): e2021EF002241; Yuli Shan et al., “China CO2 Emission Accounts 2016–2017,” Scientific Data 7, No. 1 (February 13, 2020): 54; Yuli Shan et al., “China CO2 Emission Accounts 1997–2015,” Scientific Data 5, No. 1 (January 16, 2018): 170201. Data is available at Carbon Emissions Accounts and Datasets–Nation (accessed August 16, 2022).
59
International Energy Agency, Global Energy Review: CO2 Emissions in 2021 (April 2022) at p.9 Figure 5 and (accessed August 20, 2022).
60
M. Crippa et al., GHG emissions of all the world countries 2021 Report-Downloads (accessed August 17, 2022).
61
BP Statistical Review of World Energy (June 2022) at p.12.
62
People’s Republic of China, First Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (in Chinese) (December 2016) at p.22; People’s Republic of China, Second Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (December 2018) at p.16.
63
FAO 2022, FAOSTAT Emissions Database. Accessed via Climate Watch-China (Data Source CAIT) (accessed August 13, 2022).
