The "Consumer Carbon Emissions Research Report (2024)" released a call for coordinating the production and consumption ends and building a more scientific and reasonable accounting system

Map provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Chinese Academy of Sciences recently released the "Research Report on Consumer Carbon Emissions (2024)"(hereinafter referred to as the "Research Report"). The research report was led by the Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and jointly compiled by the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Urban Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tsinghua University.

The "Research Report" focuses on the latest results of global carbon emissions research based on a consumer-side perspective by relevant expert teams, analyzes the evolution characteristics of consumer-side carbon emissions in major developed and developing countries around the world from 1990 to 2019, and evaluates typical products. Trade carbon transfer effect. Experts call for consumer-side carbon emissions to be included in the global carbon accounting system in the future, more scientifically allocate global carbon reduction responsibilities, while further optimizing methodologies and data quality, deepening relevant scientific research and international cooperation, and better contributing to global emission reduction and climate Change governance provides scientific basis.

Consumer-based carbon accounting focuses on carbon emissions caused by consumption behavior. It can comprehensively calculate greenhouse gas emissions in different regions or industries, depict the carbon footprint in economic activities, and evaluate the carbon emission dynamics caused by different consumer entities. It is conducive to clarifying the responsibility of producers and consumers for carbon emissions and better practicing fairness and justice. The "Research Report" pointed out that between 1990 and 2019, carbon emissions from consumption in major developed countries were generally higher than carbon emissions from production, while the opposite was true in major developing countries. Carbon emissions at the production end of non-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries/regions, mainly developing countries, have always been greater than carbon emissions at the consumption end, and the difference has gradually expanded from 1.47 billion tons in 1990 to 4.17 billion tons in 2019.

The "Research Report" shows that between 1990 and 2019, China's carbon emissions from consumption were always lower than those from production, and the difference between production and consumption carbon emissions increased from 700 million tons in 1990 to 1.80 billion tons in 2019. The implied carbon intensity of China's export trade has been reduced by 83.3%, providing more green and low-carbon products to the world. In 2021, China will bear 100 million tons of net carbon dioxide emissions for other countries due to trade in steel raw materials products, and 250 million tons of net carbon dioxide emissions for other countries due to trade in photovoltaic products.

The "Research Report" recommends further strengthening research on consumer-side accounting methodologies, expanding the coverage of research products, and building a full-caliber carbon measurement technology system that combines "top-down" and "bottom-up", in order to obtain more in-depth, Accurate and comprehensive accounting results.

The "Research Report" pointed out that the joint realization of the global carbon reduction goal ultimately depends on the joint efforts of all countries. Effectively fulfill common but differentiated responsibilities for carbon reduction, strengthen North-South cooperation, promote global technological progress, and jointly respond to human challenges.

Based on the long-term accumulation and latest work of the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Studies of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other units, the "Research Report" proposes a series of new understandings on the accounting of global carbon emissions from a consumer-side perspective, providing scientific support for global emission reduction and climate change governance.