A global analysis of CO2 and non-CO2 GHG emissions embodied in trade with Belt and Road Initiative countries. Issue 1 (16th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hou, Jing; Deng, Xu; Springer, Cecilia Han; Teng, Fei
• Is Part Of: Ecosystem health and sustainability. Volume 6:Issue 1(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12-16
• Subjects: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- China -- consumption-based emissions -- non-CO2 greenhouse gas (NCO2) -- embodied emissions -- global multi-regional input-output model (MRIO); Ecosystem health -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental ethics -- Periodicals; Ecosystem management -- Periodicals; Ecosystem management; Environmental engineering; Environmental ethics; Environmental health; Environmental policy; Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1080/20964129.2020.1761888
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2096-4129

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Introduction : The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an important cooperative framework that increasingly affects the global economy, trade, and emission patterns. However, most existing studies pay insufficient attention to consumption-based emissions, embodied emissions, and non-CO2 greenhouse gases (GHGs). This study constructs a GHG emissions database to study the trends and variations in production-based, consumption-based, and embodied emissions associated with BRI countries.Outcome : We find that the per capita GHG emissions of BRI countries are lower than the global average but show significant variation within this group. We also find that trade-embodied emissions between BRI countries and China are growing. As a group, BRI countries are anet exporter of GHGs, with a global share of net export emissions of about 20%. In 2011, nearly 80% of GHG export emissions from BRI countries flowed to non-BRI countries, and nearly 15% flowed to China; about 57% of GHG import emissions were from non-BRI countries, and about 38% were from China.Conclusion : Therefore, this study concludes that the BRI should be used to coordinate climate governance to accelerate and strengthen the dissemination and deployment of low-emissions technologies, strategies, and policies within the BRI so as to avoid a carbon-intensive lock-in effect.