Power sector decarbonization increases construction phase embodied emissions in China
En palabras de los autores
Aligning power system expansion with stringent climate targets requires rapid deployment of low-carbon generation and grids, yet the construction-phase emissions embodied in this build-out remain weakly constrained. Here, we develop a province-level framework to quantify these emissions from China’s power infrastructure expansion from 2025 to 2050 under a business-as-usual pathway and two mitigation pathways consistent with limiting warming to 2 °C and achieving carbon neutrality. We find that cumulative construction-phase embodied emissions from power generation infrastructure reach 4.10 Gt CO₂ under business as usual and 6.53-7.03 Gt CO₂ under the mitigation pathways, with national annual emissions peaking at 0.23-0.32 Gt CO₂ in the 2030 s. More than 70% of cumulative construction-phase embodied emissions are concentrated in ten provinces, with Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang consistently leading. Stricter climate constraints increase construction-phase embodied emissions. Demand-side measures, together with material efficiency and circular economy strategies, are therefore needed alongside supply-side decarbonization to align power sector expansion with stringent carbon budgets. Construction phase embodied emissions from China’s power infrastructure increase under more stringent power sector climate targets, according to a study combining power system modeling with material flow and input output analyses.
Apareció: jueves, 24 de septiembre. Communications Earth & Environment. Revista con revisión por pares.