The accounting method and application of CO2 emissions responsibility by the electricity sector at the provincial level in China

WhenaccountingtheCO2emissionsresponsibilityoftheelectricitysectorattheprovinciallevelinChina,itisofgreatsignificancetoconsiderthescopeofbothproducers’andtheconsumers’responsibility,sincethiswillpromotefairnessindefiningemissionresponsibilityandenhancecooperationinemissionreductionamongprovinces.Thispaperproposesanewmethodforcalculatingcarbonemissionsfromthepowersectorattheprovinciallevelbasedonthesharedresponsibilityprincipleandtakingintoaccountinterregionalpowerexchange.Thismethodcannotonlybeusedtoaccounttheemissionresponsibilitysharedbyboththeelectricityproductionsideandtheconsumptionside,butitisalsoapplicableforcalculatingthecorrespondingemissionresponsibilityundertakenbythoseprovinceswithnetelectricityoutflowandinflow.ThismethodhasbeenusedtoaccountforthecarbonemissionsresponsibilitiesofthepowersectorattheprovinciallevelinChinasince2011.Theempiricalresultsindicatethatcomparedwiththeproduction-basedaccountingmethod,thecarbonemissionsofmajorpower-generationprovincesinChinacalculatedbythesharedresponsibilityaccountingmethodarereducedbyatleast10%,butthoseofotherpower-consumptionprovincesareincreasedby20%ormore.Secondly,basedontheprincipleofsharedresponsibilityaccounting,InnerMongoliahasthehighestcarbonemissionsfromthepowersectorwhileHainanhasthelowest.Thirdly,fourprovinces,includingInnerMongolia,Shanxi,HubeiandAnhui,havethehighestcarbonemissionsfromnetelectricityoutflow-14milliontin2011,accountingfor74.42%oftotalcarbonemissionsfromnetelectricityoutflowinChina.Sixprovinces,includingHebei,Beijing,Guangdong,Liaoning,Shandong,andJiangsu,havethehighestcarbonemissionsfromnetelectricityinflow-11milliontin2011,accountingfor71.44%oftotalcarbonemissionsfromnetelectricityinflowinChina.Lastly,thispaperhasestimatedtheemissionfactorsofelectricity