GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH ›› 2012, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (2): 345-356.

• Earth Surface Processes •

Urban types and impact factors on carbon emissions from direct energy consumption of residents in China

ZHANG Yan1,2, QIN Yao-chen1, YAN Wei-yang1, ZHANG Jin-ping1, ZHANG Li-jun1, LU Feng-xian1, WANG Xi1

1. 1. Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization/College of Environment and Planning and Sustainable Development, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, China;
2. College of Environment Science and Tourism, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
• Received:2011-03-21 Revised:2011-08-12 Online:2012-02-20 Published:2012-02-20

Abstract: A total of 287 prefectural-level cities in China were classified into 6 categories based on the calculation of CO2 emissions per capita,the quantity and composition of CO2 emissions from residents' direct energy consumption.The result shows that CO2 emissions per capita,CO2 emissions intensity per area,CO2 emissions intensity per capita wage,and CO2 emissions from residents' direct energy consumption in the high-carbon emission cities are higher than those in the low-carbon emission cities,and that CO2 emissions intensity of GDP per capita of the residents in the high-carbon emission cities are lower than those in the low-carbon emission cities.The high-carbon emission cities are mostly developed and resource-based cities.The major composition of CO2 emissions in high-carbon emission cities are power consumption and transportation.CO2 emissions from direct energy consumption of the residents in high-carbon emission cities has 86.20% of the total CO2 emissions from direct energy consumption of the residents in Chinese 287 prefectural-level cities in 2008.Most of them are low-carbon emission cities.The average quantity of CO2 emissions from direct energy consumption of the residents in low-carbon emission cities is lower than that in high-carbon emission cities.The city's CDD,the heating period,the intensity of heating,the quantity of energy supply per capita,the prices of energy,GDP per capita,and wages per capita are the main influencing factors.GDP per capita and wages per capita have great impact on the quantity of CO2 emissions per capita from power consumption and transportation.CDD influences the quantity of CO2 emissions due to power consuming for cooling in summer while the heating period and the intensity of heating influence the quantity of CO2 emissions due to that for heating in winter.There is linear relationship between the quantity of CO2 emissions per capita due to gas consumption and quantity of energy supply per capita.There is a binary linear relationship between heating period and GDP per capita of the city and the quantity of CO2 emissions from central heating.