China\u27s provincial carbon emission transfers and the effectiveness of mitigation polices

The complexity of shared emissions responsibility for carbon transfers in various regions of China has further raised additional challenges for energy savings and carbon mitigation efforts. This paper establishes an extended provincial input-output (IO) model for each province to calculate carbon emissions based on production, consumption, and transfers from 2005 through 2015, and examines whether carbon mitigation policies can effectively promote energy conservation and emissions reduction in the various provinces. The empirical analysis established that: (1) an increase in the implementation strength of mitigation policy can effectively reduce production-based carbon emissions amongst the different provinces; (2) stricter mitigation policy increases the possibility that a province will transfer more of their emissions to other areas, thus causing a net emissions outflow; and (3) subsequent policy enforcement will weaken once mitigation goals are accomplished. Therefore, this paper repudiates the accepted belief that mitigation policy effectively controls carbon emissions, especially for production-based emissions. More refined policy design and supplementation is needed when considering consumption-based emissions and related carbon transfers

The forces driving inequalities in China\u27s household carbon footprints

Household carbon footprints account for a large proportion of total emissions. When considering indirect emissions through the consumption of goods and services, a high level of carbon footprint inequality exists both worldwide and within China. Utilizing both provincial level input-output tables and micro-level household survey data, this paper aims to measure Chinese households’ indirect carbon footprints, estimate the level of indirect carbon footprint inequalities, and analyze the main drivers of carbon footprint disparities. The main findings are as follows. First, there is widespread inequality in terms of indirect carbon footprints at the individual household level, and the urban-rural disparity has a significant impact on carbon footprint inequalities. Second, inequalities in terms of carbon footprints are higher than those in relation to income and expenditure, with the main source being between-group inequalities. Third, disparities in income, education, living conditions, and asset ownership, as well as urban-rural disparities, are the main factors contributing to carbon footprint differentials. These results imply that the urban rich in China have contributed significantly to emissions growth by means of their daily consumption. With the largest population in the world, the reduction of China’s household carbon footprint has significant implications for global carbon emissions mitigation. China’s future policies should include consideration of low carbon emissions initiatives, such as a progressive carbon tax, that emphasizes the responsibility of the rich

'Made in China':A reevaluation of embodied CO2 emissions in Chinese exports using firm heterogeneity information

Emissions embodied in Chinese exports might be lower than commonly thought, which would increase China's responsibility for carbon emissions under a consumption-based approach. Using an augmented Chinese input-output table in which information about firm ownership and type of traded goods are explicitly reported, we show that ignoring firm heterogeneity causes embodied CO2 emissions in Chinese exports to be overestimated by 20% at the national level, with huge differences at the sector level, for 2007. This is because different types of firms that are allocated to the same sector of the conventional Chinese input-output table vary greatly in terms of market share, production technology and carbon intensity. This overestimation of export-related carbon emissions would be even higher if it were not for the fact that 80% of CO2 emissions embodied in exports of foreign-owned firms are, in fact, emitted by Chinese-owned firms upstream in the supply chain. The main reason is that the largest CO2 emitter, the electricity sector located upstream in Chinese domestic supply chains, is strongly dominated by Chinese-owned firms with very high carbon intensity. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

How does firm heterogeneity information impact the estimation of embodied carbon emissions in Chinese exports?

Using an augmented Chinese input–output table in which information about firm ownership and type of traded goods are explicitly reported, we show that ignoring firm heterogeneity causes embodied CO2 emissions in Chinese exports to be overestimated by 20% at the national level, with huge differences at the sector level, for 2007. This is because different types of firm that are allocated to the same sector of the conventional Chinese input–output table vary greatly in terms of market share, production technology and carbon intensity. This overestimation of export-related carbon emissions would be even higher if it were not for the fact that 80% of CO2 emissions embodied in exports of foreign-owned firms are, in fact, emitted by Chinese-owned firms upstream of the supply chain. The main reason is that the largest CO2 emitter, the electricity sector located upstream in Chinese domestic supply chains, is strongly dominated by Chinese-owned firms with very high carbon intensity

EFFECTS OF LOW CONCENTRATIONS OF ROTENONE UPON MITOHORMESIS IN SH-SY5Y CELLS

The mitochondrial toxin rotenone exerts cytotoxicity via overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. We investigated the effects of rotenone (12.5, 25, 50, 100 nmol/L) on mitochondrial biogenesis and the potential roles of ROS production in SH-SY5Y cells. Mitochondrial biogenesis was assessed by counting the number of mitochondria, determining protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator α (PGC1-α) and its regulator, SIRT1, and oxygen consumption. ROS production and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione(GSSG) were also determined. Compared with controls, rotenone (12.5 nmol/L) significantly increased the quantity of mitochondria and amount of oxygen consumption, whereas rotenone at \u3e12.5 nmol/L decreased the quantity of mitochondria and amount of oxygen consumption. GSH contents and GSH/GSSG were also significantly enhanced by rotenone at 12.5 nmol/L and decreased by rotenone at \u3e12.5 nmol/L. Except for ROS production and SIRT1 protein expression, all concentration–response relationships showed a typical inverted-U shape. ROS production was continually increased in cells treated with rotenone. These data indicate that low concentrations of rotenone can induce mitohormesis, which may be attributed to ROS production