Consumption-Based Accounting of Global Anthropogenic CH4 Emissions

Abstract

Global anthropogenic CH4 emissions have witnessed a rapid increase in the last decade. However, how this increase is connected with its socioeconomic drivers has not yet been explored. In this paper, we highlight the impacts of final demand and international trade on global anthropogenic CH4 emissions based on the consumption-based accounting principle. We find that household consumption was the largest final demand category, followed by fixed capital formation and government consumption. The position and function of nations and major economies to act on the structure and spatial patterns of global CH4 emissions were systematically clarified. Substantial geographic shifts of CH4 emissions during 2000–2012 revealed the prominent impact of international trade. In 2012, about half of global CH4 emissions were embodied in international trade, of which 77.8% were from intermediate trade and 22.2% from final trade. Mainland China was the largest exporter of embodied CH4 emissions, while the United States was the largest importer. Developed economies such as Western Europe, the United States, and Japan were major net receivers of embodied emission transfer, mainly from developing countries. CH4 emission footprints of nations were closely related to their human development indexes and per capita gross domestic products. Our findings could help to improve current understanding of global anthropogenic CH4 emission increases and to pinpoint regional and sectoral hotspots for possible emission mitigation in the entire supply chains from production to consumption.