Frequent interactions of Tibet's CO2 emissions with those of other regions in China

Abstract

Tibet is usually missing from China's emission accounts, especially from those of consumption-based emissions. In this study, we developed a multiregional input-output table for 31 provinces in China and examined the production- and consumption-based characteristics of Tibet's CO2 emissions in 2012. Results show that the consumption-based CO2 emissions in Tibet (18.8 Mt, similar to Guinea's emissions in 2015) were three times as high as the production-based estimate (6.2 Mt). Tibet displays unique emission patterns with the highest ratio of consumption- to production-based emissions in China, which are more similar with the east developed provinces rather than its counterparts in west China. More than half of Tibet's consumption-based emissions are supported by Qinghai, Hebei, Sichuan, and others, enabled by the Qinghai-Tibet railway that connected Tibet to China's national railway system. High carbon footprint but low life expectancy is found in Tibet, suggesting the emerging need of a more sustainable consumption pathway under the intensifying interregional connections by Belt and Road Initiative.