Measuring embodied carbon dioxide of the logistics industry in China: based on industry stripping method and input-output model

Abstract

Due to the lack of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission data on China's logistics industry, this study uses the industry stripping method to calculate the embodied energy consumption CO₂ emissions based on input-output tables for China's logistics industry from 1997 to 2017. And then the Log-Mean Divisia Index method is used to decompose the influencing factors of carbon emission from five aspects. The empirical study mainly focused on the application of carbon emission tools and approaches in China, and this resulted in four key findings. First, the use of transportation, warehousing, and postal industries as a proxy for the logistics is simply not in line with reality and could result in greatly underestimating the CO₂ emissions of logistics. Second, the annual direct CO₂ accounts for roughly 40% in the embodied CO₂ emissions in the logistics industry. Third, construction industry makes a greater contribution to the embodied CO₂ of the logistics industry, followed by manufacturing. Fourth, economic output, population size, industrial structure, and energy structure are factors that contributed to the increase of logistics CO₂ emissions, while the restraining factors included energy intensity. There is immense scope for adjustment in the energy and industrial structures.

Keywords: China; Embodied carbon dioxide emissions; Industry stripping method; Log-Mean Divisia Index; Logistics industry.