Co-Benefits Analysis of Coal De-Capacity in China
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Published:2023-12-21
Issue:1
Volume:16
Page:115
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ISSN:2071-1050
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Container-title:Sustainability
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Sustainability
Author:
Cui Guangyuan1, Lu Shuang2, Dong Donglin2, Zhao Yanan3ORCID
Affiliation:
1. School of Marxism, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China 2. College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China 3. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Abstract
China is the world’s largest carbon emitter and coal de-capacity is a policy with immediate and substantial CO2 reduction effects. However, the carbon emission reduction and health co-benefits arising from the coal de-capacity are often ignored. Here, we assessed the carbon emission reductions and quantified the health co-benefits from coal de-capacity based on an analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the mine closures and phase out during 2016–2022. Our findings show that China had closed/phased out a total of 4027 mines with a total de-capacity of 8.75 × 108 t, spatially concentrated in Southwest and North China from 2016 to 2022. The coal life cycle emitted 1859 million t of carbon during the coal de-capacity. Importantly, 11,775 premature deaths were avoided during 2016–2022 due to reduced PM2.5 exposure as a result of coal mining. This study highlights the significant effects of coal de-capacity on carbon reduction and health co-benefits in China and provides scientific evidence and data to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals and the ‘dual carbon goals’.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Geography, Planning and Development,Building and Construction
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