Sustained methane emissions from China after 2012 despite declining coal production and rice-cultivated area
Environmental Research Letters, vol. 16, pp. 104018
Abstract
Abstract China’s anthropogenic methane emissions are the largest of any country in the world. A recent study using atmospheric observations suggested that recent policies aimed at reducing emissions of methane due to coal production in China after 2010 had been largely ineffective. Here, based on a longer observational record and an updated modelling approach, we find a statistically significant positive linear trend (0.36 ± 0.04 ( ± 1 σ ) Tg CH 4 yr −2 ) in China’s methane emissions for 2010–2017. This trend was slowing down at a statistically significant rate of -0.1 ± 0.04 Tg CH 4 yr −3 . We find that this decrease in growth rate can in part be attributed to a decline in China’s coal production. However, coal mine methane emissions have not declined as rapidly as production, implying that there may be substantial fugitive emissions from abandoned coal mines that have previously been overlooked. We also find that emissions over rice-growing and aquaculture-farming regions show a positive trend (0.13 ± 0.05 Tg CH 4 yr −2 for 2010–2017) despite reports of shrinking rice paddy areas, implying potentially significant emissions from new aquaculture activities, which are thought to be primarily located on converted rice paddies.
Authors 18
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Jian‐Xiong Sheng corresponding
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Center for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Affiliation as printed
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Space Research Organisation Netherlands
Affiliation as printed
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Lu Shen corresponding
Affiliation as printed
School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Center for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Affiliation as printed
School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
Institute of Advanced Technology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
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Affiliation as printed
School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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California Institute of Technology · Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Affiliation as printed
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States of America
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Affiliation as printed
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Hadley Centre, Met Office, Exeter, United Kingdom
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University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation
Affiliation as printed
Earth Observation Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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University of Leicester · National Centre for Earth Observation
Affiliation as printed
Earth Observation Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences · University of Colorado Boulder · NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory
Affiliation as printed
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America
Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, United States of America
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State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining · China University of Mining and Technology - Beijing
Affiliation as printed
State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing, People’s Republic of China
State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Affiliation as printed
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control · Tsinghua University
Affiliation as printed
School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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