Co-benefits from CO2-emission reduction measures in Shanxi, China: A first assessment

Abstract

This paper analyses a set of CO2-reducing abatement options related to coal consumption in Shanxi, China. The costs and potential for abatement are investigated for different economic sectors, and the entailed emission reductions are estimated in terms of CO2, SO2, and particles. The present population-weighted exposure level for particles and SO2 is estimated using air quality monitoring data, and a simplified methodology is applied to estimate the reduced population exposure resulting from the abatement measures. By means of exposure-response functions from Chinese and international epidemiology, the health effects from implementing the measures are indicated. An economic evaluation of the reduced health effect is made by employing unit prices of health impacts based on the damage cost approach. Estimates of the present agricultural crop loss attributable to enhanced levels of surface ozone are also given. The impact of emission reductions within Shanxi province is, however, limited due to the regional feature of ozone formation. This first assessment of CO2-reducing abatement options in Shanxi demonstrates that the measures are profitable in a socioeconomic sense. However, the study also demonstrates a certain lack of synergy between the options with respect to their effectiveness in meeting local, regional and global environmental concerns.