Location-specific co-benefits of carbon emissions reduction from coal-fired power plants in China.
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Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34845194.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-27252-1 and PMC identifier 8629986.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Climate policies that achieve air quality co-benefits can better align developing countries' national interests with global climate mitigation. Since the effects of air pollutants are highly dependent on source locations, spatially nuanced policies are crucial to maximizing the achievement of co-benefits. Using the coal power industry as a case study, this study presents an interdisciplinary approach to assessing facility level co-benefits at every specific source location in China. We find that co-benefits range from US$51-$278 per ton CO<sub>2</sub> reduction nationwide and are highly heterogeneous spatially, with "hotspot" regions that should be the priority of emissions reduction policies, and that provinces should use different techno-economic strategies to reduce emissions. The location-specific co-benefit value plus a carbon price serves as a unified environmental indicator that enables policy makers to more accurately understand the social costs of electricity generation from coal burning and provides a scientific framework for geographically nuanced policymaking.