Life-cycle CO2 Emissions and Their Driving Factors in Construction Sector in China

Abstract

As the construction sector is a major energy consumer and thus a significant contributor of CO2 emissions in China, it is important to consider carbon reduction in this industry. This study analyzed six life-cycle stages and calculated the life-cycle CO2 emissions of the construction sector in 30 Chinese provincial jurisdictions to understand the disparity among them. Results show that building materials production was the key stage for carbon reduction in the construction sector, followed by the building operation stage. External variables, e.g., economic growth, industrial structure, urbanization, price fluctuation, and marketization, were significantly correlated with the emission intensity of the construction sector. Specifically, economic growth exhibited an inverted U-shaped relation with CO2 emissions per capita and per area during the period examined. Secondary industry and land urbanization were negatively correlated with CO2 emission intensity indicators from the construction sector, whereas tertiary industry and urbanization were positively correlated. Price indices and marketization had negative effects on CO2 emission intensity. The policy implications of our findings are that cleaner technologies should be encouraged for cement providers, and green purchasing rules for the construction sector should also be established. Pricing tools (e.g., resource taxes) could help to adjust the demand for raw materials and energy.