[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 21st that carbon emissions in China have decreased due to factory shutdowns and traffic controls implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
According to the report, research by the Finnish Energy Clean Air Research Center (CREA) found that from the 3rd to the 16th of this month, China's carbon emissions decreased by 100 million metric tons (mt) compared to the average for the same period over the past five years. It is analyzed that the Chinese government's postponement of factory operations resumption influenced this reduction.
China is the country with the highest greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, accounting for more than 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. During this period, the daily power generation of China's coal-fired power plants recorded the lowest level in four years, and steel production hit a five-year low. Coal production in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, a coal production hub in China, also reached its lowest point in four years, and the operating rate of petrochemical plants in Shandong Province recorded its lowest level since 2015.
However, this is considered a temporary phenomenon, and carbon emissions are expected to increase somewhat once China's economic activities normalize. CREA pointed out, "The Chinese government is likely to implement stimulus measures once the situation stabilizes to prevent an economic recession caused by COVID-19, which will increase carbon emissions again."
According to a recent report jointly published by CREA and the international environmental organization Greenpeace, premature deaths (deaths occurring earlier than average life expectancy) due to air pollution in China reach 1.8 million annually, with the resulting economic cost amounting to 900 billion dollars.
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