Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations
Abstract Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a potent greenhouse gas. Here we use long-term atmospheric observations to determine SF6 emissions from China between 2011 and 2021, which are used to evaluate the Chinese national SF6 emission inventory and to better understand the global SF6 budget. SF6 emissi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46084-3 |
| _version_ | 1797273988009820160 |
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| author | Minde An Ronald G. Prinn Luke M. Western Xingchen Zhao Bo Yao Jianxin Hu Anita L. Ganesan Jens Mühle Ray F. Weiss Paul B. Krummel Simon O’Doherty Dickon Young Matthew Rigby |
| author_facet | Minde An Ronald G. Prinn Luke M. Western Xingchen Zhao Bo Yao Jianxin Hu Anita L. Ganesan Jens Mühle Ray F. Weiss Paul B. Krummel Simon O’Doherty Dickon Young Matthew Rigby |
| author_sort | Minde An |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a potent greenhouse gas. Here we use long-term atmospheric observations to determine SF6 emissions from China between 2011 and 2021, which are used to evaluate the Chinese national SF6 emission inventory and to better understand the global SF6 budget. SF6 emissions in China substantially increased from 2.6 (2.3-2.7, 68% uncertainty) Gg yr−1 in 2011 to 5.1 (4.8-5.4) Gg yr−1 in 2021. The increase from China is larger than the global total emissions rise, implying that it has offset falling emissions from other countries. Emissions in the less-populated western regions of China, which have potentially not been well quantified in previous measurement-based estimates, contribute significantly to the national SF6 emissions, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission in that area. The CO2-eq emissions of SF6 in China in 2021 were 125 (117-132) million tonnes (Mt), comparable to the national total CO2 emissions of several countries such as the Netherlands or Nigeria. The increasing SF6 emissions offset some of the CO2 reductions achieved through transitioning to renewable energy in the power industry, and might hinder progress towards achieving China’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:52:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6e15d3ba14b4956ae57324b853c62fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:52:00Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6e15d3ba14b4956ae57324b853c62fb2024-03-05T19:38:36ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-03-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-46084-3Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observationsMinde An0Ronald G. Prinn1Luke M. Western2Xingchen Zhao3Bo Yao4Jianxin Hu5Anita L. Ganesan6Jens Mühle7Ray F. Weiss8Paul B. Krummel9Simon O’Doherty10Dickon Young11Matthew Rigby12Center for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCenter for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySchool of Chemistry, University of BristolCollege of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking UniversityDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan UniversityCollege of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking UniversityCenter for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San DiegoScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San DiegoClimate, Atmosphere and Oceans Interactions, CSIRO EnvironmentSchool of Chemistry, University of BristolSchool of Chemistry, University of BristolCenter for Global Change Science, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAbstract Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a potent greenhouse gas. Here we use long-term atmospheric observations to determine SF6 emissions from China between 2011 and 2021, which are used to evaluate the Chinese national SF6 emission inventory and to better understand the global SF6 budget. SF6 emissions in China substantially increased from 2.6 (2.3-2.7, 68% uncertainty) Gg yr−1 in 2011 to 5.1 (4.8-5.4) Gg yr−1 in 2021. The increase from China is larger than the global total emissions rise, implying that it has offset falling emissions from other countries. Emissions in the less-populated western regions of China, which have potentially not been well quantified in previous measurement-based estimates, contribute significantly to the national SF6 emissions, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission in that area. The CO2-eq emissions of SF6 in China in 2021 were 125 (117-132) million tonnes (Mt), comparable to the national total CO2 emissions of several countries such as the Netherlands or Nigeria. The increasing SF6 emissions offset some of the CO2 reductions achieved through transitioning to renewable energy in the power industry, and might hinder progress towards achieving China’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46084-3 |
| spellingShingle | Minde An Ronald G. Prinn Luke M. Western Xingchen Zhao Bo Yao Jianxin Hu Anita L. Ganesan Jens Mühle Ray F. Weiss Paul B. Krummel Simon O’Doherty Dickon Young Matthew Rigby Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations Nature Communications |
| title | Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations |
| title_full | Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations |
| title_fullStr | Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations |
| title_short | Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations |
| title_sort | sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in china inferred from atmospheric observations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46084-3 |
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