Articles | Volume 25, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-18111-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-18111-2025
Research article
 | 
10 Dec 2025
Research article |  | 10 Dec 2025

A comparative analysis of China's anthropogenic CO2 emissions (2000–2023): insights from six bottom-up inventories and uncertainty assessment

Huirong Yang, Kai Wu, Huizhong Shen, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Monica Crippa, Diego Guizzardi, and Minqiang Zhou

Related authors

Spatial resolution versus precision in CO2 point-source emission retrievals from the DQ-1 spaceborne lidar
Ruijie Zhang, Lu Zhang, Xingying Zhang, Peng Zhang, Minqiang Zhou, Xifeng Cao, Chonghui Cheng, and Huirong Yang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3007,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3007, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
Short summary

Cited articles

Akimoto, H., Ohara, T., Kurokawa, J., and Horii, N.: Verification of energy consumption in China during 1996–2003 by using satellite observational data, Atmospheric Environment, 40, 7663–7667, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.07.052, 2006. 
Andres, R. J., Boden, T. A., and Higdon, D. M.: Gridded uncertainty in fossil fuel carbon dioxide emission maps, a CDIAC example, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14979–14995, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14979-2016, 2016. 
Cai, B., Liang, S., Zhou, J., Wang, J., Cao, L., Qu, S., Xu, M., and Yang, Z.: China high resolution emission database (CHRED) with point emission sources, gridded emission data, and supplementary socioeconomic data, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 129, 232–239, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.10.036, 2018. 
Che, K., Cai, Z., Liu, Y., Wu, L., Yang, D., Chen, Y., Meng, X., Zhou, M., Wang, J., Yao, L., and Wang, P.: Lagrangian inversion of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions from Beijing using differential column measurements, Environ. Res. Lett., 17, 075001, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac7477, 2022. 
Etheridge, D. M., Steele, L. P., Langenfelds, R. L., Francey, R. J., Barnola, J.-M., and Morgan, V. I.: Natural and anthropogenic changes in atmospheric CO2 over the last 1000 years from air in Antarctic ice and firn, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 101, 4115–4128, https://doi.org/10.1029/95JD03410, 1996. 
Download
Short summary
We compare six major anthropogenic CO2 emission inventories in China during the period 2000–2023 to assess emission trends and uncertainties. National emissions show a clear three‑phase pattern, with uncertainties below 5 % (1σ) at the national scale but much higher at the provincial level (10–50 %, 1σ). High-emission regions often have the largest uncertainties. Our findings support more accurate emission estimates and the verification emission reduction policies.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint