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An Analysis of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions from China’s Logistics Industry

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Environmental Sustainability in Asian Logistics and Supply Chains

Abstract

China’s logistics industry has developed rapidly in recent years. As the level of logistical activity has grown so has the sector’s carbon footprint. The measurement and control of these logistics-related CO2 emissions is of vital importance to the nation’s energy and climate change strategies. This paper reports the results of an analysis of these emissions over the period 2000–2015 using two decomposition techniques, i.e. Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). In absolute terms, the amount of CO2 emissions from China’s logistics industry rose sharply and exhibited a cubic relationship with GDP rather than the more typical EKC curve. On the other hand, the ratio of CO2 emissions to energy consumption for China’s logistics industry was found to be declining. From the perspective of energy usage, two factors, energy intensity and energy structure, are identified as being the main contributors to the decrease in CO2 emission intensity, with energy intensity dominating. On the basis of these research results, the paper discusses ways of further reducing the CO2 emission intensity of China’s logistics industry.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (9162015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Business School, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China

    Xiaohong Liu

  2. Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg, Germany

    Alan C. McKinnon

  3. Horizon Research Consultancy Group, Beijing, China

    Ning Wei

Authors
  1. Xiaohong Liu
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  2. Alan C. McKinnon
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  3. Ning Wei
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Correspondence to Xiaohong Liu .

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  1. Business School, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China

    Xiaohong Liu

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Liu, X., McKinnon, A.C., Wei, N. (2019). An Analysis of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions from China’s Logistics Industry. In: Liu, X. (eds) Environmental Sustainability in Asian Logistics and Supply Chains. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0451-4_1

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