Temporal and spatial differences in carbon emissions in the Pearl River Delta based on multi-resolution emission inventory modeling

Carbon emissions research in rapidly urbanizing areas around the world has typically focused on numerical changes in regional carbon emissions, and less research has been conducted on the spatial and temporal characteristics of carbon emissions from different sources in the urban system. Here, based on Multi-Resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC) modeling data, carbon emissions from industrial, power generation, residential, and transportation sources were analyzed in the Pearl River Delta region from 2008 to 2012, and the corresponding spatiotemporal distributions and main influencing mechanisms were elucidated. The results were as follows. (1) From 2008 to 2012, the total amount of carbon emissions increased gradually, and carbon emissions per unit area increased from 6513.65 x 103 gC"ni--2"a-1 to 7519.03 x 103 gC" m-2"a-1, where industrial carbon emissions were the highest, followed by power and transportation emissions; residential carbon emissions were the lowest. (2) The spatial characteristics of carbon emissions in the Pearl River Delta region showed a carbon emissions belt with a shape similar to that of the number seven and Shenzhen carbon emissions center. Industrial carbon emissions resembled a "one belt, one center" pattern. Power carbon emissions mainly showed a "seven shape" pertaining to a carbon emissions belt and secondary carbon emissions centers. Residential carbon emissions were mainly located in the Guangzhou Foshan carbon emissions belt and Shenzhen secondary center. Lastly, transportation-related carbon emissions were mainly located in the Guangzhou Foshan and Shenzhen Dongguan carbon emissions belt. (3) From 2008 to 2012, carbon emissions from industrial, transportation, and residential sources all showed obvious spatial distribution characteristics related to the carbon belt of Guangzhou Foshan, and the two carbon emissions centers displayed a centripetal agglomeration development trend, in which the emissions gradually expanded out from around this area. The reasons were attributed to the influences of the "Guangfo One City" policy, whereby joint development in Guangzhou and Foshan is being focused on in its entirety. (4) The future development direction of the Pearl River Delta region should be based on controlling the scale of urban development, construction of low-carbon industrial production areas, and low-carbon-oriented land use planning; the formulation of such reasonable measures would help to reduce future carbon emissions. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.