Difference in differences

Context (archaeology)

Algorithm

Adsorption

Composite number

Engineering

Ecology

Efficient energy use

Biology

Statistics

China

Archaeology

Economics

Energy intensity

Computer science

Carbon fibers

Geology

Oceanography

Environmental engineering

Greenhouse gas

Organic chemistry

Mathematics

Geography

Carbonization

Significant difference

Econometrics

Environmental science

Chemistry

Natural resource economics

Agricultural economics

Electrical engineering

Sustainable Cities and Society

It is commonly acknowledged that China and USA are the two largest carbon emitters in the world, but the differences in the emissions between the two countries is significant. This paper reveals the carbon emissions difference in the context of construction industry. The drivers contributing to the difference are analyzed by the structural decomposition analysis method. The results suggest that the construction carbon emissions in China are much larger than USA, and the difference in the emissions between China and USA increased by 439.8% between 1995 and 2009. The results also demonstrate that the total final demand effect contributed most to narrowing the emissions difference, whilst the final demand ratio effect had the largest enlarging impact on the difference. The second significant factor for the enlargement of the emissions difference between the Chinese and the US construction industry was the production structure effect, followed by the energy intensity effect and the carbonization factor effect. It is noteworthy that the carbonization factor effect has surpassed the energy intensity effect since 2008. This study can provide the Chinese policy makers with a systematic understanding on which part of policy should be concentrated in order to reduce the construction carbon emissions.

What makes the difference in construction carbon emissions between China and USA?