Toward carbon free by 2060: A decarbonization roadmap of operational residential buildings in China Article Swipe
YOU?
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· 2023
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.127689
· OA: W4367396363
Restraining the rapid growth of operational carbon emissions from residential buildings is critical to achieve carbon neutrality. To illustrate the future decarbonization roadmap, this study builds an end-use emissions model to analyze past decarbonization efforts and projected emission change in China's residential building operations by mid-century. From 2001 to 2018, residential building operations reduced emissions by 2.77 (±1.61) giga tons of carbon dioxide (GtCO<sub>2</sub>). Dynamic simulation results of the emission model reveal that residential building operations will peak in 2031 (±3) with 0.95 (±0.06) GtCO<sub>2</sub>. Energy-related carbon intensity (~44%) and energy intensity (~36%) are identified as the primary factors affecting carbon peak status, with heating (~87%) playing a crucial role in energy intensity. A feasible emission path towards carbon neutrality suggests limiting urban and rural residential building emissions to 0.38 and 0.27 GtCO<sub>2</sub> in 2030, respectively, and offsetting only 0.03 and 0.01 GtCO<sub>2</sub> in urban and rural regions by 2060, to become carbon free. Overall, the study proposes a stepwise data analysis benchmark to decarbonize the residential building operations of top emitters, contributing to global building decarbonization in the era of carbon neutrality.
