Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
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Locations around the globe differ, however, along a number of dimensions
that are relevant to how best to approach improving air quality and reducing greenhouse emissions. In particular, countries vary in their overall land
size, population and population densities, degree of industrialization, government structure and authority, and some of the inherent options available
in the local environment (e.g. hydroelectric power).
One of the most important countries to include in this chapter is China.
China is both geographically large and also has a very large population,
causing it to have a correspondingly high amount of emissions and negative
health impacts. It is also a developing country in several respects, and it has
a relatively strong central government that can enact large- scale policies.
The United Kingdom is geographically much smaller, but there is an
interesting case to focus on in the city of London. London is a major city, in a
developed country, with significant air pollution problems because of nitrogen
oxide emissions from motor vehicles. As a single city with a more specific
issue, London is able to take more particular actions to address that issue.
Norway is a developed country with a smaller population than the city of
London (but it is geographically about the same size as the entire UK), and it
has been leading the way in taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and improve air quality. In particular, Norway is the leading country with
respect to the electrification of transportation.
13.2 China
In China, approximately 1.1 million people died prematurely in 2015 because
of outdoor ambient air pollution (Huang et al., 2018), and about 0.8 million
died prematurely in 2013 because of direct household exposure to solid fuels
(Liu et al., 2016). There are significant efforts in progress to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and improve air quality. Because of the very significant and
immediate health impacts of air pollution, improving air quality has a higher
priority than reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China. Typically, both air
quality and carbon emissions are strongly interlinked, but there are exceptions
to this relationship, and for this region the air quality issues are predominant.
In 2015, 64% of primary energy supply in China was from coal (Qin et al,
2018). Approximately 75% of the electricity that was generated in 2015 was
from coal- fired power plants (Peng et al, 2018). Approximately 14– 17% of
electricity was from hydropower (Lam et al., 2016). Since natural gas is a
cleaner fuel, there is an effort in progress to increase natural gas use from 6%
to 10% of primary energy supply by 2020. One way this is being accomplished
is by converting coal to synthetic natural gas (SNG).
There has been significant progress in improving air quality under the 2013
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP). Between 2013
120
1 2 0
Locations around the globe differ, however, along a number of dimensions
that are relevant to how best to approach improving air quality and reducing greenhouse emissions. In particular, countries vary in their overall land
size, population and population densities, degree of industrialization, government structure and authority, and some of the inherent options available
in the local environment (e.g. hydroelectric power).
One of the most important countries to include in this chapter is China.
China is both geographically large and also has a very large population,
causing it to have a correspondingly high amount of emissions and negative
health impacts. It is also a developing country in several respects, and it has
a relatively strong central government that can enact large- scale policies.
The United Kingdom is geographically much smaller, but there is an
interesting case to focus on in the city of London. London is a major city, in a
developed country, with significant air pollution problems because of nitrogen
oxide emissions from motor vehicles. As a single city with a more specific
issue, London is able to take more particular actions to address that issue.
Norway is a developed country with a smaller population than the city of
London (but it is geographically about the same size as the entire UK), and it
has been leading the way in taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and improve air quality. In particular, Norway is the leading country with
respect to the electrification of transportation.
13.2 China
In China, approximately 1.1 million people died prematurely in 2015 because
of outdoor ambient air pollution (Huang et al., 2018), and about 0.8 million
died prematurely in 2013 because of direct household exposure to solid fuels
(Liu et al., 2016). There are significant efforts in progress to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and improve air quality. Because of the very significant and
immediate health impacts of air pollution, improving air quality has a higher
priority than reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China. Typically, both air
quality and carbon emissions are strongly interlinked, but there are exceptions
to this relationship, and for this region the air quality issues are predominant.
In 2015, 64% of primary energy supply in China was from coal (Qin et al,
2018). Approximately 75% of the electricity that was generated in 2015 was
from coal- fired power plants (Peng et al, 2018). Approximately 14– 17% of
electricity was from hydropower (Lam et al., 2016). Since natural gas is a
cleaner fuel, there is an effort in progress to increase natural gas use from 6%
to 10% of primary energy supply by 2020. One way this is being accomplished
is by converting coal to synthetic natural gas (SNG).
There has been significant progress in improving air quality under the 2013
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP). Between 2013