Chinese cities among 25 big producers of greenhouse gases, study finds
- Handan, Shanghai and Suzhou on list of urban centres responsible for more than half the carbon released by 167 cities worldwide, researchers say
- Wealthier countries have higher per capita emissions than developing nations, but Asian cities were the biggest emitters as a whole
Chinese cities are among the big emitters responsible for more than half the carbon produced by 167 urban centres worldwide, an analysis of emission trends has found.
Just 25 cities – including Handan, Shanghai and Suzhou in China, along with Tokyo, Moscow and Istanbul – accounted for 52 per cent of total emissions from the sample across 53 countries, according to researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou.
Wealthier countries produced more greenhouse gases per person than developing nations, though Asian cities were the biggest emitters as a whole, the scientists said in a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Cities on Monday.
“Cities in the United States, Europe and Australia had notably higher per capita [greenhouse gas] emissions than those in most developing areas,” the researchers said, adding that those cities should do more to reduce carbon emissions.
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But some Chinese cities were found to be outliers with high emission levels, according to the peer-reviewed study.
“Though China is still a developing country, several Chinese cities – such as Yinchuan, Urumqi and Dalian – had the per capita [greenhouse gas] emissions approaching those of developed countries, which is partially attributed to their rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and relatively high reliance on coal energy,” the researchers said.