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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2023, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (6): 1450-1458.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202306.022

• Special Features of Regional Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Carbon neutral contribution and regional differences of clean energy based on life cycle assessment

HUANG Hongjun1,2, SUN Ranhao1,2*, LI Jialei1,2, XIANG Junyong3   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China;
    2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3Economic and Technology Research Institute, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, Beijing 100031, China
  • Received:2022-12-31 Accepted:2023-03-21 Online:2023-06-15 Published:2023-12-15

Abstract: Developing clean energy is an important strategy to achieve global carbon neutrality. In the entire life cycle industrial chain of clean energy systems, fossil energy was directly or indirectly consumed during the processes from raw material production to waste disposal stages. The energy consumed by clean energy construction differed across regions, resulting in various carbon neutrality contributions of clean energy in different regions. We used bibliometrics to sort out the energy consumption of clean energy construction in different regions, including photovoltaic power generation, wind power, hydropower, and other clean energy sources. By combining the loss of land to decrease carbon pool during the operation of clean energy, we analyzed the current research hotspots, development status and trends, and difference in carbon emissions, and summarized the carbon neutral contributions of different regions. The intensity of clean energy carbon emission in China was significantly lower than global mean value. The average intensity of carbon emission in China in the four fields of onshore wind power, offshore wind power, hydropower, and photovoltaic power was 28.8%, 18.2%, 10.1%, and 16.7% lower than global average, respectively. For further research on carbon neutrality of clean energy, it is important to establish a unified life cycle assessment system, put forward construction strategies according to geographical differences, carry out ecological benefit evaluation for clean energy, and establish a clean energy transmission network system.

Key words: clean energy, life cycle assessment, carbon neutral strategy, regional difference