Revealing Environmental Inequality Hidden in China’s Inter-regional Trade

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b00009
• Publication Date: 2018-05-25T22:34:45Z
• Authors: Wei Zhang; Yu Liu; Kuishuang Feng; Klaus Hubacek; Jinnan Wang; Miaomiao Liu; Ling Jiang; Hongqiang Jiang; Nianlei Liu; Pengyan Zhang; Ying Zhou; Jun Bi
• Keywords: Consumption; Value (mathematics); Balance of trade

Trade among regions or countries not only allows the exchange of goods and services but also leads to transfer pollution. The unequal associated value added pollution may be subject environmental inequality in China given that Chinese provinces are different development stages. By using latest multiregional input–output tables sectoral air pollutant emission inventory 2012, we traced emissions along China's domestic supply chains. Here, show 62%–76% consumption-based air-pollutant richer (Beijing–Tianjin, East Coast South Coast) were outsourced other regions; however, approximately 70% triggered by these region's final consumption was retained within region. Some western China, such as Guizhou, Ningxia, Yunnan, incurred net inflows suffered a negative balance when trading with rich provinces. Addressing inequalities could provide basis for determining each province's responsibility control model emerging economies.