Decomposition analysis of air pollution abatement in China: Empirical study for ten industrial sectors from 1998 to 2009

This study analyzes air pollutant substances management in Chinese industrial sectors from 1998 to 2009. Decomposition analysis applying the logarithmic mean divisia index is used to analyze changes in air pollutant substances emissions by the following five factors: coal pollution intensity (CPI), end-of-pipe treatment (EOP), energy mix (EM), productive efficiency change (EFF), and production scale changes (PSC). We focus on the three pollutants which are sulfur dioxide (SO2), dust substance, and soot substance. We clarify SO2 emissions from Chinese industrial sectors have increased because of the increase in the production scale. However, the inducing EOP equipment and improvements in energy efficiency have prevented an increase in SO2 emissions commensurate with the production increasing. Second, soot emissions were successfully reduced and controlled in all industries except the steel industry between 1998 and 2009, even though the production scale expanded for these industries. This reduction is achieved because of improvements in the EOP equipment technology and in energy efficiency. Finally, dust emissions decreased by nearly 65% between 1998 and 2009 in the Chinese industrial sectors. This successful emissions reduction was achieved by implementing EOP and pollution prevention activities during the production processes, especially in the cement industry. We clarify that pollution prevention effect in cement industry is mainly caused by production technological development rather than scale merit.