Goods manufactured in China not good for the environment, study finds

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-09/uoc--gmi092815.php

Public Release: 28-Sep-2015
Goods manufactured in China not good for the environment, study finds
UCI, other researchers link products made there with higher CO2 emissions
University of California - Irvine

In a study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, scientists from three universities show that products made in China are associated with significantly higher carbon dioxide emissions than the same products made elsewhere.

"The amazing increase in Chinese manufacturing over the past 15 years has driven the world economy to new heights and supplied consumers in developed countries with tremendous quantities of lower-cost goods," said co-author Steven J. Davis, an assistant professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine. "But all of this has come at substantial cost to the environment."

The researchers, also from Harvard University and the University of Maryland, attribute China's high emissions intensity - the quantity of CO2 emitted per dollar of goods produced - to the nation's antiquated manufacturing processes and reliance on coal.

"The CO2 emissions related to China's exports are large not just because they export a lot of stuff or because they specialize in energy-demanding industries, but because their manufacturing technologies are less advanced and they rely primarily on coal for energy," said co-author Klaus Hubacek, a University of Maryland professor of geographical sciences.

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