EGU2020-2708
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-2708
EGU General Assembly 2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Energy and air pollution benefits of household fuel policies in northern China

Wenjun Meng1, Qirui Zhong1, Yilin Chen2, Huizhong Shen2, and Shu Tao1
Wenjun Meng et al.
  • 1College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China(wjmeng7518@163.com)
  • 2School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA30332, USA

In addition to many recent actions taken to reduce emissions from energy production, industry, and transportation, a new campaign substituting residential solid fuels with electricity or natural gas has been launched in Beijing, Tianjin, and other 26 municipalities in northern China, aiming at solving severe ambient air pollution in the region. Quantitative analysis shows that the campaign can accelerate residential energy transition significantly, and if the planned target can be achieved, more than 60% of households are projected to remove solid fuels by 2021, compared with less than 20% without the campaign. Emissions of major air pollutants will be reduced substantially. With 60% substitution realized, emission of primary PM2.5 and contribution to ambient PM2.5 concentration in 2021 are projected to be 30% and 41% of those without the campaign. With 60% substitution, average indoor PM2.5 concentrations in living rooms in winter are projected to be reduced from 209 (190-230) μg/m3 to 125 (99-150) μg/m3. The population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations can be reduced from 140 μg/m3 in 2014 to 78 μg/m3 or 61 μg/m3 in 2021 given that 60% or 100% substitution can be accomplished. Although the original focus of the campaign was to address ambient air quality, exposure reduction comes more from improved indoor air quality because approximately 90% of daily exposure of the population is attributable to indoor air pollution. Women benefit more than men.

How to cite: Meng, W., Zhong, Q., Chen, Y., Shen, H., and Tao, S.: Energy and air pollution benefits of household fuel policies in northern China, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-2708, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-2708, 2020

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