Atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ observation: A novel method to evaluate carbon emissions

Authors

Zhenchuan NIU, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China Xi'an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center, Xi'an 710061, ChinaFollow
Peng WANG, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China Xi'an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center, Xi'an 710061, China
Shugang WU, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China Xi'an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center, Xi'an 710061, China
Weijian ZHOU, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China Xi'an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Center, Xi'an 710061, ChinaFollow

Keywords

radiocarbon, fossil fuel CO2 carbon emissions, carbon peaking, carbon neutrality, new method

Document Type

Environmental Protection and Ecological Restoration

Abstract

As an important carbon emitter, China faces the stress of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and international carbon reduction duty. The accurate data of carbon emissions are important to evaluate the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and fulfill the international duty of carbon reduction. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report recommends the combination of top-down atmospheric CO₂ observation with atmospheric inversion to verify the bottom-up inventory of carbon emissions, and the atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ observation can make the verification more accurate. Radiocarbon (14C) is the most precise tracer of fossil fuel CO₂ and is widely recommended by the international community to evaluate the carbon emissions. Based on the international developing trends and the situation in China for atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ observation, this study suggests to establish the atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ observation network as soon as possible, with more supporting; to conduct training to unify the standard, and to participate in international exchanges; and to combine the ¹⁴CO₂ observation with atmospheric inversion to obtain the carbon emissions. The purpose of the ¹⁴CO₂ observation is to make the research level of Chinese carbon emissions in line with the international standards, to improve the reliability of carbon emission data in China, and then to serve the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and climate diplomacy negotiations.

First page

1866

Last Page

1873

Language

Chinese

Publisher

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Recommended Citation

NIU, Zhenchuan; WANG, Peng; WU, Shugang; and ZHOU, Weijian (2023) "Atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ observation: A novel method to evaluate carbon emissions," Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version): Vol. 38 : Iss. 12 , Article 15.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.16418/j.issn.1000-3045.20230923004
Available at: https://bulletinofcas.researchcommons.org/journal/vol38/iss12/15