Emissions of two of the most potent greenhouse gases have significantly risen in China over the past decade, according to a study. Perfluorocarbons, used in making flat-panel TVs and semiconductors or as by-products of aluminum smelting, are much more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2 and can remain there for thousands of years, unlike CO2, which lasts up to 200 years.
A research team led by Minde An at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigated the emissions of two specific perfluorocarbons, tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane, which have atmospheric lifetimes of 50,000 and 10,000 years, respectively. By analyzing atmospheric observations in nine Chinese cities from 2011 to 2021, they discovered that emissions of these gases increased by 78% in China. By 2020, China accounted for 64-66% of global emissions for these gases. Despite the rapid increase in fluorocarbon emissions, CO2 still makes up about 76% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
The rise in emissions from China was sufficient to account for the global increase over the same period, indicating that China is the main driver of global tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane emissions. These emissions were primarily from less populated industrial zones in western China, largely due to the aluminum industry. China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of aluminum, with a record-high output of 41.5 million tonnes last year.
With the rapid growth of China’s aluminum and semiconductor industries, the continued high levels of fluorocarbon emissions could threaten China’s carbon neutrality goal and global climate mitigation efforts. China aims to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. The study’s authors suggest that technological innovation and integrating the aluminum industry into the carbon market, or a national carbon trading scheme, could help reduce these rising emission levels.
While aluminum production significantly contributes to CO2 emissions, it is also crucial for the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, aiding in the production of low-carbon technologies like solar panels, electric vehicles, and wind turbines. Organizations like the World Economic Forum emphasize the need for the aluminum industry to balance efficient production with mitigating its negative climate impacts.