Impacts of supply and consumption structure on the mercury emission in China: An input-output analysis based assessment

In this paper, we quantified the enabled and embodied mercury emissions in China using income-based accounting (IBA) and consumption-based accounting (CBA). Combined with emission linkage analysis (ELA) and structural decomposition analysis (SDA), key sectors and socioeconomic determinants were investigated to understand the supply and consumption structure that affecting mercury emissions in China. ELA showed that 7 sectors were identified as key mercury emissions sectors in 2012. IBA and CBA revealed that mining and service sectors were major income-based mercury emitters, and construction and manufacture sectors were major consumption-based emitters. Fixed capital formation contributed 304.1 t of embodied mercury emissions, while employee compensation led to 182.4 t of enabled mercury emissions in 2012. The supply-side SDA indicated that, from 1997 to 2012, the primary input structure had a large contribution to the increase in mercury emissions. It had a greater impact on the mercury emission increase than the final demand structure based on the demand-side SDA. Economic structure change reduced the mercury emissions during the period from 2007 to 2012. Our research indicated that a more comprehensive knowledge of supply and consumption patterns of economic structure could help the government formulate better policies to control mercury emissions.