To help unify the transport emissions accounting methodologies for China’s national and subnational governments and improve statistical data collection for credible transport emissions reporting, this study reviews the accounting methods and statistical data used globally and in China through a literature review and stakeholder interviews. To develop credible transport CO2 emissions inventories so that it can set sectoral emissions-reduction targets, monitor its decarbonization progress, and meet the Paris Agreement’s ETF (effective from 2024).
Based on literature review and stakeholder interviews, this paper sorts out the mainstream methods and statistical status of carbon dioxide emission accounting in the field of transportation at the local level at home and abroad. By establishing a set of evaluation index systems (including data availability, correspondence of rights and responsibilities, uncertainty, consistency and totality, identification of emission sources, policy relevance, etc.), this study compares various local transportation carbon emission accounting methods and accounting results, and analyzes their applicability in China. Based on this, this paper puts forward suggestions to unify the accounting method of local transportation carbon emissions and improve the statistical basis of relevant data.
