Health-Oriented Emission Control Strategy of Energy Utilization and Its Co-CO<sub>2</sub> Benefits: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta, China
Zhaoxin Dong, Shengyue Li, Yueqi Jiang, Shuxiao Wang, Jia Xing, Dian Ding, Haotian Zheng, Hongli Wang, Cheng Huang, Dejia Yin, Bin Zhao, Jiming Hao
Abstract
Reducing air pollutants and CO 2 emissions from energy utilization is crucial for achieving the dual objectives of clean air and carbon neutrality in China. Thus, an optimized health-oriented strategy is urgently needed. Herein, by coupling a CO 2 and air pollutants emission inventory with response surface models for PM 2.5 -associated mortality, we shed light on the effectiveness of protecting human health and co-CO 2 benefit from reducing fuel-related emissions and generate a health-oriented strategy for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Results reveal that oil consumption is the primary contributor to fuel-related PM 2.5 pollution and premature deaths in the YRD. Significantly, curtailing fuel consumption in transportation is the most effective measure to alleviate the fuel-related PM 2.5 health impact, which also has the greatest cobenefits for CO 2 emission reduction on a regional scale. Reducing fuel consumption will achieve substantial health improvements especially in eastern YRD, with nonroad vehicle emission reductions being particularly impactful for health protection, while on-road vehicles present the greatest potential for CO 2 reductions. Scenario analysis confirms the importance of mitigating oil consumption in the transportation sector in addressing PM 2.5 pollution and climate change.