Opportunities to mitigate process-related greenhouse gas emissions in global trade networks

Abstract

The reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with industrial processes has garnered global attention; however, the inherently productive nature of these processes and the complexity of industrial products pose substantial challenges to identifying viable pathways for decarbonization within related industrial sectors. To enhance understanding of the links between international trade and process-related GHG emissions, this study uses a consumption perspective to improve GHG accounting and emission reduction in production and consumption, providing a comprehensive understanding of GHG emissions from industrial processes associated with global trade networks. The results indicate that the largest share of total industrial process-related embodied emissions was attributed to chemical-related processes, accounting for 34.73 %, followed by product uses as substitutes for ozone depleting substances-related (PUSODS-related) emissions at 21.96 % and cement-related emissions at 19.31 %. The chemical industry was the largest source of N₂O emissions, within which the embodied emission flows within this Asia-Africa-oriented Cluster are significantly higher than those within the Europe-oriented Cluster. In the PUSODS-related process emissions network, the Americas-oriented Cluster comprises fewer economies while recording significant internal embodied emissions, reaching 34.18 Mt CO₂-eq. Given the critical role of industrial processes in F-gases emissions, the United States, Canada, and Mexico have introduced fluorine legislation to restrict the import and export of PUSODS-related products, which can effectively reduce F-gases emissions. By implementing targeted emission reduction policies and fostering coordinated reductions within trade clusters, this study presents effective approaches to achieving global GHG reductions associated with industrial processes, expanding the feasibility and scope of regional emission reductions within the process-related GHG emissions in global trade network.