Carbon Emission Accounting Analysis of the Chinese Food Industry Based on the Input-output Method

As the global response to climate change strengthening, the carbon emission impact of the food industry, as the manufacturing industry with the highest total output, had been attracted attention from all parties. This paper calculated and evaluated the carbon emissions of Chinese food industry in 2020 by establishing a carbon emission accounting model based on input-output method. The results showed that Chinese food industry have a significant impact on carbon emissions, ranking sixth in the manufacturing industry in direct carbon emissions. Chinese food industry was the industry with the highest carbon emissions except for traditional high-energy-consuming industries. Indirect carbon emissions accounted for more than 90%, and the carbon emissions of power supply industry, oil and coal processing industry were significantly higher than those of other industries, the carbon emissions of these two industries driven by the food industry are exceeding 200 million tons. In the export trade, carbon emissions caused by exports to Asian countries play an important role. Based on the characteristics of carbon emissions in the food industry, the direct and indirect carbon emissions can be reduced by improving the energy utilization rate of the food manufacturing process, comprehensively utilizing carbon dioxide, optimizing the trade structure, etc. This paper would be useful for accounting carbon emission for the food industry and other traditional industries scientifically and effectively and identifying the relation of the industry's embodied carbon emissions with the corporate industries.