Research on the Emission Reduction Benefits of Clean Heating Projects in a City in Northwestern China Based on Carbon Emission Index Accounting

Abstract

Clean heating is a crucial technological pathway for improving air quality and achieving China’s “dual carbon” goals. To quantify the carbon reduction benefits of clean heating, this study develops a comparative carbon emission analysis model based on distinct baseline scenarios: urban centralized heating and rural decentralized coal heating. An innovation has established the “unit area carbon reduction” indicator, which enables the direct calculation of emission reductions from a given implementation area, offering a practical assessment tool for regions with similar climatic and building characteristics. In a case study of a city in Northwest China, the model was applied to clean heating projects, revealing significant annual CO₂ reductions of 810,300 tons for urban areas and 584,000 tons for rural areas. These findings provide a systematic and quantitative scientific basis for the performance evaluation of clean heating projects, thereby offering support for the achievement of the “dual carbon” goals.