Domestic processed output

China’s domestic processed output (DPO) rose rapidly in the period between 1992 and 2014. Emissions rose from 2.862 billion tons to 10.039 billion tons, for an average aimual increase of 6.08% (see Figure 1.11). As this figure shows, there is a close relationship between emission of wastes and the quantity of resources used as inputs in the economy. Controlling the quantity of resource inputs is therefore a fundamental way to address the problem of enviromnental pollution. This means that we must improve the efficiency with which resources are used.

Figure 1.11 Changes in the correlation coefficient between DMI and DPO

Source: Background report titled Transformation of Resource Utilization: Paths and Measures for Reducmg Emissions and Resource Use m Production.

Table 1.3 Total amount and composition of DPO

Source: Background report titled Transformation of Resource Utilization: Paths and Measures for Reducing Emissions and Resource Use in Production.

In terms of the composition of pollutants, that is, the percentage of each kind of pollution in the total, air pollutants are the primary polluting material among China’s emissions (see Table 1.3). Within this categoiy, carbon dioxide accounts for the highest percentage, with an average of 98.44% of all airborne pollutants. Carbon emissions are rising rapidly as the demand for energy continues to increase. Indeed, they are lising at an average annual rate of 6.13%. It is obvious that reducing carbon emissions is critical to reducing waste material emissions in general. After 2005, particles of sulfur dioxide and industrial smoke and dust began to decline slowly, reflecting the fact that efforts to treat air pollution after 2005 were having some effect.

Solid waste is the second-largest source of waste emissions in China. In 1998, the quantity of such wastes reached a peak of 213 million tons per year before begiiming to decline slowly with increased investment in environmental protection. The decline among solid wastes emitted by industry was most obvious, and this was also the main reason the overall figure for solid waste emissions began to go down. It is worth noting that the quantity of domestic-use garbage produced by China’s residents has increased veiy fast as living standards have improved. It went from 83 million tons in 1992 to 179 million tons in 2014. By 2014, such domestic garbage represented 91.79% of all solid waste material. In the future, the key to reducing such waste will involve proper waste treatment procedures and proper utilization of domestic waste.

The third-largest source of waste emissions in China comes from mateiials that are spread on the land and then dissipate, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and the plastic sheeting used in agriculture. The quantity of such materials went from 31 million tons in 1992 to 64 million tons in 2014. A very small percentage of these materials are absorbed or reused after being used in agricultural practices. Most create a widespread form of water, soil, or air pollution that is not source-specific.

Since it is very hard to treat this kind of pollution, we must put special focus on this problem.

Relatively speaking, the quantity of emissions discharged into water is small, just 0.24% of all emissions in 2014. However, the damage these emissions do is enormous. Environmental protection measures have therefore consistently made them a key concern. Between 1992 and 2007, the discharge of polluted water gradually rose in tandem with the amiual increase in GDP. During the 11th Five- Year Plan period (2006-2010), the country adopted a series of measures to conserve energy and reduce emissions. As a result, wastewater discharges gradually began to decline after 2007.

China has extreme regional differences in both the extraction and the use of resources. Regional imbalances in this regard have exacerbated ecological and environmental risks. Statistics indicate that China’s per unit extraction of domestically based nauual resources has reached an average of 2,396.13 tons per square kilometer. This is roughly four times the global average of 545.98 tons per square kilometer. Meanwhile, 93.77% of China’s population and 95.7% of its GDP are concentrated to the east of the Aihui-Tengchong Line, although this area accounts for just 43.18% of China’s land area. That is to say, environmental pressures per unit of land in the eastern part of the country are far greater than these average figures indicate - the situation in the east is severe. As China’s economy continues to grow, the contradiction between economic growth and the natural-resource environment will only get worse.