Global economic structure transition boosts PM2.5-related human health impact in Belt and Road Initiative

Wen Wen; Yang Su; Xuechun Yang; Yuhan Liang; Yangyang Guo; Hongrui Liu

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170071

Global economic structure transition boosts PM_2.5-related human health impact in Belt and Road Initiative

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Mar 15:916:170071. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170071. Epub 2024 Jan 17.

Authors

Wen Wen¹, Yang Su², Xuechun Yang³, Yuhan Liang⁴, Yangyang Guo⁵, Hongrui Liu⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
² School of Information Management, Beijing Information Science & Technology University, Beijing 100010, China.
³ Institute of Circular Economy, Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China. Electronic address: liangyuhan126@126.com.
⁵ Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
⁶ Unit 32182 of People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100042, China.

PMID: 38242465
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170071

Abstract

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an open platform for international cooperation proposed by China to promote common global development and prosperity. The BRI can promote the optimal allocation of resources and promote in-depth cooperation in international trade. Meanwhile, it can establish a green supply chain cooperation network to help BRI countries achieve green transformation. BRI has made a notable contribution to the rapid growth of cross-border trade. However, it has also brought environmental impacts. Given that little attention has been paid to the trade-embodied particulate matter 2.5 related human health impacts (PM_2.5-HHI) throughout the BRI, this study accounts for and traces the embodied PM_2.5-HHI flows between the BRI countries and non-Belt and Road Initiative (non-BRI) countries. Moreover, this study also uncovers the critical socioeconomic drivers of PM_2.5-HHI changes in BRI countries during 1990-2015, based on the multi-regional input-output based structural decomposition analysis (MRIO-SDA). Results show that, firstly, BRI countries had significantly increased their economic added value by exporting products to the non-BRI countries. They also have brought PM_2.5-HHI to themselves. Secondly, the final demand of BRI countries was the largest potential driving force of PM_2.5-HHI of BRI countries. Thirdly, the emission intensity change of BRI is the key socioeconomic factor for reducing PM_2.5-HHI. While per capita final demand level change of BRI and production structure change of non-BRI are the key socioeconomic factors for increasing PM_2.5-HHI. The study's findings on the one hand can help reduce the PM_2.5-HHI and impacts of environmental pollution of BRI countries from a global perspective by providing scientific support. On the other hand, they can help provide relevant policy recommendations for the green transformation of BRI and the construction of green BRI.

Keywords: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); Multi-regional input-output (MRIO); PM(2.5)-related human health impacts (PM(2.5)-HHI); Structural decomposition analysis (SDA).

MeSH terms

Carbon Dioxide / analysis
China
Commerce*
Economic Development
Environment
Humans
Internationality*
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Particulate Matter
Carbon Dioxide