Cutting CO2 intensity targets of interprovincial emissions trading in China

This paper proposes the allocation of CO2 emissions increment quotas and carbon intensity reduction burdens based on information entropy method. Allocating emissions increment quotas and cutting emissions intensity target should consider each province’s objective weights of some valuable factors, such as carbon emissions reduction capacity, responsibility, potential and energy efficiency under interprovincial emissions trading system in China. Those provinces with better economic level, heavier cumulative CO2 emissions, stronger industrial carbon intensity and greater energy consumers may undertake greater shares of carbon intensity reduction targets during 2014–2020. All provinces in China may achieve a surprising reduction of CO2 emissions increment quotas during 2014–2020 with an increase of national emissions intensity reduction targets, and then have to increase greater burdens of emissions intensity reduction compared with the 2013 level.