AccScience Publishing / JCAU / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/jcau.4859
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Innovative carbon emission monitoring in urban mobility: A case study of Beijing

Xu Zhao1 Wenbo Guo2* Ning Lyu3 Ruonan Wang3 Meiyue Zhang3 Xiangqian Shi3 Mengqiu Cao4
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1 Social Sciences Academic Press (CHINA), Beijing, China
2 School of Geography and the Environment, Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
3 School of Tourism Sciences, Beijing International Studies University, Beijing, China
4 Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, 4859 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4859
Submitted: 14 September 2024 | Revised: 20 January 2025 | Accepted: 5 February 2025 | Published: 6 March 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

China’s national goals of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 necessitate a comprehensive transition of Chinese cities from high-carbon to low- and zero-carbon development. The transportation sector, a crucial area for energy conservation and emission reduction, faces significant challenges in achieving carbon neutrality due to rapid urbanization and motorization, which are projected to increase total emissions. Accurate monitoring of carbon emissions is vital for managing these emissions and achieving the “dual carbon” goals. This study provides a detailed analysis of Beijing’s integrated carbon emission monitoring system for urban mobility. It examines the innovative technical framework, which combines top-down and bottom-up approaches, enabling real-time and precise emissions tracking. The findings reveal that the system significantly improves data accuracy, supports effective governance strategies, and offers practical recommendations for scalability and adoption by other cities. In addition, the study evaluates the policy effectiveness of Beijing’s initiatives, providing evidence of substantial progress toward reducing carbon emissions. The research highlights the potential for replicability of Beijing’s system worldwide in transforming urban carbon governance. By addressing challenges such as data integration and resource limitations, the study contributes a comprehensive framework that advances the field of urban mobility emissions monitoring. This approach highlights the necessity of digital transformation in achieving sustainable urban development while setting a benchmark for other cities aiming to align with global climate goals.

Keywords
Dual carbon goals
Low-carbon cities
Mobile source carbon emissions
Monitoring technology
Digital transformation
Funding
The research is supported by the Major project of the National Social Science Foundation of China, “Research on improving the system and mechanism of integrated development of culture and tourism” (ID: 20ZDA067).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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