Research Progress

China's Carbon Emissions Have Been Overestimated for Over 10 Years

A new paper by a joint research team was published in the prestige science journal Nature on August 20. A press conference hosted by Dr. Nick Campbell, executive editor of Nature, was held on August 19 to announce the results.


  A new paper by a joint research team comprising scientists from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SARI-CAS), Harvard University, Tsinghua University and 21 other research institutions at home and abroad was published in the prestige science journal Nature (Z. Liu, DB. Guan, W. Wei. et al Nature 524, 335–338; 2015) on August 20. A press conference hosted by Dr. Nick Campbell, executive editor of Nature, was held on August 19 to announce the results.  
  In the paper entitled “Reduced carbon emission estimates from fossil fuel combustion and cement production in China,” the joint team reevaluated China’s carbon emissions using updated energy consumption and clinker production data and two new comprehensive sets of measured emission factors for Chinese coal. The “apparent consumption approach” adopted by the team calculates consumption from a mass balance of domestic fuel production, international trade and international fuelling instead of depending upon energy consumption data, which previous studies have shown to be not very reliable. The results are surprising. They show that Chinese CO2 emissions have been substantially overestimated in recent years: In fact, they are 14 percent less than the estimate in the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) version 4.2 for 2013. (Note that EDGAR has been adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as the emission baseline.) In addition, over the period from 2000 to 2013, revised estimates are 2.9 gigatonnes of carbon less than previous estimates of China’s cumulative carbon emissions.  
  “At the beginning of the project we thought that the emissions might be higher than existing estimates,” said Zhu Liu, an ecologist at Harvard University and lead author of the study. “We were very surprised,” said Dr. Liu. He noted that according to various emission scenarios intended to limit the global temperature increase by 2?C within this century, China’s room to increase emissions is 25-70 percent more than previously estimated.  
  China is the world's biggest carbon emitter and its emissions account for 25 percent of the entire global amount. However, global CO2 emissions data is mainly provided by various international organizations and databases (e.g., IEA, EDGAR, CDIAC, EIA and CAIT) and China has little influence on these databases. “This is probably the best available estimate of emissions from coal burning in China and that is an important contribution,” said Gregg Marland, a geologist at Appalachian State University and a co-author of the study. The study, funded by Climate Change: Carbon Budget and Relevant Issues, a CAS Strategic Priority Program, will help China to voice its opinions in global energy, economic and environmental policy-making and in international negotiations. In the mean time, the results provide valuable basic data China can use to further carry out carbon emissions reduction and air pollution treatment. Based on the paper, the estimate of how much CO2 will be produced by burning Chinese coal is around 40 percent less per unit than the figures adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The coal measurements were collected from mine reports and from a project sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences that assesses the country’s cumulative carbon emissions and carbon uptake by ecosystems across China. “All the data is based on real measurement and analysis of more than 700 coal samples from different places in China, which accounts for 97 percent of the national coal emission categories,” said Professor Wei Wei of SARI-CAS. “The lower heating value of Chinese coal reflects its generally low quality and high ash content, and the carbon contained is much lower compared with developed countries and the average world level, which implies that there is not that much CO2 emission in China’s coal.” 

2015-08-20 more+

Dr. Lv Min from SARI Awarded GII funding

U.S. and U.K. Governments announced winners of Global Innovation Initiative (GII) recently. Dr. Lv Min from CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion and Engineering of SARI is one of the awardees. In the following three years, SARI will work closely with Yale University and Heriot-Watt University on the research of high-efficiency reactor and its 3D printing.


  U.S. and U.K. Governments announced winners of Global Innovation Initiative (GII) recently. Dr. Lv Min from CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion and Engineering of SARI is one of the awardees. Multilateral university partnerships of Yale University, Heriot-Watt University and SARI applied for the program under the topic of Increasing the efficiency of CO2 conversion to liquid fuels. In the following three years, SARI will work closely with Yale University and Heriot-Watt University on the research of high-efficiency reactor and its 3D printing. 
  The Global Innovation Initiative is funded by the UK and U.S. governments to foster multilateral research collaboration with higher education institutions in Brazil, China, India and Indonesia to address global challenges, in keeping with the vision of U.S. President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s joint statements in 2011 and 2012.
  Dr. Lv Min obtained her doctorate from Imperial College London in 2015. Currently, she works as assistant researcher at CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion and Engineering in the field of reactive engineering research, including micro / nano efficient reactor and 3D printing research as well as other major R & D projects.
  

2015-07-23 more+

Prof. Mi Xianqiang’s Team Publishes New Findings in Biosensors and Bioelectronics

Biosensor is an important tool for clinical detection, genetic analysis, environmental monitoring, biological terror and national security defense. Recently, researchers have developed a new type of Electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) sensor, which can achieve sensitive detection of target DNA. The result has been published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics


  Biosensor is an important tool for clinical detection, genetic analysis, environmental monitoring, biological terror and national security defense. Recently, researchers from Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SARI-CAS) have developed a new type of Electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) sensor, which can achieve sensitive detection of target DNA. The result has been published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2015), pp.434-438.
  In the work led by Prof. Mi Xianqiang, Dr. Zeng dongdong and other researchers worked with researchers from Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, CAS to demonstrate a novel strategy of E-DNA sensor based on DNA tetrahedral nanostructures for the sensitive detection of target DNA. The biotin-tagged three dimensional DNA tetrahedral nanostructures were employed for efficient signal amplification by capturing multiple catalytic enzymes. Such improved E-DNA sensor can sensitively detect DNA target as low as 1 fM with excellent differentiation ability for even single mismatch. Results indicated that the RTSPs-based enzyme amplification system showed much better performance than the other two typical methods, which are single-stranded DNA (SSDNA) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). 
  The project was funded by 2013 Innovation Action Plan of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality and SARI’s Science Fund for Outstanding Young Researchers.  

2015-05-27 more+

SARI’s First Key Laboratory Passed Acceptance

On April 8 2015, CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion and Engineering based in SARI passed the acceptance review organized by Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education CAS (the Frontier Bureau).


  On April 8 2015, CAS Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Conversion and Engineering based in SARI passed the acceptance review organized by Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education CAS (the Frontier Bureau). Led by Prof. Wang Jianguo, Director of Institute of Coal Chemistry, CAS, the expert group included Prof. Zheng Chuguang from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Chief Engineer Yang Weimin, Vice President of Sinopec Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Prof. Tan Ruobing, Deputy Director of Institute of Metal Research, CAS, Prof. Liu Zhongmin, Deputy Director of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, etc. Deputy Director Liu Guiju, Director of Key Laboratory Hongfei Hou, President Feng Songlin, Vice President Sun Yuhan and Wang Maohua of SARI attended the meeting. 
  Director Liu Guiju Introduced the overall requirements of establishing a CAS key laboratory, then the expert group listened to the report made by lab director Prof. Sun Yuhan regarding the positioning, research direction, talent team, platform construction and achievements of the lab, followed by on-site visit the lab.  
  As demonstrated, the Lab’s positioning is clear and has formed its distinctive research direction. A cross-disciplinary innovation team of young researchers and effective domestic and international cooperation networks have been built up. The lab has completed construction and achieved its goal. Finally, the expert group reached to the conclusion that the lab passed the acceptance review successfully. 
                                        
                                      
                                         
  

2015-04-20 more+

Joint Lab Established between SARI and Anji Microelectronics

Launching Ceremony of the Joint Lab established between SARI and Anji Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd was held on February 9th, 2015.


  Launching Ceremony of the Joint Lab established between SARI and Anji Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd was held on February 9th, 2015. Prof. Jiang Biao, Vice President of SARI, Mr. Guan Jianguo, Director of Technology Transfer Center in SARI, Ms Wang Shumin, Chairwoman and CEO of Anji Microelectronics attended the ceremony. 
  Prof. Jiang pointed out in his address that by integrating Anji Microelectronics’s first-class research team and SARI’s resourceful research platform, the two parties could realize mutual benefit and win-win partnership, and make due contribution to China’s semiconductor industry. 
  The Joint Lab will focus on the research and industrialization of 1) integrated circuit chemical mechanical polishing slurry and related nano materials; 2) new generation of photoresist and the corresponding effluent recycling technology development; and 3) the preparation of high purity electronic materials and high purity electronic chemicals. 
   
  Plate Unveiling Ceremony 
   
  Group Photo 

2015-02-10 more+

Joint Lab established between SARI and Micromeritics

The unveiling ceremony of the joint lab between Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Micromeritics was held on November 11th, 2014. This ceremony marked that two parties would conduct close cooperation in scientific research instrument and equipment.


  The unveiling ceremony of the joint lab between Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Micromeritics was held on November 11th, 2014. This ceremony marked that two parties would conduct close cooperation in scientific research instrument and equipment.  
  Prof.Sun Yuhan, Vice President of SARI, Mr. Wang Maohua, President Associate of SARI, Mr.Greg Hendrix, Vice President of Micromeitics, Mr. Bob Johnson, Global Sales Director of Micromeitics and Mr. Xu Renliang, China General Manager of Micromeitics attended the event.  
  

2014-11-14 more+