ASSESSING STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF TEXTILE PRODUCTS IN CHINA UNDER THE SHARED SOCIOECONOMIC PATHWAYS FRAMEWORK

Abstract

To realize China’s target of carbon neutrality by 2060, the country’s domestic textile industry faces tremendous pressure to reduce emissions. We assessed the potential of socioeconomic conditions and climate policies for reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of textile products in China up to 2050 using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach and integrated assessment model (IAM) within the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) framework. The results showed that a combination of socioeconomic conditions and climate policies can reduce annual carbon emissions by 89.0% and reduce accumulate emissions by 34.3% by 2050. Among the strategies examined in this study, energy decarbonization and power conservation exhibited the highest potential for reducing emissions. We also demonstrated the importance of improving industry interconnectivity, developing textile recycling frameworks, and promoting sustainable consumption.