Japanese urban household carbon footprints during early-stage COVID-19 pandemic were consistent with those over the past decade

As urbanization accelerates worldwide, substantial energy and services are required to meet the demand from cities, making cities major contributors to adverse environmental consequences. To bridge the knowledge gap in the absence of fine-grained city-level climate protection measures due to data availability and accuracy, this study provides a detailed carbon emission inventory for analyzing the monthly fluctuations based on citizens' daily consumption behaviors. Here, carbon emissions embodied in approximately 500 household consumption items were calculated in 47 prefectural-level cities in Japan from 2011 to June 2021. We analyzed the results considering the regional, seasonal, demand, and emission way-specific aspects, and compared the emission before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the carbon footprints during the pandemic were consistent with the previous level despite downtrends in specific categories. This study provides an example of utilizing city-level emission data to improve household green consumption behavior as references for enriching city-level decarbonization paths.

Automated summary

As urbanization accelerates, cities become major contributors to adverse environmental consequences due to the high demand for energy and services. This study fills the knowledge gap in city-level climate protection measures by providing a detailed carbon emission inventory based on citizens' daily consumption behaviors. The analysis of carbon emissions in 47 cities in Japan reveals consistent carbon footprints during the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing the importance of utilizing city-level emission data to improve household green consumption behavior and promote decarbonization.