Analysis of the Low-Carbon Transition of Energy Consumption Structure in the Sichuan-Chongqing Region

Abstract

Against the background of the "dual-carbon" goals, the low-carbon transition of the energy consumption structure is the core path for regional carbon emission reduction. Based on the total energy consumption data of the Sichuan-Chongqing region from 2014 to 2023, this paper combines Sichuan and Chongqing as a whole, and uses the structural analysis method to quantitatively examine the evolutionary characteristics and low-carbon trends of the regional energy consumption structure. The study finds that from 2014 to 2023, the total energy consumption of the Sichuan-Chongqing region increased from 235.774 million tons of standard coal to 256.825 million tons of standard coal, with a ten-year growth rate of 8.9%, showing a moderate growth rate. The energy consumption structure presents significant characteristics of "reducing coal, increasing gas, and expanding electricity": the proportion of coal consumption decreased from 53.0% to 39.5%, a drop of 13.5 percentage points, and the absolute consumption decreased by 23.284 million tons of standard coal, a decrease of 18.7%; the proportion of natural gas consumption increased from 13.3% to 22.7%, an increase of 9.4 percentage points, and the consumption volume increased by 86.1%; the proportion of clean electricity and other energy sources increased from 13.3% to 18.6%, an increase of 5.3 percentage points, and the consumption volume increased by 52.1%; the proportion of oil consumption remained basically stable between 20% and 21.5%, without an obvious downward trend. The research shows that the Sichuan-Chongqing region has achieved remarkable results in the low-carbon transition of its energy structure, laying a solid foundation for the green and low-carbon development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. However, there are still problems such as a high base of coal consumption and unresolved dependence on oil in the transportation sector. In the future, it is necessary to continue to reduce coal consumption, expand the utilization of natural gas, accelerate the development of clean electricity, promote the electrification transition in the transportation sector, strengthen energy coordination between Sichuan and Chongqing, and build a regional integrated low-carbon energy system.