Over recent years, South Korea has taken several measures to reduce its own pollution, yet it has experienced worsening air quality. Why? The answer is to be found in its upwind neighbor, China. Yet, a large amount of the goods manufactured in China are destined for foreign consumers in the U.S. and in Europe, among other places. As such, who is to be blamed for the increase in air pollution in South Korea? That is the challenge we embarked on with this study.Sandy Dall’erba, Professor and Study Lead Author, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
A recent study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has unveiled concerning discoveries regarding the influx of carbon monoxide, a major air pollutant originating from China, into South Korea. Utilizing simulations crafted by Nicole Reiner, a Professor in the Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences at Illinois, the research sheds light on the significant impact of cross-border pollution on air quality.
Employing intricate atmospheric models, the researchers meticulously tracked the movement of pollutants, categorizing the world into distinct regions for analysis. Among these, South Korea emerged as a poignant example of the repercussions faced by smaller nations positioned downwind of heavily industrialized neighbors, such as China.
According to the study, carbon monoxide emissions from China to South Korea escalated substantially from 30 teragrams (Tg) in 1990 to 42 Tg in 2014. Sandy Dall’erba, Professor and Lead Author of the study from the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, emphasized the gravity of these figures, equating 5 Tg of carbon monoxide to the emissions produced by all cars in the United States, a staggering 274 million vehicles traversing 13,500 miles annually.
Dall’erba said, “It is definitely not a small increase. We conclude that South Korea has, in effect, lost control of their own air quality.”
The researchers employed structural decomposition analysis to dissect the economic drivers behind carbon monoxide emissions across the five study regions, pinpointing China’s heightened production levels as a primary contributor despite advancements in pollution reduction technologies.
Furthermore, the study delved into the demand-side dynamics propelling increased production in China. While acknowledging the influence of external demand from the US and Europe, researchers underscored the significant role played by domestic consumption within China itself. Yilan Xu, Associate Professor and Co-Author of the study, emphasized the interconnectedness of global pollution issues, stressing that no single country can tackle the challenge in isolation.
“Our findings show that pollution is a global concern that can’t be solved by individual countries. The world is connected, and we are all in this together, pollution in one country can result from economic activities in neighboring countries, which in turn is influenced by who is demanding the goods produced in that country,” Xu said. “Pollution emitted anywhere in the world is going to have consequences all over the world to varying degrees.”
