Full-scope carbon dioxide emission dataset for Chinese cities in 2023

Cities play a crucial role in implementing carbon reduction strategies and are essential administrative in this effort. A full-scope city CO₂ emission inventory is important for designing effective emission control strategies and is thus crucial for achieving China’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals. However, recent research has focused on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, with insufficient attention paid to Scope 3 emissions. In this study, we construct a methodological model for full-scope carbon emission accounting at the city level and establish a dataset that includes Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for Chinese cities in 2023. This dataset provides valuable data support for intercity comparisons and intracity management of city-wide carbon emissions. The total carbon emissions across Chinese cities in 2023 show significant quantitative and spatial differences. Notably, the emissions in the top 10 cities are almost 90 to 160 times higher than those in the bottom 10 cities. Cities with higher Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions are predominantly located in the southeastern coastal areas, whereas cities with higher Scope 3 carbon emissions are concentrated in rapidly developing areas of central China.