Evaluating rural low-carbon communities: A study of Guangdong Province, China

As the Chinese economy has rapidly developed, energy consumption and carbon emissions in China's rural areas have also steadily increased. Rural communities are the most important component of rural areas; as such, developing low-carbon communities will likely promote reductions in rural carbon emissions. As one of the low-carbon pilot provinces, Guangdong Province has gradually constructed low-carbon communities; however, neither the province nor China as a whole has established a system for evaluating different energy-related factors in rural low-carbon communities. Using real-world conditions in Guangdong Province, combined with the general parameters associated with low-carbon communities, this study evaluated six categorical factors: carbon reduction performance, low-carbon planning, energy consumption, low-carbon transportation, environment and resources, and low-carbon management and living. These categories were measured using several suitable indices according to the SMART principle. The baseline value corresponding to each index was determined by two zones: the Pearl River Delta zone and the non-Pearl River Delta zone. Each index weight was calculated using a method that combines a Monte Carlo simulation and an Analytical Hierarchy Process. Ultimately, one typical community was selected for a pilot evaluation. The sensitivity analysis of each index was conducted using the One-At-a-Time (OAT) method. Establishing this system is beneficial for promoting rural low-carbon communities construction in Guangdong Province, and supports system evaluation and adoption in rural low-carbon communities. This study's system can also provide a reference case and experience for the Chinese government, as it establishes a system for evaluating rural low-carbon communities at the national level.