# Atmospheric Emissions ![cropped_emissions_detail_research_page_banner_from_unsplash](/sites/g/files/omnuum3496/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/chinaproject/files/cropped_emissions_detail_research_page_banner_from_unsplash.jpg?itok=dhjOAx3b) ## expand\_more #### The Harvard-China Project and its partners in China conduct both “bottom-up” and “top-down” studies of emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Bottom-up emission studies combine activity levels (energy consumption or industrial production levels) and emission factors to develop emission inventories. These inventories are fundamental inputs to air quality modeling and the development of actionable emission control strategies. Top-down studies use an atmospheric chemical transport model and statistical methods to combine observed atmospheric concentrations (from satellites or surface observatories) and a “prior" bottom-up inventory to produce optimized “posterior” estimates of emissions. These refined estimates reduce uncertainties and improve understanding of real-world emissions for more accurate analyses and effective control strategies. The China Project's atmospheric research is committed to building observationally validated, fundamental research on the physical and chemical dimensions of China’s atmospheric environment, from urban to global scales. Complementing the emissions research described here, it includes [atmostpheric observational research](/field-observations-air-pollutants-and-ghgs) and [modeling](/atmospheric-transport-and-chemistry-modeling)[ research](/emissions). ## Related Publications Download 3 citations download- [BibTeX](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=bibtex) - [EndNote X3 XML](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=endnote8) - [EndNote 7 XML](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=endnote7) - [Endnote tagged](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=tagged) - [Marc](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=marc) - [PubMedId](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=pubmed_id) - [RIS](/bibcite/export?pager_style=no_pager&number_of_items=3&sort_field=bibcite_year--desc&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_correspondingresearc%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_fundingsources1%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationauthors%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_publicationyear12%5D&taxonomy_filters%5Bfield_hwp_c_researcharea1234%5D%5B0%5D%5Btarget_id%5D=129316&&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%5B0%5D=journal_article&additional_filters%5Btype%5D%5B0%5D%5Boperator%5D=IN&format=ris) ### In Press Lu Shen, Tianguang Lu, Mingwei Li, Meng Qu, Fengwei Wan, Chris Nielsen, Xi Lu, and Michael McElroy. 2026. “[Impacts of Power Plant Emissions on Air Quality Amplified by Renewable Energy Droughts](/publication/impacts-power-plant-emissions-air-quality-amplified-renewable-energy-droughts)”. Nature Geoscience Lu Shen, Tianguang Lu, Mingwei Li, Meng Qu, Fengwei Wan, Chris Nielsen, Xi Lu, and Michael McElroy. 2026. “[Impacts of Power Plant Emissions on Air Quality Amplified by Renewable Energy Droughts](/publication/impacts-power-plant-emissions-air-quality-amplified-renewable-energy-droughts)”. Nature Geoscience ### 2026 Liuhua Zhu, Fan Wang, Chris Nielsen, Gregory Carmichael, and Meng Gao. 2026. “[Optimized Spatial Planning Offers a Dual Solution for Managing Urban Heat and Air Pollution in Humid Subtropical Climates](/publication/optimized-spatial-planning-offers-dual-solution-managing-urban-heat-and-air-pollution)”. Nature Communications Liuhua Zhu, Fan Wang, Chris Nielsen, Gregory Carmichael, and Meng Gao. 2026. “[Optimized Spatial Planning Offers a Dual Solution for Managing Urban Heat and Air Pollution in Humid Subtropical Climates](/publication/optimized-spatial-planning-offers-dual-solution-managing-urban-heat-and-air-pollution)”. Nature Communications - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ downloadPublisher's Version](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73855-x) As cities expand, urban heat islands and air pollution have merged, especially in humid subtropical cities. Yet a dual solution remains lacking to simultaneously mitigate these two issues due to complex meteorology-chemistry interactions. Based on... - [ downloadPublisher's Version](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73855-x) Wenxin Zhao, Yu Zhao, Lu Liu, Chen Gu, Yuqiang Zhang, and Chris P. Nielsen. 2026. “[Tracing the Global Trade Trails of Coal-Related CO2 Emissions and Environmental Health Burdens](/publication/tracing-global-trade-trails-coal-related-co2-emissions-and-environmental-health-burdens)”. Environmental Science and Technology Wenxin Zhao, Yu Zhao, Lu Liu, Chen Gu, Yuqiang Zhang, and Chris P. Nielsen. 2026. “[Tracing the Global Trade Trails of Coal-Related CO2 Emissions and Environmental Health Burdens](/publication/tracing-global-trade-trails-coal-related-co2-emissions-and-environmental-health-burdens)”. Environmental Science and Technology - add\_circle\_outline do\_not\_disturb\_on Abstract - [ downloadPublisher's Version](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.5c18061) Coal combustion contributes greatly to the level of CO2 emissions, air pollution, and health burdens. International trade classifies coal extraction, coal combustion, and the consumption of goods and services separately. A lack of comprehensive analyses... - [ downloadPublisher's Version](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.5c18061) [ More Publications arrow\_circle\_right ](/publications?f%5B0%5D=bibcite_reference_hwp_c_researcharea1234%3A129316)