Carbon emission dynamics in baijiu industry: Drivers, footprint, and sustainable reduction pathways

Carbon reduction in the Baijiu industry is crucial for achieving SDG 12 and SDG 13, but limited carbon emission (CE) data hinders the development of effective reduction strategies. This study establishes the first national-level CE dataset for Baijiu and analyzes the characteristics and drivers of PCE (CE from Scope 1 and 2) and PCF (CE from Scope 1, 2, and 3). Our findings show that Baijiu production accounted for 50.81 % of the carbon emissions in China's liquor, beverage, and refined tea sector. Significant variations in PCE were observed across regions and flavor types, with boiler houses as the primary source of emissions. Key hotspots for PCE included Guizhou, Taiwan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. PCE constituted 50.72 % of PCF, while upstream Scope 3 emissions made up 46.76 %. Packaging materials and in-plant processes significantly affected the PCF. PCE decreased with the increasing disclosure duration and granularity of carbon emission data. To align with SDG 12 and SDG 13, the Baijiu industry needs stricter carbon benchmarks and life-cycle carbon reduction pathways, focusing on in-plant emissions and Scope 3 emissions from packaging. This study provides a comprehensive carbon emission dataset and actionable reduction strategies, offering insights for sustainable industry transformation. • A national carbon emission dataset for Chinese baijiu. • The mean value of PCE is 2.59 kg CO2e·L −1 , ranging between 0.33 and 4.85 kg CO2e·L −1 . • The PCE and upstream Scope 3 emissions account for 50.72 % and 46.76 % of the PCF, respectively. • The hotspots of PCE in baijiu industry are from Guizhou, Taiwan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan.