Carbon footprint attributed to aluminum substitution for copper in the Chinese indoor air conditioner industry

The replacement of copper by aluminum, which has a lower price, is becoming a developing trend in the Chinese indoor air conditioner industry. However, the significant greenhouse gas emission during aluminum production may restrict this development. Based on a life cycle assessment, we use the carbon footprint method to account for the carbon footprint attributed to copper and aluminum usage in the Chinese indoor air conditioner industry from 2000 to 2009. The results show that (1) the carbon footprint of the Chinese indoor air conditioner industry generally declined during this period mainly because of the improvement in copper and aluminum production technology; and (2) after 2004, the carbon sink forest costs of this industry became lower than the production costs mainly because of the rising copper price and the perennial stability of the aluminum price. Based on these results, we analyze the developing trend of aluminum substitution for copper and propose a cooperative control strategy to limit the carbon footprint and to guide the development of the Chinese indoor air conditioner industry.