What causes spatial carbon inequality? Evidence from China’s Yangtze River economic Belt

Zhang, S., Kharrazi, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5881-2568, Yu, Y., Ren, H., Hong, L., & Ma, T. (2021). What causes spatial carbon inequality? Evidence from China’s Yangtze River economic Belt. Ecological Indicators 121 e107129. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107129.

[thumbnail of 1-s2.0-S1470160X20310682-main.pdf]
Preview
Text
1-s2.0-S1470160X20310682-main.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Detecting spatial carbon inequality is critical to achieving regional emission reduction targets from the perspectives of ensuring equality and efficiency. While previous studies have measured spatial carbon inequality and identified its drivers, few studies have explored these drivers at a sectorial level. Taking China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as a case study example, this study explores the drivers of spatial carbon inequality at the sectoral level and reveals the following key points. (1) The regional heterogeneity in CO₂ emissions driven by economic factors have increased from 2002 to 2012. (2) The wide spatial differences in CO₂ emissions are driven by per capita final demand, production structure, and final demand structure. (3) Driven by emission intensity, the production structure, and the final demand structure effects, the Electricity and heat production and supply, Smelting and pressing of metals, and Nonmetal mineral products have become the most critical sectors aggravating the spatial carbon inequality. (4) Driven by the production structure and final demand structure, most of the middle and lower reaches of the YREB emit more CO₂ in the aforementioned sectors. Our findings support the implementation of coordinated emission reduction plans in the YREB region.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: CO₂ emissions; Inequality; Drivers; Spatial structural decomposition analysis; Yangtze River economic Belt
Research Programs: Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA)
Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) > Systemic Risk and Resilience (SYRR)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) > Sustainable Service Systems (S3)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) > Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
Depositing User: Luke Kirwan
Date Deposited: 21 Mar 2022 13:42
Last Modified: 21 Mar 2022 13:42
URI: https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/17887

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item