Decomposing Industrial Energy-Related CO 2 Emissions in Yunnan Province, China: Switching to Low-Carbon Economic Growth

Mingxiang Deng, Wei Li and Yan Hu
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Mingxiang Deng: State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Wei Li: State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Yan Hu: State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: As a less-developed province that has been chosen to be part of a low-carbon pilot project, Yunnan faces the challenge of maintaining rapid economic growth while reducing CO 2 emissions. Understanding the drivers behind CO 2 emission changes can help decouple economic growth from CO 2 emissions. However, previous studies on the drivers of CO 2 emissions in less-developed regions that focus on both production and final demand have been seldom conducted. In this study, a structural decomposition analysis-logarithmic mean Divisia index (SDA-LMDI) model was developed to find the drivers behind the CO 2 emission changes during 1997–2012 in Yunnan, based on times series energy consumption and input-output data. The results demonstrated that the sharp rise in exports of high-carbon products from the metal processing and electricity sectors increased CO 2 emissions, during 2002–2007. Although increased investments in the construction sector also increased CO 2 emissions, during 2007–2012, the carbon intensity of Yunnan’s economy decreased substantially because the province vigorously developed hydropower and improved energy efficiency in energy-intensive sectors. Construction investments not only carbonized the GDP composition, but also formed a carbon-intensive production structure because of high-carbon supply chains. To further mitigate CO 2 emissions in Yunnan, measures should promote the development and application of clean energy and the formation of consumption-based economic growth.

Keywords: CO 2 emissions; drivers; structural decomposition analysis; less-developed regions; low-carbon pilot; Yunnan province (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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