An Analysis of Disparities and Driving Factors of Carbon Emissions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Decai Tang, Yan Zhang and Brandon J. Bethel
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Decai Tang: Institute of Climate Change and Public Policy, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Yan Zhang: School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Brandon J. Bethel: School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: As one of the “three major strategies” for China’s regional development, the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is under severe pressure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, this paper analyzes the spatiotemporal disparities, and driving factors of carbon emissions based on energy consumption and related economic development data in the YREB over the 2005–2016 11-year period. Using the Stochastic Impacts Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) model, we empirically test the factors affecting YREB carbon emissions and key drivers in various provinces and municipalities. The main findings are as follows. First, per capita GDP, both industrial structure and energy intensity have positive effects on increasing carbon emissions. Second, per capita GDP and energy intensity have the largest impact on the increase of carbon emissions, and the urbanization rate has the largest inhibitory effect on carbon emissions.

Keywords: carbon emission; spatiotemporal disparity; STIRPAT model; Yangtze River Economic Belt (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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