Inequality of Carbon Intensity: Empirical Analysis of China 2000–2014

Rongrong Li and Xueting Jiang
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Rongrong Li: School of Economic & Management, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), No. 66 West Changjiang Road, Qingdao 266580, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: On the 3 September 2016, China officially ratified the Paris agreement as the main global producer of carbon emissions. A key of China’s commitment is to reduce its carbon intensity by 60–65% between 2005 and 2030. An improved understanding of the inequality of carbon intensity at national-, inter-regional-, and intra-regional scale is a prerequisite for the development of a more cost-effective carbon intensity reduction policy. In this study, we used the Dagum Gini coefficient and its subgroup decomposition method to quantify China’s inequality of carbon intensity between 2000 and 2014 based on available and updated data. The results show: (i) The Gini coefficient indicates a rising inequality of the carbon intensity at both national and sub-national scale, suggesting accelerated inequality of carbon intensity at national-, inter-regional, and intra-regional-scale. (ii) The Gini coefficient indicates a rising trend of intra-regional carbon intensity in Central and Western China, while the trend declines for Eastern China. (iii) The Gini coefficient indicates rising carbon intensity between Eastern and Central China, Western and Eastern China, and Central and Western China. (iv) Transvariation intensity occupies a leading role in the increasing national-level carbon intensity Gini coefficient. Ultimately, several policy recommendations are provided.

Keywords: carbon intensity; disparity; Dagum Gini coefficient; national and sub-national level; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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