Driving factors behind carbon dioxide emissions in China: A modified production-theoretical decomposition analysis

Qunwei Wang (), Yung-Ho Chiu and Ching-Ren Chiu

Energy Economics, 2015, vol. 51, issue C, 252-260

Abstract: Research on the driving factors behind carbon dioxide emission changes in China can inform better carbon emission reduction policies and help develop a low-carbon economy. As one of important methods, production-theoretical decomposition analysis (PDA) has been widely used to understand these driving factors. To avoid the infeasibility issue in solving the linear programming, this study proposed a modified PDA approach to decompose carbon dioxide emission changes into seven drivers. Using 2005–2010 data, the study found that economic development was the largest factor of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. The second factor was energy structure (reflecting potential carbon), and the third factor was low energy efficiency. Technological advances, energy intensity reductions, and carbon dioxide emission efficiency improvements were the negative driving factors reducing carbon dioxide emission growth rates. Carbon dioxide emissions and driving factors varied significantly across east, central and west China.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide; Driving factors; PDA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C18 C60 M52 Q40 Q43 Q50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (75)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:51:y:2015:i:c:p:252-260

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2015.07.009

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