Decoupling Analysis of CO 2 Emissions in Transportation Sector from Economic Growth during 1995–2015 for Six Cities in Hebei, China

Lijun Zhang, Caiyun Kou, Ji Zheng and Yu Li
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Lijun Zhang: School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
Caiyun Kou: School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
Ji Zheng: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Yu Li: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: The transport sector is one of the most important and potential sectors to achieve low-carbon development in China. As economic growth is desirable, but high-level traffic CO 2 emissions are not. This paper estimated the on-road traffic CO 2 emissions and investigated the decoupling states of traffic CO 2 emissions from economic growth for six cities in Hebei province from 1995 to 2015. In 2015, the on-road traffic CO 2 emissions were ranked, as follows: Tangshan (4.75 Mt) > Handan (3.38 Mt) > Baoding (1.38 Mt) > Zhangjiakou (1.05 Mt) > Langfang (1.01 Mt) > Chengde (0.46 Mt). Two turning points of traffic CO 2 emissions during the study period were found. From 2008 to 2013, the traffic CO 2 emissions increased more rapidly than before. After 2013, the traffic CO 2 emissions of three cities (Baoding, Handan and Chengde) began to decrease, and the traffic CO 2 emissions’ growth rates of the other three cities (Zhangjiakou, Langfang and Tangshan) became lower than before. The decoupling states during 1996–2015 can be divided into four phases: decoupling-coupling concurrence stage (1996–2000), decoupling dominant stage (2001–2008), coupling dominant stage (2009–2013), and improvement stage (2014–2015). Chengde and Baoding were identified due to their good local practice on decoupling CO 2 emissions in transport sector from economic growth. These results will enrich the greenhouse gas inventory of China at city level and provide scientific support to achieve the mitigation of CO 2 emissions in the transport sector.

Keywords: decoupling; traffic CO 2 emissions; economic growth; city; Hebei (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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