Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Theoretical and empirical analyses on the factors affecting carbon emissions: case of Zhejiang Province, China

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Carbon emission reduction is a necessary task for each country to address the severe challenges arising from global warming. The government of the USA formally launched legal proceedings to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change in November 2019, which has posed a significant challenge for the international community to tackle climate change together. While with the deepening of globalization, we should re-examine traditional understanding of factors influencing carbon emissions. This research has a theoretical analysis and establishes the motion trajectory of carbon emissions. The motion trajectory model is original design, and derivation takes the innovation and scientific contributions in the logic understand of the factors affecting carbon emissions. Meanwhile, taking an outward-looking, major economic province in China (Zhejiang Province) as an example, we empirically study the influencing factors of carbon emissions. Based on time series data of Zhejiang province from 1990 through 2020, the methods such as linear regression, ARDL model analysis, vector autoregression (VAR) analysis, and variance decomposition were used to check the motion trajectory model theories. The empirical results show that there is a long-run relationship between AGDP, TECH, TRADE, KL, and AC, while in the short-run, the effect of the TRADE is elastic and positively significant, the effect of the KL is elastic but nonsignificant, and AC has hysteresis effect on its own with negatively significant. It is concluded that the upgrading of the industrial structure is essential to break the solidified energy consumption mode. On this basis, Zhejiang Province is suggested to strengthen her development, popularization, and utilization of new energies, vigorously promote the development of the digital economy, and be fully involved in the regional integration of the Yangtze River Delta.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anser, M. K., Apergis, N., & Syed, Q. R. (2021). Impact of economic policy uncertainty on CO2 emissions: Evidence from top ten carbon emitter countries. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apergis, N., & Ozturk, I. (2015). Testing environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in Asian countries. Ecological Indicators, 52, 16–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J., Wang, P., Cui, L., et al. (2018). Decomposition and decoupling analysis of CO2 emissions in OECD. Applied Energy, 231, 937–950.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, X., Benjaafar, S., & Elomri, A. (2013). The carbon-constrained EOQ. Operations Research Letters, 41(2), 172–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Csa, B., Lsa, B., Lja, B., et al. (2017). Identifying key impact factors on carbon emission: Evidences from panel and time-series data of 125 countries from 1990 to 2011. Applied Energy, 187, 310–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dogan, E., & Aslan, A. (2017). Exploring the relationship among CO2 emissions, real GDP, energy consumption and tourism in the EU and candidate countries: Evidence from panel models robust to heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 77, 239–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du, L., Chu, W., & Cai, S. (2012). Economic development and carbon dioxide emissions in China: Provincial panel data analysis. China Economic Review, 23(2), 371–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esso, L. J., & Keho, Y. (2016). Energy consumption, economic growth and carbon emissions: Cointegration and causality evidence from selected African countries. Energy, 114, 492–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng, K., Davis, S. J., Sun, L., & Hubacek, K. (2015). Drivers of the US CO2 emissions 1997–2013. Nature Communications, 6(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, G. M., & Krueger, A. B. (1991). Environmental impacts of a North American free trade agreement. Social Science Electronic Publishing, 8(2), 223–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haug, A. A., & Ucal, M. (2019). The role of trade and FDI for co2 emissions in Turkey: Nonlinear relationships. Energy Economics, 81, 297–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jorgenson, A. K. (2006). Global warming and the neglected greenhouse gas: A cross-national study of the social causes of methane emissions intensity, 1995. Social Forces, 84(3), 1777–1796.

  • Kaika, D., & Zervas, E. (2013). The environmental kuznets curve (ekc) theory—part A: Concept, causes and the co2 emissions case. Energy Policy, 62, 1392–1402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, Y. Q., Zhao, T., & Yang, Y. Y. (2016). Environmental Kuznets curve for CO2 emissions in China: A spatial panel data approach. Ecological Indicators, 63, 231–239.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, A., Zhang, A., Zhou, Y., et al. (2017). Decomposition analysis of factors affecting carbon dioxide emissions across provinces in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 141, 1428–1444.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liddle, B. (2018). Consumption-based accounting and the trade-carbon emissions nexus. Energy Economics, 69, 71–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z., Guan, D., Wei, W., Davis, S. J., Ciais, P., Bai, J., et al. (2015). Reduced carbon emission estimates from fossil fuel combustion and cement production in china. Nature, 524(7565), 335–338.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mi, Z., Meng, J., Guan, D., Shan, Y., Liu, Z., Wang, Y., Feng, K., & Wei, Y. M. (2017). Pattern changes in determinants of Chinese emissions. Environmental Research Letters, 12(7), 074003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moutinho, V., Madaleno, M., Inglesi-Lotz, R., et al. (2018). Factors affecting CO2 emissions in top countries on renewable energies: A LMDI decomposition application. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 90, 605–622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouyang, X., & Lin, B. (2015). An analysis of the driving forces of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in China’s industrial sector. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 45, 838–849.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkodie, S. A., & Strezov, V. (2018). Empirical study of the environmental Kuznets curve and environmental sustainability curve hypothesis for Australia, China, Ghana and USA. Journal of Cleaner Production, 201, 98–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, L., Wu, Y., Lou, Y., Zeng, D., Shuai, C., & Song, X. (2018). What drives the carbon emission in the Chinese cities?—A case of pilot low carbon city of Beijing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 174, 343–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, P., Dai, H. C., Ren, S. Y., et al. (2015). Achieving Copenhagen target through carbon emission trading: Economic impacts assessment in Guangdong Province of China. Energy, 79, 212–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Q., & Jiang, R. (2019). Is China’s economic growth decoupled from carbon emissions? Journal of Cleaner Production, 225, 1194–1208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S., & Liu, X. (2017). China’s city-level energy-related CO2 emissions: Spatiotemporal patterns and driving forces. Applied Energy, 200, 204–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, T.-F., & Zhang, J. (2011). Influence of export trade on carbon emission in China. Journal of International Trade, 3, 89–98. in Chinese.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wei-fu, D. Y. S. Z. (2012). Research on CO2 embodied in China’s export and its driving factors. Journal of International Trade, 3, 91–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, K.-Y., & Yang, T.-G. (2016). Global picture and time evolution of international trade carbon transfer. Statistical Research, 33(2), 43–50. in Chinese.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, J., Zheng, M., & Jian, C. (2015). The effects of environmental regulation and technical progress on CO2 Kuznets curve: An evidence from China. Energy Policy, 77, 97–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, N., Yu, K., & Chen, Z. (2017). How does urbanization affect carbon dioxide emissions? A cross-country panel data analysis. Energy Policy, 107, 678–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y. J., Peng, Y. L., Ma, C. Q., et al. (2017). Can environmental innovation facilitate carbon emissions reduction? Evidence from China. Energy Policy, 100, 18–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, X., Zhang, X., Li, N., et al. (2016). Decoupling economic growth from carbon dioxide emissions in China: A sectoral factor decomposition analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142(4), 3500–3516.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, P., Ang, B. W., & Han, J. Y. (2010). Total factor carbon emission performance: A Malmquist index analysis. Energy Economics, 32(1), 194–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, X., Zhang, M., Zhou, M., & Zhou, M. (2017). A comparative study on decoupling relationship and influence factors between China’s regional economic development and industrial energy–related carbon emissions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 783–800.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Y.-X., & Lv, X.-Y. (2017). Economic scale effect, structure effect and technology effect of chinese carbon emissions—empirical analysis based on the GVAR model of 33 countries. Journal of International Trade, 8, 96–107. in Chinese.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the anonymous reviewer for their constructive comments. The authors thank associate professor Wenxian Ye, who works in Shanxi Institute of International Trade and Commerce, Xi’an 710061, China. He has made great contribution to the revision of the paper.

Funding

This work received funding from the Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant no. 18YJCGJW001) and the Project of the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant no.15BGL078). Any errors are our own.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China

    Shaolong Zeng & Minglin Wang

Authors
  1. Shaolong Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Minglin Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

SZ and MW contributed to conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, resources, writing—original draft preparation, and funding acquisition; SZ contributed to software, validation, data curation, and writing—review and editing; MW helped in supervision and project administration. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shaolong Zeng.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zeng, S., Wang, M. Theoretical and empirical analyses on the factors affecting carbon emissions: case of Zhejiang Province, China. Environ Dev Sustain 25, 2522–2549 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02148-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02148-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation