Search

Graphical abstract Highlights • We incorporate a variety of principles and indicators into an improved ZSG-DEA model. • We conduct a multi-criteria allocation of China's CEA by 2030 to provincial shares. • We measure the total and per capita space for carbon emissions by province. • All provinces reach the DEA frontier with different CEA ranging from 4.21 to 16.77 Gt. • Differentiated provincial reduction policies are the key to achieving China's INDCs. Abstract Accelerating global warming has suggested the importance of controlling greenhouse gas emissions associated with human activities. In striving to fulfill the Paris Agreement, China has announced its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) aimed at reducing its carbon dioxide (CO 2) emission intensity by 60–65% in 2030 against the level of 2005. However, China's INDCs cannot be fulfilled without formulating appropriate schemes for the allocation of carbon emission allowance (CEA) at sub-national scales. To help close the gap in our knowledge, this paper starts with measuring the overall CEA of China by 2030, and then proposes a science-based scheme for CEA allocation by developing an improved zero sum gains-data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA) model. It demonstrates that the final CEA of some northern provinces can be cut down as compared to their initial shares and, conversely, most southern provinces experience an increase in their CEA. Comparing the final share of CEA by province with current carbon emissions, we observe that provinces with abundant energy reserves, such as Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, tend to be operating in a state of overshoot in terms of space for carbon emissions (SCE). In contrast, there remains SCE when it comes to Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian, etc. The remaining provinces, such as Heilongjiang, Hebei and Ningxia, are close to the break-even point. In view of the differing SCE of individual provinces, common but differentiated policies for CO 2 emission control would be the key to achieving China's INDCs. The research findings lay a scientific basis for the Chinese government to make its INDCs come true through inter-provincial collaboration on emission reduction, but also serve as a reference for fueling further scientific discussions and development of schemes for the allocation of responsibility for carbon emissions at multiple scales within and beyond China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming caused by greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions has become a paramount problem for all countries to solve. The construction industry emits 36 percent of the GHG in all sectors globally. China is the largest carbon emitter in the world, and Jiangsu province has been used as a test bed for reforming and developing modern construction industry in China. The aim of the study is to explore the driving factors of the total carbon emissions from the construction industry (CECI) in the provincial region using a hybrid Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model. The findings of the study indicate that: 1) Indirect and operational CECI account for the largest proportion (52.22% and 46.02% in 2016 respectively); 2) The driving factors of CECI in Jiangsu province are the area factor (contribution from 2005 to 2016 is 100.22%) and the output value intensity factor (86.56%) while the restraining factor is the carbon emission intensity (−80.35%). Discussion and implicated policies, such as improving the energy efficiency of related industries and using green building materials have been elaborated at the end of the study. The decomposition and calculation method presented in this paper provides a useful tool for policymakers to evaluate CECI of a province or state and formulate appropriate carbon policies to reduce emissions and promote low-carbon development in a region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A two-step econometric model and a nonlinear mediating effect model are employed. • There is an inverted U-shaped association between environmental regulation and green technology. • A U-shaped association between environmental regulation and carbon intensity is investigated. • Green technology is a mediator of the impact of environmental regulation on carbon intensity. • There are prominent differences in mediating effect between developed and developing regions. Environmental regulation and green technology are important to mitigate global warming, whereas few studies explored the role of green technology in environmental regulation on carbon intensity. This paper systematically reviews the literature on the relationship among environmental regulation, green technology, and carbon intensity, and assumes that green technology is a potential mediator of the impact of environmental regulation on carbon intensity. The advanced SBM model and the factor analysis method were performed to measure the relationships. To explore the mediating effect of green technology, the two-step econometric model and the nonlinear mediating effect model were applied to a panel dataset of 30 provinces in China spanning the period 2005–2016. The results show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green technology, and a U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and carbon intensity. Green technology has a significant negative impact on carbon intensity. This proves that green technology is an important mediating variable on the relationship between environmental regulation and carbon intensity. Moreover, the current environmental regulation intensity lies before the inflection point of both the inverted U-shaped and the U-shaped curves. The effects of environmental regulation on green technology and carbon intensity in developed and developing regions follow an inverted U-shaped, and a U-shaped curve, respectively. Furthermore, the mediating effect in developing regions is significantly larger than that in developed regions. Finally, policy implications are given to reduce carbon intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming, resulted from greenhouse gases emission, has significant impacts on natural ecosystem and economic development. Construction is a leading industry in China's economy with high carbon emissions. Improving the carbon emission efficiency and investigating the driving factors of carbon emission efficiency in China's building industry are very important for the sustainable development of construction industry and the goal of China's carbon emission reduction. This paper measures the total-factor carbon emission efficiency of construction industry from 2003 to 2016 by applying Super-SBM DEA approach. Then the interior driving factors and cross-industrial shock effects of carbon emission efficiency are investigated by industry GVAR model. Empirical results show that the carbon emission efficiency in China's construction industry is low with a downward trend. With regard to interior driving factors, technological progress and energy structure adjustment can promote the carbon emission efficiency of construction industry, but the economic scale with extensive development mode exerts a certain negative influence. From the perspective of cross-industrial driving factors, economy scale, energy structure and technological progress play an important role in the carbon emission efficiency in manufacturing and electricity/gas/water industry, while relatively faint in other industries. Inter-industrial economy scale and energy structure except for transportation industry exert negative effects on carbon emission efficiency, whereas the impacts of exterior technological progress of other industries except for the mining industry are positive. In order to promote industrial carbon emission efficiency, the carbon reduction mechanism for the common but differentiated responsibilities among industries should be established. • The carbon emission efficiency of China's construction industry is low. • Internal technological progress and energy structure adjustment promote the carbon emission efficiency of construction industry. • Cross-industrial driving factors economy scale and energy structure have negative effects on carbon emission efficiency. • A common but differentiated responsibility mechanism for carbon emission reduction should be established among industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]