Search

Abstract: With the increasing pressure on China to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, it is crucial to clarify the effect of implementing environmental regulations and their impact on the region. Many studies have focused on the linear, rather than nonlinear, relationship between environmental regulation and CO2 emissions. The exploration of nonlinear relations is conducive to the in-depth study of policy effects and regional differences of environmental regulations in China. To ensure effective CO2 emission reductions, regional differences in CO2 emissions in China should also be considered. In this study 30 provinces of China were divided into three different regions according to their level of economic development from 2004 to 2015. Taking the energy intensity and foreign direct investment (FDI) as threshold variables, a threshold model was used to examine the relationship between environmental regulation and CO2 emissions. It was found that environmental regulation has a threshold effect on CO2 emissions, with significant differences among the eastern, central, and western regions. Environmental regulations in the eastern region were ineffective for curbing CO2 emissions, while the energy intensity was in the middle and low threshold range. However, FDI had a promotional effect on CO2 emissions. In the central region, environmental regulations reduced CO2 emissions under the influence of energy intensity and FDI. In the western region, environmental regulations could not mitigate CO2 emissions when the energy intensity and FDI were used as the threshold variables. It was concluded that a diverse range of measures for CO2 reduction should be adopted according to the local economic situation.Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract China is facing increasingly severe challenges in its quest to achieve urbanization and mitigate CO 2 emissions. The existing studies have usually introduced a single indicator to describe urbanization and have ignored the complexity and multi-dimensionality of urbanization. This study establishes an evaluation system of urbanization quality to estimate the urbanization development level. The geographically weighted regression (GWR) model is employed to examine the impact of the urbanization quality on CO 2 emissions and reveals the spatial differences of 30 provinces in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. The results show that there are significant temporal and spatial differences in the effects of the urbanization quality on CO 2 emissions between provinces. Improvements in the urbanization quality have contributed to cutting CO 2 emissions in most provinces. The impact of the urbanization quality on CO 2 emissions in the central region and western region is greater than that in the eastern region. The energy intensity has the largest positive impact on CO 2 emissions, which indicates that technical progress can effectively reduce CO 2 emissions. The industrial structure has a positive impact on CO 2 emissions in 2000 and 2015, whereas it has a negative impact on the CO 2 emissions of some provinces in 2005 and 2010. This paper provides valuable findings and conclusions of the relationship between urbanization quality and CO 2 emissions. Differentiated policy implications are proposed according to geographical differences. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • This study establishes an evaluation system of urbanization quality (UQ). • This study examines the spatial effect of urbanization quality on CO 2 emissions. • There are obvious differences in the effect of UQ on emissions between provinces. • Energy intensity has the largest positive impact on CO 2 emissions. • Industrial structure has a positive impact on CO 2 emissions in 2000 and 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions have become a rising concern in China. Few studies have considered spatial correlation and agglomeration effect of CO 2 emissions for adjacent regions and provinces. This paper employs Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) model to examine the impact of urbanization, industrial structure and energy intensity on CO 2 emissions and reveals the spatial correlation in different provinces in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2015. The results indicate that there is an obvious spatial effect on CO 2 emissions of each province based on the GWR results. Urbanization is the most significant factor in the increase of CO 2 emissions for all provinces in each year. For the neighboring provinces, a coordinated low-carbon urban construction plan should be carried out based on the urbanization development level. Energy intensity has a positive effect on CO 2 emissions, but the effect on the emission reduction is relatively weak and unstable. It should strengthen exchanges and cooperation between provinces and regions by jointly exploring and promoting technologies to improve the efficiency of resource use and reduce CO 2 emissions. The influence of industrial structure on CO 2 emissions is positive, indicating that the industrial structure adjustment plays an important role in carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]