China's [formula omitted] emission structure for 1957–2017 through transitions in economic and environmental policies.

This paper provides an insight into the structure of CO 2 emissions in China through transitions in economic and environmental policies for the period of 1957–2017 by using input-output and network analysis with newly compiled environmentally-extended historical input-output tables of China. These tables, which include firm-level, industry-level, and macro-level statistical data, are the first environmentally-extended input-output tables covering the years in the early stage of the People's Republic of China. The results present the following two main findings. The first is due to the stable economic structure associated with the independent economic policy, China's emission structure has been stable for more than 60 years. Heavy industry has contributed about 80% of CO 2 emissions since the 1950s. On a second account, although the emission structure was stable, stricter environmental controls and regulations led to a decrease of the growth rate of CO 2 emissions after 2010. Against this background, as a policy choice of China, instead of carbon leakage that could break up the stable economic structure, balanced technology upgrading across all sectors induced by stricter environmental controls is a realistic way for China to achieve increased energy efficiency, emission mitigation and economic development, so that the country can keep the promise of reducing CO 2 emissions after they peak around 2030. • Newly complied historical IO tables are used to study emission structure 1957–2012. • Heavy industry is the main contributors of CO2 emission for six decades. • China's CO2 emission structure has maintained a relatively stable status for more than 60 years. • Because of the "independence" ideology, China could not adopt carbon leakage policy. • Technology upgrading is a realistic way for China to achieve emission mitigation and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]