The way to break the resource curse: New evidence from China

Although the resource curse has achieved much attention in the past few years, very little research has fully demonstrated the influence of resource dependence on environmental sustainability concerning the way to break the resource curse. Meanwhile, policymakers spare no efforts to formulate corresponding policies toward the goals of environmental sustainability. Considering the differences in the level of economic development and resource endowments of different countries, it is necessary to explain the cause of the resource curse in developing countries through resource-oriented development. In this regard, this study estimated the role of resource dependence on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2 emissions) in the background of 250 Chinese peripheral cities from 2000 to 2018. The results confirm that resource dependence has significantly accelerated CO2 emissions and the condition of the resource curse may still exist in the view of CO2 emissions at the prefecture level. We further find the technological innovation factors, including the introduction of high-speed rail (HSR) and science and technology investment all exist negative moderating effects of resource dependence on CO2 emissions. Such findings imply that the resource curse measured by CO2 emissions is not inevitable when effective policy suggestions are proposed.