IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i5p2080-d1350020.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Research Themes, Evolution Trends, and Future Challenges in China’s Carbon Emission Studies

Author

Listed:
  • Haiqiao Wang

    (Asset Management Office, Sanjiang University, Nanjing 210012, China)

  • Li Shang

    (School of Business, Jiangsu Second Normal University, Nanjing 211200, China)

  • Decai Tang

    (School of Law and Business, Sanjiang University, Nanjing 210012, China)

  • Zhijiang Li

    (School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China)

Abstract

A profound analysis of China’s research achievements in the realm of carbon emissions holds the potential to furnish insightful references for analogous endeavors and inquiries in other nations. Employing the CiteSpace tool, this paper identifies five major focal points in Chinese scholars’ research on carbon emissions: carbon emission computation and prediction, influencing factors of carbon emissions, carbon footprint, carbon emission efficiency, and differential analysis of carbon emissions. Subsequently, this article systematically scrutinizes and dissects the outcomes of Chinese scholars’ endeavors in the aforementioned five focal points, culminating in recommending China’s forthcoming research on carbon emissions. (1) The research findings reveal a diversified evolution in the methods employed for calculating and predicting carbon emissions in China. However, due to the limited exploration of delineating carbon emission boundaries, instances of overlap and deviation in carbon emission quantification have emerged. (2) Factors influencing carbon emissions can be categorized into five major classes: economic, demographic, energy-related, policy-driven, and others. Yet, studies investigating industry-specific influencing factors remain relatively scarce. (3) Overcoming challenges associated with cross-boundary measurements, comprehensive effects, and policy applications is imperative in carbon footprint research. (4) Significantly disparate levels of carbon emission efficiency prevail across distinct regions or industries, with intricacies characterizing the influencing factors and a notable dearth of micro-level investigations. (5) The analysis of carbon emission differentials primarily encompasses regional disparities, industrial differentials, and temporal variations, lacking sustained tracking studies on the nuances of carbon emission disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Haiqiao Wang & Li Shang & Decai Tang & Zhijiang Li, 2024. "Research Themes, Evolution Trends, and Future Challenges in China’s Carbon Emission Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-22, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:5:p:2080-:d:1350020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/5/2080/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/5/2080/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shi-jie Jiang & Lilin Wang & Feiyun Xiang, 2023. "The Effect of Agriculture Insurance on Agricultural Carbon Emissions in China: The Mediation Role of Low-Carbon Technology Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Xing Zhou & Meihua Zhou & Ming Zhang, 2016. "Contrastive analyses of the influence factors of interprovincial carbon emission induced by industry energy in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 81(3), pages 1405-1433, April.
    3. Meng, Fanyi & Su, Bin & Thomson, Elspeth & Zhou, Dequn & Zhou, P., 2016. "Measuring China’s regional energy and carbon emission efficiency with DEA models: A survey," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 1-21.
    4. Dong, Kangyin & Ren, Xiaohang & Zhao, Jun, 2021. "How does low-carbon energy transition alleviate energy poverty in China? A nonparametric panel causality analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Fang Shen & Zibibula Simayi & Shengtian Yang & Yusuyunjiang Mamitimin & Xiaofen Zhang & Yunyi Zhang, 2023. "A Bibliometric Review of Household Carbon Footprint during 2000–2022," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-25, April.
    6. Chaomei Chen, 2006. "CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 57(3), pages 359-377, February.
    7. Zhifu Mi & Jiali Zheng & Jing Meng & Jiamin Ou & Klaus Hubacek & Zhu Liu & D’Maris Coffman & Nicholas Stern & Sai Liang & Yi-Ming Wei, 2020. "Economic development and converging household carbon footprints in China," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(7), pages 529-537, July.
    8. Lijie Wei & Zhibao Wang, 2022. "Differentiation Analysis on Carbon Emission Efficiency and Its Factors at Different Industrialization Stages: Evidence from Mainland China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-14, December.
    9. Lin, Boqiang & Du, Kerui, 2015. "Modeling the dynamics of carbon emission performance in China: A parametric Malmquist index approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 550-557.
    10. Yue-Jun Zhang & Zhao Liu & Huan Zhang & Tai-De Tan, 2014. "The impact of economic growth, industrial structure and urbanization on carbon emission intensity in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 73(2), pages 579-595, September.
    11. Erli Dan & Jianfei Shen & Xinyuan Zheng & Peng Liu & Ludan Zhang & Feiyu Chen, 2023. "Asset Structure, Asset Utilization Efficiency, and Carbon Emission Performance: Evidence from Panel Data of China’s Low-Carbon Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, April.
    12. Zhang, Shaobin & Shi, Baofeng & Ji, Hao, 2023. "How to decouple income growth from household carbon emissions: A perspective based on urban-rural differences in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    13. Wang, Zhibao & Wei, Lijie & Zhang, Xiaoping & Qi, Guangzhi, 2023. "Impact of demographic age structure on energy consumption structure: Evidence from population aging in mainland China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    14. Shiwei Yu & Xing Hu & Xuejiao Zhang & Zhenxi Li, 2019. "Convergence of per capita carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(5), pages 776-799, August.
    15. Lei Wang & Yu Yan, 2022. "Environmental Regulation Intensity, Carbon Footprint and Green Total Factor Productivity of Manufacturing Industries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-14, January.
    16. Linnenluecke, Martina K. & Han, Jianlei & Pan, Zheyao & Smith, Tom, 2019. "How markets will drive the transition to a low carbon economy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 42-54.
    17. Liu, Yang & Dong, Kangyin & Jiang, Qingzhe, 2023. "Assessing energy vulnerability and its impact on carbon emissions: A global case," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    18. Rui Cao & Yanhua Mo & Jiangming Ma, 2023. "Carbon Footprint Analysis of Tourism Life Cycle: The Case of Guilin from 2011 to 2022," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, April.
    19. Jing-Li Fan & Jian-Da Wang & Ling-Si Kong & Xian Zhang, 2018. "The carbon footprints of secondary industry in China: an input–output subsystem analysis," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 91(2), pages 635-657, March.
    20. Liang, Junyi & Wang, Shaojian & Liao, Yuantao & Feng, Kuishuang, 2024. "Carbon emissions embodied in investment: Assessing emissions reduction responsibility through multi-regional input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    21. Wang, Yuan & Zhang, Chen & Lu, Aitong & Li, Li & He, Yanmin & ToJo, Junji & Zhu, Xiaodong, 2017. "A disaggregated analysis of the environmental Kuznets curve for industrial CO2 emissions in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 172-180.
    22. Zheng, Jiali & Mi, Zhifu & Coffman, D'Maris & Milcheva, Stanimira & Shan, Yuli & Guan, Dabo & Wang, Shouyang, 2019. "Regional development and carbon emissions in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 25-36.
    23. Liang Liu & Mengyue Li & Xiujuan Gong & Pan Jiang & Ruifeng Jin & Yuhan Zhang, 2022. "Influence Mechanism of Different Environmental Regulations on Carbon Emission Efficiency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Le Yang & Zhongqi Liang & Wentao Yao & Hongmin Zhu & Liangen Zeng & Zihan Zhao, 2023. "What Are the Impacts of Urbanisation on Carbon Emissions Efficiency? Evidence from Western China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Wang, Miao & Feng, Chao, 2021. "The win-win ability of environmental protection and economic development during China's transition," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    3. Wang, Zhenguo & Su, Bin & Xie, Rui & Long, Haiyu, 2020. "China’s aggregate embodied CO2 emission intensity from 2007 to 2012: A multi-region multiplicative structural decomposition analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    4. Jingwei Han & Zhixiong Tan & Maozhi Chen & Liang Zhao & Ling Yang & Siying Chen, 2022. "Carbon Footprint Research Based on Input–Output Model—A Global Scientometric Visualization Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-23, September.
    5. Yang Ding & Qing Yang & Lanjuan Cao, 2021. "Examining the Impacts of Economic, Social, and Environmental Factors on the Relationship between Urbanization and CO 2 Emissions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, November.
    6. Ling, Yantao & Xia, Senmao & Cao, Mengqiu & He, Kerun & Lim, Ming K. & Sukumar, Arun & Yi, Huiyong & Qian, Xiaoduo, 2021. "Carbon emissions in China's thermal electricity and heating industry: an input-output structural decomposition analysis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112930, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Simionescu, Mihaela & Radulescu, Magdalena & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier & Balsalobre-Lorente, Daniel, 2023. "The role of renewable energy policies in TACKLING energy poverty in the European UNION," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    8. Iftikhar, Yaser & Wang, Zhaohua & Zhang, Bin & Wang, Bo, 2018. "Energy and CO2 emissions efficiency of major economies: A network DEA approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 197-207.
    9. Liu, Xiaohong & Yang, Jiangjiang & Xu, Chengzhen & Li, Xingchen & Zhu, Qingyuan, 2023. "Environmental regulation efficiency analysis by considering regional heterogeneity," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    10. Wang, Feng & Sun, Xiaoyu & Reiner, David M. & Wu, Min, 2020. "Changing trends of the elasticity of China's carbon emission intensity to industry structure and energy efficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Liu, Fengqi & Kang, Yuxin & Guo, Kun, 2022. "Is electricity consumption of Chinese counties decoupled from carbon emissions? A study based on Tapio decoupling index," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    12. Li Wang & Jie Pei & Jing Geng & Zheng Niu, 2019. "Tracking the Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Carbon Emissions in China from 1999 to 2015: A Land Use Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-27, August.
    13. Gao, Ming & Ma, Ke & Yu, Jie, 2023. "The characteristics and drivers of China’s city-level urban-rural activity sectors’ carbon intensity gap during urban land expansion," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    14. Yu Zhang & Xi Chen & Ya Wu & Chenyang Shuai & Liyin Shen & Gui Ye, 2020. "Peaks of transportation CO2 emissions of 119 countries for sustainable development: Results from carbon Kuznets curve," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 550-571, July.
    15. Wu, Haitao & Xue, Yan & Hao, Yu & Ren, Siyu, 2021. "How does internet development affect energy-saving and emission reduction? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    16. Kamalova Mariyakhan & Elyas Abdulahi Mohamued & Muhammad Asif Khan & József Popp & Judit Oláh, 2020. "Does the Level of Absorptive Capacity Matter for Carbon Intensity? Evidence from the USA and China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.
    17. Qinghua Li & Cong Chen, 2023. "Analyzing the Differences in the Quantitative and Spatial Characteristics of Inter-Provincial Embodied Carbon Transfers in China Induced via Various Demand Factors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-29, November.
    18. Ma, Shaoyue & Xu, Xiangbo & Li, Chang & Zhang, Linxiu & Sun, Mingxing, 2021. "Energy consumption inequality decrease with energy consumption increase: Evidence from rural China at micro scale," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    19. Yan, Zheming & Zou, Baoling & Du, Kerui & Li, Ke, 2020. "Do renewable energy technology innovations promote China's green productivity growth? Fresh evidence from partially linear functional-coefficient models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    20. Tiancai Xing & Qichuan Jiang & Xuejiao Ma, 2017. "To Facilitate or Curb? The Role of Financial Development in China’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Process: A Novel Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-39, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:5:p:2080-:d:1350020. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.