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Economic growth and carbon emission in China:a spatial econometric Kuznets curve?

Author

Listed:
  • Hengzhou Xu

    (College of Management and Economics, No. 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin, P.R. China)

  • Chuanrong Zhang

    (Department of Geography, Storrs, CT 06269-4148, USA)

  • Weidong Li

    (Department of Geography, Storrs, CT 06269-4148, USA)

  • Wenjing Zhang

    (College of Management and Economics, No. 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin, P.R. China)

  • Hongchun Yin

    (College of Management and Economics, No. 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin, P.R. China)

Abstract

Economic development has largely contributed to the increment of CO2 emission. This study uses spatial econometric models to investigate the relationship between economic growth and carbon emission in China with data of 30 provinces of China during the period of 2000 to 2012. Results show that the relationship between carbon emission and economic growth in China during the recent decade has the development tendency toward an inverse U-shaped curve, approximately confirming the carbon emission’s Kuznets curve hypothesis in China. There exists a significant spatial correlation between carbon emission and economic growth, implying that carbon emission in a province may be influenced by economic growth in adjacent provinces. When economic growth reaches 279.91 million Yuan/km2 GDP (at a comparable price in 2000), the contradiction between economic growth and carbon emission begins to be gradually alleviated. These findings provide new insights and valuable information for reducing carbon emissions in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Hengzhou Xu & Chuanrong Zhang & Weidong Li & Wenjing Zhang & Hongchun Yin, 2018. "Economic growth and carbon emission in China:a spatial econometric Kuznets curve?," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 36(1), pages 11-28.
    • Handle: RePEc:rfe:zbefri:v:36:y:2018:i:1:p:11-28
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Haider Mahmood & Maham Furqan & Muhammad Shahid Hassan & Soumen Rej, 2023. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) Hypothesis in China: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-32, April.
    2. Qiongzhi Liu & Dapeng Zhao, 2023. "Study on the Spatial Characteristics and Spillover Effects of Carbon Emissions in the Yangtze River (Main Stream) Basin," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Carbon emission; environmental Kuznets curve; land-use change; spatial econometrics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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