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Renewable Energy for Balancing Carbon Emissions and Reducing Carbon Transfer under Global Value Chains: A Way Forward

Author

Listed:
  • Xixuan Guo

    (Department of User and Market Research, China Mobile Research Institute, Beijing 100053, China)

  • Kaixiang Huang

    (School of International Trade and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China)

  • Lanyu Li

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Xiaonan Wang

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

Abstract

Research on the relationship between a country’s renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions is of great significance for reducing carbon emissions embodied in international trade. There always exists a gap between production-based and consumption-based carbon emissions. Accordingly, this paper investigates the influence of renewable energy consumption on carbon emission balance, the ratio of production-based emissions to consumption-based emissions, in various countries using the ordinary least square (OLS) method and generalized method of moments (GMM) method. We found that a 1% increase in renewable energy consumption can decrease the carbon emission balance by 5.8%. Furthermore, renewable energy consumption can help narrow the gap between production-based and consumption-based carbon emissions in net emission exporters. In addition, renewable energy consumption can also weaken the negative impact of the global value chains (GVCs) division system on the carbon emission balance. The findings in this study fill the research gap by analyzing the heterogeneous impacts of renewable energy consumption on carbon emission balance embodied within a GVC division system in various countries and provide policy suggestions that renewable energy consumption should be encouraged in net emission exporters to reduce the carbon emission transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Xixuan Guo & Kaixiang Huang & Lanyu Li & Xiaonan Wang, 2022. "Renewable Energy for Balancing Carbon Emissions and Reducing Carbon Transfer under Global Value Chains: A Way Forward," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:234-:d:1012902
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Qingbo Huang & Yuhao Wang & Xiaohan Zhang & Yan Li, 2025. "Reducing transport carbon intensity in the belt and road countries using the global value chain and the moderating role of digital industrialization," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(10), pages 24019-24043, October.
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    4. Muhammad Waqas & Fatima Farooq & Mohd Abass Bhat & Muhammad Sibt-e-Ali & Komal Batool, 2026. "Crafting a Sustainable Environment through Green Energy, Financial Development and Agriculture in the BRICS Economies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 17(1), pages 428-465, February.

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