An Analysis of the Decoupling Effect of Carbon Emission Decomposition and Industrial Economic Development in Anhui Province, China

Anhui Province is a crucial industrial province in China, and its carbon emission reduction work is of overarching importance as a model for the upgrading of traditional industrial industries in other regions of China. The exploratory practice in Anhui Province offers other regions exemplary models and methodologies to emulate, facilitating the transition of conventional sectors in the country towards a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable paradigm. This paper examines the decoupling state of industrial economic growth from resources and the environment by quantifying carbon emissions across 14 major industrial sectors in Anhui Province from 2007 to 2021. The intensity and structure of these emissions are analyzed using the Tapio decoupling model and the LMDI model, which connect resources and the environment. It is concluded that the inhibitory effect of energy structure and energy intensity on industrial carbon emissions is intensifying, while the carbon–economy decoupling index for 14 major industrial sectors is on a downward trend, and the traditional high-energy-consuming industries, particularly iron, steel, and coal, upon which Anhui Province depends, have been decoupled from industrial economic growth due to enhancements in energy structure. This paper ultimately presents a series of specific recommendations for enhancing future carbon emission reduction across a range of diverse industrial sectors.