JOURNAL OF NATURAL RESOURCES ›› 2022, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (5): 1261-1276.doi: 10.31497/zrzyxb.20220511

• Dual Carbon Goals and Sustainable Urbanization • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatio-temporal evolution and influencing factors of carbon emission efficiency in low carbon city of China

XU Ying-qi(), CHENG Yu(), WANG Jing-jing, LIU Na   

  1. College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
  • Received:2021-08-30 Revised:2022-01-10 Online:2022-05-28 Published:2022-07-28
  • Contact: CHENG Yu E-mail:1679669777@qq.com;383617726@qq.com

Abstract:

China puts forward the strategic goal of achieving carbon peaks by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Improving carbon emission efficiency and promoting green and low-carbon development are important ways to achieve the "dual carbon" goal. The study uses the Super-SBM model that includes undesired output to measure the carbon emission efficiency of 68 low carbon cities in China from 2003 to 2018 and analyzes their spatio-temporal evolution characteristics. The panel regression model is used to analyze the influencing factors of urban carbon emission efficiency. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The carbon emission efficiency of low carbon city has shown an overall upward trend over time, from 0.169 to 0.423, with an average annual growth rate of 6.31%, and there is still room for improvement. (2) Regional differences in the carbon emission efficiency of low carbon cities show a trend of shrinking first and then gradually expanding, and a declining distribution pattern of "from eastern to central and western region" in space; the carbon emission efficiency of pilot city at various levels is characterized as "megacity > supercity > large city > medium-sized city > small city". (3) Economic development level, industrial structure, urbanization level, green technology innovation and carbon emission efficiency of a pilot city are significantly positively correlated, and the intensity of foreign investment has restrictions on urban carbon emission efficiency. There are some differences in the degree of influence of each factor on the three regions and cities of different sizes. The paper puts forward countermeasures and suggestions from the aspects of innovation input, industrial structure and regional differentiation, which has certain reference significance for promoting urban green and low-carbon development and the construction of ecological civilization.

Key words: low carbon city, carbon emission efficiency, Super-SBM model, China