The Influencing Factors of Carbon Emissions in the Industrial Sector: Empirical Analysis Based on a Spatial Econometric Model

To promote the low-carbon, high-quality development of China's industrial sector and achieve the national carbon peak goal as soon as possible, this study explores the influencing factors of carbon emissions among industrial sectors. Based on the panel data of 36 industrial sectors in China from 2009 to 2021, the spatial effects and characteristics of industrial sectors are examined by the spatial Durbin model (SDM) based on analyzing the spatial correlation among industrial sectors. The results show the following: (1) Moran's I statistical results show that China's industrial carbon emissions have a strong positive spatial correlation, and with time, the spatial correlation between industrial sectors gradually increases. (2) The empirical results of the whole industrial sector show that the property rights structure, capital intensity, and energy structure are the main driving forces promoting carbon emission reduction; the grouping analysis results show that the impact of FDI and property rights structure on the carbon emissions of the industrial sector in different sample groups is different. Among them, the energy structure and research and development play a role in reducing carbon emissions in each sample group. (3) Therefore, in the future, to reduce carbon emissions in the industrial sector, it is necessary to inhibit growth factors and promote the role of reduction factors; optimizing the energy structure and improving the rationality of the property rights structure are effective ways to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction.