A novel temporal-spatial decomposition on drivers of China's carbon emissions

Increase in carbon emissions is a main cause of global warming. In this study, we proposed a novel temporal-spatial decomposition method,which considers investment efficiency, resource allocation and labor, to investigate the drivers of China's carbon emissions. The results are as follows. (1) Energy intensity and investment efficiency are the two most significant factors affecting carbon emissions. In the new normal period, carbon emissions in eastern, central, and northeast China are decreasing. (2) The distribution of carbon emissions among provinces and regions in China is unbalanced, mainly due to imbalances in energy intensity, resource allocation, and labor. (3)The carbon emission gap is the largest between the eastern and western regions; the carbon emissions are spatially stable. The research results highlight insights that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and narrow regional differences in carbon emissions. (c) 2022 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.