Allocation of carbon emission quotas in Chinese provinces based on Super-SBM model and ZSG-DEA model

Allocation of carbon emission quotas is a primary part for carbon trading market to mitigate carbon emission, and there is no unified carbon emission allocation scheme in China at provincial level now. The researches on allocation of carbon emission quotas ignored the difference among the efficiency values of effective provinces, and few researches considered the reduction potentiality. This paper aimed at proposing a carbon emission quota allocation scheme in China in 2030 based on entropy method, the Super-SBM (super-slack-based measure) model and ZSG-DEA (zero sum gains DEA) model. Different from the existing researches, Super-SBM model can help effectively distinguish every efficiency value, making the allocation results more exact and efficient. And considering reduction potentiality calculated by ZSG-DEA model, the allocation results could be more feasible. The result shows that: (1) The carbon emission quota allocation scheme is tested to be feasible with validity and fairness. Economic development level and carbon emission efficiency are the main contributors to carbon emission quota allocation, consisting with China's current policy orientation of vigorously promoting the development of green ecological economy. (2) The carbon emission quotas decrease gradually from the southeast coastal area to the northwest area. Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang obtain the highest carbon emission quotas, while Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang experience the lowest carbon emission quotas. (3) Carbon emission quota surplus is witnessed in 15 of the 30 provinces including Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, etc. Hebei, Jilin, Gansu and Heilongjiang take the larger pressure of carbon emission reduction. The different reasons for carbon emission quota surplus and carbon emission reduction pressure suggest that common but differentiated strategies should be provided in front of carbon emission quota allocation and reduction pressure and regional coordinated development should be promoted.