Decoupling evolution of economic activity and carbon transfer in China: A multi-level analysis from network perspective

Abstract

Economic activities among multiple regions are always accompanied by carbon transfers. Analyzing coupling characteristics of economic activities and carbon transfer linkages based on the supply-demand relationships, can further reveal the networked structures of the multiregional interactions and common development trend of various industries, shedding light on carbon emission governance and high-quality development. This study advances novel coupling network models at the regional and industrial levels, and empirically analyzes the coupling characteristics in China based on the input-output data in 2012, 2015, and 2017. The findings reveal a noticeable decoupling process of economic activities and carbon transfers, but with distinct characteristics at the regional and industrial levels. The widening differences in coupling among provinces indicate increasing regional disparities. The decoupling process at the industrial level is primarily driven by the decreased connectivity in networked carbon transfers, instead of economic activities, reflecting the significant variations of industries’ low-carbon development. The carbon decoupling process is notably more pronounced in supply-demand chains associated with export as the final use, compared to those linked with capital formation and final consumption. Analysis of coupling characteristics and the identification of decoupling evolution process enhance our understanding of the relationship between economic activities and carbon transfer, and may provide valuable insights for prioritizing actions and achieving efficient carbon emission reduction.