Economic Structure Transformation and Low-Carbon Development in Energy-Rich Cities: The Case of the Contiguous Area of Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China

Hongli Zhang,Ayman Elshkaki,Shuai Zhong,Lei Shen

doi:10.3390/su12051875

Abstract

Energy-rich cities tend to rely on resource-based industries for economic growth, which leads to a great challenge for its low-carbon and sustainable economic development. The contiguous area of Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (SSIM) is one of the most important national energy bases in China. Its development pattern, dominated by the coal industry, has led to increasingly prominent structural problems along with difficult low-carbon transition. Taking energy-rich cities in the contiguous area of SSIM as examples, this study analyzes the main drivers of CO2 emissions and explores the role of economic structure transformation in carbon emission reduction during 2002–2012 based on structural decomposition analysis (SDA). The results show that CO2 emissions increase significantly with the coal industry expansion in energy-rich cities. Economic growth and structure are the main drivers of CO2 emission increments. An energy structure dominated by coal and improper product allocation structure can also cause CO2 emission increases. Energy consumption intensity is the main factor curbing CO2 emission growth in energy-rich cities. The decline of agriculture and services contributes to carbon emission reduction, while the expansion of mining and primary energy processing industries has far greater effects on CO2 emission growth. Finally, we propose that energy-rich cities must make more efforts to transform energy-driven economic growth patterns, cultivate new pillar industries by developing high-end manufacturing, improve energy efficiency through more investment in key technologies and the market-oriented reform of energy pricing and develop natural gas and renewable energy to accelerate low-carbon transition.

Highlights

With the development of industrialization and the expansion of cities, climate change with global warming as the main characteristic has attracted worldwide attention
This study accounts for the CO2 emissions of Xinzhou, Lvliang, Ordos and Yulin in the contiguous area of SSIM based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission factor approach
This study decomposes CO2 emissions in Xinzhou, Lvliang, Ordos and Yulin from the supply-side, and the structural decomposition analysis (SDA) combined with the Ghosh input–output model is used

Summary

Introduction

With the development of industrialization and the expansion of cities, climate change with global warming as the main characteristic has attracted worldwide attention. Increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause of global warming. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, CO2 emissions account for more than 70% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuel combustion is the main source of CO2 emissions. With the depletion of fossil fuels and the threat of climate change, developing the low-carbon economy has become a global trend. Cities are the key areas in which to implement carbon emission reduction, as their CO2 emissions from energy consumption account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions [1]. Energy-rich cities often rely on resource-based industries for development and follow a high carbonization pattern [2], facing huge pressures on low-carbon transition

Methods

Results

Conclusion