Environment Kuznets Curve in transport sector's carbon emission: Evidence from China

Abstract

As China's revival and modernization progress, the transport sector has received more attention in China. In China, the transport sector generates a large amount of carbon emissions, which restricts sustainable development of the economy. Due to the important position of transport sector in economic development and low carbon development, this paper aims to explore the impact of GDP on transport sector's carbon emission of 30 provinces in China. In addition, we focus on the non-linear relationship between GDP and transport sector's carbon emission. Further, we study the role of other economic factors in the non-linear relationship between GDP and transport sector's carbon emission. In order to fully consider the differences of regional GDP and transport sector's carbon emission, 30 provinces of China are divided into four groups on the basis of GDP and transport sector's carbon emission. The analysis of whole panel data shows that there is an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between GDP and transport sector's carbon emission. The regression results of sub-group panel data show that the impact of GDP on transport sector's carbon emission are positive and significant. But the impacts of the economic factors affecting transport sector's carbon emission are different in different regions. On the basis of the empirical research, we give some policy implications.