Industrial linkage of embodied CO2 emissions: Evidence based on an absolute weighted measurement method

Abstract

This paper employs absolute weighted measurement method (AWMM) to estimate carbon-based backward and forward linkage in China from 1995 to 2014. The results reveal that construction sector was the largest CO2 emitter from the demand side, and it contributed more than 40% of the total demand side CO2 emissions in 2014. Transport equipment sector and electrical and optical equipment sector became more influential on the demand side CO2 emissions shown by increasing carbon-based backward linkages. The upstream resource sectors had a great driving effect on the supply side CO2 emissions indicated by large carbon-based forward linkage. Electricity, gas and water supply was a vital driver in the CO2 emissions from both demand and supply side, and it was most carbon-intensive. The empirical analysis discloses that economic industrial linkage affected carbon-based industrial linkage significantly. Hence, promoting renewable energy utilization to make energy structure cleaner is essential for the CO2 emission mitigation in China. Enhancing technological innovation of manufacturing sectors to raise position in the global value chain is crucial for industrial upgrading in the context of low carbonization.