The impact of economic development of primary and secondary industries on national CO2 emissions: The case of Russian regions

Abstract

In today's world, where economic development and environmental sustainability are becoming increasingly important aspects of national strategy, attention to the impact of different economic sectors on climate change is becoming an integral part of scientific research. This article focuses on analyzing the impact of primary and secondary economic sectors development on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at the sub-national level in Russia from 2005 to 2019. The aim of the study is to provide an in-depth understanding of the relationships between the dynamics of these sectors and CO2 emission levels in different regions of the country. Weighted regression and panel data methods were applied to better identify the patterns of the impact. The results show that the size of population and electricity consumption have the highest impact on CO2 emissions. So that, the expansion of nuclear and gas generation capacity, as well as significant improvement of energy efficiency, are of crucial importance to reduce the emissions. Other sectors have a heterogeneous impact and requires more differential approaches, considering the specifics of regions. Taking into account the significant differences between the Russian constituent entities, this paper emphasizes the low informativeness of assessments at the national level and their inadequacy in terms of improving the efficiency of domestic management, including decarbonization policies.