Offset Carbon Emissions Research Articles

Characteristics of Spatiotemporal Changes in China's Carbon Budget at Different Administrative Scales

Currently, scientifically and reasonably specifying carbon emission reduction measures in the context of "double carbon" has become a common concern worldwide. China's administrative divisions have a notable impact on the formulation and implementation of relevant policies. Therefore the carbon emissions must be calculated accurately under China's administrative divisions at different scales. The spatiotemporal change characteristics of absorption and carbon emissions can provide scientific basis for the formulation of reasonable and differentiated carbon emission reduction policies in different administrative regions in China. To this end, this study used multi-source data such as remote sensing and statistics and integrated ecological models, statistics, and GIS space analysis and other methods to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamic change characteristics of carbon emissions and carbon absorption at different administrative scales （provinces, cities, and counties） in China. The results showed that： ① The total carbon absorption of vegetation in China continued to increase from 2000 to 2021 and the average value gradually increased. Differences were observed in spatiotemporal changes in carbon emissions at different administrative scales. The spatiotemporal changes at smaller scales were more evident. Carbon emissions showed obvious spatial differences of "high in the north and low in the south, high in the east and low in the west." ② The spatiotemporal distribution of CPI at the administrative scale was similar to that of carbon emissions and the overall trend was increasing annually. The pressure of carbon emissions on carbon absorption gradually weakened from the east to the central and western regions. ③ Spatiotemporal hotspot analysis showed that the overall spatial distribution of cold and hot spots in China's carbon absorption was as follows： In the spatial pattern of "hot in the east and cold in the west," the spatial distribution of cold and hot spots of carbon emissions showed agglomeration characteristics. The provincial scale was primarily oscillating hotspot whereas municipal and county scales were majorly continuous hot spots. Further results revealed that： ① Carbon absorption in different regions and periods in China showed significant variability, especially in the central and eastern regions. The possibility of offsetting carbon emissions by increasing carbon absorption remains. ② At the same scale, administrative regions （such as different provinces） and lower-level administrative regions at another scale （such as different cities in the same province） showed varying degrees of variability in carbon absorption and carbon emissions. Therefore, taking provincial administrative regions as an example for subsequent formulation considering carbon trading, emission reduction, and other policies, we should first consider the coordination of emissions between different cities in the province and then consider the coordination between provinces, which is expected to better promote the implementation of relevant policies.

Development of an algorithm for the transition of civil aviation to ecologically clean aviation fuel

The object of the study is the process of decarbonization of civil aviation by switching to environmentally friendly fuels, which is relevant for the majority of countries in the world seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of air transport. The study uses methods that comply with international standards, which allowed to draw conclusions applicable in a global context. Due to their features and characteristics, the results of the study made it possible to form a clear idea of the global industry program to reduce and offset carbon emissions, as well as to establish the level of readiness of the civil aviation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and related industries to switch to alternative types of aviation fuel. The constructed mathematical models of the dependence of the efficiency indicator Y (carbon footprint level) on a set of factor features Xi and made it possible to prove the presence of multicollinearity in the array of mutually independent factors affecting the efficiency indicator Y, as well as to prioritize them based on the strength of their influence on the size of the carbon footprint of air transportation. It is emphasized that the process of switching aviation to bio- and synthetic aviation fuel is complicated by the lack of a Strategy and related documents on the implementation of activities related to the transition of aviation to new generation fuels. The key points of constructing the algorithm for the transition of civil aviation to environmentally friendly fuel have been identified, which ensured the construction of its simulation model. The practical application of the proposed algorithm for the transition of civil aviation to new-generation fuel should become the fundamental basis for the formation of the country's Roadmap for the transition of aviation to SAF and LCAF

Dealing with the risk of fire in carbon sequestration strategies: Diverse forests or plantation monocultures?

AbstractClimate and land‐use change pose unprecedented threats to ecosystems, economies, and communities worldwide. To help mitigate the climate crisis, restoration is a rapidly growing industry used to offset carbon emissions. The most common approach is to plant fast‐growing monocultures with the aim of sequestering as much carbon as possible in the shortest time. However, there has been little economic analysis of planting options that explicitly address short and long‐term ecological risks such as fire, disease, and environmental change. Here we develop a method for quantifying ecological risks from fire to sequestration investments and show how these risks can be factored into an analysis of long‐term financial returns relative to opportunity costs. In the case study presented, we find that the apparent advantage of fast‐growing monoculture plantations is likely to be outweighed by the long‐term fire risks to the carbon stored in them. Our analytical framework provides a widely applicable approach to comparing planting options against each other and other land uses, considering key uncertainties. With climate change already manifesting through extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and shifting wildlife populations, our framework can be used to make informed decisions about the best solutions to increase carbon sequestration, reduce ecological risks, and reduce climate impacts with greater certainty.

Landscapes of Recarbonization: Carbon Neutrality, Settler Colonialism, and Cumulative Environmental Effects in the Peace River Region, Canada

Contemporary discourses of net-zero decarbonization (also referred to as carbon neutrality) routinely overlook the landscape transformations required to offset carbon emissions. Conventional analyses also often fail to engage with decarbonization as an inherently spatial process, embedded in landscapes in which the biophysical, socionatural, and political economic dimensions of energy intersect. This creates a conceptual pitfall: the potential to misread and depoliticize strategies of putative decarbonization that might not, in fact, be carbon neutral, particularly when the cumulative effects of broader landscape transformations are considered. To illustrate this pitfall, our analysis queries net-zero decarbonization strategies that arise alongside—and often as a result of—simultaneous investments in fossil fuel production, a process we term recarbonization. We posit recarbonization as a variegated sociospatial phenomenon that materializes through the site-specific interplay between capitalist social relations and biophysical processes. In making this claim, we seek to bridge political economy with concepts of materiality and relationality that, we suggest, enable deeper theoretical engagement with multifaceted landscape transformations entailed by processes of energy transition. Drawing on a case study of the Peace River region in the western Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, this article exposes the cumulative environmental effects and ongoing forms of colonial violence of some net-zero decarbonization agendas.

Research on the Development and Policy Evolution of CCUS Industry at Home and Abroad

CCUS is internationally recognized as one of the three major pathways to achieve carbon neutrality goals. It is an important choice for realizing zero emissions from large-scale fossil energy utilization and a feasible technological solution to offset carbon emissions in industries such as power, steel, and cement where emissions reductions are challenging. Systematic analysis of the development and policy evolution of the CCUS industry at home and abroad can provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for China's energy transition and development under the background of carbon emission peaking and achieving carbon neutrality. Guided by the strategic goals of national energy security, carbon emission peaking, and achieving carbon neutrality, this study aims to analyze the global development process and stage characteristics of the CCUS industry, investigate the supporting policies in the CCUS field and their evolution patterns, summarize the current status and trends of the CCUS industry at home and abroad, and provide reference for the implementation of national energy green and low-carbon transformation and the construction of a new energy system. In terms of industry, European and American countries emphasize national-level technological guidance and macro-control. The United States has introduced the progressive 45Q tax credit policy, and the European Union has included CCUS in its carbon trading system. The US National Carbon Capture Center provides a testing environment and facilities for CCUS technology research and development, and has established a carbon dioxide industry cluster and transportation hub. In terms of policies, tax credits and carbon trading policies in Europe and America have attracted various types of capital investment, establishing a relatively complete legal framework system. These regions have been leading in CCUS technology research and deployment, holding dominant positions and decision-making power in mainstream international CCUS organizations such as the CSLF, IEA, GCCSI, and OGCI. This study benchmarks the forward-looking and strategic development status of the CCUS industry at home and abroad, elucidates the challenges facing CCUS industry development, and proposes future trends and policy support needs for the CCUS industry. The research reveals that Europe and America emphasize national-level technological guidance and macro-control, focusing on the construction of regional industrial networks and having established a relatively complete legal and regulatory framework system. Compared to other countries, China needs to establish national-level guidance on CCUS development, regional carbon dioxide capture and transportation networks, and enact specific laws, regulations, and technical standards for CCUS.

Decoupling state of urban development and carbon emissions and its driving factors and predictions: A case study of Chengdu metropolitan area

Prioritizing the reduction of carbon emissions in key developing urban centers is a significant step toward achieving China's carbon peaking and neutrality goals. We examined the Chengdu metropolitan area as a case study. We proposed a coupled method for inversely estimating nighttime light and carbon emissions from energy consumption, enhancing the accuracy of fitting at the county scale and addressing the issue of missing energy consumption data. We integrated the Tapio decoupling model and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model for comprehensive analysis, mitigating the limitations arising from the use of a singular model. Furthermore, we employed a multi-scenario analysis with an extended STIRPAT model to forecast the carbon emission trajectory of the Chengdu urban agglomeration and elucidate potential pathways for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. The findings indicated the following:(1)carbon emissions are predominantly concentrated in regions characterized by high levels of urban development. Forested land serves as the primary carbon sink; however, its capacity in the Chengdu metropolitan area fails to offset carbon emissions from energy consumption;(2)factor decomposition analysis revealed that economic development was the principal driver of carbon emissions, leading to an increase of 23.7964 million tons. Conversely, energy intensity emerged as the primary mitigation factor, reducing carbon emissions by 11.0677 million tons;(3)The Chengdu metropolitan area is projected to reach a carbon peak by 2030, with the multi-factor coordinated optimization (MFO) model representing the most favorable trajectory, with a projected peak of approximately 15.6998 million tons. However, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, there is still a surplus of approximately 10.4808 million tons.

Returning Cropland to Grassland as a Potential Method for Increasing Carbon Storage in Dry-Hot Valley Areas

A key aspect of mitigating global climate warming is enhancing the carbon storage capacity of terrestrial ecosystems. China’s Grain for Green Program (GFGP) is the largest ecological restoration project in the world, which is closely associated with land use change. A systematic assessment of the GFGP’s impact on regional carbon storage is of great significance for promoting regional development and maintaining ecosystem stability. Therefore, this study selects a typical dry-hot valley area—Yanjin County—as the study area, which serves as an ecological protection barrier in Southwest China. We employed the InVEST model and Geo-detector model based on land use data from three periods (2000, 2014, and 2019), combined with static overlay analysis methods, in order to evaluate the impact of the implementation of GFGP on the spatial and temporal distribution of carbon storage. We also explored the driving factors of the spatial differentiation of carbon storage. The results indicate that, since the implementation of the GFGP, a total of 180.03 km2 of cropland has been converted to forestland, increasing the forest cover rate from 81.83% to 83.37%. The project has contributed 5.88 × 105 t to regional carbon storage, effectively offsetting carbon emissions caused by human activities such as urban expansion while also promoting the growth of regional carbon storage. The implementation of the GFGP has led to changes in three types of land use. Among them, converting cropland to forestland (3262 t/km2) is the most effective carbon sequestration method, and converting cropland to grassland (2530 t/km2) has shown great potential in carbon sequestration. Additionally, the study found that elevation (0.038–0.059) is the main factor affecting the spatial differentiation of carbon storage, and the interaction between elevation and other factors can effectively enhance the carbon sequestration capacity of regional ecosystems. Overall, the GFGP not only plays a significant role in combating climate warming but also makes an important contribution to improving the stability and sustainability of regional ecosystems.

Unlocking carbon finance: Empowering energy communities for mutual benefit

This study investigates the potential of utilizing carbon credits to finance innovative local energy communities in Europe, addressing a significant gap in academic literature. Despite the growing interest in voluntary carbon credits as a mechanism for offsetting carbon emissions, there is limited evidence connecting local energy systems to voluntary carbon markets. The study explores whether carbon credits could serve as a practical tool for funding the development of energy communities, contributing to sustainable energy transitions and climate mitigation strategies. The research employs a comprehensive methodology to assess the quality of carbon credit projects and examines ten innovative energy community projects in Europe. Key findings reveal there is potential for using carbon credits to finance energy community initiatives. However, challenges persist, particularly regarding financing barriers and the volatile nature of carbon markets. The study underscores the importance of policy support in establishing clear standards for voluntary markets and promoting the accessibility of carbon offsets. Furthermore, it suggests potential solutions such as pre-financing agreements and the utilization of carbon market derivatives to enhance project viability. Overall, the study offers insights into the intersection between voluntary carbon markets and local energy initiatives, providing a foundation for further research and policy development in the field of local sustainable development and climate change mitigation.

GAP Forest Aims to Offset Carbon Emissions

GAP Forest Aims to Offset Carbon Emissions

Potential opportunities for using solar energy: example of light industrial enterprises

Potential opportunities for using solar energy: example of light industrial enterprises

Identity and voluntary efforts for climate protection

Can voluntary contributions to public goods be motivated by identity concerns? In a theory-driven field experiment, we test how positive and negative shocks to subjects' environmental identity beliefs affect voluntary efforts for climate protection. In a real-effort task, subjects can generate donations that offset carbon emissions. Prior to the task, we manipulate subjects' beliefs about their environmental identity either positively or negatively compared to a control group. A negative shock to identity (‘identity threat’) increases effort by about 17% compared to our control group. This effect is largest for subjects that had a strong prior environmental identity belief. We find no evidence that a positive shock to identity does affect behavior. Our results are in line with some of the main predictions from the belief-based model of identity by Bénabou and Tirole (2011). They also have implications for policymakers and NGOs that want to encourage voluntary contributions to climate protection by leveraging people's identity concerns.

Fostering CSR Sponsorship in China: A Conceptual Framework for Cultivating Sustainable Behavior among Ant Forest App Users via Internet Platforms

Ant Forest has emerged as a prominent pro-environment advocate, amassing a user base of 650 million individuals. However, the sustained engagement of its users is crucial for its enduring success. To ensure the continued viability of Ant Forest, it is imperative to foster and maintain users’ pro-environmental behaviors over an extended period. Central to Ant Forest’s appeal are its gamification features and interactive elements linked to CSR sponsorship. This study aims to investigate the potential of these distinctive characteristics within an Internet platform to enhance users’ awareness of sustainability issues and prolong their engagement. As part of a comprehensive inquiry into the role of Chinese Internet Platform Companies such as Ant Forest in shaping users’ attitudes and behaviors towards sustainability, this research endeavors to ascertain whether these platforms fulfill their responsibility in offsetting carbon emissions. The present findings are from a thorough desktop survey focusing on key themes related to the Ant Forest app, including the maintenance of users’ sustainable behavior and the enhancement of CSR sponsorship. Utilizing the EAGLE System, an online research platform, we meticulously documented the synthesis of literature reviews and adapted the findings for presentation. Our analysis identified CSR-linked sponsorship, the sustainability of Chinese Internet Platform Companies, users’ behavior, and users’ attitudes as potential independent variables. Furthermore, we identified the gamification mechanism and interactivity as moderator variables influencing users’ engagement with their responsibilities in carbon emissions offsetting. Notably, Chinese Internet platform companies have the potential to positively influence users’ attitudes and behaviors towards sustainability by integrating gamification, interactivity, and CSR-linked sponsorship into their platforms. Harnessing these features effectively may empower Internet platforms to instill sustainable habits among users, thereby laying the groundwork for a conceptual framework termed the Users’ Sustainable Awareness Model.

Nudging when the descriptive norm is low: Evidence from a carbon offsetting field experiment

Social interventions are a popular tool to stimulate pro-social (including climate-friendly) behavior. Their use is, however, limited when the descriptive norm is low, i.e. when a desirable behavior is only practiced by a minority within the respective reference group. We tackle this issue by testing new strategies for social interventions, with an especially sophisticated target group. We implement a field experiment at two subsequent conferences in environmental economics, with which we examine the conference participants’ proclivity to offset carbon emissions. For the two treatment conditions that we introduce, we document an average null effect. Yet, for one condition, we find that the intervention can be effective when the targeted individuals feel socially close to the referenced peer group. Further, we find suggestive evidence that the effectiveness of such interventions increases as individuals are exposed to repeated treatment, but with decreasing marginal returns.

Seagrasses produce most of the soil blue carbon in three Maldivian islands

Blue carbon is fast garnering international interest for its disproportionate contribution to global carbon stocks. However, our understanding of the size of these blue carbon stocks, as well as the provenance of carbon that is stored within them, is still poor. This is especially pertinent for many small-island nations that may have substantial blue carbon ecosystems that are poorly studied. Here, we present a preliminary assessment of blue carbon from three islands in the Maldives. The higher purpose of this research was to assess the feasibility of using blue carbon to help offset carbon emissions associated with Maldivian tourism, the largest Maldivian industry with one of the highest destination-based carbon footprints, globally. We used stable isotope mixing models to identify how habitats contributed to carbon found in sediments, and Loss on Ignition (LoI) to determine carbon content. We found that for the three surveyed islands, seagrasses (Thalassia hemprichii, Thalassodendron ciliatum, Halodule pinofilia, Syringodium isoetifolium, and Cymodocea rotundata) were the main contributors to sediment blue carbon (55 – 72%) while mangroves had the lowest contribution (9 – 44%). Surprisingly, screw pine (Pandanus spp.), a relative of palm trees found across many of these islands, contributed over a quarter of the carbon found in sediments. Organic carbon content (‘blue carbon’) was 6.8 ± 0.3 SE % and 393 ± 29 tonnes ha-1 for mangrove soils, and 2.5 ± 0.2% and 167 ± 20 tonnes ha-1 for seagrasses, which is slightly higher than global averages. While preliminary, our results highlight the importance of seagrasses as carbon sources in Maldivian blue carbon ecosystems, and the possible role that palms such as screw pines may have in supplementing this. Further research on Maldivian blue carbon ecosystems is needed to: 1) map current ecosystem extent and opportunities for additionality through conservation and restoration; 2) determine carbon sequestration rates; and 3) investigate options and feasibility for tourism-related blue carbon crediting. Overall, the opportunity for blue carbon in the Maldives is promising, but the state of knowledge is very limited.

Carbon trade-off and energy budgeting under conventional and conservation tillage in a rice-wheat double cropping system

Amid rising energy crises and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, designing energy efficient, GHG mitigation and profitable conservation farming strategies are pertinent for global food security. Therefore, we tested a hypothesis that no-till with residue retaining could improve energy productivity (EP) and energy use efficiency (EUE) while mitigating the carbon footprint (CF), water footprint (WF) and GHG emissions in rice-wheat double cropping system. We studied two tillage viz., conventional and conservation, with/without residue retaining, resulting as CT0 (puddled-transplanted rice, conventional wheat -residue), CTR (puddled-transplanted rice, conventional wheat + residue), NT0 (direct seeded rice, zero-till wheat -residue), and NTR (direct seeded rice, zero-till wheat + residue). The overall results showed that the NTR/NT0 had 34% less energy consumption and 1.2-time higher EP as compared to CTR/CT0. In addition, NTR increased 19.8% EUE than that of CT0. The grain yield ranged from 8.7 to 9.3 and 7.8–8.5 Mg ha−1 under CT and NT system, respectively. In NTR, CF and WF were 56.6% and 17.9% lower than that of CT0, respectively. The net GHG emissions were the highest (7261.4 kg CO2 ha−1 yr−1) under CT0 and lowest (4580.9 kg CO2 ha−1 yr−1) under NTR. Notably, the carbon sequestration under NTR could mitigate half of the system's CO2-eq emissions. The study results suggest that NTR could be a viable option to offset carbon emissions and water footprint by promoting soil organic carbon sequestration, and enhancing energy productivity and energy use efficiency in the South Asian Indo-Gangetic Plains.

Biotechnological Camelina platform for green sustainable oleochemicals production

Climate change is forcing our societies to undertake socioeconomic changes to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide, which continue to rise globally. Governments are applying policies to offset carbon emissions, despite the significant economic impact. Biotechnology offers solutions to dampen this impact, particularly in agriculture and industry, where plant biotechnology enhances production efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Camelina sativa, a climate-flexible oilseed crop with low agronomical exigence, offers promising alternatives to petroleum-derived oils. Oil derived from camelina seeds has the potential to substitute petroleum as the feedstock for the production of oleochemicals, which are compounds derived from vegetable or animal oils and/or petrochemical feedstock. The deep knowledge of the camelina genome, together with the optimized process to obtain genetically engineered camelina lines with on-demand modified oils, makes this oilseed crop a workhorse to counteract the environmental impact derived from human activity.

Decarbonizing the sludge treatment industry: Assessing the feasibility of achieving carbon reduction from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality

The significant carbon emissions generated by China's sludge treatment industry cannot be ignored. However, with only a few recent well-executed studies on carbon emission reduction in the sludge treatment field, the literature awaits a more comprehensive assessment and prediction whether the sludge treatment industry can achieve the dual-carbon target. This article aims to fill this gap, holistically examining the carbon emission reduction potential in the industry. Using the moving average method and IPCC method, the projected carbon emission value of sludge treatment in China from 2021 to 2030 indicates a total net carbon emission of 0.3 million tons by 2030. This suggests that the sludge treatment industry is on track to meet the carbon peak target, leaving surplus carbon quotas or credits available to assist other industries for carbon emissions reductions. The study also finds that only incineration and composting demonstrate the potential to be able to partially offset carbon emissions through resource utilization in certain stages or processes. Therefore, the current sludge treatment methods do not yield comprehensive emission reduction effects and cannot provide sufficient contribution to China's dual carbon goals. To address this issue, the paper explores a new scheme that focuses on improving the sludge treatment process. The scheme comparative analysis reveals that, even with all sludge treatment methods optimized, the total net carbon emissions of the industry could only be reduced to 0.058 million tons. This reduction falls short of significantly mitigating carbon emissions to achieve the carbon neutrality goal. Therefore, industries unable to achieve substantial net carbon reduction may need to explore alternative measures, such as carbon sinks, to ultimately attain carbon neutrality.

The Potential of Renewable Energy Green Financing through Carbon Taxation to Achieve Net-Zero Emissions Target

Climate change is mostly caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. By establishing green financing initiatives and levying taxes on carbon pollution, green financing and carbon taxes are seen as viable policy tools for reducing harmful environmental externalities. This study examines the role of carbon taxes as an emerging source of renewable energy green financing to achieve net-zero emissions targets. Raising research questions such as: Can carbon taxation be employed as a means of offsetting carbon emissions? What is the people’s perception of a carbon tax? Can carbon taxation be a potential source of green financing for renewable projects? The study established that the implementation of a carbon tax has a significant effect in offsetting carbon emissions to a large extent. However, there are divergent views of people toward the implementation of a carbon tax as indicated by studies from different countries. The findings established that the revenue generated from carbon tax could be channeled towards the funding of renewable energy projects as obtainable in Japan and other countries.

Carbon Emission Projection and Carbon Quota Allocation in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region of China under Carbon Neutrality Vision

Supported by the coordinated development strategy, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region has achieved rapid development but also faces severe energy consumption and environmental pollution problems. As the main responsibility of emission reduction, the coordinated and orderly implementation of carbon emission reduction in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei is of great significance to the realization of the carbon neutrality target. Based on this, this study comprehensively uses the expanded STIRPAT model, optimized extreme learning machine (ELM) network, entropy method, and zero-sum gains DEA (ZSG-DEA) model to explore the carbon emission drivers, long-term emission reduction pathway, and carbon quota allocation in the BTH region. The results of the driving factor analysis indicate that the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption is a significant driving factor for Beijing’s carbon emissions, and the improvement of the electrification level can inhibit the carbon emissions. The total energy consumption has the greatest impact on the carbon emissions of Tianjin and Hebei. The simulation results reveal that under the constraint of the carbon neutrality target, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei should formulate more stringent emission reduction measures to ensure that the overall carbon emission will reach its peak in 2030. The cumulative emission reduction rate should exceed 60% in 2060, and negative carbon technology should be used to offset carbon emissions of not less than 360 million tons (Mt) per year by 2060. Furthermore, the allocation results show that Beijing will receive a greater carbon quota than Hebei. The final allocation scheme will greatly promote and encourage carbon emission reduction in Hebei Province, which is conducive to achieving the goal of carbon neutrality.

Integrated effects of land use and land cover change on carbon metabolism: Based on ecological network analysis

Faced with increasingly severe climate change, assessing integrated effects of Land use and land cover (LULC) changes on carbon metabolism contributes to the understanding of the mechanism of LULC‑carbon interactions and is crucial to enhance the benefits of anthropogenic emission reductions, increasing regional carbon sinks and formulating future mitigation policies. In this paper, we have developed a hybrid analytical framework that couples natural and socioeconomic systems, and used socioeconomic data, high-resolution remote sensing data, and empirical coefficients to analyze spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon metabolism and applied ecological network analysis (ENA) to evaluate integrated effects of LULC changes upon carbon metabolism. We used Gansu Province, an economically underdeveloped region, as an example for case analysis and policy recommendations. The results showed that: (1) the total carbon emissions in Gansu increased 3.18 times between 1995 and 2020, with transportation and industrial land being the major contributors. The carbon balance status was increasingly severe, and the amount of carbon sequestration to offset carbon emissions decreased from 22.45% in 1995 to 7.11% in 2020. (2) ENA revealed that competition relations between land use types fluctuated up and dominated in 2020, with the mean value of mutualism index was 0.72, which suggested that that integrated effects of LULC changes on whole regional carbon metabolism was negative. Compared to developed regions, the ecological relationships between different land use types in Gansu were more competitive. (3) To address these issues, we have proposed comprehensive policies in terms of adjusting industrial structure, reducing fossil energy use, saving land for construction, and developing carbon sink industries. The study explored the intricate interactions between LULC changes, carbon transition, and regional carbon metabolism in underdeveloped region, and its framework and findings provide insights and recommendations for spatial planning and carbon management in Gansu Province and other regions that may have comparable challenges.