Spatial-Temporal Evolution Characteristics of Industrial Carbon Emissions in China’s Most Developed Provinces from 1998–2013: The Case of Guangdong

Abstract

Industry is widely valued as an important contributor to carbon emissions. Therefore, it is of great significance to analyze the industrial carbon emissions (ICE) in Guangdong, the strongest industrial province in China. We have adopted the carbon emission accounting model and standard deviational ellipse analysis model to analyze the temporal and spatial characteristics and evolution trends of the industry carbon emission amount and intensity in Guangdong from 1998 to 2013. The study results include: (1) Due to the rapid development of industry, Guangdong’s ICE showed a steady growth trend; (2) The distribution characteristics of ICE were characterized by the trend of taking the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region as the center and gradually spreading to the surrounding areas. From the perspective of industrial sectors, it can be divided into steady growth type, fluctuant growth type, basically stable type, and decrease type; (3) The spatial pattern of the ICE in Guangdong is basically the same as that of the total industrial output value, that is, the southwest-northeast pattern. This work is helpful for China’s carbon peak, especially for the formulation of industrial carbon peak policy and the sustainable development of the environment.