Drivers of energy-related CO2 emissions under structural adjustment in China

Abstract

Taking the indicators related to structural adjustment from 1996 to 2015 as the factors, the influencing factors of national energy-related CO2 emissions was simulated based on the improved STIRPAT model. The findings include: (1) the five major industries, coal, steel, building materials, petrochemicals and non-ferrous metals, had the most significant positive driving effect on China's energy-related CO2 emissions; (2) the real estate inventory indicators basically conformed to the Kuznets N-shaped curve, and indirectly drove energy-related CO2 emissions through the impact on the urbanization process or related industries; (3) the driving characteristics of carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption were mainly determined by the features of socio-economic development, urbanization and industrialization in different stages. Thus, the key to ensure green coordinated development is to correctly handle the relationship between economic growth, urbanization, industrialization and carbon dioxide emission control of energy consumption in different stages of economic and social development.