Impact of Urbanization on Total Factor Carbon Productivity in Central Asia

Abstract

Research on the impact of urbanization on total factor carbon productivity is of great significance to promote carbon emission reductions and achieve sustainable development. Based on the panel data of Central Asian countries from 1991 to 2019, the SBM–Malmquist index model and entropy method were used to measure total factor carbon productivity and urbanization, respectively. The nonlinear regression, Tobit, and quantile regression models were used to empirically analyze the impact of urbanization on total factor carbon productivity in Central Asia. The results show that urbanization drives total factor carbon productivity in Central Asia. Urbanization has a nonlinear inverted U-shaped impact on total factor carbon productivity in Central Asia, and it is in the first half of the inverted U-shaped correlation. Urbanization has driving and evolutionary effects on total factor carbon productivity in Central Asia. Urbanization not only directly drives total factor carbon productivity, but also indirectly drives total factor carbon productivity through technical efficiency improvement and technological progress.