Urban Density and Carbon Emissions in China

Abstract

As the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, China faces enormous carbon abatement challenges. These challenges are concentrated in cities, which account for the largest share of energy consumption in China. One estimate for 2006 suggested that some 84 per cent of China’s total commercial energy use occurred in urban areas (Dhakal 2009). In economic theory, ideas from new economic geography suggest that urban agglomeration can lead to economies of scale, technological progress and transaction cost reduction—and therefore lower energy consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, the spatial distribution of population and economic activities is a key factor