Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Regional differences and driving factors of carbon emission intensity in China’s electricity generation sector

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As an industry with immense decarbonization potential, the low-carbon transformation of the power sector is crucial to China’s carbon emission (CE) reduction commitment. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2019, this research calculates and analyzes the provincial CE intensity in electricity generation (CEIE) and its spatial distribution characteristics. Additionally, the GTWR model based on the construction explains the regional heterogeneity and dynamic development trend of each driving factor’s influence on CEIE from time and space. The main results are as follows: CEIE showed a gradual downward trend in time and a spatial distribution pattern of high in the northeast and low in the southwest. The contribution of driving factors to CEIE has regional differences, and the power structure contributes most to the CEIE of the power sector, which promotes regional CE. Concurrently, most provinces with similar economic development, technological level, geographic location, or resource endowment characteristics show similar spatial and temporal trends. These detections will furnish broader insights into implementing CE reduction policies for the regional power sector.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Not applicable.

References

  • Adams S, Boateng E, Acheampong AO (2020) Transport energy consumption and environmental quality: does urbanization matter? Sci Total Environ 744:140617

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • An Y, Zhou D, Wang Q (2021) Carbon emission reduction potential and its influencing factors in China’s coal-fired power industry: a cost optimization and decomposition analysis. Environ Dev Sustain 24:3619–3639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ang BW, Su B (2016) Carbon emission intensity in electricity production: a global analysis. Energy Policy 94:56–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arjmand R, McPherson M (2022) Canada’s electricity system transition under alternative policy scenarios. Energy Policy 163:112844

  • Ball-Burack A, Salas P, Mercure J-F (2022) Great power, great responsibility: assessing power sector policy for the UK’s net zero target. Energy Policy 168:113167

  • Behera SR, Dash DP (2017) The effect of urbanization, energy consumption, and foreign direct investment on the carbon dioxide emission in the SSEA (South and Southeast Asian) region. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 70:96–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cai L, Luo J, Wang M, Guo J, Duan J, Li J, Li S, Liu L, Ren D (2023) Pathways for municipalities to achieve carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality: a study based on the LEAP model. Energy 262:125435

  • Chaichaloempreecha A, Chunark P, Hanaoka T, Limmeechokchai B (2022) Thailand’s mid-century greenhouse gas emission pathways to achieve the 2 degrees Celsius target. Energy Sustain Soc 12:1–20

  • Chen J, Lian X, Su H, Zhang Z, Ma X, Chang B (2021) Analysis of China’s carbon emission driving factors based on the perspective of eight major economic regions. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 28:8181–8204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dong F, Li J, Zhang S, Wang Y, Sun Z (2019) Sensitivity analysis and spatial-temporal heterogeneity of CO2 emission intensity: evidence from China. Resour Conserv Recycl 150:104398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong F, Hu M, Gao Y, Liu Y, Zhu J, Pan Y (2022) How does digital economy affect carbon emissions? Evidence from global 60 countries. Sci Total Environ 852:158401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dong F, Wang Y, Zhang X (2018) Can environmental quality improvement and emission reduction targets be realized simultaneously? Evidence from China and a geographically and temporally weighted regression model. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15:2343

  • Goh T, Ang BW, Xu XY (2018) Quantifying drivers of CO2 emissions from electricity generation – current practices and future extensions. Appl Energy 231:1191–1204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Halkos GE, Tsirivis AS (2023) Electricity production and sustainable development: the role of renewable energy sources and specific socioeconomic factors. Energies 16:721

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han J, Du T, Zhang C, Qian X (2018) Correlation analysis of CO2 emissions, material stocks and economic growth nexus: evidence from Chinese provinces. J Clean Prod 180:395–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He Z, Xu S, Shen W, Long R, Chen H (2017) Impact of urbanization on energy related CO2 emission at different development levels: regional difference in China based on panel estimation. J Clean Prod 140:1719–1730

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He YY, Wei ZX, Liu GQ, Zhou P (2020) Spatial network analysis of carbon emissions from the electricity sector in China. J Clean Prod 262:121193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang B, Wu B, Barry M (2010) Geographically and temporally weighted regression for modeling spatio-temporal variation in house prices. Int J Geogr Inf Sci 24:383–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong WC, Lee DH, Roh JH, Park JB (2022) Scenario analysis of the GHG emissions in the electricity sector through 2030 in South Korea considering updated NDC. Energies 15:3310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim P, Bae H (2022) Do firms respond differently to the carbon pricing by industrial sector? How and why? A comparison between manufacturing and electricity generation sectors using firm-level panel data in Korea. Energy Policy 162:112773

  • Leroutier M (2022) Carbon pricing and power sector decarbonization: evidence from the UK. J Environ Econ Manag 111:102580

  • Li X, Liao H, Du YF, Wang C, Wang JW, Liu Y (2018) Carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector in major countries: a decomposition analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25:6814–6825

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Zhang Y, Tian Y, Cheng W, Yang J, Xu D, Wang Y, Xie K, Ku AY (2020) Reduction of carbon emissions from China’s coal-fired power industry: insights from the province-level data. J Clean Prod 242:118518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Li Y, Huang G, Zheng R (2022) Inter-provincial electricity trading and its effects on carbon emissions from the power industry. Energies 15:3601

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Zhu C, Wang X, Ren S, Xu P, Xiang H (2023) Green finance: how can it help Chinese power enterprises transition towards carbon neutrality. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int

  • Lian WW, Wang BY, Gao TM, Sun XY, Zhang Y, Duan HM (2022b) Coordinated development of renewable energy: empirical evidence from China. Sustainability 14:11122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lian WW, Sun XY, Xing WL, Gao TM, Duan HM, (2022a) Coordinated development and driving factor heterogeneity of different types of urban agglomeration carbon emissions in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int

  • Liao C, Wang S, Zhang Y, Song D, Zhang C (2019) Driving forces and clustering analysis of provincial-level CO2 emissions from the power sector in China from 2005 to 2015. J Clean Prod 240:118026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin B, Li Z (2020) Is more use of electricity leading to less carbon emission growth? An analysis with a panel threshold model. Energy Policy 137:111121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin J, Kahrl F, Yuan J, Chen Q, Liu X (2019) Economic and carbon emission impacts of electricity market transition in China: a case study of Guangdong Province. Appl Energy 238:1093–1107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu N, Ma Z, Kang J (2017) A regional analysis of carbon intensities of electricity generation in China. Energy Econ 67:268–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Wang K, Zou J, Kong Y (2019) The implications of coal consumption in the power sector for China’s CO2 peaking target. Appl Energy 253:113518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Li S, Ji Q (2021) Regional differences and driving factors analysis of carbon emission intensity from transport sector in China. Energy 224:120178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo F, Guo Y, Yao M, Cai W, Wang M, Wei W (2020) Carbon emissions and driving forces of China’s power sector: input-output model based on the disaggregated power sector. J Clean Prod 268:121925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo S, Hu W, Liu W, Zhang Z, Bai C, Huang Q, Chen Z (2022) Study on the decarbonization in China’s power sector under the background of carbon neutrality by 2060. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 166:112618

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Q, Garcia-Menendez F, Yang H, Deshmukh R, He G, Lin J, Johnson JX (2023) The health and climate benefits of economic dispatch in China’s power system. Environ Sci Technol 57:2898–2906

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma JJ (2022) Who shapes the embodied carbon dioxide emissions of interconnected power grids in China? A seasonal perspective. J Environ Manag 324:116422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma J, Du G, Xie B (2019) CO2 emission changes of China’s power generation system: input-output subsystem analysis. Energy Policy 124:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mousavi B, Lopez NSA, Biona JBM, Chiu ASF, Blesl M (2017) Driving forces of Iran’s CO2 emissions from energy consumption: an LMDI decomposition approach. Appl Energy 206:804–814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng X, Tao X (2018) Decomposition of carbon intensity in electricity production: technological innovation and structural adjustment in China’s power sector. J Clean Prod 172:805–818

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pu Y, Song J, Dong L, Yang W, Wang S, Xe W (2019) Estimating mitigation potential and cost for air pollutants of China’s thermal power generation: a GAINS-China model-based spatial analysis. J Clean Prod 211:749–764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues JFD, Wang J, Behrens P, de Boer P (2020) Drivers of CO2 emissions from electricity generation in the European Union 2000–2015. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 133:110104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rong P, Zhang Y, Qin Y, Liu G, Liu R (2020) Spatial differentiation of carbon emissions from residential energy consumption: a case study in Kaifeng, China. J Environ Manag 271:110895

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santillán Vera M, García Manrique L, Rodríguez Peña I, De La Vega Navarro A (2023) Drivers of electricity GHG emissions and the role of natural gas in Mexican energy transition. Energy Policy 173

  • Shan Y, Guan D, Zheng H, Ou J, Li Y, Meng J, Mi Z, Liu Z, Zhang Q (2018) China CO2 emission accounts 1997–2015. Sci Data 5:170201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song W, Wang C, Chen W, Zhang X, Li H, Li J (2020) Unlocking the spatial heterogeneous relationship between per capita GDP and nearby air quality using bivariate local indicator of spatial association. Resour Conserv Recycl 160

  • Sun J, Dong F (2022) Decomposition of carbon emission reduction efficiency and potential for clean energy power: evidence from 58 countries. J Clean Prod 363:132312

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun XY, Lian WW, Duan HM, Wang AJ (2021) Factors affecting wind power efficiency: Evidence from provincial-level data in China. Sustainability 13:12759

  • Tan X, Lin S, Liu YL, Xie BC (2022) Has the inter-regional transmission expansion promoted the low-carbon transition of China’s power sector?. Comput Ind Eng 168:108059

  • Tang B, Li R, Yu B, An R, Wei YM (2018) How to peak carbon emissions in China’s power sector: a regional perspective. Energy Policy 120:365–381

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tong D, Zhang Q, Davis SJ, Liu F, Zheng B, Geng G, Xue T, Li M, Hong C, Lu Z, Streets DG, Guan D, He K (2018) Targeted emission reductions from global super-polluting power plant units. Nat Sustain 1:59–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang M, Feng C (2017) Decomposition of energy-related CO2 emissions in China: an empirical analysis based on provincial panel data of three sectors. Appl Energy 190:772–787

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Li M (2019a) The spatiotemporal characteristic of carbon emissions from China’s power sector and its determinants: a spatial econometric analysis. Pol J Environ Stud 28:3919–3927

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Li J (2019b) Spatial spillover effect of non-fossil fuel power generation on carbon dioxide emissions across China’s provinces. Renew Energy 136:317–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Zhao T (2015) Impacts of energy-related CO2 emissions: evidence from under developed, developing and highly developed regions in China. Ecol Indic 50:186–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Fang C, Wang Y (2016) Spatiotemporal variations of energy-related CO2 emissions in China and its influencing factors: an empirical analysis based on provincial panel data. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 55:505–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, He S, Qiu Y, Liu N, Li Y, Dong Z (2018a) Investigating driving forces of aggregate carbon intensity of electricity generation in China. Energy Policy 113:249–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Chen W, Kang Y, Li W, Guo F (2018b) Spatial correlation of factors affecting CO2 emission at provincial level in China: a geographically weighted regression approach. J Clean Prod 184:929–937

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Zhu X, Song D, Wen Z, Chen B, Feng K (2019a) Drivers of CO2 emissions from power generation in China based on modified structural decomposition analysis. J Clean Prod 220:1143–1155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Song J, Yang W, Dong L, Duan H (2019b) Unveiling the driving mechanism of air pollutant emissions from thermal power generation in China: a provincial-level spatiotemporal analysis. Resour Conserv Recycl 151:104447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Su X, Qi L, Shang P, Xu Y (2019c) Feasibility of peaking carbon emissions of the power sector in China’s eight regions: decomposition, decoupling, and prediction analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 26:29212–29233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Yan W, Komonpipat S (2019d) How does the capacity utilization of thermal power generation affect pollutant emissions? Evidence from the panel data of China’s provinces. Energy Policy 132:440–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Yan Q, Li Z, Baležentis T, Zhang Y, Gang L, Streimikiene D (2020b) Aggregate carbon intensity of China’s thermal electricity generation: the inequality analysis and nested spatial decomposition. J Clean Prod 247:119139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Song C, Yuan R (2021) CO2 emissions from electricity generation in China during 1997–2040: the roles of energy transition and thermal power generation efficiency. Sci Total Environ 773:145026

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Zhang L, Qin Y, Zhang J (2020a) Analysis of China’s manufacturing industry carbon lock-in and its influencing factors. Sustainability 12:1502

  • Wei W, Wang X, Zhu H, Li J, Zhou S, Zou Z, Li JS (2017) Carbon emissions of urban power grid in Jing-Jin-Ji region: characteristics and influential factors. J Cleaner Prod 168:428–440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei W, Zhang P, Yao M, Xue M, Miao J, Liu B, Wang F (2020) Multi-scope electricity-related carbon emissions accounting: a case study of Shanghai. J Clean Prod 252:119789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Hu F, Han J, Zhang Y (2020) Examining the spatiotemporal variations and inequality of China’s provincial CO2 emissions. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 27:16362–16376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu R, Wang J, Wang S, Feng K (2021) The drivers of declining CO2 emissions trends in developed nations using an extended STIRPAT model: a historical and prospective analysis. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 149

  • Xian Y, Wang K, Shi X, Zhang C, Wei Y-M, Huang Z (2018) Carbon emissions intensity reduction target for China’s power industry: an efficiency and productivity perspective. J Clean Prod 197:1022–1034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu C (2020) Determinants of carbon inequality in China from static and dynamic perspectives. J Clean Prod 277:123286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J, Feng Q, Lv C, Huang Q (2019) Low-carbon electricity generation-based dynamic equilibrium strategy for carbon dioxide emissions reduction in the coal-fired power enterprise. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 26:36732–36753

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y, Yang K, Yuan J (2020) China’s power transition under the global 1.5 °C target: preliminary feasibility study and prospect. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:15113–15129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang J, Cai W, Ma M, Li L, Liu C, Ma X, Li L, Chen X (2020) Driving forces of China’s CO2 emissions from energy consumption based on Kaya-LMDI methods. Sci Total Environ 711:134569

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yin G, Wang B, Duan M, Kuang Y (2022) Integrating more renewable electricity into the power system may increase carbon emissions. Sustain Energy Technol Assess 49:101796

  • Zhang X, Zhang H, Zhao C, Yuan J (2019) Carbon emission intensity of electricity generation in Belt and Road Initiative countries: a benchmarking analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 26:15057–15068

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Chen B, Deng H, Du H, Yang R, Ju L, Liu S (2022) Analysis on the evolution law and influencing factors of Beijing’s power generation carbon emissions. Energy Rep 8:1689–1697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Zhang X, Yuan J (2020) Transition of China’s power sector consistent with Paris Agreement into 2050: pathways and challenges. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 132:110102

  • Zhao Y, Cao Y, Shi X, Li H, Shi Q, Zhang Z (2020) How China’s electricity generation sector can achieve its carbon intensity reduction targets? Sci Total Environ 706:135689

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu B, Jiang M, Wang K, Chevallier J, Wang P, Wei Y-M (2018) On the road to China’s 2020 carbon intensity target from the perspective of “double control.” Energy Policy 119:377–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 71991484 and 41971265).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics and Law, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang, 050043, China

    Xiaoyan Sun

  2. School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Wenwei Lian

  3. Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, 100037, China

    Wenwei Lian & Tianming Gao

  4. School of Business, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China

    Bingyan Wang

  5. Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Beijing, 100710, China

    Hongmei Duan

Authors
  1. Xiaoyan Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wenwei Lian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bingyan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tianming Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hongmei Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Xiaoyan Sun: methodology, writing—original draft preparation, formal analysis. Wenwei Lian: investigation, writing—reviewing and editing. Bingyan Wang: data curation. Tianming Gao: funding acquisition. Hongmei Duan: supervision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wenwei Lian.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: V.V.S.S. Sarma

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19

Fig. 15
figure 15

Differences in the spatial distribution of driving factor effects (UR, PGDP)

Full size image
Fig. 16
figure 16

Differences in the spatial distribution of driving factor effects (IS, PEC)

Full size image
Fig. 17
figure 17

Differences in the spatial distribution of driving factor effects (R&D, UOL)

Full size image
Fig. 18
figure 18

Differences in the spatial distribution of driving factor effects (OPEN, EPI)

Full size image
Fig. 19
figure 19

Differences in the spatial distribution of driving factor effects (ES, PS)

Full size image

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sun, X., Lian, W., Wang, B. et al. Regional differences and driving factors of carbon emission intensity in China’s electricity generation sector. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 68998–69023 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27232-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27232-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation