Exploration of Threshold Analysis in the Relation between Urbanization and Carbon Emissions: The Case of China

Abstract

In the process of urbanization, energy consumption has significant effect on carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of urbanization on carbon emissions for different income levels across 29 provinces of China during 1995-2015. The improved STIRPAT model provides the theoretical foundation for this research. Then, the threshold analysis was used to assess the effect of urbanization on carbon emissions. On the basis of the average annual income, two threshold points that divide the whole sample into three groups were identified, namely, 1) an average annual income of 7400 RMB and 2) an average annual income of 16,250 RMB. The result shows that effect of urbanization on CO 2 emissions varies in terms of income stages and specific regions. Finally, the policy implication was discussed.

Spatial Threshold Effect of Industrial Land Use Efficiency on Industrial Carbon Emissions: A Case Study in China

“…Zhang and Ma [41] used the extended dynamic threshold model to systematically analyze the relationship between industrial structures and the carbon emission intensity of 21 industrial sectors with different levels of economic development in eight developed countries from 1971 to 2014. Sun and Wang [42] used a threshold analysis to assess the impact of urbanization on carbon emissions.…”