Research on the Impact of Carbon Trading Policy on the Structural Upgrading of Marine Industry

Abstract

To promote greenhouse gas emission reduction, China has proposed a dual carbon target to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Since 2013, China has opened an increasing number of carbon emission trading pilot projects, and at this stage, China’s carbon emission trading policy has been gradually promoted to the whole country; therefore, how can marine economy be affected under the promotion of carbon trading policy? This paper uses the difference in differences method to study the data of marine industry structure of Chinese coastal provinces from 2010 to 2018. The study finds that carbon trading policies promote the upgrading of the marine industry structure, and further verifies that the impact of carbon trading policies on the upgrading of the marine industry structure is spatially heterogeneous. In other words, the carbon trading policy also has a significant promoting effect on the provinces within 160 km of the pilot provinces, but the effect will be weaker than that of the pilot provinces; at 160–320 km from the pilot provinces, the carbon trading policy has no significant promoting effect on the provinces within this range; at 320–960 km from the pilot provinces, the effect of the carbon trading policy on the provinces within this range becomes negative and significant, showing a suppressive effect. The experimental findings of this paper will provide a reference for China to achieve its carbon neutrality goal and realize a strong ocean state.