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Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change

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05-08-2020 | Original article

Heterogeneity in the relationship between carbon emission performance and urbanization: evidence from China

Authors: Zhibo Zhao, Tian Yuan, Xunpeng Shi, Lingdi Zhao

Published in: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change | Issue 7/2020

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Abstract

Global change caused by carbon emissions alone has become a common challenge for all countries. However, current debates about urbanization and carbon emissions generally do not take into account the heterogeneities in urbanization and economic development levels. The goal of this study is to revisit the urbanization–emissions nexus by considering such heterogeneities in the Chinese context. The results reveal that there is significant heterogeneity in the total factor carbon emission performance index across provinces. Specifically, the relationship between carbon emission performance and urbanization reflects a U-shaped curve. Urbanization is found to have a stronger inhibiting effect on carbon emission performance when economic development levels improve. The results suggest that tailoring policies to each region’s conditions, promoting investments in energy-saving and emissions-reducing technologies, and improving the use of public transportation could be mitigation strategies for global change that lead to low-carbon urbanization.

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If we exclude the four municipalities, we lose the highest threshold, but the results for the low thresholds remain unchanged.

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Title: Heterogeneity in the relationship between carbon emission performance and urbanization: evidence from China
Authors: Zhibo Zhao
Tian Yuan
Xunpeng Shi
Lingdi Zhao
Publication date: 05-08-2020
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change / Issue 7/2020
Print ISSN: 1381-2386
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-020-09924-3

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