The influencing factors and spatial spillover effects of CO2 emissions from transportation in China

Wenyue Yang; Wulin Wang; Shishu Ouyang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133900

The influencing factors and spatial spillover effects of CO₂ emissions from transportation in China

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Dec 15:696:133900. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133900. Epub 2019 Aug 15.

Authors

Wenyue Yang¹, Wulin Wang², Shishu Ouyang³

Affiliations

¹ College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address: yangwenyue900780@163.com.
² College of Environment and Resources, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China. Electronic address: wangwulin@fzu.edu.cn.
³ School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.

PMID: 31442729
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133900

Abstract

CO₂ emissions from transportation (TC) are one of the main causes of global climate change. China faces particularly severe pressures and challenges in transportation carbon reduction. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2015, this study explored the influencing factors and spatial spillover effects of TC by estimating spatial panel data models. It found that China's TC will continue to increase in the future, because the increase in per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is the primary driving force to accelerate the growth of TC, but an increasing proportion of tertiary industry (PTI) in the national economy will help reduce the growth in emissions. Moreover, urban road density (URD) and per capita highway mileage (PHM) are the other two major factors promoting the growth of TC. In contrast, urban population density (UPD) has a negative direct impact on per capita CO₂ emissions from transportation (PTC) but also has a larger positive spatial spillover effect, which indicates that these three factors should be properly planned and controlled. Meanwhile, we should actively advocate the development of urban public transport because it plays an important role on reducing TC. The conclusions provide important inspiration and a scientific basis for formulating policies to effectively curb the growth of CO₂ emissions in China.

Keywords: CO(2) emissions from transportation; China; Influencing factors; Spatial panel data model; Spatial spillover effect.