Recent advances in the relationship between economic development and carbon emissions

Purpose With the rapid development of the economy, carbon emissions have also risen sharply. This study explores the relationship between the two by combining the literature of relevant fields and maps the analytical framework from the knowledge base to the research frontier model using CiteSpace. Design/methodology/approach Using CiteSpace and data statistical tools, we conducted a bibliometric and visual analysis of nearly ten thousand research papers on carbon emissions and economic development published in the Web of Science (WOS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases from 1991 to 2021. Findings It shows that research on economic development and carbon emissions is developing steadily and involves a wide range of fields. Notably, keywords such as "carbon emissions," "economic growth," and "energy consumption" had high frequency, centrality, and persistence. "carbon emissions," "economic growth," and "energy consumption" had high frequency, centrality, and persistence. Research institutions in the USA and China have made great contributions to research on economic development and carbon emissions. The authors should continue to enrich and improve research on related subjects and concerns to reasonably plan the path of carbon emission reduction and economic development. Originality/value The study analyzes the evolution of the relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth to provide scholars a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the relationship from an international perspective.