Empirical analysis of carbon emissions decomposition for China

Accompanied by economic growth there is a sharp increase in energy consumption, and the coal-dominated energy structure cannot change in short term, as a result, carbon emissions continue to increase in China. But the international restrictions on carbon emission available to developing countries are harsher than ever before. Although a lot of efforts have been made on low-carbon economy in academia, we still think there is too much work to be done. Herein we try to decompose carbon emissions. Based on Kaya identity, we use the Logarithmic Mean weight Division method to quantitatively analyze economic development, energy efficiency, and energy structure that influence on per capita carbon emissions. The results show that economic development is the main reason of growth in per capita carbon emissions; energy structure, and energy efficiency curb carbon emissions per capita; energy structure of the inhibitory effect is not obvious. Overall, growth in per capita carbon emissions will not change the status in the short term.