Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science, 2026, 8(1); doi: 10.25236/AJEE.2026.080101.
Aifeng Zhao1, Xinrui Wang1, Yiming Wang1
1Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
This paper explores the contributions of various kinds of fossil energy to provincial disparities in per capita carbon emissions within China between 2007 and 2018, considering both sources of and incremental changes in carbon emissions via Gini coefficient decomposition. We apply a Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model and discuss the effects of economic growth, energy intensity, industry production, urbanization rate, and energy savings/emissions reduction expenditures on changes in provincial disparities of carbon emissions. The findings indicate that China’s economic development, technological progress in energy savings and emissions reductions, urbanization rate and the Chinese government’s related financial investments, have so far significantly changed carbon emissions. As one measure of technological progress, the increase of industry proportion will significantly increase carbon emissions only in economically underdeveloped areas.
Carbon emissions; Gini coefficient decomposition; STIRPAT Model; China
Aifeng Zhao, Xinrui Wang, Yiming Wang. Gini Coefficient Decomposition and Influencing Factors for Provincial Disparities of Carbon Emissions in China. Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 1: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJEE.2026.080101.
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