Understanding the interplay between industrial linkages and carbon emissions is critical for regional low-carbon transitions, yet the structural coupling between economic networks and emission networks remains underexplored at the metropolitan scale. This study constructs industrial linkage and carbon emission networks for the Xi’an metropolitan area using city-level multi-regional input-output data and environmental extended input-output analysis. Complex network centrality measures and a coupling index are employed to identify key nodes and assess the matching relationship between industrial importance and carbon importance. Results show that the industrial network exhibits a core-periphery structure dominated by finance, business services, transportation, and chemical manufacturing, while the carbon network is centered on electricity/heat production, coal mining, transport, and energy-intensive manufacturing. The coupling analysis reveals 29 double-high nodes that simultaneously possess high industrial and carbon centrality, notably finance, transport, and electricity supply. These nodes act as critical conduits for both economic activities and emission diffusion, indicating that emission reduction policies should prioritize network-position-based interventions rather than relying solely on sectoral emission totals. The findings further reveal a spatial mismatch between economic benefits and carbon responsibilities across cities, with Xi’an concentrating high-value services while surrounding cities bear heavier energy-related emission pressures. This study provides a network-based framework for identifying synergistic emission mitigation targets and offers policy insights for optimizing industrial spatial layouts and promoting coordinated low-carbon development in metropolitan regions.

Jian Xue, Peixuan Liu. Coupling characteristics between industrial linkage networks and carbon emission networks in Xi'an metropolitan areas. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 7: 16-29. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090703.

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