Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science, 2026, 8(1); doi: 10.25236/AJEE.2026.080115.
Li Yingyu
College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, 381 Nanchen Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai, 200444, China
China's low-carbon transition is central to sustainable development because the country combines rapid economic growth, large energy demand, and fast renewable-energy deployment. This paper examines whether renewable-energy expansion and efficiency improvement reduced carbon-emission pressure in China during 1990-2022. Using open country-year data from the World Bank's World Development Indicators and Databank, it analyzes total CO2 emissions, GDP per capita, energy use, electricity consumption, renewable final energy, low-carbon electricity shares, and primary energy intensity. The method combines descriptive statistics, indexed trend analysis, correlation analysis, and three exploratory ordinary least squares models with HAC standard errors. Results show strong relative decoupling but no full absolute decoupling. GDP per capita increased much faster than total CO2 emissions, energy intensity declined by about 42.3 percent from 2000 to 2021, and non-hydro renewable electricity rose from nearly zero in 1990 to 12.86 percent in 2021. However, emissions still exceeded 12500 Mt CO2e in 2022. The findings indicate that efficiency and renewable power reduced emissions pressure, but fossil displacement must accelerate to support carbon-peaking and neutrality goals.
Renewable energy; Energy intensity; Carbon emissions; China; Sustainable development; Open data; Time-series analysis
Li Yingyu. Renewable Energy Transition, Energy Efficiency, and Carbon-Emission Pressure in China (1990-2022): An Open-Data Time-Series Study. Academic Journal of Environment & Earth Science (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 1: 109-119. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJEE.2026.080115.
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