Decoupling and decomposition analysis of residential building carbon emissions from residential income: Evidence from the provincial level in China

• Published in: Environmental impact assessment review Vol. 86; p. 106487
• Main Authors: Huo, Tengfei, Ma, Yuling, Yu, Tao, Cai, Weiguang, Liu, Bingsheng, Ren, Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.01.2021
• Subjects: Carbon emissions; Driving factors; LMDI model; Residential building sector; Sustainable development; Tapio decoupling; Residential building sector; Driving factors; Tapio decoupling; Sustainable development; Carbon emissions; LMDI model
• ISSN: 0195-9255; 1873-6432
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2020.106487

Decoupling residential building carbon emissions from residential income has great significance for carbon mitigation and even global climate change. However, the nature of the decoupling relationship between them is still unclear. This study adopts the Tapio decoupling model to explore the decoupling relationship among residential building carbon emissions (TC), per capita carbon emissions (PC), residential carbon intensity (FC) and per capita income (PCI) across 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2015. Then, the Logarithmic Mean Divisa Index (LMDI) model is used to decompose the decoupling of residential building carbon intensity and PCI at the provincial level to determine the main factors determining this relationship. Results show that the main decoupling trend between FC and PCI in 30 provinces transformed from weak decoupling state to strong decoupling state during the whole period, while there is still extensive room for TC and PC to decouple with PCI. PCI has the major inhibiting effect on the decoupling between FC and PCI, while residential energy intensity (EI) has the primarily promoting effect on the decoupling. These findings provide valuable references for international policymakers in formulating precisely targeted energy-saving and carbon-reducing policies to coordinate the relationship between income and carbon emissions, and the results also can be applied to other economies and, to a greater extent, other pollutants. Decomposition of the decoupling between residential building carbon intensity and income level in 30 Chinese provinces during different periods [(a) 2000–2005, (b) 2006–2010, (c) 2011–2015, and (d) 2000–2015]. [Display omitted] •Explores the decoupling state between residential building CO2 and residential income at the provincial level.•China has made great progress in decoupling residential building CO2 and residential income.•Residential energy intensity plays the primary promoting effect on the decoupling status.•Per capita income plays the inhibiting effect on the decoupling state.•The understanding of influencing factors provides references for carbon abatement.