How economic growth pressure impact carbon emissions: Evidence for China

Abstract

The article explores the impact of economic growth pressure on carbon emissions based on panel data from China’s 277 cities. Moreover, the article analyzes the underlying influence mechanisms as well as regional heterogeneity. The results demonstrate that economic growth pressure significantly increases carbon emissions. Technological innovation and foreign trade constitute the channels through which economic growth pressure affects carbon emissions, but the mediating mechanism of industrial structure upgrading does not exist. Concretely, economic growth pressure increases carbon emissions by reducing technological innovation and foreign trade. In Western China, economic growth pressure has the highest impact on carbon emissions. In central and western China, economic growth pressure has a significant positive effect on carbon emissions. On the contrary, the effect of economic growth pressure on carbon emissions is significantly negative in Eastern China. In Northeast China, the positive effect of economic growth pressure on carbon emissions is statistically insignificant.

Keywords:

• economic growth pressure
• CO₂ emissions
• CO₂ emissions per capita
• political promotion tournament
• mediating effects
• regional heterogeneity

JEL CODES:

• A10
• D01
• Q54

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Improvement Project of Young and Middle-aged Teachers' Research Ability in Guangxi's Colleges under Grant 2020KY22018; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 71764027.