Drivers of carbon emissions in China’s tourism industry

Abstract

This manuscript examines the driving forces of carbon emissions in China’s tourism industry. Tourism carbon emissions are estimated by constructing China’s Economic-Environmental Accounts (EEA). Analysis is divided into five-time intervals and specifically examines intensity, scale, structure, and technology. Following index and structural decomposition methods, changes in tourism carbon emissions were segmented into sixteen economy-wide and tourism-specific driving forces. Results demonstrate that direct and total tourism carbon emissions compose 0.7% and 2.7% of total carbon emissions in China. Analysis revealed the positive driver of tourism emissions was domestic tourists, representing 140.4% increase in direct and 263.4% increase in total tourism carbon emissions. Modelling identified energy intensity as the main negative driver in total and direct tourism carbon emissions, especially for national economic sectors (−208.6%) and non-transport tourism sectors (−33.8%). Future research should focus on the measurement and implementation of mitigation policies for domestic tourism emissions.

Keywords:

• Carbon emissions
• Driving forces
• Index decomposition analysis (IDA)
• Structural decomposition analysis (SDA)
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by [the Key Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Hunan Province, China] under Grant [number 18A164]; [the Key Degree & Postgraduate Education Reform Project of Hunan Province, China] under Grant [number 2019JGZD042]. China Scholarship Council Foundation; Hunan Province Philosophy and Social Science Fund.

Notes on contributors

Fen Luo

Professor Fen Luo is from the College of Tourism, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China. He obtained a PhD in human geography from Sun Yat-sen University, China. His main research topics are the production of space in parks, environmental interpretation and carbon emissions in tourism.

Brent D. Moyle

Associate Professor Brent D. Moyle is an Advance Queensland Fellow in the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith University, Australia. Brent’s research concentrates primarily on sustainable tourism, tourism and climate change, experience design, emerging technology and tourism, and tourist behavior.

Char-lee J. Moyle

Dr Char-lee J. Moyle (nee McLennan) is a Department of Innovation and Tourism Industry Development Mid-Career Research Fellow in the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship in the School of Management at the Queensland University of Technology. Char-lee’s research is focused on regional economic development and transformation; strategic policy and planning; and the adoption of sustainability.

Yongde Zhong

Professor Yongde Zhong is a Professor in College of Tourism, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China. His research focuses on forest recreation, sustainable tourism, and environmental management in tourism.

Shengyi Shi

Dr Shengyi Shi is a Senior Researcher at Haikou Development and Reform Commission, China. He obtained a PhD degree in ecotourism from, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China. His main research topics are the production carbon emissions, park governance and regional development in tourism.