Spatiotemporal evolution and driving factors of carbon emission efficiency of resource-based cities in the Yellow River Basin of China

As an important part of regional coordinated development, the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin has become a national strategy. It is imminent for resource-based cities to perform a high-quality transformation. The analysis of carbon emission efficiency in the Yellow River Basin includes the examination of spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and the main driving factors. This is done by utilizing the super-efficiency SBM-DEA and panel Tobit regression models, with the assistance of night light data. Our findings are as follows: (1) Carbon emissions continue to grow. The Jiziwan basin is an area where plenty of high-emitting cities agglomerate. The carbon emission of resource-based cities presents a W-shaped pattern in time. (2) In time, the carbon emission efficiency follows a U-shaped curve. Spatially, the carbon emission efficiency in the middle reaches is comparatively low, whereas it is relatively high in both the upper and lower reaches. And that in high carbon-emitting resource-based cities are in the low to medium range. (3) Carbon emission efficiency has a significant negative relationship with energy intensity, urbanization rate, and population density and a significant positive relationship with industrial proportion. Energy intensity is the most direct driving force. That is to say, we can increase carbon emission efficiency effectively by reducing energy intensity.

Automated summary

The high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin has become a national strategy, requiring resource-based cities to undergo a high-quality transformation. Using the super-efficiency SBM-DEA and panel Tobit regression models, along with night light data, the analysis examines the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and main driving factors of carbon emission efficiency in the Yellow River Basin. The findings show that carbon emissions continue to grow, with high-emitting cities concentrated in the Jiziwan basin. Additionally, carbon emission efficiency follows a U-shaped curve over time and is relatively high in the upper and lower reaches of the basin.