A spatial panel analysis of carbon emissions, economic growth and high-technology industry in China

This paper constructed a spatial panel STRIPAT-Durbin model using data for 30 Chinese provinces during the period of 2004-2016. It examined the influence of economic development and the industrial structure on carbon emissions by exploring the spatial agglomeration and spillover effects of high-tech industry, economic growth, FDI, population and carbon emissions based on spatial correlation. The empirical results showed that high-tech industry, FDI, population and carbon emissions have spatial dependence and spatial agglomeration effects. High-tech industries, FDI and population have a spatial spillover effect on carbon emissions. Therefore, the government should develop a low-carbon economy by increasing the proportion of high-tech industry through technological progress and developing vigorous resource-saving and environmentally friendly tertiary industry by promoting cleaner production technology. Furthermore, local governments at all levels should use their location to promote the flow of industry transfer and technology and achieve a high inter-regional carbon industry flow and reasonable spatial distribution. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.