China's carbon emissions driven by GDP growth, but energy efficiency and tech advances curb emissions, study finds.
China's industrial carbon emissions are influenced by factors like GDP growth, energy intensity, and technology. A study analyzed data from 23 industries in China from 2003 to 2015. Results show that GDP growth increases carbon emissions, while energy efficiency and technology advancements reduce them. Changes in energy usage and GDP output affect emissions differently over time. The structure of coal-based energy consumption makes it hard to reduce carbon emissions by changing the energy mix.