This paper analyzes the decoupling states between CO2 emissions and transport development in China from 1994 to 2012. The results indicate that, at the aggregate level, the Chinese transport sector is far from reaching the decoupling state. Negative decoupling or non-decoupling years account for 72.2% of the study period. At the disaggregated level, the decoupling states between CO2 emissions and eight primary fuels are as follows: raw coal and coke are in the absolute decoupling state; crude oil, gasoline and diesel are in the weak negative state; and the other three types (kerosene, heavy fuel oil, and natural gas) are in the strong negative decoupling state. Policy implications underneath the identified decoupling states are also revealed to help China build a more sustainable transportation system.
TapioP.Towards a theory of decoupling: degrees of decoupling in the EU and the case of road traffic in Finland between 1970 and 2001. Trans Policy2005;
12: 137–151.
7.
DongBZhangMMuHet al.
Study on decoupling analysis between energy consumption and economic growth in Liaoning Province. Energy Policy2016;
97: 414–420.
8.
JaunkyVC.The CO2 emissions-income nexus: evidence from rich countries. Energy Policy2011;
39: 1228–1240.
9.
NarayanPKNarayanS.Carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth: panel data evidence from developing countries. Energy Policy2010;
38: 661–666.
10.
TapioPBanisterDLuukkanenJet al.
Energy and transport in comparison: immaterialisation, dematerialisation and decarbonisation in the EU15 between 1970 and 2000. Energy Policy2007;
35: 433–451.
11.
LooBPYBanisterD.Decoupling transport from economic growth: extending the debate to include environmental and social externalities. J Trans Geogr2016;
57: 134–144.
12.
AlisesAVassalloJMGuzmanAF.Road freight transport decoupling: a comparative analysis between the United Kingdom and Spain. Trans Policy2014;
32: 186–193.
13.
VelazquezLMunguiaNEWillMet al.
Sustainable transportation strategies for decoupling road vehicle transport and carbon dioxide emissions. Manag Env Qual2015;
26: 373–388.
14.
BotzorisGNGalanisATProfillidisVA, et al.Coupling and decoupling relationships between energy consumption and air pollution from the transport sector and the economic activity. Int J Energy Econ Policy2015;
5.
15.
ZhangZ.Decoupling China’s carbon emissions increase from economic growth: an economic analysis and policy implications. World Develop2000;
28: 739–752.
16.
LiWSunSLiH.Decomposing the decoupling relationship between energy-related CO2 emissions and economic growth in China. Nat Hazards2015;
79: 977–997.
17.
SongYZhangM.Using a new decoupling indicator (ZM decoupling indicator) to study the relationship between the economic growth and energy consumption in China. Nat Hazards2017; 88: 1013–1022.
18.
WangWLiMZhangM.Study on the changes of the decoupling indicator between energy-related CO2 emission and GDP in China. Energy2017;
128: 11–18.
19.
SongYZhangMDaiS.Study on China’s energy-related CO2 emission at provincial level. Nat Hazards2015;
77: 89–100.
20.
WangQHangYZhouPet al.
Decoupling and attribution analysis of industrial carbon emissions in Taiwan. Energy2016;
113: 728–738.
21.
TangZShangJShiCet al.
Decoupling indicators of CO2 emissions from the tourism industry in China: 1990–2012. Ecol Indicat2014;
46: 390–397.
22.
ShangWPeiGWalshCet al.
Have market-oriented reforms decoupled China’s CO2 emissions from total electricity generation? An empirical analysis. Sustainability2016;
8: 468.
23.
WangQJiangX-TLiR.Comparative decoupling analysis of energy-related carbon emission from electric output of electricity sector in Shandong Province, China. Energy2017;
127: 78–88.
24.
LooBPYLiL.Carbon dioxide emissions from passenger transport in China since 1949: implications for developing sustainable transport. Energy Policy2012;
50: 464–476.
25.
ZhangMLiHZhouet al.
Decomposition analysis of energy consumption in Chinese transportation sector. Appl Energy2011;
88: 2279–2285.
26.
YuanBRenSChenX.The effects of urbanization, consumption ratio and consumption structure on residential indirect CO2 emissions in China: a regional comparative analysis. Appl Energy2015;
140: 94–106.
27.
ZhangX-PTanY-KTanQ-Let al.
Decomposition of aggregate CO2 emissions within a joint production framework. Energy Econ2012;
34: 1088–1097.
28.
WangQChiuY-HChiuC-R.Driving factors behind carbon dioxide emissions in China: a modified production-theoretical decomposition analysis. Energy Econ2015;
51: 252–260.
29.
YuanCZhangSJiaoPet al.
Temporal and spatial variation and influencing factors research on total factor efficiency for transportation carbon emissions in China. Res Sci2017;
39: 687–697. DOI: 10.18402/resci.2017.04.10.
30.
WangWKuangYHuangNet al.
Empirical research on decoupling relationship between energy-related carbon emission and economic growth in Guangdong Province based on extended Kaya identity. Scient World J2014;
2014.
31.
WangYXieTYangS.Carbon emission and its decoupling research of transportation in Jiangsu Province. J Cleaner Prod2017;
142: 907–914.
32.
LuQYangHHuangXet al.
Multi-sectoral decomposition in decoupling industrial growth from carbon emissions in the developed Jiangsu Province, China. Energy2015;
82: 414–425.
33.
DongJ-FHuangJ-yWuR-Wet al.
Delinking indicators on transport output and carbon emissions in Xinjiang, China. Pol J Environ Stud2017;
26: 1045–1056.
34.
LiL.Structure and influencing factors of CO2 emissions from transport sector in three major metropolitan regions of China: estimation and decomposition. Transportation2017; 1–25.
35.
NingYZhangBDingTet al.
Analysis of regional decoupling relationship between energy-related CO2 emission and economic growth in China. Nat Hazards2017;
87: 867–883.
36.
YuanCRuiXWuDet al.
Carbon emission reduction pressure index for China’s provincial transport sector based on geographical weighted regression model. China J Highway Transp2016;
29: 262–270.
37.
YuanCWuDLiuH. Energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and growth patterns in China’s provincial transport sectors: a grey relational analysis 96th Annual Meeting, 2017.
38.
China Transportation and Communications. Yearbook of China transportation and communications.
Beijing, China:
China Transportation and Communications Yearbook Publishing House, 1995–2013.
39.
ChenWYinXMaD.A bottom-up analysis of China’s iron and steel industrial energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Appl Energy2014;
136: 1174–1183.
40.
HeKHuoHZhangQet al.
Oil consumption and CO2 emissions in China’s road transport: current status, future trends, and policy implications. Energy Policy2005;
33: 1499–1507.
