Differences in Carbon Intensity of Energy Consumption and Influential Factors between Yangtze River Economic Belt and Yellow River Basin

The Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin are significant economic and ecological zones in China, contributing over 70% of the nation's total carbon emissions, crucial for achieving "peak carbon" and "carbon neutrality" targets. This study examines data spanning 2000 to 2020 from 19 provinces, employing time-series analysis and the Theil index to compare carbon intensity variations in energy consumption between the regions. Findings reveal mean Theil index values of 0.0482 and 0.1699 for the Yangtze and Yellow River Basins, respectively. While the Yangtze River basin displays modest carbon intensity differences with remaining intra-basin disparities, the Yellow River Basin exhibits substantial discrepancies, attributed to both inter-basin and intra-basin factors. Our geodetector underscores the significance of government regulation, population size, and economic development in influencing carbon intensity within the Yangtze River Economic Belt, with impact coefficients exceeding 0.75 while carbon intensity in the Yellow River Basin is influenced by population size, energy consumption, and government regulation, with impact coefficients surpassing 0.8. Additionally, interactions among these factors significantly affect disparities in carbon intensity, suggesting a synergistic effect. We propose leveraging key factors from both basins to orchestrate emissions reduction efforts.