Spatial Variations and Determinants of Per Capita Household CO2 Emissions (PHCEs) in China

In China, household CO2 emissions (HCEs) are increasing due to economic development and accelerated urbanization. This paper details the spatial variations of per capita household CO2 emissions (PHCEs) in China and the factors impacting PHCEs using spatial statistical analysis and a spatial panel data model for the period from 1997 to 2014. Our results indicate that (1) there has been high provincial variation in rates of change across China, with some provinces' PHCEs increasing by an order of magnitude from 1997 to 2014; (2) the Global Moran's I of PHCEs are above 0, and the spatial differences between PHCEs are caused by the High-High cluster and Low-Low cluster in China; (3) a 1% increase of per capita income, education level, and urbanization will result in increases in PHCEs of 0.6990%, 0.0149%, and 0.0044%, respectively, whilst a 1% increase in household size will result in a 0.0496% decrease in PHCEs. There are a large number of factors impacting CO2 emissions, while there is little specific guidance on the spatial variations and provincial characteristics of CO2 emissions from the perspective of household consumption.