Study on the extension of the dynamic benchmark system of per capita carbon emissions in China’s county

County is the center of China’s socio-economic development and the key node for urban–rural integration. Also, the county is an important carrier for promoting urban and rural green development. Improving green and low-carbon development capabilities and formulating county-level low-carbon standards will play a significant role in promoting China’s new people-oriented urbanization and rural revitalization. Although there have been extensive studies on low-carbon benchmarks, over half of the benchmarks tend to ignore the development stage of the evaluated region and its needs. When the region’s economy reaches a certain level, constraints from low-carbon targets may limit the local development process. This study firstly allocated county carbon intensity reduction targets (CIRT) by considering the differences in county carbon reduction capacity and responsibility. Secondly, a dynamic benchmark system of per capita carbon emissions (PCCE) in counties in China is constructed. Finally, we took Changxing County in Zhejiang Province as a research case to verify the dynamic benchmark of PCCE. According to the carbon intensity target reduction rate (CITRR), China’s counties can be divided into three categories: low carbon emissions reduction capability-responsible counties (L-CERCRC), medium carbon emissions reduction capability-responsible counties (M-CERCRC), and high carbon emissions reduction capability-responsible counties (H-CERCRC). The results show that (1) due to the national CO2 emission reduction target in 2030, the carbon intensity will be 60% lower than in 2005, the CITRR for China’s 1510 counties range from 8.36 to 137.83%; the average CITRR is 48.40%. (2) Changxing County’s CITRR is 57.71%, which belongs to the H-CERCRC. The PCCE of Changxing County will be much higher than the benchmark when the carbon peak is reached in the future. (3) For reaching the aiming benchmark, Changxing County is suggested to adjust its relevant influencing factors of PCCE for converting local’s PCCE reaching to the benchmark within a certain time period. The dynamic benchmark system for PCCE in China’s counties established in this study is economically sensitive, which not only takes the differences of counties into account, but also meets the needs of counties’ diverse development form stages. This system provides counties a few coordinated directions which can improve the local’s economic development and reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions through the development progress.