Multidimensional analysis of the regional inequalities in indirect carbon emissions from China's residential consumption.

Residential indirect carbon emissions (RICE) are the major contributor to carbon emissions from the household sector. Regional RICE inequality has gradually become the focus of current issues. This paper has accounted for the RICE level of each province in China from 2010 to 2020 and assessed the RICE inequality at different regional scales employing the Theil index. Additionally, this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of RICE inequality across three dimensions: region, consumption category, and driving factors, illustrating the principal sources and determinants of RICE inequality. The results indicate the following: (1) RICE inequality in China is generally on a downward trend. (2) The gap between eastern China and the other regions is the dominant source of RICE inequality. (3) Residence consumption affects RICE inequality far more than other consumption categories. (4) Disposable income and the urban-rural structure of the population are the predominant factors affecting RICE inequality for most regions. The consumption propensity effect has a relatively pronounced impact on RICE inequality in the central and western regions. Based on the analysis, local governments ought to focus on economic construction, promote urbanization, and regulate the housing market to alleviate the RICE inequality.
(© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)