Status and trends of carbon emissions research at the county level in China

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges to achieving carbon neutrality at the county level in China and offers targeted recommendations, laying the groundwork for future specialized research in this area. A total of 283 relevant studies (2004–2023) were analyzed to assess county-level carbon emissions through three phases: bibliometric analysis, frontier analysis, and future prospects. Bibliometric findings reveal that publication trends were largely influenced by domestic and foreign policies. Keyword cluster discerns ten primary themes, ranging from conceptual frameworks to research methodologies. The frontier analysis of the literature highlights the leading research areas, which include carbon neutrality pathway, driving factors, spatiotemporal variation of carbon emissions, the co-effects of pollutants and carbon reduction, and carbon emissions in China's rural areas. Drawing from the results of bibliometric and frontier analyses, this study elucidates the recommendations for achieving carbon neutrality at the county level from three perspectives: effective regional policy guidance, emphasis on ecological conservation, and the deployment of advanced carbon reduction and sequestration technologies. This study enriches the body of knowledge on carbon emissions at the county level and holds significant implications for China's comprehensive push towards achieving its carbon neutrality objectives.