Abstract
Regional CO2 emissions are closely related to their territorial function, which is the major role a region plays in sustainable processes on the earth’s surface. Given that China is implementing a top-down emission allocation quota strategy, studying the impact of a territorial function on emissions addresses the research gap from a spatial integration dimension. By investigating the effects of three basic functional territories (urbanization zones (UZ), food security zones (FSZ), and ecological security zones (ESZ)), horizontal spatial structure and vertical combinations of functional territories on CO2 emission patterns in China, we found that functional territory patterns were highly coupled with the spatial distribution of CO2 emissions, with a ratio of CO2 emissions from UZ–FSZ–ESZ was stable at around 5:2:1 from 2000 to 2017. Spatially, CO2 emissions in FSZ and ESZ were 1.06–2.12 times higher than the average value within 200 km from the UZ. As territorial function combination increased with spatial upscaling, the emission characteristics attributable to functional territories became indistinct. The findings above can provide a basis for the long-term prediction of CO2 emissions from spatial dimension, support scientific guidance for inter-zone cooperation and classified management of carbon emissions with the major function oriented zones as impetus.
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Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.42230510
Author: Fan Jie (1961–), PhD and Professor, specialized in regional development and planning. E-mail: fanj@igsnrr.ac.cn
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Fan, J., Wang, Z., Zhou, D. et al. How territorial function determines CO2 emissions in China: An approach of spatial dimension. J. Geogr. Sci. 34, 1677–1696 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-024-2266-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-024-2266-3