The change pattern and driving factors of embodied SO2 emissions in China’s inter-provincial trade
This study analyzes the change pattern and driving factors of SO 2 emissions embodied in inter-provincial trade in China during 2007–2012 based on environmentally extended input-output analysis (EEIOA) and structural decomposition analysis (SDA). The results show that: (1) SO 2 emissions outsourced from highly developed coastal provinces to less developed inland provinces decreased sharply since 2007 while those from under-developed provinces like Henan and Hebei to the energy intensive provinces including Shanxi and Inner Mongolia have seen a significant increase. (2) The increased SO 2 emissions induced by final demand of construction and heavy sectors in less developed provinces in central and western China have transferred to mining and energy production sectors in the northwest and northern China majorly through intermediate products trade. (3) The rising final demands for local finished and imported final products caused by investment demand are the main driver for the increase of SO 2 emissions embodied in domestic imports in underdeveloped provinces in central and western China. Compared to the less developed inland provinces, the production and consumption modes of the developed coastal provinces are in transition to more favorable ways of reducing emissions embodied in domestic imports. Therefore, environment protection should center on reducing SO 2 emissions transfer among less developed provinces caused by investment demands, more specifically, less developed provinces need to rationally plan the development of construction and heavy sectors. Meanwhile, provinces rich in resources and energy need to cut down SO 2 emission through technical innovation. • The change pattern of SO 2 emissions embodied in China’s inter-provincial trade was traced. • Critical sectors, trade patterns, and paths were identified in China’s inter-provincial trade. • The MRIO-SDA method was used to investigate the driving forces behind the change. • Less developed provinces were the main contributors to the increase in embodied SO 2 emissions in China. • The investment demand in less developed provinces played an important role in the change of embodied SO 2 emissions in China.