Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3): 490-498.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.03.13

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal characteristics of carbon emissions from energy consumption and the approach to energy structure adjustment in Xinjiang

BAO Jiayu1(), LI Xianglong1, HU Qiwen1(), LI Tao2,3   

  1. 1. Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093,Yunnan, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2023-12-26 Revised:2023-01-23 Online:2024-03-15 Published:2024-04-01

Abstract:

As an important energy production and supply base in China, Xinjiang plays a pivotal role in the delicate balance between economic development and carbon emissions. Ensuring a harmonious coordination between these factors is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth and meet goals related to energy conservation and emission reduction. This paper measures and analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics of energy consumption carbon emissions in Xinjiang from 2000 to 2020 using spatial autocorrelation based on the data obtained from Xinjiang Statistical Yearbook. Results indicate that the total carbon emission intensity from energy consumption in Xinjiang shows an increasing trend every year during the study period. Nevertheless, the overall trend reveals a reduction in the intensity of carbon emissions. The spatial distribution of carbon emission intensity shows that the eastern slope of Tianshan Mountain has a high carbon emission intensity, whereas the northern edge of Junggar, the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain, and the northern slope of Kunlun Mountain has a low carbon emission intensity. These regions exhibit evident clustering characteristics. Considering global warming and carbon emission reduction, Xinjiang must work toward achieving the goals of “carbon peak” and “carbon neutrality” while promoting high-quality socioeconomic development in the area through the implementation of a multi-energy, complementary green energy network.

Key words: carbon emission intensity, energy consumption, spatiotemporal characteristics, approach to adjustment, Xinjiang