jaue2021-063: Driving factors of carbon emissions from the construction industry in Zhejiang province, China

Abstract

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has become a major problem to be solved by all
countries. The construction industry accounts for 36% of GHG emissions from all industries. China is the
world's largest carbon emitter, and the construction industry in Zhejiang province is developing rapidly,
accounting for a high proportion of the total emissions. In this study, carbon emission coefficient method and
input-output model were used to calculate the carbon emission of construction industry (CECI) in Zhejiang
Province, and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model was used to explore the driving factors of
CECI.The results show that: (1) 2017 is the turning point of CECI, and the growth turns to decrease;(2)
Construction industry accounts for a large proportion of indirect carbon emissions, energy consumption and
building material production are important sources of CECI; (3) Area factor is an important factor affecting
the increase and decrease of carbon emissions; (4) Reducing carbon emissions should focus on improving
material technology, saving energy, reducing the number of new buildings and other aspects.This paper can
provide ideas for policy makers to formulate carbon policies to reduce emissions and promote regional lowcarbon
development.