Has Urban Construction Land Achieved Low-Carbon Sustainable Development? A Case Study of North China Plain, China

Abstract

The rapid expansion of urban construction land (UCL) provides a guarantee to support rapid economic development and meet the social needs of urban residents. However, urban construction land is also an important source of carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, it is of great research value to investigate the relationship between UCL and carbon emissions in depth. Based on this, using panel data of 57 cities in the North China Plain from 2007 to 2018, the study found that there is a strong positive correlation between UCL and CO2 emissions. It can be seen that the expansion of UCL is an important source of CO2 emissions. On the basis of this research conclusion, first, this paper uses the Tapio decoupling model to analyze the decoupling relationship between UCL and carbon emissions in the North China Plain. Then, the spatial autocorrelation analysis was applied to explore the spatial correlation characteristics of the carbon emission intensity of UCL in cities in the North China Plain. Finally, using the GTWR model to analyze the influencing factors of the carbon emission intensity of UCL, the following conclusions were drawn. In 2007–2015, the decoupling relationship performed well, but it deteriorated significantly from 2015 to 2018; in addition, there was a significant positive spatial correlation of carbon emission intensity of UCL. Various influencing factors have a significant impact on the carbon emission intensity of UCL, for example, the urbanization rate, industrial structure, economic development level, and population density have a positive impact, and environmental regulations, foreign investment intensity, land use efficiency and greenery coverage have a negative impact. The research results of this paper provide a scientific basis for making decisions and optimizing pathways to achieve carbon emission reduction from UCL in the North China Plain, as well as certain reference values for other regions to achieve low-carbon development of UCL. This is significant for exploring the optimal solution of land and carbon emissions and building a harmonious human–land relationship.

Characteristics and Driving Mechanism of Urban Construction Land Expansion along with Rapid Urbanization and Carbon Neutrality in Beijing, China

“…However, it transitioned from negative to positive in the ecological conservation zone in the Miyun and Pinggu districts. (7) The coefficient of per capita retail sales of social consumer goods showed a steady decline over the study period. This coefficient was relatively high in the central urban area and new urban development zone and low in the ecological conservation zone, and it remained relatively stable throughout the study period.…”

“…On the other hand, the increasing consumption of fossil fuel within urban construction land also leads to a significant increase in carbon emission; for example, the urban areas have accounted for approximately 3/4 of the total carbon emission of the world [6]. Most previous studies have therefore suggested there is generally a strong positive correlation Land 2023, 12, 1388 2 of 17 between urban construction land expansion and carbon emission, and the newly added construction land is an important source of increased carbon emission [7]. However, some other studies have suggested there was an inverted U-shaped trend of the impact of urban construction land expansion on urban carbon emission, which may be due to the spatial heterogeneity to carbon emission efficiency in the urbanization of different dimensions [5,8].…”

Progress and Hotspots of Research on Land-Use Carbon Emissions: A Global Perspective

“…Urban regions, which have a high concentration of people and socioeconomic activity, are crucial for developing ways to mitigate climate change [101,102]. Improving land use efficiency and intensification to meet the demand for land from urbanization has emerged as the primary issue for boosting regional economic development because excessive energy consumption and irresponsible use of land resources no longer fit the current route of social evolution [103,104]. Driven by the triple pressure of rapid economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization, a large number of industrial and production activities consume large amounts of energy.…”

Dynamics of urban expansion and form changes impacting carbon emissions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area counties

“…Time-series analysis using multi-source remote sensing data underscores the enlargement of urban territories in major cities, which correlates with a surge in carbon emissions. This relationship, however, isn't merely linear but intricately layered [ [6] , [7] , [8] ]. Various determinants, such as economic trajectories, population flux, and industrial shifts, influence urban growth [ [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] ].…”