Inter-provincial Carbon Emission Transfer Paths, Spatial and Temporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors in China from a Value Perspective

Carbon emission reduction is an arduous task that needs to be faced and solved globally at present and in the future period, and it is also an important goal in the process of China's economic and social development, and it is crucial to study carbon emissions based on value chain transfer to achieve carbon emission reduction and scientific and reasonable allocation of carbon emission reduction responsibilities. Based on the input-output method, this paper applies the value-based carbon emission accounting method to calculate the carbon emissions, net transfer of carbon emissions and net transfer growth rate of 30 provinces, autonomous regions and cities (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) in China in 2012 and 2017, and analyzes the carbon emission transfer characteristics between provinces in China. The results show that during 2012–2017, China's carbon emissions as a whole showed a shift from regions with a higher level of economic development to regions with a lower level of economic development, from the east to the west, and the net transfer out center of gravity shifted significantly to the north and to the west. The main carbon emission transfer in and out of each province and city have changed, and the central region has always been the region with the most transferred carbon emissions, but the net transfer growth rate between some provinces in the central region and other regions has decreased more, and the net transfer growth rate between the northeast and western regions and all provinces and cities in the country, especially those in the coastal region, are larger. The level of economic development and industrial structure contribute the most to the change of net transfer of carbon emissions, and the population factor contributes the least. The results of this paper will provide a basis for improving carbon transfer research in China and guiding the formulation and implementation of carbon emission reduction policies.