Xu Qi, Khan Salim, Zhang Xiaojuan, Usman Muhammad
Business School, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510182, Guangdong, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Oct;30(48):105912-105926. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-29861-3. Epub 2023 Sep 18.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a significant economic development strategy directed by China. Its primary objective is to establish connectivity across a vast region encompassing over 70 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa. This endeavor significantly impacts worldwide development, economic advancement, and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, insufficient pertinent evidence exists when exploring the correlation between urbanization, rural energy poverty (Rural_EP), and carbon emissions (CO2_Em) in the BRI region. The present study examines panel data encompassing 48 countries participating in BRI from 2001 to 2020. This research addresses existing gaps by employing the System-GMM and Driscoll and Kraay Standard Error (DKSE) models to investigate factors influencing CO2_Em. The findings indicate that the presence of energy poverty in rural areas is associated with higher levels of CO2_Em, while urbanization has a mitigating effect on such emissions. Furthermore, adopting production methods and environmentally sustainable technologies by foreign corporations leads to a decrease in CO2_Em, thereby providing evidence of a pollution halo effect in BRI. Moreover, economic growth and industrialization have detrimental environmental consequences, primarily through the amplification of CO2_Em. Based on the empirical evidence, the study proposes policy measures that advocate for promoting renewable energy sources, adopting sustainable urban development practices, implementing energy conservation strategies, and establishing carbon pricing mechanisms.
“一带一路”倡议是中国主导的一项重大经济发展战略。其主要目标是在亚洲、欧洲和非洲的70多个国家的广大区域建立互联互通。这一举措对全球发展、经济进步和环境可持续性产生重大影响。然而，在探讨“一带一路”地区城市化、农村能源贫困（Rural_EP）与碳排放（CO2_Em）之间的相关性时，相关证据不足。本研究考察了2001年至2020年参与“一带一路”的48个国家的面板数据。本研究通过运用系统广义矩估计（System-GMM）以及德里斯柯尔和克拉伊标准误（DKSE）模型来研究影响CO2_Em的因素，从而填补现有空白。研究结果表明，农村地区存在能源贫困与较高水平的CO2_Em相关，而城市化对这类排放有缓解作用。此外，外国企业采用生产方法和环境可持续技术会导致CO2_Em减少，从而为“一带一路”地区的污染光环效应提供了证据。此外，经济增长和工业化对环境有不利影响，主要是通过放大CO2_Em。基于实证证据，该研究提出了政策措施，倡导推广可再生能源、采用可持续城市发展做法、实施节能战略以及建立碳定价机制。
