Chapter 2
Research on Urbanization
and Low-Carbon Development in China
Jinxi Wu and Hui Zhao
Abstract Urbanization, industrialization and modernization well complement one
another. In light of economic development, urbanization meets the demands of industrial production for labor, infrastructure, industrial chain, and low cost transport.
On the other hand, rising urban population would spark a number of social issues,
including traffic jams, shortage in educational and medical resources, environment
pollution, and especially climate change, which has triggered worldwide concern.
As one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, China will bear the dual impact of
accelerated urbanization and the obligation of vast emission reductions for a long
time to come. This chapter centers on the challenges of low carbon development
during urbanization, providing thorough diagnoses of the characteristics and interactions of urbanization and carbon emissions, exploring the way urbanization impacts
carbon emissions, performing research on the regional differences of how urbanization affects carbon emissions, and the size and pattern of future Chinese cities, thus
providing theoretical support to the urbanization strategies and policies for energy
conservation and emissions reduction that accommodate low-carbon development.
Keywords Low-carbon development · Urbanization · Carbon emissions ·
STIRPAT model
J. Wu (B)
School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: wujx02@mail.stinghua.edu.cn
H. Zhao
Investment Research Institute, Academy of Macroeconomic Research, National Development and
Reform Commission, Beijing 100038, China
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Joint Research Centre for Resources, Energy and Sustainable
Development, Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua
University, China’s Resources, Energy and Sustainable Development: 2020,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6100-3_2
35
Research on Urbanization
and Low-Carbon Development in China
Jinxi Wu and Hui Zhao
Abstract Urbanization, industrialization and modernization well complement one
another. In light of economic development, urbanization meets the demands of industrial production for labor, infrastructure, industrial chain, and low cost transport.
On the other hand, rising urban population would spark a number of social issues,
including traffic jams, shortage in educational and medical resources, environment
pollution, and especially climate change, which has triggered worldwide concern.
As one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, China will bear the dual impact of
accelerated urbanization and the obligation of vast emission reductions for a long
time to come. This chapter centers on the challenges of low carbon development
during urbanization, providing thorough diagnoses of the characteristics and interactions of urbanization and carbon emissions, exploring the way urbanization impacts
carbon emissions, performing research on the regional differences of how urbanization affects carbon emissions, and the size and pattern of future Chinese cities, thus
providing theoretical support to the urbanization strategies and policies for energy
conservation and emissions reduction that accommodate low-carbon development.
Keywords Low-carbon development · Urbanization · Carbon emissions ·
STIRPAT model
J. Wu (B)
School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: wujx02@mail.stinghua.edu.cn
H. Zhao
Investment Research Institute, Academy of Macroeconomic Research, National Development and
Reform Commission, Beijing 100038, China
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Tsinghua-Rio Tinto Joint Research Centre for Resources, Energy and Sustainable
Development, Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua
University, China’s Resources, Energy and Sustainable Development: 2020,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6100-3_2
35