Abstract:

Coefficient of rank correlation, coefficient of variation and curve fit analysis were applied to analyzing the temporalspatial variability of carbon emissions in Jiangsu Province. Taking city as a spatial unit and per capita carbon emissions, carbon emission intensity and decoupling index as measuring indexes for the level of regional carbon emissions from 1996 to 2008, it was found that, first, carbon emissions were found to increase annually by 13％ over the entire Jiangsu Province during the latest 13 years, with emitting carbon of 1964 million tons in 2008. Per capita carbon emissions in welldeveloped cities are larger with relatively lower carbon intensity; economically backward cities have a smaller amount of per capita carbon emissions, but carbon emission intensity increased rapidly. Second, the differences of per capita carbon emissions and carbon emission intensity among 13 cities are gradually narrowed. Third, per capita carbon emissions increased linearly with the GDP per capita in both Jiangsu Province and the municipalities, and Nanjing, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Xuzhou, as the more devepoled cities in differrent regions have a more rapidly growth rate. Fourth, there existed a reversed U shaped curve between carbon emission intensity and GDP per capita, with the inflexion point of the curve at roughly 25 000 yuan per capita, while in each city, the relationship is a wavy curve. Fifth, decoupling index is influenced by the industrial structure, economic policy and the level of clean technologies