Unstable decoupling of CO 2 emissions from sectoral economic growth calls for decarbonization policies based on multi-perspective accounting: a case study of Zhejiang, China.

Decoupling CO 2 emissions from economic growth is an important cornerstone of a country's decarbonization policy. Existing research in this avenue has mainly focused on decoupling the production-based (PB) CO 2 emissions from economic growth at the national level, while decoupling the consumption-based (CB) and income-based (IB) CO 2 emissions from economic growth, especially at the sectoral level, has received less attention. Using China's Zhejiang province as a case study, we conduct one of the first studies focused on decoupling the PB, CB, and IB CO 2 emissions from economic growth at the sectoral level. Our results reveal that (1) during 2002-2017, the sectoral decoupling level varies greatly among the three different perspectives; (2) most of the examined sectors were in unstable decoupling states while some sectors even reverted to coupling states; and (3) the drivers of CO 2 emissions at the sectoral level reveal important factors, such as emissions intensity, production structure, and final demand structure, that contribute toward decarbonization. Our study demonstrates to policymakers how utilizing a multi-perspective evaluation of the decoupling of emissions from sectoral economic growth can improve the accuracy of decarbonization policies and identify critical sectors toward CO 2 reduction objectives.