Carbon inequality and economic development across the Belt and Road regions

Given the aim of maintaining global warming below 2 °C, carbon emission reduction has become a global top priority. Since the Belt and Road Initiative has increasing influence on manufacturing-oriented developing countries, more attention should be paid to carbon emission reduction in these regions. This study conducts a comprehensive analysis by analyzing the carbon inequality and regional development and compares the carbon emissions driven by final demand among countries in and outside the Belt and Road area from 1990 to 2015. It is found that the majority of the Belt and Road regions achieved a rapid GDP growth rate with increasing carbon emissions, in which the investment-driven type demonstrated a significant growth. In contrast, the developed countries outside the Belt and Road area maintained their economic growth while decreasing the carbon emissions owed to the declining of investment-driven emissions; however the consumption-driven emissions stably remained a relatively high level. Our results showed that the inequality of carbon emission within Belt and Road regions is lower than the global average, while the inequality of the investment-driven emissions showed an obviously increasing trend. By discussing the carbon inequality and regional development, rational and feasible strategies for countries and regions within and outside the Belt and Road area are essential, and different types of strategies such as low-carbon technologies transfers and overseas financial cooperation are suggested for regional carbon emission reduction and sustainable regional development under the Belt and Road Initiative. •The per capita carbon emissions driven by final demand from 1990 to 2015 are analyzed.•The countries and regions within and outside the Belt and Road area are compared.•Three types of regions are identified in consideration of economic development and carbon emissions.•Consumption-driven carbon emissions contribute approximately 70% in Belt and Region regions.•Investment-driven carbon emissions increase significantly within Belt and Region area.