Cluster analysis of CO2 emissions by the Chinese power industry

The power industry is a major fossil fuel consumer in China, with large amounts of CO₂ emissions released from the production process of the power industry. To decrease CO₂ emissions, it is practical to start by analyzing its influencing factors in the power industry. This paper identified five influencing factors of CO₂ emissions through the extended STIRPAT model, including GDP, urbanization level, electric power structure, industrialization level, and power-consumption efficiency. According to the projection pursuit model, 30 provinces in China were divided into 4 categories based on the average of all the best projection values. Results indicate that there were positive correlations between the five influencing factors and CO₂ emissions – especially per capita GDP, power-consumption efficiency, and urbanization level. The impact of industrialization level and electric power structure on CO₂ emissions fluctuated greatly. The regional features of the each type were analyzed and policy implications proposed.