The Driving Forces of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Emissions Have Spatial Spillover Effects in Inner Mongolia

To spatially analyze the effects of the major drivers on carbon dioxide equivalent (CO(2eq)) emissions in Inner Mongolia, a typical area with high CO(2eq) emissions in China, this paper quantitatively investigates the factors that affect county-level CO(2eq) emissions and the corresponding spatial mechanisms. Based on a spatial panel econometric model with related energy and economic data from 101 counties in Inner Mongolia between 2007 and 2012, four main results are obtained: (a) The CO(2eq) emissions in Inner Mongolia rapidly increased at an average annual growth rate of 7.27% from 2007 to 2012, increasing from 287.69 million tons to 510.47 million tons. (b) The county-level CO(2eq) emissions in Inner Mongolia increased, but the growth rate decreased annually. Additionally, CO(2eq) emissions are highly heterogeneous in the region. (c) Geographic factors were the main cause of the spatial spillover effects related to county-level CO(2eq) emissions. Specifically, the levels of urbanization and technological progress were conducive to CO(2eq) emission reductions, and the economic growth and industrial structure had the opposite effect in Inner Mongolian counties. (d) Technological progress had a significant spatial spillover effect in Inner Mongolian counties, and the effects of other factors were not significant. Implementing relevant strategies that focus on the inter-county interactions among the driving forces of CO(2eq) emissions could promote energy savings and emission reductions in Inner Mongolia.