How Can China and the Belt and Road Initiative Countries Work Together Responding to Climate Change: A Perspective on Carbon Emissions and Economic Spillover Effects

China attaches great importance to international cooperation on climate change, especially working with the Belt and Road Initiative relevant partners. From a perspective on carbon emissions and economic spillover effects, this study explores how China and the Belt and Road Initiative countries can work together to cope with climate change. It applies a three-region spillover effects model, based on the multi-regional input-output table and satellite extensions data of the Eora database, to examine mutual carbon emissions and economic spillover effects between China and the Belt and Road Initiative countries. The results show that: (1) Mutual carbon emissions spillover effects exist between China and the BRI countries, which is an important premise for them to cooperate responding to climate change. (2) There are great differences in carbon emission spillover effects among different sectors. Thus, optimizing the trade structure can bring benefits to carbon reduction for both sides. (3) The sectoral order of carbon emissions spillover effects, and economic spillover effects, is not consistent. In order to achieve an economic and environmental win-win, it is necessary to increase bilateral trade in those sectors with large economic spillover effects, and reduce other sectors with large carbon emissions spillover effects.