What Cause Large Spatiotemporal Differences in Carbon Intensity of Energy-Intensive Industries in China? Evidence from Provincial Data during 2000–2019

China has been reported as the world’s largest carbon emitter, facing a tough challenge to meet its carbon peaking goal by 2030. Reducing the carbon intensity of energy-intensive industries (EIICI) is a significant starting point for China to achieve its emission reduction targets. To decompose the overall target into regions, understanding the spatiotemporal differences and drivers of carbon intensity is a solid basis for the scientific formulation of differentiated regional emission reduction policies. In this study, the spatiotemporal differences of EIICI are described using the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2019, and a spatial econometric model is further adopted to analyze its drivers. As indicated by the results: (1) from 2000 to 2019, China’s EIICI tended to be reduced continuously, and the spatial differences at the provincial and regional levels expanded continuously, thus revealing the coexistence of “high in the west and low in the east” and “high in the north and low in the south” spatial patterns. (2) There is a significant spatial autocorrelation in the EIICI, characterized by high and high agglomeration and low and low agglomeration types. Moreover, the spatial spillover effects are denoted by a 1% change in the local EIICI, and the adjacent areas will change by 0.484% in the same direction. (3) Technological innovation, energy structure, and industrial agglomeration have direct and indirect effects, thus affecting the local EIICI and the adjacent areas through spatial spillover effects. Economic levels and firm sizes only negatively affect the local EIICI. Environmental regulation merely has a positive effect on adjacent areas. However, the effect of urbanization level on EIICI has not been verified, and the effect of urbanization level on the EIICI has not been verified. The results presented in this study show a scientific insight into the reduction of EIICI in China. Furthermore, policymakers should formulate differentiated abatement policies based on dominant drivers, spatial effects, and regional differences, instead of implementing similar policies in all provinces.