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.