Who Needs to Save Energy and Reduce Emissions? Perspective of Energy Misallocation and Economies of Scale

With the rapid development of the economy, human survival and socio-economic development are facing the severe challenges of climate threats. Global warming is one of the greatest threats to human survival and political stability that has occurred in human history. The main factor causing global warming is the extensive use of energy; therefore, it is imperative to spend more effort in energy conservation and emission reduction. In this context, this paper provides a reference and basis for decision making on emission-reduction paths through the perspective of energy input misallocation and economies of scale of CO2 emissions. The results show that for cities with relatively low energy inputs, the impact of excessive energy input on CO2 emissions is stronger than the effect of the scale of energy input on reducing CO2 emissions. Therefore, these cities need to prioritize energy conservation and emission reduction. On the other hand, in cities with large energy inputs, the impact of the scale of energy input on reducing CO2 emissions is more significant than the effect of excessive energy input on CO2 emissions. Therefore, these areas should also focus on energy conservation and emission reduction. The results of this paper have theoretical value and practical significance for scientifically implementing energy conservation and emission reduction strategies, as well as reasonably planning energy conservation pathways.