Impacts of logistics agglomeration on carbon emissions in China: a spatial econometric analysis

Logistics industry relies heavily on fossil fuels and has drawn significant attention for its environmental impact. With a focus on the effect of logistics agglomeration, this paper examines the spatial spillover effects of the Chinese logistics industry on carbon emissions by using the spatial Durbin model based on panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2019. The results indicate that the logistics agglomeration can positively influence emission reduction in both local and surrounding areas. Additionally, the environmental externalities from transportation structure and logistics scale are estimated; it finds that the scale of logistics also plays a significant role on carbon emissions. As to the heterogeneity of regions, the logistics agglomeration of the eastern area has positive externalities on carbon reduction, and the total spatial spillover effects on environmental pollution in the eastern area are much stronger than western area. The research findings indicate the potential benefits of promoting logistics agglomeration to reduce carbon emissions in China and can provide policy recommendations for green logistics reform and emission governance.