Synergistic effects of carbon and heat under disturbance of human activities: Evidence from a resource-based city of China

Abstract

For resource-based cities, the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization has led to significant carbon emissions (CEs), accelerated the rise of urban land surface temperatures (LSTs) and hindered sustainable urban development. This study constructed a model to measure the carbon-heat relationship to clarify the complex relationship between LSTs and CEs in resource-based cities. The results show that:1) High-temperature areas are primarily concentrated around the urban center and large industrial zones, with average LSTs reaching a peak of 35.7°C in 2015, indicating severe temperature polarization; 2) CEs exhibited an overall upward trend with a diffusion effect, particularly pronounced in the urban center and industrial zones. Areas with extremely significant, strong significant, and generally significant growth in CEs accounted for 4.64%, 3.81%, and 81.35%, respectively, showing a concentrated increase in the urban center; 3) A positive correlation between CEs and LSTs of the city was identified, and the distribution of urban heat island and the high value area of CEs are concentrated and similar; 4) The synergistic effects between LSTs and CEs varied between urban center, suburban and peripheral areas, due to human activities. Areas with a high positive correlation between CEs and LSTs are concentrated in urban centers and peripheral areas, while for urban suburbs, the correlation is weak or even absent. To mitigate the negative effects of carbon-heat accumulation, urban centers should avoid high population concentrations, and the carbon sink potential of green spaces near industrial zones and peripheral areas should be fully utilized. These insights provide actionable strategies for sustainability of resource-based cities, particularly in the governance of urban thermal environments and the mitigation of CEs.