Revealing the Synergistic Drivers of Air Pollutants and CO2 Emissions Reduction in China's Resource-Based Industries

Abstract

China's resource-based industries, critical components of its industrial ecosystem, face significant challenges in reducing environmental burdens, including air pollutants and CO₂ emissions. Although drivers of individual emissions are understood, the synergistic influence of socioeconomic factors on simultaneous reductions of multiple emissions is less explored, particularly from a systemic, consumption-based perspective. This study leverages China's multiregional input–output tables, combined with the structural decomposition analysis method, to analyze the contribution of socioeconomic drivers to air pollution reduction and carbon abatement (PRCA) from the consumption perspective in China's resource-based industries. Additionally, it develops a synergistic emission reduction intensity indicator based on the synergy degree to measure the comprehensive strength of PRCA, thereby evaluating the synergistic efficiency and capability of co-drivers. The findings indicate that the production structure exhibited the most significant impact between 2012 and 2017, contributing 1.48 times more to PRCA in 2015–2017 compared to 2012–2015. Energy efficiency promoted positive synergy during 2012–2015 but subsequently shifted toward negative synergistic emission increases. The final consumption structure had the smallest contribution to PRCA from 2012 to 2017, accounting for only 3.09%. These findings underscore the need for policies tailored to each pollutant and emission source, targeted restructuring of industrial linkages, and stronger regional cooperation. By revealing the untapped potential of non‑synergistic factors, this study offers actionable insights for integrating air quality and climate strategies in China's industrial policy toolkit.