Spatiotemporal carbon decoupling of prefabricated hotel building industry

Abstract

This study examines the spatiotemporal decoupling of carbon emissions from hotel revenue in Hangzhou (2018–2024), covering the crisis COVID-19 pandemic and festival the Asian Games. Unlike previous studies focusing on operational emissions, this research emphasizes the materialization phase of hotel construction, comparing conventional and prefabricated methods. Using the Tapio decoupling model, Moran’s I, and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), this study identifies three regional decoupling typologies—high-performance, improving, and lagging. The results show significant spatiotemporal divergence, with high-high clusters emerging in 2019 and 2021 but weakened spatial associations during and after the pandemic. Prefabricated construction consistently reduces emissions across all hotel star levels, especially in core districts. These findings suggest that prefabricated construction is a resilient low-carbon strategy for the hotel industry under macro shocks.