Research on the low-carbon path of regional industrial structure optimization

Establishing a sustainable industrial structure system is imperative for transforming the society to high-quality development and achieve the "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" goals. In this study, we explored a low-carbon pathway of regional industrial structure optimization to achieve a balance among economic growth, social security, and environmental conservation. A multi-objective optimization model of industrial structure of economic-social-environmental system was constructed by minimizing carbon emissions and maximizing economic benefits and social employment. In this study, we explored the scientific allocation path for industrial structure and set various scenarios to meet the diverse preferences and development requirements of decision-makers. Southwest China was used as a practical case to validate the model's efficacy, offering a decision-making framework for the sustainable development of the regional economy. After optimization, carbon emissions reduced by 0.9 %∼3.2 %, economic benefits increased by 2.5 %∼4.8 %, and employment levels nearly doubled. The proportion of the transportation industry in southwest China decreased by 11.58 %. The raw coal was the energy source with the highest contribution to carbon emissions, 2494.2 × 10⁸ $kgC{O}_{2}eq$.