Multiscale spatiotemporal evolution and zoning of energy consumption carbon footprint in the Yellow River Basin

Classifying emission reduction zones on different scales has important implications for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Based on remote sensing data and a light-carbon conversion model, carbon footprints at provincial, municipal, and county scales in the Yellow River Basin are measured. The spatiotemporal evolution critical paths of carbon footprints at the three spatial scales are compared and classified into different zones using spatiotemporal evolution analysis methods. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The carbon footprint increased over the years. The spatial distributions of carbon footprints at the three scales are not only consistent but also different. The study of carbon footprints at the county scale is more conducive to the summary of the spatiotemporal evolution and the formulation of detailed emission reduction schemes. (2) Four provinces, 48 cities, and 373 counties are designated as a “core protected zone”; three provinces, 29 cities, and 177 counties are designated as a “strictly governed zone”; one province, 12 cities, and 47 counties are designated as a “key restricted zone”; four cities and 39 counties are designated as an “alert diffusion zone.” (3) The agglomeration expansion trend and the spillover effect of high-carbon footprint units at the county scale are more obvious. Further enhancement of the path-locking characteristics of the carbon footprints of counties will make governance more difficult. Effective governance of carbon footprint at the county scale is of urgent concern. These results provide scientific evidence for multiscale carbon emission control and zoning policy formulation in the Yellow River Basin.