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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Does Renewable Energy Development Reduce
Regional CO2 Emissions? A Case Study in China
1
School of Business, Gansu University of Political Science and Law, Lanzhou, China
2
Gansu Vocational and Technical College of Communications, Lanzhou, China
Submission date: 2025-09-10
Final revision date: 2026-02-07
Acceptance date: 2026-02-08
Online publication date: 2026-05-21
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study uses an autoregressive distributed lag model to empirically examine the effect of
renewable energy development on CO2 emissions in Gansu Province, a renewable-energy-rich region
in China. Our findings reveal a statistically significant positive relationship between renewable
energy generation and CO2 emissions. This implies that renewable energy development does not
necessarily lead to a reduction in regional CO2 emissions. We further analyze the underlying causes
of this phenomenon and make corresponding policy recommendations. Additional results demonstrate
positive and statistically significant associations between CO2 emissions and total electricity generation,
nonrenewable energy generation, economic growth, and export trade. By contrast, foreign direct
investment exhibits a statistically significant negative correlation.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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