Structural decomposition analysis of embodied carbon in trade in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

The middle reaches of the Yangtze River are the first demonstration zone for low-carbon urbanization in the midwest regions of China, and the division of carbon emission reduction responsibility is an important aspect of construction of ecological civilization. In this paper, the embodied carbon emissions in trade are estimated by using an input-output model in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and then a structural decomposition analysis (SDA) model is further applied to conduct decomposition analysis on factors of embodied carbon changes. Our primary findings show the following: (1) Production-based CO emissions from Hubei and Hunan are higher than consumption-based CO emissions.