China's industrial upgrading and energy structure transformation are the main reasons for its declining carbon emissions, and the declining trend is likely to continue, according to recent research.

Led by Tsinghua University, the research was co-conducted by experts from China, Britain, and the United States. The research draws on data from China Emission Accounts and Datasets, which gathers international experts on China's emission accounting methods and applications.

Researchers quantitatively evaluated the drivers of the peak and decline of China's carbon emissions between 2007 and 2016.

The research found that China's carbon emissions increased between 2000 and 2013, while carbon emissions declined year after year from 2013 to 2016.

The research showed that the increased infrastructure investment during 2007 and 2013 led to a rapid increase in carbon emissions. After 2013, China's investment in infrastructure slowed down. At the same time, industrial upgrading and declining coal consumption led to a decline in carbon emissions.

The research concluded that the decline of China's carbon emissions is likely to be sustained if the industrial upgrading and energy system transitions continue.

The research provides a scientific basis for the government to formulate emission reduction policies and accelerate the carbon emission reduction process.

The research was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

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