Page 73 - Read Online

Han et al. Carbon Footprints 2025, 4, 25 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/cf.2025.18 Page 15 of 20

Table 2. Differences between PBEs and CBEs in the B&R countries
PBEs CBEs
Category
2005 2021 2005 2021
Proportion 2005: 64.84% → 2021: 68.68% 2005: 58.82% → 2021: 66.54%
CH -intensive Agriculture, Petroleum, Chemical, and Non-Metallic Food & beverages, Construction, Financial Intermediation, and
4
sectors Mineral Products, Construction Business Activities
Gini coefficient H-H income countries had the highest values (0.460- L-L income countries showed the highest increase (0.388-0.455),
0.510), reflecting mild to high inequality; U-M had the shifting from relative balance to mild inequality; U-M had the
lowest (0.150-0.200 ), indicating high equality lowest (0.140-0.200), indicating high equality
CH emissions H-H income countries: highest (2005: 1.70 t → 2021: 1.62 H-H income countries: highest (2005: 2.02 t → 2021: 1.76 t); L-L
4
per capita t); L-L income countries: lowest (2005: 0.73 t → 2021: income countries: lowest (2005: 0.48 t → 2021: 0.51 t)
0.69 t)
Decoupling Weak decoupling countries accounted for 53.24% (2005- Weak decoupling countries accounted for 41.73% (2005-2021)
status 2021)
Driving factors Economic level was the main driver of CH emissions; Economic level was the primary driver of CH emissions; emission
4
4
emission intensity showed a significant inhibitory effect intensity showed a significant inhibitory effect
Table 3. Comparisons between the results of this study and previous studies
Author Method Research scale Time period Main conclusions
[7]
Wang et al., Environmentally extended Major economies 2000-2012 China, the EU, the US, India, and Brazil are the major economies
input-output analysis with high consumption-based methane emissions. Russia-EU,
(EEIOA) China-US, and China-EU are the main bilateral trading pairs for
embodied emission flows
[39]
Han et al., Multi-regional input-output B&R region and 1990-2015 Carbon inequality within the B&R region is lower than the global
(MRIO) analysis, non-B&R average; however, investment-driven carbon emissions exhibit a
Decoupling analysis, Theil countries significantly increasing trend of inequality
index
Gao et al., [69] MRIO model, Complex B&R countries 2011-2016 Significant air pollution inequality exists among BRI countries,
network theory with some countries being net beneficiaries and others net
victims
[70]
Wu et al., MRIO model, Carbon Gini Major economies 2000-2014 In developed countries, such as the US, embodied carbon
coefficient, Structural emissions are largely driven by per capita end-use, while in
Decomposition Analysis developing countries, such as China, they are influenced by
(SDA) unsustainable consumption and investment patterns
This study MRIO model, Lorenz curve, Major countries 2005-2021 CH emissions from B&R countries account for around half of
4
Gini coefficient, and and regions global emissions. The gap between PBEs and CBEs in high-
Decoupling analysis within the B&R income countries has narrowed over time, while significant
region inequality persists, especially in PBEs among high-income
groups and CBEs among low-income groups

and address global climate change. The B&R initiative provides tremendous opportunities through energy
cooperation, financial investment, and technology transfer [24,71,72] . In addition, it holds considerable potential
[73]
for promoting sustainable development in the future . Effective solutions already exist for reducing CO
2
emissions, such as Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and Carbon Capture and Storage
[74]
(CCS) technologies . International collaboration should be strengthened to advance coordinated action
among multiple parties while enabling the transfer of green technologies. Meanwhile, practical strategies to
jointly manage CH and CO emissions in international trade can be enhanced by implementing higher
4
2
[75]
import tariffs on emission- and energy-intensive technologies .
Since the release of China’s Guidance on Promoting Green Belt and Road in 2017, climate governance
within the B&R region has entered a phase of accelerated policy coordination and multilateral cooperation.
In 2019, the B&R South-South Cooperation Plan on Climate Change was launched, enabling over 40
countries to deepen climate collaboration through policy instruments such as technology sharing and the
establishment of low-carbon demonstration zones. By 2023, the Early Warning Initiative had been
implemented in Southeast Asia, enhancing disaster response capacities in six countries through regional