Decoupling and decomposition analysis of industrial sulfur dioxide emissions from the industrial economy in 30 Chinese provinces.

As one of the largest emitters of sulfur dioxide (SO2), China has faced increasing pressure to achieve sustainable development. This study investigates the decoupling relationship between industrial SO2 emissions and the industrial economy in China during 1996-2015. According to the decoupling results, the study period is divided into four stages: 1996-2001, 2001-2006, 2006-2010, and 2010-2015. These four stages are closely aligned with the major adjustments of the national socio-economic policies. Then, the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition method is used to analyze the driving factors of industrial SO2 emissions. The results demonstrate that the SO2 generation intensity and SO2 abatement are the major contributors to reducing industrial SO2 emissions, while the economic activity effect is the primary inhibitory factor. Moreover, the provincial results show that most provinces with weak decoupling state since 2006 are located in less developed provinces with energy-intensive industries. Besides, the economic structure and SO2 generation intensity show negative contributions to reducing industrial SO2 emissions in some of these regions. Based on the results, the attention should be focused on cleaner production to reduce industrial SO2 emissions further, and environmental policies should be tailored to local conditions.