CO₂ emissions, economic growth, and the environmental Kuznets curve in China: What roles can nuclear energy and renewable energy play?

The aim of this study is to investigate the dynamic causal links among per capita carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, per capita gross domestic product (GDP), per capita fossil fuels consumption, per capita nuclear energy consumption, and per capita renewable energy consumption within the framework of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) for the case of China. To do so, a series of econometric techniques allowing for structural break is utilized for the period of 1993–2016. The empirical results confirm the existence of the EKC for CO₂ emissions in China. The estimated turning point (TP) of China's EKC for CO₂ emissions is calculated as 96,680.47 yuan and is expected to reach its peak by approximately 2028. The empirical results also indicate that, in both the short and long run, nuclear energy and renewable energy play important roles in mitigating CO₂ emissions, while fossil fuels consumption is indeed the dominant culprit for promoting CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, the mitigation impact of nuclear energy consumption on CO₂ emissions is considerably smaller than that of renewable energy consumption, implying that renewable energy will be the main contributor to CO₂ emissions mitigation in China. Finally, several important policy implications for mitigating China's CO₂ emissions and promoting growth in the nuclear energy and renewable energy industries are provided.