The Influence Mechanisms of Carbon Emissions for Prefabricated Buildings in the Context of China’s Urban Renewal

Prefabricated buildings, known for their energy efficiency, environmental benefits, and industrial advantages, play a crucial role in urban renewal. Previous studies on the carbon emissions of prefabricated buildings mainly concentrate on the assessment and auditing of carbon emissions at the materialization and construction phase. Few of them have analyzed the carbon emissions at the operational phase or the influence mechanisms of prefabricated buildings on carbon emissions in urban renewal. Thus, this paper explored the factors and mechanisms that influence carbon emissions in prefabricated buildings in China’s urban renewal. Firstly, the factors that influence the carbon emissions of prefabricated buildings in China’s urban renewal were identified through meta-analysis. Secondly, the theoretical model was developed to illustrate the influence paths of prefabricated buildings on the carbon emissions of urban renewal. Finally, the structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses in the theoretical model using data collected from questionnaires. The results show that the carbon emission reduction potential of prefabricated buildings is influenced by four aspects, namely, socioeconomic factors, policy regulations, building operation, and materialization. Policy regulations have the greatest impact on the carbon emissions of prefabricated buildings. They not only directly affect the carbon emissions of urban renewal but also influence carbon emissions indirectly through the social economy aspect. The direct impact of social economy on the carbon emissions of prefabricated buildings is insignificant, while it can indirectly affect the carbon emission reduction in prefabricated buildings by influencing building operations and the materialization stage. The findings could help provide strategies for prefabrication and enhance the reduction potential of urban renewal.