Renewable energy, energy use efficiency and carbon emission intensity: Based on the perspective of mediation effect and threshold effect

The report of the 20th National Congress points out that the focus is on controlling fossil energy consumption and promoting the formation of a green and low-carbon production and living style. This paper empirically analyses the impact of renewable energy development on carbon emission intensity based on panel data from 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) in China from 2011 to 2020. It is found that: (1) Renewable energy development significantly reduces carbon emission intensity, and this result still holds after a series of robustness tests; (2) Mechanism tests show that renewable energy development can indirectly reduce carbon emission intensity by improving energy use efficiency; (3) The threshold effect indicates that the development of renewable energy has a dual threshold effect on the carbon intensity, which means that as the energy utilization efficiency continuously improves, the carbon emission reduction effect of renewable energy gradually becomes more prominent; (4) Heterogeneity analyses show that the dampening effect of renewable energy on carbon intensity is more pronounced in the midwestern regions, in the northern regions, and in regions with higher levels of government intervention and environmental regulation. The findings of this paper provide policy recommendations not only for enriching the study of carbon emission influencing factors from the perspective of renewable energy, but also for formulating renewable energy and carbon emission reduction planning, accelerating the realization of dual-carbon targets and sustainable development.