Top 10 journals in carbon emission research.

Addressing global warming is one of the most pressing environmental challenges and a crucial agenda for humanity. In this literature study, we employed bibliometrics to reproduce nearly two decades of research on carbon emission reduction in China, the largest carbon emitter worldwide. The scientometrics analysis was conducted on 1570 academic works published between 2001 and 2021 concerning China’s carbon emission reduction to characterize the knowledge landscape. Using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the basic characteristics, research forces, knowledge base, research topic evolution, and research hotspots were identified and revealed. The analysis results show that the attention to and research on China’s carbon emissions have increased in recent years, giving rise to leading institutions and relatively stable core journal groups in this field. The research disciplines are relatively concentrated, but the research collaboration needs strengthening. The research hotspots are mainly carbon emission causes, impacts, and countermeasures in China, and the research frontiers have been constantly advanced and expanded. In the future, research on countermeasures needs more effort, and research cooperation needs to strengthen. The changing landscape of hotspot clusters reveals China’s transition towards a low-carbon economy. Through comprehensive analysis of the potential and obstacles to China’s transition to low-carbon development, we identified three promising areas of action (low-carbon cities, low-carbon technologies and industries, and transforming China’s energy system) and proposed research directions to address remaining gaps systematically.

应对全球变暖是当前最紧迫的环境挑战之一，亦是全人类的核心议事议程。本研究采用文献计量学（bibliometrics）方法，针对作为全球最大碳排放国的中国近二十年来的碳排放减排相关研究，开展系统性复现与梳理。本研究针对2001至2021年间发表的1570篇中国碳排放减排相关学术成果，开展科学计量学（scientometrics）分析，以刻画该领域的知识图景。本研究借助CiteSpace与VOSviewer两款可视化分析工具，识别并揭示了该领域的基础特征、研究力量格局、知识基础、研究主题演化脉络与研究热点。分析结果表明，近年来学界对中国碳排放问题的关注度与研究投入持续攀升，催生了该领域的头部研究机构与相对稳定的核心期刊集群。当前研究的学科集中度较高，但跨主体研究协作仍有待强化。当前研究热点主要集中于中国碳排放的成因、影响与应对策略，研究前沿亦在持续拓展与深化。未来该领域需进一步加大应对策略相关研究的投入力度，并深化跨主体研究协作。热点集群的动态演化图景，清晰展现了中国向低碳经济转型的发展轨迹。本研究通过系统分析中国向低碳发展转型的潜力与阻碍因素，明确了三大极具实践价值的行动方向：低碳城市建设、低碳技术与产业发展、中国能源体系转型，并针对现存研究空白系统性提出了未来研究方向。