Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis on CO2 Emissions: Evidence for China

China is the largest CO2 emitter in world, and it shared 28% of global emissions 2017. According to Paris Agreement, estimated that China’s will reach its peak by 2030. However, whether or not rise again from still unknown. If emission level continues increase, Chinese policymakers might have introduce a severe reduction policy. The aim this paper conduct an empirical analysis on long-standing relationship between income while controlling energy consumption, trade openness, urbanization. autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model bounds test were adopted evaluating validity Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. quantile regression was also used as inference approach. study reveals two major findings: first, instead conventional U-shaped EKC hypothesis, there N-shaped real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita long run. Second, positive effect consumption negative urbanization emissions, run, are estimated. Quantitatively, if rises 1%, then increase 0.9% Therefore, findings suggest breakthrough, terms policymaking innovation under specific socioeconomic political circumstances, required for future decades.