How Does Technology Progress Promote Carbon Neutralization: Mechanisms and Policies

Abstract

As global climate change continues to intensify, its impact on the development of social economy and politics is increasingly prominent. In this context, China has proposed a double-carbon commitment to achieve sustainable development. Most of the research on the win–win situation of the double-carbon target and the economic development focuses on the macro or micro perspective. Literature on mesoscale is still relatively small. This paper innovatively takes the mesoscale as the entry point and discusses the realization path of carbon neutrality promoted by science and technology from the perspective of carbon source and carbon sink. As to carbon sources, the focus of carbon emission reduction work should be put on improving energy efficiency and optimizing the energy consumption structure. As to carbon sink, both natural systems and artificial systems matter. At the end of the paper, the following policy recommendations from a regional perspective are put forward: Attach importance to the construction of organizational and leadership systems, implementation of differentiated guarantees, the green orientation of finance, and government-industry-academia-research cooperation mechanisms.