A decomposition analysis of energy-related CO₂ emissions in Chinese six high-energy intensive industries

China's six high-energy intensive industries use more energy than any other industrial sectors, consuming almost 90% of manufacturing energy and more than 50% of national energy and contributing over 50% of national energy-related CO₂ emissions. Thus, this study is motivated to identify the drivers of energy-related CO₂ emissions change of high-energy intensive industries in China based on the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method. Results demonstrate that CO₂ emissions in China's high-energy intensive industries were on the rise during 1986–2013 with annual growth rate of 7.8%. The expansion of industrial scale, which increased 52.14 billion tons of CO₂ emissions in six high-energy intensive industries, was the leading force explaining CO₂ emissions change; and the effect of which was most significant in power industry (20.52 billion tons of CO₂ emissions increase). Energy intensity was the major contributor to promote the decline in CO₂ emissions, and the effect was most significant in chemical industry and non-metallic mineral products industry. Besides, energy structure and industrial structure effects have relatively small impacts on CO₂ emissions change due to the relatively stable energy structure and industrial structure during the study period. Policy recommendations are made for future emission reductions in Chinese six high-energy intensive industries.