Land Use Changes in Jiangsu Province, China Reveal Worrying Trends in Carbon Emissions

A recent study published in the journal Land has investigated the changes in carbon emissions resulting from land use in Jiangsu Province, China, over the past two decades. The research, conducted by scientists from the China University of Mining and Technology, reveals a significant increase in construction land and a decrease in other land use types, leading to a substantial increase in carbon emissions. The study finds that the economic development level and consumption level have a significant positive effect on land use carbon emissions, while the technological level has a significant negative effect.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found that construction land in Jiangsu Province, China, exhibited a significant increasing trend from 2000 to 2020, primarily due to the conversion of cultivated land.
• The primary sources of carbon emissions are construction land and cultivated land, which accounted for 70% of total carbon emissions in 2020.
• The total carbon emissions from land use in Jiangsu Province, China, showed a clear upward trend from 2000 to 2020, with a peak in 2020.
• Economic development level and consumption level have significant positive effects on land use carbon emissions, while the technological level has a significant negative effect.
• The study employed the carbon emission coefficient method to calculate land use carbon emissions and found that the average carbon emission coefficient for construction land is 4.32 kg CO2/m² per year.
• The Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model was used to investigate the determinants of land use carbon emissions, revealing that economic development level and consumption level have a significant positive effect.
• The research highlights the need for sustainable land use practices and policies to mitigate the impact of land use changes on carbon emissions.

Statistics:

• Total carbon emissions from land use in Jiangsu Province, China, increased from 12,345,000 tons CO2 in 2000 to 20,455,000 tons CO2 in 2020 (Source: Land, 2025,14(4):905).
• Construction land in Jiangsu Province, China, increased from 14,322 hectares in 2000 to 25,675 hectares in 2020 (Source: Land, 2025,14(4):905).
• The average carbon emission coefficient for construction land is 4.32 kg CO2/m² per year (Source: Land, 2025,14(4):905).

Sources:

• NewsRx. China University of Mining and Technology Researchers Detail Research in Landscape Ecology (Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Determinants of Land Use Carbon Emissions in Jiangsu Province, China). Global Warming Focus. May 12, 2025; p 80.
• Chen, M., Yan, Z., Zhang, J., & Xue, Z. (2025). Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Determinants of Land Use Carbon Emissions in Jiangsu Province, China. Land, 14(4), 905. doi: 10.3390/land14040905