Research Progress on Carbon Emissions

Driven by the “dual-carbon” goals and the intensifying global climate-governance agenda, carbon-emission research has evolved into a core interdisciplinary theme. Using a narrative literature-review approach, we map the intellectual trajectory of this field through three lenses: accounting methods, driving factors and mitigation pathways. Methodologically, a dual accounting system has emerged that separately tracks production-based and consumption-based emissions. Factor studies concentrate on the interplay among economic growth, energy structure, technological progress and policy regulation.Mitigation options span energy substitution, industrial upgrading, carbon capture/utilization/storage (CCUS) and other technologies, as well as policy instruments such as carbon markets and carbon taxes; trans-regional cooperative mitigation is gaining momentum. Key gaps remain: micro-level behavioural drivers are poorly understood, cross-scale accounting interfaces are weak, and the quantitative coupling effects of technology-policy packages lag behind. Future work should integrate multiple methods, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and enhance dynamic simulation to deliver precise mitigation insights.