Implicit Carbon Emissions Trading in Forward and Backward Global Value Chain Participation for Sustainable Economic Growth: Bibliometrics and Systematic Analysis

ABSTRACT Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily driven by international trade, have raised significant environmental concerns, with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions being a major contributor to climate change. To address this, mechanisms like the Emissions Trading System (ETS) are essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study analyzes both qualitative and quantitative data on key themes, countries, methods, journals, and authors using bibliometrics and systematic approaches. We collected 3800 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases spanning 2019 to 2023. Data analysis was conducted using RStudio and VOSviewer. The main finding is that Global Value Chain (GVC) participation is a key driver for balancing economic and environmental sustainability with China, the United States, and the United Kingdom being top contributors to the research field, particularly in international collaborations in 2020. The ETS policy reduces carbon emissions while promoting SDGs, though regional variations in trade, digitalization, and environmental policy complicate its adoption. This study contributes to the understanding of the intersection between ETS, economics, and GVC participation by identifying influential papers, authors, and countries, and synthesizing past reviews and original articles to provide theoretical and practical implications through network and cluster analysis.