Low-Carbon Transition in Ethnic Minority Regions and the Joint Construction of a Beautiful Homeland for the Chinese Nation: A Perspective on Spatial Differentiation in Carbon Neutrality Potential

As the linchpin of China’s climate change response strategy, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (“dual carbon”) have been progressing steadily at both the national and the local levels. Achieving the “dual carbon” goals requires each region to cooperate and coordinate with other regions while leveraging its own comparative advantage. Spatial disparities in the supply and demand of the factors in low-carbon transition have facilitated the interaction, exchange and integration among different regions and ethnic groups, thereby strengthening national cohesion on the geographic, economic and psychological dimensions. Based on the spatial variation in the composite index measuring carbon neutrality potential across 31 provincial-level regions in the Chinese mainland, and by focusing on clean energy, this study examines the primary pathways for low-carbon transition for ethnic minority concentrated areas and other regions, and their complementary development needs. The findings suggest that China can only achieve a low-carbon transition effectively and build a beautiful homeland where humanity and nature coexist in harmony through concerted efforts across the country that promote the bidirectional flow of production factors among the eastern, central and western regions.