“The eastern coastal region gained more economic benefits, while the central and western inland regions bore heavier environmental pressures,” the lead institute of the study, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, said in a statement.
“This raises new issues for scientific assessments of carbon emission responsibilities for foreign-owned enterprises,” it added.
The study was conducted by researchers from the academy, as well as Nanjing University, University College London and the University of Birmingham. They published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications last month.
“MNEs [multinational enterprises] represent a non-negligible yet frequently overlooked factor in shaping carbon inequality,” the researchers said.
