Coupling evolution of low-carbon innovation networks and its impact on carbon emission reduction in China’s construction industry

LI Long; WAN Mei-qi; YIN Xian-fei; YUAN Meng-qi

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China Environmental Science ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1) : 474-483.

Coupling evolution of low-carbon innovation networks and its impact on carbon emission reduction in China’s construction industry

LI Long¹, WAN Mei-qi¹, YIN Xian-fei², YUAN Meng-qi³

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Abstract

Based on China’s construction industry low-carbon technology patents and carbon emission data from 2003 to 2022, the subject collaboration networks and knowledge fusion networks were constructed using social network analysis, and a coupling coordination degree model was designed based on their topological structures. Further, an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and generalized impulse response function (GIRF) were applied to empirically examine the impact mechanism of the coordinated development of dual-network coupling on the construction industry’s carbon emission intensity. The results indicated that: ① The subject collaboration networks and knowledge fusion networks continued to optimize, with the coupling coordination level increasing from 0.4043 to 0.9591, showing an evolution from disorder to high coordination; ② During the sample period, the coupling coordination development index lagged by one period was found to exert a significant negative impact on carbon emission intensity, reflecting its delayed promoting effect on emission reduction; ③ The coupling coordination development index was identified as a one-way Granger cause of carbon emission intensity. Its negative shock peaked at -1.865 in the second lag and then gradually stabilized, demonstrating a significant stage-based adjustment effect. Relying on a framework integrating structural measurement and dynamic analysis, the results provided quantitative tools and empirical support for systematic low-carbon innovation policies.

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construction industry / low-carbon innovation / social network analysis / coupling coordination / carbon emission intensity

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LI Long, WAN Mei-qi, YIN Xian-fei, YUAN Meng-qi. Coupling evolution of low-carbon innovation networks and its impact on carbon emission reduction in China’s construction industry[J]. China Environmental Science. 2026, 46(1): 474-483

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