How does natural resource dependence influence carbon emissions? The role of environmental regulation

Sustainable economic development and green recovery in the post-COVID-19 era in China requires consideration of natural resource dependence (NRD) and environmental regulation (ER) of CO2 emissions. Based on panel data covering 2008 and 2018 in China, this paper explores the impacts of NRD on carbon emissions and the moderating role of ER. In addition, the heterogeneity, asymmetry, and mediating mechanism are investigated in this study. Following are the main conclusions: (1) Decreasing the dependence on natural resources and strengthening ER can effectively cut down CO2 emissions, and the enhanced ER can reduce the contribution of NRD to CO2 emissions; (2) the positive influence of NRD on carbon emissions are consistent in various regions, while the influence of ER on CO2 emissions is negative in areas with high levels of NRD; (3) the reduced natural resources dependence can accelerate the carbon emissions reduction process indirectly by causing a reduction in China's total energy demand and coal consumption and accelerating the green technological innovation. The findings present several policy recommendations for achieving carbon emissions reduction.