Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Carbon Emissions and Their Influencing Factors at the County Scale: A Case Study of Zhejiang Province, China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript addresses the problem of spatio-temporal dynamics of carbon emissions and their influencing factors at the county scale. A case study of Zhejiang Province in China was used as an empirical example.

Without a doubt, the issue of dynamics of carbon emissions is a current topic. I positively assess the topicality of the issues raised. Growing anthropopressure is the main reason for the need to take actions to reduce the effects of emissions harmful to the environment.

What is questionable is the almost complete omission of discussion of the results of own research with those of other authors. There is not a single reference to literature in the Results section from pages 7 to 15. There are only 3 references in the entire chapter. This aspect definitely needs to be corrected.

There are no references to research results in the field of low-carbon economy in other countries. Some examples of research on spatial diversity in this area can be found in, e.g., Regional diversity of low-carbon investment support from EU funds in the 2014–2020 financial perspective based on the example of Polish municipalities. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2022, 168, 112863; Spatially uneven development and low carbon transitions: Insights from urban and regional planning. Energy Policy, 85 or many others.

The structure of the article is slightly disturbed. The Results chapter begins on page 7, and the Conclusions and Discussion chapter begins on page 17. In classic scientific articles, Discussion appears either together with the Results and Discussion or after the Results section. The Conclusions chapter should conclude the conducted analyses.

The manuscript does not formulate research hypotheses. This would be possible if the purpose of the research was clearly formulated. Unfortunately, there is no clear definition of it, which makes professional assessment difficult.

The conclusions resulting from the analysis are unlikely to be revealing. They confirm the results of other studies to date regarding the impact of urbanization and industrialization on environmental pollution.

In my opinion, very short chapters are unnecessary, e.g. 2.4.2. It contains only 7 lines of text and 2 equations. In this case, there is probably no need to create a separate chapter. this fragment of text should be included with the remaining text in the Materials and Methods chapter.

The references database is quite well prepared. There are current literature items on the subject (even items from 2024). However, the references are dominated by works by authors from China. This is only partially justified by the fact that the analysis carried out in the manuscript concerns one of the regions of this country. In my opinion, the author(s) should also make greater use of scientific achievements from other regions of the world. The issues of environmental protection and carbon emissions have long been widely analyzed in European countries. European Union countries in particular have extensive experience in this area, both in the scientific sphere and in implementing solutions in economic practice.

Some tables and figures (e.g. tables 1-6, figures 2-5) extend beyond the page margins. This should be corrected.

A certain mistake is the lack of indication of the type of article on the first page. This should be completed.

After making the necessary corrections, the text of the manuscript may be the basis for taking further actions as part of the editorial process.

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions for changes to our research, we have collated each of your review suggestions into a document, the details of which are shown in the document.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This study examined spatio-temporal dynamics of carbon emissions and their influencing factors in 89 counties in Zhejiang Province from 2002 to 2022 by using multiple analytical techniques. I have several concerns as follows:

 #1 The expression on page 2, line 49, regarding "counties," needs clarification to specify whether it includes "districts."

 #2 Further elucidation is required regarding the significance and value of selecting Zhejiang Province as the research subject.

 #3 The paper should refine its contributions and innovations further.

 #4 This study employs various methods to analyze spatiotemporal change characteristics. It is necessary to assess whether these methods have overlapping functions and provide explanations for their selection. It is recommended to present a research framework and technical roadmap beneath Section 2.3, clearly elucidating the relationship between different research components and the roles of each method.

 #5 The research period is initially stated as 2000-2022 but changes to 2000-2020 in Section 3.4 without explanation. A necessary justification for this alteration is required.

 #6 The font size in the figures, such as Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, and Figure 7, is too small, making them difficult to read.

 #7 The exposition in the paper is somewhat verbose. For example, there is some repetition in the content of Table 6, Figure 6, and Figure 7.

 #8 Policy recommendations should be closely aligned with the results of this paper. Suggestions that lack strong relevance should be omitted.

Moderate editing of English language required

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions for changes to our research, we have collated each of your review suggestions into a document, the details of which are shown in the document.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors have responded my concerns and I recommend it for publication.

Minor editing of English language required