Driving Factors of SO2 Emissions in 13 Cities, Jiangsu, China

With the air pollution getting worse, reducing pollutant emissions has become an important issue in environmental governance nowadays. This paper analyzes the driving factors of SO2 emissions in Jiangsu Province, China, using Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). The study finds that the end of air pollution control is the main positive drive of SO2 emission decrease, while energy intensity is the main negative drives; most of the cities have the great potential to improve energy efficiency and reduce SO2 emissions; governments need to develop specific reduction targets in accordance with the actual situations of different cities.