Abstract: Taking 103 counties (cities, banners and districts) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the research objects, the changing patterns of land use carbon emissions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2000 to 2020 were explored, the economic contribution coefficient of carbon emissions, the carbon ecological carrying coefficient, and the relationship between carbon sources and carbon sinks were comprehensively analyzed, and a carbon emission balance zoning scheme was proposed. The results showed that the carbon emissions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had generally increased from 32.642 6 million tons to 347.529 2 million tons from 2000 to 2020, an increase of 9.65 times, and showed a trend of “high-carbon expansion and low-carbon contraction”. The economic contribution coefficient of carbon emissions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region showed a downward trend, and the spatial distribution pattern was high in the east and low in the west. The overall ecological carrying capacity of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region weakened significantly, and the carbon ecological carrying coefficient showed a polarized distribution feature of high in the northeast and low in the southwest. By integrating three core indicators of regional carbon emission economic efficiency coefficient, carbon ecological carrying coefficient, and the balance relationship between carbon sources and carbon sinks, a carbon emission coordination zoning system for Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was constructed. Ultimately, five types of carbon balance zones were formed, including carbon sink function zone, low-carbon maintenance zone, economic development zone, high-carbon optimization zone, and carbon intensity control zone. The differentiated development strategies of different zones were proposed to provide scientific support for realization of low-carbon coordinated development and the “dual carbon” goals in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Key words: land use carbon emissions, economic contribution coefficient of carbon emission, carbon ecological carrying coefficient, carbon balance zoning, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region