Abstract:Allocating the carbon emission rights scientifically and reasonably as well as evaluating the carbon-reduction potential in the regions and provinces relate to future development space rights in the regions and provinces of the Yellow River Basin. Based on the allocation model of carbon emission rights in the regions and provinces, the carbon emission rights were allocated to each province in the Yellow River Basin from 2018 to 2030, the spatial balance of carbon emission rights was calculated, and the carbon-reduction potential of each province in the Yellow River Basin was evaluated by using the optimal efficiency method in 2020. Studies show that: (1) The allocation of carbon emission rights are uneven among the regions and provinces of the Yellow River Basin. From 2018 to 2030, the total amount of carbon emission rights in the basin was 32.306 billion tons, and most of the quotas are concentrated in the middle and lower reaches while the quotas in the upper reaches are less. Among them, Shandong has the largest quota of 10.030 billion tons; Ningxia has the least quota of 0.546 billion tons. (2) There are insufficient space for carbon emission in the Yellow River Basin from 2018 to 2030, with a cumulative carbon emission rights deficit of 11.350 billion tons. Among them, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia which belong to the carbon emission rights deficit areas have negative spatial balance of accumulative carbon emission rights; while Sichuan, Henan and Shaanxi that belong to surplus areas have positive values. (3) The carbon-reduction potential of the provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin was characterized by “high potential in the northwest and low in the southeast.” There was a large gap in carbon-reduction potential.