This paper studies the impact of foreign direct invest ment , out ward foreign direct invest ment and international trade to carbon emi ssions in China . The empirical results showthat foreign direct invest ment and out ward foreign direct invest ment help reduce carbon emi ssions in China bot h in regional and industrial panel data , while export increases carbon emi ssions . However , the influence of open economy on carbon emi ssions in different regions and industries shows different characteristics . Regional differences in carbon emi ssions reflect the development level of local economy and leadi ng industry-related , in addition ,industrial characteristics also deter mi ne the level of carbon emi ssions . Based on these findi ngs , the government shouldimprove environmental protection standards , monitor the implementation of corporate compliance so as to improve the domestic environment , and intensify efforts to restructure the economy , urge the region to achieve industrial upgradi ng as soon as possible , while at the same time improve the efficiency of stringent environmental management policies on high-emi ssion types of trades , and encourage enterprises to reduce emi ssions through improvi ng production technology .