The rising North-South carbon flows within China from 2012 to 2017

•Carbon emission transfers show a significant trend from the North to the South in 2017.•Electricity and heat power, metal and non-metal industries in less developed northern regions are the important “suppliers” of embodied carbon emissions.•Construction and service industries in richer southern regions are the main “consumers”.•New carbon transfer patterns are mainly due to changes in consumption and export.