西部地区低碳竞争力评价

Abstract

Low-carbon competitiveness reflects a country or region′s level of competitive advantage or ability in low-carbon efficiency,low-carbon environment,and low-carbon technology.Regions in western China are currently engaged in two major undertakings: leapfrog development and sustainable development.Under a background of western development and global transformation,western China must transform its mode of development and switch a low-carbon development path.In addition,it must make full use of its backwardness advantage enhance its low-carbon competitiveness become a society characterized as resource saving,environmentally friendly,and climate-safe.By building an evaluation system for low-carbon competitiveness,this article adopts a principal component analysis(PCA) model,entropy method,and clustering analysis method analyze low-carbon competitiveness in China′s western regions.The results show the following.(1) Western China′s low-carbon economy can be divided into three levels: Chongqing,Shanxi,Guangxi,and Sichuan belong a relatively low-carbon region;Yunnan,Xinjiang,Ningxia,Guizhou,Inner Mongolia,and Tibet represent a mid-carbon area;and Qinghai and Gansu can be classified as a relatively high-carbon area.(2) The top five areas in terms of low-carbon competitiveness are Chongqing,Shanxi,Guangxi,Sichuan,and Yunnan;the evaluation results are essentially in accord with the areas′ actual level of low-carbon development.As the first batch of pilot provinces approved by the National Development and Reform Commission,Chongqing,Shaanxi,and Yunnan rank high,further proving the effectiveness of the pilot programs.At present,China′s low-carbon economy development via the demonstration pilot is being gradually pushed forward,from area area and stage by stage.To obtain state support,western regions should seek further national low-carbon demonstration pilot projects.(3) The results show that energy consumption per unit of GDP is lower and the ranking of low-carbon competitiveness is higher.Thus,it is clear that energy consumption per unit of GDP must be reduced enhance low-carbon competitiveness.The current industrial structure in western China,characterized as being highly dependent on resources and energy,is unacceptable;the western region has become an industrial transfer base of high-energy consumption for China′s central and eastern regions.Therefore,western regions should follow the Twelfth Five-Year Plan requirements reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP,plan an appropriate development direction,and make efforts successfully save energy and reduce emissions in industrial,construction and transportation industries,among others.In addition,Xinjiang,Ningxia,Inner Mongolia,and Gansu,as the key national energy bases in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan,should fully explore and utilize the local energy and resource advantages,vigorously develop strategic emerging industries,and rebuild a low-carbon industrial system.(4) Factors that influence low-carbon competitiveness are very complex,especially X1(energy consumption per unit of GDP) and X8(forest coverage rate),which further illustrates that realize low-carbon development,in addition energy saving and emission reduction,regions need reduce and to increase carbon sink.(5) As low-carbon competitiveness is a relative concept,western regions should strengthen their exchanges and cooperation in the field of low-carbon economy development and use their synergy competitive advantages achieve competition in cooperation and cooperation in development.