Abstract
The sustainable development of an economic-energy-environment (3E) system has received increasing attention by the government because it both determines national development and individuals’ health at the macro and micro level. In this paper, we synthetically consider various important factors based on analysis of the existing literature and use system dynamics (SD) to establish models of sustainable development of a 3E system. The model not only clearly shows the complex logical relationship between the factors but also reveals the process of the 3E system. In addition, the paper provides a case study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China by using a scenario analysis method. The models proposed in this paper can facilitate an understanding of the sustainable development pattern of a 3E coordination system and help to provide references for policy-making institutions. The results show that the long-term development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region’s 3E system is not sustainable, but it can be changed through the adjustment of the energy structure and an increase in investment in environmental protection, which can improve the environmental quality and ensure continuous growth rather than excessive growth of energy consumption and the gross domestic product (GDP).
Highlights
Energy is the material basis of economic development; the environment is the carrier of energy and the space for all kinds of living things
Real data were used to simulate the development of the 3E system of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and the results are as follows
The simulation results of gross domestic product (GDP), energy consumption, and energy intensity are shown in Appendix C
Summary
Energy is the material basis of economic development; the environment is the carrier of energy and the space for all kinds of living things. Historical experience shows that energy, the environment, and the economy form an interrelated complex entity. The coordinated development of energy, economical, and environmental subsystems is an essential requirement of the sustainable development theory and an effective way to achieve sustained, steady, and high-speed development of the national economy [3]. How to coordinate the relationship among the economy, energy, and the environment and how to explore their sustainable development have become important problems for the government and academia to solve urgently. The environment is the foundation of economic development. The environment, as the material condition of economic and social development, can both promote and
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