Consumption In China Research Articles

Coal price, economic growth and electricity consumption in China under the background of energy transition

With the increasing share of renewable energy generation in China's electricity consumption and the dramatic fluctuation of coal prices in recent years, the discussion of the relationship between coal prices, economic growth and electricity consumption in China becomes more relevant. This paper collects monthly data from 2016 to 2023, uses industrial value added to represent economic growth, and explore the relationship between the three through a time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model, which shows that: (1) The mutual impact effects among coal prices, economic growth, and electricity consumption vary across short-, medium- and long-term. This finding underscores the importance of considering different time horizons when evaluating the interactive effects of these variables. (2) Compared to 2017 and 2022, the lagged impact effects among the three have undergone certain changes, indicating that the understanding of their relationships should be contextualized within specific developmental phases. (3) The relationship between coal prices, economic growth, and different categories of electricity consumption exhibits heterogeneous characteristics, suggesting that recognition of these relationships should be based on specific types of power generation. This research enhances the understanding of the dynamic relationship between coal prices and the macroeconomy in China at the current stage.

The Impact of Changes in China's Population Structure on Consumption Patterns

Consumer spending is the key engine driving economic growth in China. However, in recent years, the overall consumption pattern in China has been affected by domestic epidemics, leading to an increase in unemployment rates among residents and a decrease in consumer willingness. As a result, the annual changes in final consumption expenditure have tended to stabilize, with almost no upward trend. Consequently, numerous studies have emerged based on the current consumption situation in China, providing recommendations to promote consumption. This paper, using data from the World Bank and China's National Statistical Yearbook, conducts research on the impact of demographic changes on consumption structure and proposes relevant suggestions to boost consumption in China. Researching the development of China's population structure reveals several notable trends. These include a decrease in the working-age population accompanied by a significant aging trend, improvements in population quality due to enhanced human capital, and a noticeable trend towards urbanization and increased population mobility. Therefore, this paper provides a series of recommendations, encourages national policies and corporate innovations that promote consumption, and offers solutions to potential issues arising from changes in population structure.

The Effects of Digitization and Environmental Regulation on Energy Consumption in China

The Effects of Digitization and Environmental Regulation on Energy Consumption in China

The interactive effect of products and consumption frequency on happiness in China

PurposeA substantial portion of existing literature on comparing experiential and material purchases on happiness indicates an experiential advantage. However, this advantage is presumed to occur in developed countries, with developing countries being overlooked. To address this gap in the literature, this paper examines the effect of consumption in China. It introduces a new perspective, consumption frequency (ordinary vs extraordinary), to investigate the interactive effect of consumption frequency (ordinary vs extraordinary) and product type (material vs experiential) on happiness and to explore the underlying mechanisms in China.Design/methodology/approachThe study constructs a model about the interactive effect of consumption frequency (ordinary vs extraordinary) and product type (material vs experiential) on happiness and takes self-expansion as the underlying mechanism. The authors employ two experiments and a nationwide secondary survey dataset to test the model.Findings(1) consumption frequency and product type can interactively improve happiness significantly in China; (2) extraordinary material consumption induces a higher level of happiness than extraordinary experiential consumption and (3) these effects are driven by self-expansion, which is an important character for people in developing countries.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is incomplete in its lack of investigation into the boundary conditions, such as materialism in the model.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a novel perspective, consumption frequency and integrates it with existing research variables (material vs experiential) to propose the interactive effect and the underlying mechanism, self-expansion. This paper contributes to the theory of consumption happiness by introducing the concept of consumption frequency in the comparison of material versus experiential products on happiness. Conversely, our findings contribute to the understanding of happiness in China.

Income-based environmental effects of family food consumption and the affordability towards healthy diets

Environmentally sustainable diets are attracting increasing attention, but the environmental impact of diets with different income residents is still poorly understood. Based on the environmental footprint method, we explored the environmental impact of food consumption in China from 2000 to 2020, and used the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model to investigate its driving factors. Furthermore, we constructed a multi-objective optimization model, incorporating the affordability indicator, to optimize a healthy diet pattern. The results show that: (1) The food diversity index (FDI) was directly proportional to income, and geographically, the FDIs of economically developed provinces were higher than that of economically developing provinces. (2) The environmental footprint caused by food consumption was gradually increasing, with 60 % of the carbon footprint of low-income residents coming from grain and pork. (3) Dietary affordability was a major factor in increasing environmental footprint. High-income residents had greater access to milk, meat, etc., which had a greater negative environmental impact. We put forward suggestions on dietary optimization and affordability for different income residents, with a view to achieving nutritional and healthy diets of Chinese while generating minimum resource and environmental load, and promoting the transformation of the agro-food system.

Future pathways for green hydrogen: Analyzing the nexus of renewable energy consumption and hydrogen development in Chinese cities

Hydrogen energy offers a promising pathway for achieving zero-carbon urban energy consumption. This study quantitatively analyzes the patterns of hydrogen energy development and its linked to electricity consumption in China's urban areas. It investigates the spatial relationships between hydrogen energy expansion, the potential for green hydrogen production, and overall energy use. Utilizing a coupling coordination degree (CCD) model and a panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) model, the research explores the dynamic interactions between urban hydrogen energy development and the transition to renewable energy sources. In line with Chinese government policy, the study also conducts a scenario analysis of green hydrogen production by 2030, proposing a consumption strategy that balances environmental sustainability with economic growth. The key conclusions are as follows: (1) There is a spatial mismatch between the locations where hydrogen energy is being developed and where the potential for green hydrogen production is greatest. Cities with higher electricity consumption demonstrate stronger synergies in the coordinated development of hydrogen and renewable energy. (2) The development of hydrogen energy significantly accelerates the transition to renewable energy consumption in urban areas, with this impact being more substantial than that of the utilization capacity alone. (3) Hydrogen production in the Plan Scenario is significantly higher than in the Pessimistic Scenario, underscoring the critical importance of implementing renewable hydrogen projects in provinces with high production potential. Future trends in green hydrogen consumption at the provincial level indicate that addressing the challenges of efficient inter-provincial transportation of hydrogen energy remains essential.

Oil prices and the renewable energy transition: Empirical evidence from China

This paper explores the effect of oil price, gross domestic product (GDP), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on renewable energy consumption in China from 1990 to 2020, utilizing the canonical cointegrating regression (CCR) method. The findings indicate that the oil price, GDP and CO2 emissions positively and significantly affect renewable energy consumption over the examined time frame. Numerically, a 1% increase in oil prices, GDP, and CO2 emissions results in a 0.16%, 0.39%, and 1.70% increase in renewable energy consumption, respectively. The positive effect of oil prices on renewable energy consumption can be seen as the cost advantage of renewable energy, which may grow with rising oil prices, leading to a rise in its adoption. The study underscores the significance of promoting renewable energy usage, emphasizing the need for policies that aid energy security and environmental sustainability.

Exploring sustainable food system transformation options in China: An integrated environmental-economic modelling approach based on the applied general equilibrium framework

Our food system drives global environmental change, and differences in environmental concerns of consumers may cause negative environmental ‘spillover effects’ in less concerned countries. While food system transformation is increasingly recognised as crucial for mitigating such negative environmental spillovers, possible unintended negative environmental consequences in other regions and/or economic sectors have received less attention. Using an integrated environmental-economic modelling framework and scenario analyses, we explored options for more sustainable food systems and to mitigate the negative environmental spillovers from trading partners to China. We found that doubling novel soy-based food (soy-based meat) consumption while reducing pork consumption in China decreased Chinese economy-wide emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 1 % and acidification pollutants by 3 %. However, it increased Chinese economy-wide emissions of eutrophication pollutants by 2 %, driven by the increased production of soy-based food and other food with relatively high emission intensities of eutrophication pollutants. Combining a dietary shift with the adoption of cleaner cereals production technology for half of the current resources used for cereals production decreased Chinese economy-wide emissions of GHGs by 1 %, acidification pollutants by 7 %, and eutrophication pollutants by 3 %, but required capital reallocation from other sectors. Implementing a unilateral environmental policy in China (i.e., implementing incentive-based emission permits to reduce emissions of all pollutants by 3 % annually) increased economy-wide emissions of GHGs in trading partners by 2 %. This ‘carbon leakage’ emerges due to the shift of production of products with relatively high emission intensities (i.e., nitrogen fertiliser and livestock) from China to its trading partners through international trade. We demonstrate that indirect environmental impacts are crucial to consider when analysing the economy-wide consequences of food system transformations, as these indirect impacts may inadvertently affect other regions and/or economic sectors that were not initially targeted. Our study offers policymakers insights into designing effective policies for more sustainable food systems and sheds light on trade-offs among competing environmental and economic goals.

Young women’s sustainable fashion consumption in China: A qualitative study using the theory of planned behavior

As the second most polluting industry in the world, the fashion industry has a critical impact on the environment. The development of sustainable fashion is conducive to reducing the environmental pollution caused by the fashion industry. China has the largest consumer market in the world, and the Chinese government and major companies have made considerable contributions to the sustainable development of the fashion industry. However, research regarding young women’s attitudes towards this topic remains under-explored. This study interviewed 30 young women of different ages from different places in China. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a semi-structured interview was used as a data collection method, and thematic analysis was adopted for data analysis. This paper discusses young Chinese female consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable fashion and analyzes the motivating factors and hindrance factors affecting the consumption intentions of young Chinese female consumers towards sustainable fashion. The research found that young Chinese female consumers generally hold a positive and supportive attitude towards sustainable fashion. Consumers’ perceptions of sustainable fashion, their self-perceptions, and their level of green awareness all significantly impact their attitudes and purchase intentions toward sustainable fashion. Consumers feel low social pressure, and Chinese society demonstrates a high level of acceptance and praise for sustainable concepts. However, the lack of purchasing channels and choices for sustainable fashion in China and the high cost of sustainable fashion products discourage consumers from making purchases. This study will be beneficial as a reference when the Chinese government makes sustainable policies to guide consumers toward sustainable fashion consumption. This study helps enterprises select target markets in China and formulate sustainable fashion marketing strategies and targeted advertising. This study contributes to increasing consumer awareness of sustainable fashion, as well as providing reference and reflective value when consumers purchase sustainable fashion products. Finally, this study will help promote the development process of sustainable fashion in Chinese society, make contributions to reducing the waste of social resources, promoting the recycling of resources, and improving social conditions, and put forward specific solutions and feasible suggestions for the development of sustainable fashion in Chinese society.

Co-evolution mechanism of policy mix and institutional context of renewable electricity consumption in China

Co-evolution mechanism of policy mix and institutional context of renewable electricity consumption in China

Balancing progress and preservation: analyzing the role of technological innovation in mitigating environmental degradation caused by energy consumption in China

China is undergoing a significant transition as it modernizes its energy consumption system and changes its approach to economic development. However, this transformation comes at the expense of environmental quality. The utilization of technological innovation has emerged as a significant catalyst for China's pursuit of environmentally conscious and sustainable development. Accordingly, this study utilizes panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning the years 1997–2021. The research employs the MMQR and BSQR to conduct an empirical analysis to find the influence of energy consumption (EC) and technological innovation (TI) on environmental degradation (ED). The findings of the research indicate that EC is a prominent manifestation of ED, while TI contributes negatively to ED. The inclusion of an interaction term suggests that the relationship between TI and ED can be influenced by the extent to which energy conservation and emission reduction are improved. The study's conclusion revealed that economic growth, population, and industrial structure are positively associated with CO2 emissions in China. This study offers a set of recommendations for policymakers to formulate policies related to environmental quality.

Would You Want to Buy an Expensive Handbag without a Logo? – The Role of Conspicuous in Luxury Handbag Consumption in China

Would You Want to Buy an Expensive Handbag without a Logo? – The Role of Conspicuous in Luxury Handbag Consumption in China

Temporal and spatial variations of land carbon loss caused by animal-sourced foods consumption in China and the driving factors

The booming animal-sourced foods consumption is a crucial factor driving regional land carbon loss due to the expanded feed use, especially in countries with rapid economic growth. Here, we contribute to revealing the land carbon loss of increased animal-sourced foods consumption in China. Results show that animal-sourced foods consumption in China increased significantly during 2000–2020, especially for beef, dairy and poultry which increased by more than 200 %. As a result, land carbon loss of animal-sourced foods consumption in China has increased by approximately 42 % during the period. Spatially, land carbon loss of animal-sourced foods consumption in most eastern provinces intensified, while that in most western areas declined. The rise of animal-sourced foods consumption per capita was the prominent positive driver for the increase of land carbon loss, while the decline of land carbon loss intensity was the most negative factor. Overall, the booming consumption for animal-sourced foods in China had the dual effects on promoting human dietary and triggering land carbon loss. Therefore, it is essential to formulate strategies for coordinating animal-sourced foods demand and land carbon conservation.

Sustainable Food: Reasons for the Attitude Behavioral Intention Gap among Consumers in Sustainable Consumption

Sustainable consumption is a popular trend today. The formal introduction of the term "sustainable consumption" began at the 1994 Oslo Symposium. Sustainable consumption basically refers to the use of natural, environmentally friendly, and recyclable green resources to serve society, protect the environment, improve quality of life, without affecting the lives and needs of future generations, while meeting the basic needs of humanity. The Chinese government is also actively promoting and deploying research and deployment on sustainable consumption. However, the research and practice process of sustainable consumption in China is not synchronized with developed countries. Compared to developed countries that started deploying and implementing the concept of sustainable consumption earlier, China's economic development stage is slightly behind developed countries, so the policy deployment and implementation of sustainable consumption in China was relatively late. The efforts towards sustainable development will benefit all of us. In the context of the development of sustainable consumption, the sustainability of food is a new industrial model of particular concern today. Sustainable food is cultivated and developed in ecological organic agriculture, and its continuous innovation and development help provide market opportunities for traditional agricultural farmers. The sustainability of food is committed to creating a resilient food system, achieving ecological species diversity and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Modeling the spatiotemporal dynamics of electric power consumption in China from 2000 to 2020 based on multisource remote sensing data and machine learning

China's rising electricity power consumption (EPC) is strongly correlated with carbon emissions. Timely and accurate analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of EPC is important to the realization of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in China. However, due to data quality problems and limitations of modeling methods, the estimation accuracy warrants further improvement. In this study, the EPC in China from 2000 to 2020 was estimated based on multisource remote sensing data using the Random Forest (RF) model. Compared with previous studies, the accuracy of this study was improved by 39%–47%. The reasons were combining multisource remote sensing data can mitigate the quality issues of nighttime light (NTL) data, and the RF can capture the nonlinear relations between remote sensing data and EPC. In addition, the spatial pattern of the average EPC in China was dominated by the low-level EPC, as well as showing an obvious increasing trend. We also found that in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and northern coastal China, the low-speed increase in EPC led to high carbon emissions and emission intensity. We suggest optimizing the fuel fix of energy and adjusting the industrial structure, combining them with scientific and rational spatial planning.

Drunk in China? The Imperative for Effective Interventions Against Alcohol Abuse

Background: Alcohol use and abuse remain prevalent in China, though mounting evidence shows that even drinking in moderation is detrimental to health. While many countries’ intake is on the decline, China’s alcohol consumption is rising fast and is on the path to overtaking countries like the United States, even on a per capita level. Objectives: This paper aims to analyze the danger of lax enforcement of laws and regulations against alcohol use and abuse and underscores the imperative for effective health interventions to curb problematic alcohol consumption in China. Results: Different from their Western counterparts, Chinese drinkers often consume more spirit with a high percentage of alcohol in social settings that encourage the “ganbei culture”—making toasts with alcohol filled to the brim and downed in one go to show respect—which perpetuates excessive drinking at a fast pace. Though the country has various laws and regulations in place to curb problematic alcohol consumption, like workplace drinking, their impacts are dismal. Considering that China has 1.4 billion people, the country’s uncurbed alcohol consumption trend could have a detrimental effect on national strategic objectives like “Healthy China 2030” and international ones like the Sustainable Development Goals. To further compound the situation, prevalent campaigns promoted by liquor companies—like alcohol-infused coffee, chocolate, and ice cream—may groom young people to develop alcohol consumption habits, if not addictions, for generations to come. Conclusions: We developed the Framework of 5Vs of China’s “Ganbei Culture to shed light on the issue, with the hope that it, along with the overarching insights of this paper, can assist health professionals and policymakers in better guarding and improving public health against the harms of alcohol use and abuse in China and beyond.

Application of Time Series Prediction Models in Chinese Electricity Consumption Analysis

Study focuses on the application of time series prediction models in analyzing electricity consumption in China, aiming to promote the intelligentization and sustainable development of the country's power system. The ARIMA model was chosen for this research, incorporating historical electricity data to forecast future consumption. Through a series of steps including data preprocessing, model construction, and prediction analysis, the results indicate a general growth trend in electricity consumption, influenced by seasonal and cyclical factors. By plotting periodic decomposition charts, the study visually reveals the components and patterns of electricity data, providing scientific decision-making support for the planning, scheduling, and management of the electricity industry.

Role of multiple energy sources under carbon neturality goals, income and energy consumption in transition economies: A joint case study between China and Uzbekistan

This study critically reviews policies addressing the role of multiple energy sources in achieving carbon neutrality goals, with a focus on income and energy consumption in transition economies, specifically China and Uzbekistan. As both nations undergo significant economic transitions, their energy consumption patterns are evolving in response to modernization and policy changes. Utilizing data from 2012 to 2022, this study examines the consumption of various energy sources, including coal, wood, electricity, and liquefied natural gas (LNG), within the context of these countries' carbon neutrality objectives. Our findings reveal that income levels significantly influence energy consumption behaviors, with low- and high-income households in both China and Uzbekistan exhibiting distinct preferences for energy sources. The study integrates social survey data, economic variables, and policy analysis to explore how energy consumption is shaped by income disparities, fluctuating prices, and environmental goals. By drawing on historical contexts and previous scholarly works, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between income, energy use, and policy in transition economies. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to develop sustainable energy strategies that align with carbon neutrality goals while addressing the unique challenges of income disparity and energy consumption in China and Uzbekistan.

Intersection of the digital economy, redundant resources, and enterprise innovation: Unveiling the significance of Firm's resource consumption in China

In the era of the digital economy, the significance of green technological innovation for enterprises' sustainable development is pivotal. Effectively utilizing redundant resources is crucial to enterprises' sustainable development and innovation. Given this, we explore the impact of the digital economy and redundant resources on enterprises' green technology innovation. It uses a double fixed-effects model on the enterprise-level data of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2013 to 2021. The study shows that developing the digital economy can significantly enhance enterprises' green technology innovation. The effect is more obvious in high-tech enterprises, non-heavily polluted enterprises, enterprises in the eastern region, and non-state-owned enterprises. It also test the mediating effect of redundant resources and find that the digital economy can help enterprises exploit unabsorbed redundant resources, absorbed redundant resources, and organizational redundant resources, reduce the negative impacts of redundant resources on enterprises, and enhance their level of green technological innovation. It offer valuable policy suggestions.

Determinants of Non-Hydro Renewable Energy Consumption in China’s Provincial Regions

This study investigates the determinants of non-hydro renewable energy (NHRE) consumption across 31 provincial regions in China, spanning from 2015 to 2022. Utilizing fixed effects and moderating effects, the research analyzes the impacts of research and development intensity (RDI), urbanization (UR), and human capital (HC) on NHRE consumption (NHREC). Additionally, the moderating roles of industrial structure (IS) and tax (TA) are examined, along with control variables such as informationization and economic development. The findings reveal that increased RDI significantly boosts NHREC by enhancing technological advancements. UR also positively affects NHREC, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions, while HC provides a skilled workforce that drives renewable energy projects. However, the study identifies that concentrated industrial structures and high taxes can negatively moderate these positive impacts, highlighting the complex interplay of these factors. Policy recommendations include creating “Renewable Energy Innovation Hubs” in underdeveloped regions to attract startups and researchers, developing “Solar Cities” with mandated solar panels on all buildings, and introducing a “Carbon Offset Lottery” to incentivize investments in renewable energy.