Energy Efficiency In Provinces Research Articles

Spatial Convergence of Carbon Productivity: Theoretical Analysis and Chinese Experience.

Based on the neoclassical framework, we propose the convergence hypothesis of carbon productivity under sustainable growth and prove the different effects of knowledge spillover and technology diffusion on convergence. The convergence hypothesis is tested using China’s provincial spatial dynamic panel data from 1995 to 2019. The results show that China’s provincial carbon productivity has conditional convergence and club convergence characteristics. The convergence speed of dynamic panel regression estimation is greater than that of cross-sectional regression. The convergence rate of dynamic spatial panel regression estimation is faster depending on the spatial spillover difference between the two technologies. In the early stage, the provincial spatial dependence of China’s carbon productivity is mainly knowledge spillover, and the convergence rate is lower than that of the closed economy. Over the past decade, the spatial spillover, dominated by low-carbon technology diffusion, has become the dominant force. The convergence rate is significantly faster than that of a non-spatial-dependent economy. In addition, the mechanism test found that the development of energy efficiency dominates the spatial transfer of technology, so the overall convergence of carbon productivity in China mainly comes from the apparent convergence of energy efficiency in provinces and cities. Our conclusion provides a new reference for the emission reduction actions of countries worldwide because the spatial knowledge spillover carried by capital flows is not conducive to the pursuit of carbon productivity in less developed regions. On the contrary, the dissemination and diffusion of low-carbon technologies can significantly reduce carbon equivalent input in the production process, accelerating the pursuit of developing countries or regions.

Does Environmental Policy Promote Energy Efficiency? Evidence From China in the Context of Developing Green Finance

In response to the dilemma between economic development and environmental protection, green finance is an effective tool for environmental regulation. Based on the stochastic frontier analysis method to measure the energy efficiency of China’s provinces from 2001 to 2017, the promotion effect of green finance on energy efficiency and the intermediary effect of green technology innovation are tested and analyzed in our study. The results show that green finance can significantly improve energy efficiency. Specifically, green finance makes stronger effect on energy efficiency in provinces with rich resource endowments, high levels of economic development, and high degree of marketization. Green finance can improve energy efficiency through the development of new energy technologies and disruptive green innovation, which provides important supports for formulating policies to optimize energy structure and improve energy efficiency.

A spatial shift-share decomposition of energy consumption changes in China

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to investigate the changes in the regional energy consumption at the provincial level in China from 2007 to 2016 by introducing a spatial shift-share decomposition approach to measure the neighborhood effect on the regional energy efficiency change through the establishment of a spatial weight matrix considering the geographical and economic proximity. Using this decomposition method, the regional advantage (or disadvantage) in energy efficiency can be revealed, excluding the influence of neighborhood performance in terms of energy efficiency. The results indicate that a shift from energy intensive industrial productions toward the less energy intensive service sector occurs in almost all provinces of China over the period observed; there is significant spatial differentiation on the spatial decomposition of the efficiency change component across provinces, and the changes in energy efficiency in provinces of Jing-Jin-Ji, Yangtze River Delta, Chengdu-Chongqing, Guanzhong Plain, Pan-Pearl River Delta city agglomeration and the three provinces in Northeast China are mainly affected by the neighborhood effect. Our empirical findings suggest that energy policy making should be more concerned about the spatial correlation and coupling effects of energy consumption, especially in the national urban agglomeration of China.

Regional Total Factor Energy Efficiency Evaluation of China: The Perspective of Social Welfare

The energy resource is an essential input of economic growth, which has an important impact on the ecological environment and social welfare. From the perspective of social welfare, considering the radial and non-radial characteristics of different input and output indicators, and the inseparability of the energy input and undesirable output, this study employs the non-separable hybrid DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model to evaluate the total energy efficiency of Chinese provinces between 2012 and 2016. Furthermore, this study calculates the energy saving and emission reduction potentials of China. The results reveal that the average total factor energy efficiency in China from 2012 to 2016 is 0.694, which means that there are still 30.6% energy efficiency losses. There is great potential for China to save energy, reduce pollutant emissions, and increase the output of social welfare. There are great differences in the total factor energy efficiency among provinces. The average energy saving potential of the whole country is 60.5%. If the energy efficiency of all provinces can reach the frontier, the whole country can save more than half of the energy consumption. The highest national average emission reduction potential is SO2, followed by dust, CO2, and NOX. The implication of the conclusion is that in the development of regional economy, we cannot sacrifice the social welfare and sustainable development and take the growth rate of GDP as the only objective. Different energy saving and emission reduction policies should be put forward according to the characteristics of different provinces.