Upgrading Of Consumption Structure Research Articles

Does mobile payment foster low-carbon lifestyles? Evidence from Alipay's “collecting five blessings” campaign

The widespread use of digital technology has driven a huge change in the way payments are made. Based on the micro-data of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper explores the relationship between mobile payment and carbon emissions from the consumption side. With the exogenous impact of Alipay's "Collecting Five Blessings" campaign, this paper finds that mobile payment significantly increases household consumption carbon emissions, but the marginal effect is gradually decreasing. Mechanism analysis shows that mobile payment mainly realizes the above impact through promoting the increase of consumption expenditure and upgrading of consumption structure. Further analysis indicates that carbon reduction policies introduced by the Chinese government in the personal consumption sector can mitigate the carbon emissions growth associated with mobile payments. Still, there is a need to strengthen policy measures further to effectively address the issue of rising carbon emissions from household consumption.

Digital financial inclusion and upgrading of consumption structure: Evidence from rural China

Based on the perspective of spatial economy, this paper focuses on the primary effects and spatial characteristics of Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) on the upgrading of rural consumption structure (URCS) in China, conducting a literature review and theoretical analysis. It then uses statistical data collected over the years and the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFII) of Peking University to prepare panel data for 31 provinces in China (aside from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) from 2011 to 2020 for empirical testing. The results are as follows: DFI can considerably boost URCS, and there is a strong spatial neighbor impact, that is, it is affected by random shocks in surrounding provinces via its spatial effect; DFI has nonlinear characteristics in the process of fostering URCS, with the threshold variables of income level and family sizes; the impact of DFI on URCS is spatially heterogeneous, and the promotion of the eastern region is better than other zones. These results can inform policymakers about rural development and provide valuable references to push forward rural vitalization.

Impact of the Urban-Rural Income Disparity on Carbon Emission Efficiency Based on a Dual Perspective of Consumption Level and Structure

Utilizing Chinese provincial panel data from 2006–2019, this paper applies the super-efficient epsilon-based measure (EBM) model including non-desired output to measure carbon emission efficiency (CE) and analyze spatio-temporal characteristics of CE, in which social fixed asset investment, energy consumption and urban employment per unit are used as input indicators and regional GDP and CO2 emissions are used as output indicators. Additionally, we use the spatial Durbin model to explore the impact of urban-rural income disparity (URID) on carbon emission efficiency and its spatial spillover effect and explore indirect mechanisms of consumption level and consumption structure on CE using mediating effect test. The results showed that: (1) The national CE level generally declined between 2006–2012 and fluctuated upward from 2013–2019. The trend of regional CE showed “high in the east and low in the west”. (2) The “inverted U” model accurately reflects the relationship between national CE and URID, with a “U” shaped association in the central, western, and northeastern regions, and a positive correlation with consumption level and consumption structure. (3) There is a significant mediating effect of consumption level and structure in the mechanism of URID in regulating CE. Local governments should adopt local policies, take measures to narrow URID and CLD, advocate low-carbon and environmentally friendly living for residents, and promote the upgrading of consumption structure to boost carbon emission efficiency.

Nonlinear Effect of Digital Economy on Urban–Rural Consumption Gap: Evidence from a Dynamic Panel Threshold Analysis

Reducing the disparity in consumption between urban and rural areas, as a critical component in mitigating the economic imbalance between them, holds significant importance in enhancing people’s sense of well-being and achieving collective prosperity. This research investigated the nonlinear impact of the digital economy and its sub-dimensions, including digital industrialization, industrial digitization, and the digital environment, on the urban–rural consumption disparity. We employed a systematic GMM and a dynamic panel threshold regression model and utilized dynamic panel data from 30 provinces in China. Our research reveals that the impact of digital economic development on the urban–rural consumption gap displays an inverted U-shaped nonlinear relationship of widening and then narrowing. This effect is primarily determined by the process of digital industrialization. The digital economy exerts a notable impact on the urban–rural consumption gap, with significant threshold effects identified for the income gap, the education gap, and financial expenditure for livelihoods; these threshold effects exhibit variation across the three sub-dimensions of the digital economy. Further analysis reveals that the digital economy plays a vital role in reducing the disparity between urban and rural hedonic and developmental consumption, while promoting the optimization and upgrading of consumption structure. Upon accounting for regional disparities in urbanization rates, it has been observed that the digital economy’s dampening effect on the urban–rural consumption gap is notably more pronounced in areas with lower rates of urbanization. To more effectively leverage the positive impact of the digital economy on bridging the urban–rural consumption divide, it is recommended that the government accelerate the establishment of a digital environment in rural areas, encourage the integration of digital industries with traditional rural industries, and optimize the investment structure of livelihood-based finance. These measures would help to create a more conducive environment for the digital economy to thrive and could contribute to narrowing the consumption gap between urban and rural areas.

Research on the Influence of Circulation Innovation on the Upgrading of Consumption Structure

Based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database, the paper examines the impact of circulation innovation on household consumption upgrading by building a two-way fixed panel model. The study found that circulation innovation can significantly promote the upgrading of residents' consumption structure, that is, provide upgrading of consumption objects, cater to the upgrading of consumption patterns, and meet the change of consumption concepts from three aspects of product innovation, channel innovation, and service innovation, fully identify consumers' purchase preferences, and stimulate consumers' internal needs.

Research on the Effects of Digital Supply Chain Transformation on the Operational Performance of Retail Enterprises

In the face of the upgrading of consumption structure and the sudden change and development of the economy, China’s retail industry has also shown an overall positive industry trend. This paper focuses on the major premise of digital transformation, discusses the status quo of retail enterprises, and analyzes the opportunity and necessity of the digital transformation of the supply chain driven by the development of digital technology and the “dual circulation” national policy. Through literature reading, many scholars have also realized the important role of digitization in improving supply chain capabilities. This paper first analyzes the current situation of Chinese retail enterprises and expounds on the significance of digitalization. Use the literature to study the role of digital technology on the development of retail enterprises and analyze the problems existing in the supply chain of retail enterprises under the background of digitalization. Research shows that transformation pain points can be improved through the intervention of consumer-centric supply chain value, digital infrastructure, trust mechanisms, omnichannel logistics platforms, and national policy support. As a result, this study holds that integrating digital technology may significantly boost retail businesses' performance as well as their fundamental competitiveness.

Impacts of Upgrading of Consumption Structure and Human Capital Level on Carbon Emissions—Empirical Evidence Based on China’s Provincial Panel Data

Carbon emission reduction (CER) is increasingly becoming a global issue. This study explored the impact mechanism of upgrading of consumption structure (UCS) and human capital level (HC) on carbon emissions, and an empirical test was carried out using the provincial panel data from 2000 to 2019 in China. The results show the following: (1) China’s UCS could significantly curb carbon emissions. (2) At present, China’s HC is positively correlated with carbon emissions. The higher the level of human capital, the less conducive to CER. Additionally, the moderating effect of HC could inhibit the CER induced by UCS. (3) Regional heterogeneity analysis showed that the UCS in the central and western regions of China was conducive to CER, while the estimated coefficient of UCS on CER in the eastern region was not significant. (4) The UCS could reduce carbon emissions by stimulating the mediating effect of industrial upgrading. Based on empirical study results, this study proposes policy suggestions that can help reduce China’s carbon emissions.

Digital inclusive finance and rural consumption structure – evidence from Peking University digital inclusive financial index and China household finance survey

PurposeThis paper examines the impact and mechanism of China's digital inclusive finance on rural consumption upgrade. First, the impact of the development of digital inclusive finance on the upgrading of rural household consumption structure is to be theoretically analyzed and empirically tested. Secondly, in terms of heterogeneity analysis, it pays attention to the age heterogeneity of users that digital inclusive finance influencing rural residents' developmental consumption upgrade, which is related to the issue of intergenerational “digital gap”. Thirdly, the mechanism of digital inclusive finance in promoting rural consumption upgrade is to be investigated. Finally, how to promote the role of digital inclusive finance in upgrading the structure of rural consumption to a developmental demand level will be showed.Design/methodology/approachFrom the perspective of the micro-household, this study is conducted by using the instrumental variable (IV) method, with 2SLS model and IV-Tobit model, based on the matched city-level data of Digital Inclusive Financial Index (DIFI) with the Chinese Household Financial Survey (CHFS). “The relief degree of land surface” is an ideal instrumental variable of digital inclusive finance, for including regional altitude difference and terrain factors of regional area, has theoretical influence on the development of digital inclusive finance, and is not affected by other economic variables.FindingsThe conclusions show that the digital inclusive finance plays a significant role in promoting the rural households' developmental consumption, but has no significant effect on the rural households' survival-type consumption and hedonistic consumption. Furthermore, this paper examines the impact and mechanism of China's digital inclusive finance on rural consumption upgrade. First, the impact of the development of digital inclusive finance on the upgrading of rural household consumption structure is to be theoretically analyzed and empirically tested. Secondly, it is discovered that digital inclusive finance is age heterogeneous in promoting the upgrade of consumption structure of rural household, and its effect on the elderly is weaker than that on the young for the intergenerational “digital gap”. Thirdly, these conclusions reveal that the digital inclusive finance does affect the consumption of rural residents through three mechanisms: increasing income and wealth, easing liquidity constraints and facilitating payment methods. Finally, how to promote the role of digital inclusive finance in upgrading the structure of rural consumption to a developmental demand level will be showed.Originality/valueThe current research on the relationship between digital inclusive finance and rural consumption only stays at the level of total rural consumption and has not stressed the structural problems of rural consumption. Can digital inclusive finance promote the upgrade of rural consumption structure? To what level can digital inclusive finance promote the upgrading of rural consumption structure? Therefore, it is of great theoretical value to study the upgrading of rural consumption structure from the micro level. Can the current digital inclusive finance benefit the elderly and help break the vulnerability of the elderly to enjoy finance? In this regard, evidence of heterogeneity remains to be provided.

Effect of Chinese industrial structure upgrading on household consumption structure: evidence from CHIP data

Based on the data of Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) and 117 cities in 2007 and 2013, this paper analyzed the effect of industrial structure upgrading on household consumption structure by using the ordinary least square method and quantile regression method. The following conclusions were drawn. Firstly, the upgrading of industrial structure can significantly promote the upgrading of household consumption structure. Secondly, compared with the low-level consumption structure households, the industrial structure upgrading has a stronger impact on households with high-level consumption structure. With the increase of quantile level, the influence of industrial structure upgrading on the upgrading of residents' consumption structure can gradually increase. Therefore, the government should actively promote the supply-side reform and the upgrading of industrial structure, which would be conducive to the upgrading of consumption structure.

Access to the Internet and the Chinese household consumption structure: Based on IV regression and PSM analysis

Based on the data of China’s Household Finance Survey (CHFS) in 2017 consisting of 38230 samples across China, this paper uses the instrument variable (IV) regression method and the propensity score matching (PSM) technique to study the influence of access to the Internet on the household consumption structure. The conclusions are as follows: first, access to the Internet is conducive to the upgrading of the consumption structure of the residents. Increase of the income, assets and education level could upgrade the consumption structure. Second, people who do not use the Internet will upgrade the consumption structure if they use the Internet, but the upgrading degree of the consumption structure is limited by the income level. Third, from the regional perspective, the Internet can promote the upgrading of consumption structure in the eastern and western regions of China, but it has no significant effect on the consumption structure in the central and northeast regions.

An Empirical Study on Residents' Consumption Changes Based on the Development of Commercial Annuity

The relationship between the level of pension insurance development and the consumption of Chinese residents is a topic of constant debate. However, few scholars have analyzed residents' consumption behavior based on the level of commercial annuity development. Using China's 2010-2018 inter-provincial panel data, this article builds a dynamic panel regression model to explore the impact of the development of commercial annuities on household consumption and its structure. In addition, the paper also compares the impact of the protection levels of basic pension insurance and commercial annuity on household consumption. The results show that the per capita disposable income of residents is still the main factor that promotes residents’ consumption. The improvement of commercial annuity and basic endowment insurance will help to promote residents' consumption, and the effect of commercial annuity's promotion on residents' consumption is more significant. In promoting the optimization and upgrading of consumption structure, commercial annuity insurance plays a more significant role than residents' income level and basic pension insurance. Based on the regression results, this article suggests that efforts should be made to increase the income level of residents and promote consumption from the root cause. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the commercial pension insurance system as soon as possible and steadily promote the coordinated development of the "three pillars" pension insurance system.

Study on the Influence of Household Consumption on Energy Consumption under the Threshold of Rising House Price

In order to understand the impact of residents’ consumption on energy consumption in a more comprehensive way, this paper divides the residents’ consumption into two dimensions: total consumption and consumption structure, and introduces the house price as the threshold variable, using the provincial data of 2007-2017, constructs the panel threshold model of residents’ consumption on energy consumption. The results show that: the total consumption and consumption structure of residents have a double threshold effect on energy consumption; the promotion of total consumption promotes energy consumption, while the upgrading of consumption structure restrains energy consumption; when the rise of house price is in the middle level, due to the “wealth effect” caused by the rise of house price, the rise of total consumption and consumption structure The upgrading of the structure has the strongest effect on energy consumption, but when the house price further rises beyond the maximum threshold, the “crowding effect” brought by the rising house price will significantly weaken the impact of total consumption and consumption upgrading on energy consumption.

Research on the Impact of upgrading of consumption structure on energy intensity under the background of urban and rural dual economy

Based on the current situation of dual economic structure of urban and rural areas in China, this paper takes urban and rural areas as two independent research objects, and constructs the panel threshold regression model of consumption structure upgrading on energy consumption intensity. The results show that the upgrading of regional urban residents’ consumption structure has double threshold effect on energy intensity, and the upgrading of urban residents’ consumption structure has a restraining effect on energy intensity. With the upgrading of per capita income, it first decreases and then increases; the upgrading of regional rural residents’ consumption structure has a double threshold effect on energy intensity, the upgrading of rural residents’ consumption structure will significantly inhibit the energy intensity when the per capita income of residents is in the maximum range. In addition, under the threshold of per capita income, compared with rural areas, the upgrading of consumption structure of urban residents has a more prominent effect on the inhibition of energy intensity.

Is the energy efficiency improvement conducive to the saving of residential electricity consumption in China?

The urbanization process and the continuous upgrading of consumption structure have driven the rapid growth of China’s residential electricity consumption, making it urgent to strengthen energy conservation and emission reduction in the residential sector. Improving the efficiency of electricity use is an effective method to reduce the consumption of electricity, but the rebound effect (RE) also emerges. Is it still conducive to saving electricity? In response to this question, this article selects the relevant data in China during 2010–2016 to construct the panel linear model and the panel threshold model respectively to analyze the direct RE of residential electricity consumption. The results show that: (1) The average RE of China’s residential electricity use is 84.94%. It indicates that energy efficiency improvement can lower residents’ electricity use, but only 15.06% of the expected target can be achieved. (2) The direct RE in high-income regime (PGDP>76023.67) and low-income regime (PGDP≤76023.67) is 59.15% and 80.79% respectively, meaning that energy efficiency measures in the high-income regime are more effective. (3) The direct RE in the high-population regime (POP>6083.28) and low-population regime (POP≤6083.68) is 120.09% and 83.91% respectively, indicating that energy efficiency improvement in the high-population regime has intensified residents’ electricity consumption. Therefore, to maximum energy saving effect, the government should take the inter-provincial heterogeneity of the RE into consideration and introduce market-oriented measures such as price and tax to restrain it.

Research on Energy Consumption Benchmark Index System and Evaluation of Thermal Power Unit

With the acceleration of industrialization, urbanization and the continuous upgrading of consumption structure, China’s energy demand has grown rigidly. The coal-based energy structure has caused China’s economic development to face severe environmental pressures. Energy conservation and emission reduction in the power industry has become an inevitable development trend. In order to strengthen energy consumption management and control in the thermal power industry, improve energy efficiency, and comprehensively implement energy efficiency benchmarking, this paper establishes thermal energy plant energy consumption index system according to the characteristics of thermal power plant energy consumption, and uses multi-attribute decision-making methods to evaluate the index system for China’s thermal power generation and provide theoretical guidance for energy transformation, energy conservation and emission reduction.

Housing Price and Upgrading of Consumption Structure of Urban Residents in China

This paper uses China Family Panel Studies of 2012 and 2014 year. The data examined the impact of rising housing prices on upgrading the consumption structure of urban residents. It turns out, in terms of the body, the rise in housing prices has inhibited the upgrading of the household consumption structure. For the family that rents commercial housing in the market, the rise has significantly inhibited the upgrading of the household consumption structure. The change of the proportion of high-level consumption structure to housing price is the most sensitive. For households with homes, if prices go up, the increase will significantly increase the share of households with multiple homes in the development and enjoyment of consumer spending, that is to say, multiple housing families have a greater wealth effect in the face of rising house prices. For households with one home, the wealth effect is not obvious, and the rise in house prices remains inhibitory effect, but not significant.

Research on technology clusters and the energy efficiency of energy-saving retrofits of existing office buildings in different climatic regions

BackgroundDuring the period of the “12th Five-Year Plan,” energy demand exhibited a rigorous growth trend along with the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization and the constant upgrading of consumption structure. Therefore, the path that all cities and provinces must take towards sustainable development required by the “13th Five-Year Plan” is to enhance research on the energy efficiency of buildings, especially existing buildings; sufficiently evaluate regional building energy demands and the characteristics of resources and environment; and formulate regional technical measures and policies for building practical energy efficiency measures.MethodsIn this research, building energy-saving technologies are classified into four categories, i.e., green energy efficiency technologies for building envelopes, renewable energy sources, HVAC equipment systems, and architectural environment control systems. The existing office buildings representing different architectural climatic regions (cold region A, cold region B, and hot-summer cold-winter region) under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi province, China, are selected as the objects of research to discuss “typical buildings” in-depth.Results and conclusionsThe research finds that even for buildings of the same type, the energy efficiency retrofit technologies selected for them are quite different because the buildings are situated in different climatic regions. For example, in regard to the materials, such as low-E hollow glass doors and windows, high transparency materials should be selected for cold regions, whereas sun-shading materials should be selected for hot-summer cold-winter regions. In comparison with the Standard for Energy Consumption of Civil Buildings (GB/T 51161-2016), the energy consumption of the existing office buildings that have been retrofitted can basically reach the threshold values specified by the national standard, but there is still a distance from the guideline values, which is related to the technology clusters selected and the economic category and can be corrected in practical applications.This research establishes technology cluster systems for energy efficiency retrofits that are suitable for different climatic regions. This work also assists relevant departments in formulating the local energy use quotas for existing public buildings, promotes the management of energy efficiency by local governments for public buildings, and provides theoretical and technical support for the low-carbon ecological development of Chinese cities.