中国金融包容性发展、经济增长与碳排放

改革开放以来,中国经济高速增长,为中国崛起提供了重要的物质基础与保障。然而,粗放型经济发展模式也导致严重的资源环境问题。金融是现代经济发展核心,实现中国绿色低碳经济发展离不开金融支持。本文首先在分析金融发展、经济增长对碳排放的作用机制基础上,提出以下研究假说:(1)金融发展对碳排放存在正、负两种效应,其综合效应的大小取决于两种效应的相对大小。(2)环境库兹涅兹曲线假说并不是稳健的,其成立与计量方法、研究区域等选取有关。(3)金融发展对碳排放的影响在不同经济发展阶段与金融发展水平下存在门槛效应。(4)空间异质性对金融发展与碳排放之间关系存在显著影响。随后构建动态面板模型与面板门槛模型,应用系统GMM、固定效应、随机效应等多种估计方法,在核算中国各省份金融包容性发展指数与碳排放基础上,结合省级面板数据,并分东、中、西区域,对以上假说进行实证检验与分析。得出以下结论:(1)中国金融包容性发展呈现区域性差异,东部金融发展明显优于中西部地区。(2)当前中国金融发展有利于减少碳排放,促进低碳经济发展。(3)当以金融发展为门槛变量时,金融发展的碳减排效应是逐渐弱化的。(4)当以经济增长作为门槛变量时,金融发展的碳减排效应是逐渐增强的。(5)空间异质性影响金融发展与碳排放之间关系——中西部区域内金融发展有利于减少碳排放;东部区域内金融发展却导致碳排放增加。最后,本文从强化金融在绿色低碳经济发展中的作用、创新开放格局等方面提出政策建议。     

经济增长压力下金融集聚对碳排放效率的影响北大核心CSCDCSSCI

“双碳”目标是推动中国经济社会绿色低碳和高质量发展的重要抓手。金融业是现代经济的核心,在应对气候变化和绿色低碳发展方面发挥着重要作用。金融集聚是金融业的发展趋势和显著特征,其与绿色发展的关系受到广泛关注。文章首先构建包含金融部门和非金融部门的两部门产出密度模型,从理论机理上分析金融集聚对碳排放效率的影响;其次以2005—2018年中国省级面板数据为研究样本,采用非径向方向距离函数和SBM‑DEA模型测度省级碳排放效率,基于面板平滑转移模型实证检验金融集聚对碳排放效率的非线性影响;最后构建调节效应模型考察经济增长压力对两者关系的调节效应。研究发现:①金融集聚对碳排放效率具有显著的平滑转移效应。金融集聚处于较低水平时会抑制碳排放效率;随着金融集聚水平逐渐提高,会转而促进碳排放效率。②经济增长压力对金融集聚和碳排放效率之间的关系具有显著的调节效应。适度的经济增长压力正向调节金融集聚对碳排放效率的影响,且使得金融集聚的阈值提前;过度的经济增长压力负向调节金融集聚对碳排放效率的影响,且使得金融集聚的阈值延后。以上结论在替换被解释变量、变换估计方法、考虑受限变量、剔除直辖市样本及考虑内生性采用IV‑Tobit模型再估计之后均成立。基于此提出:合理配置金融资源,积极发挥金融集聚的辐射作用,稳步提升金融服务实体经济的质量和效率;革新官员考核标准,做好经济增长目标的预期管理,引导形成契合地方发展现状的经济预期。     

中国低碳试点城市的碳排放特征与碳减排路径研究北大核心CSCDCSSCI

城市既是温室气体排放最主要的领域,也是易受到气候变化影响的领域,实现城市的碳减排已成为全球应对气候变化日益重要的举措。中国正在经历全球规模最大、速度最快的城镇化进程,城市的低碳发展对于中国实现应对气候变化目标,推进生态文明建设,实现经济、社会与环境的共赢意义重大。2010年7月以来,中国国家发展和改革委员会先后开展了三批87个低碳省区和低碳城市的试点工作。根据低碳城市试点的进展,本文采用Tapio脱钩模型考察低碳试点城市经济增长与碳排放总量变动之间的关系,并根据脱钩弹性系数的大小将低碳试点城市分为低碳成熟型、低碳成长型、低碳后发型三种。在对城市进行分类的基础上采用STIRPAT模型,考察经济规模、能源结构、产业结构、城镇化水平等因素和碳排放总量和人均碳排放量之间的关系,识别不同驱动因素对试点城市碳排放的影响,依据碳排放驱动因素识别不同类型城市的减排路径。研究结论表明,对于低碳成熟型城市,大力发展可再生能源,加大研发投入是有效的减排途径;对于低碳成长型城市,优化产业结构,提升城镇化质量是减少碳排放的关键;对于低碳后发型城市,实现低碳发展需在促进经济增长的基础上,加快淘汰落后产能,加速产业升级转型。同时,位于东、中、西不同区域的低碳试点城市呈现出不同的碳排放特征,未来在探索差异化、多元化的城市减排路径时,区域性的绿色低碳协同发展有利于实现城市碳减排的目标。     

中国低碳试点城市的碳排放特征与碳减排路径研究

城市既是温室气体排放最主要的领域,也是易受到气候变化影响的领域,实现城市的碳减排已成为全球应对气候变化日益重要的举措。中国正在经历全球规模最大、速度最快的城镇化进程,城市的低碳发展对于中国实现应对气候变化目标,推进生态文明建设,实现经济、社会与环境的共赢意义重大。2010年7月以来,中国国家发展和改革委员会先后开展了三批87个低碳省区和低碳城市的试点工作。根据低碳城市试点的进展,本文采用Tapio脱钩模型考察低碳试点城市经济增长与碳排放总量变动之间的关系,并根据脱钩弹性系数的大小将低碳试点城市分为低碳成熟型、低碳成长型、低碳后发型三种。在对城市进行分类的基础上采用STIRPAT模型,考察经济规模、能源结构、产业结构、城镇化水平等因素和碳排放总量和人均碳排放量之间的关系,识别不同驱动因素对试点城市碳排放的影响,依据碳排放驱动因素识别不同类型城市的减排路径。研究结论表明,对于低碳成熟型城市,大力发展可再生能源,加大研发投入是有效的减排途径;对于低碳成长型城市,优化产业结构,提升城镇化质量是减少碳排放的关键;对于低碳后发型城市,实现低碳发展需在促进经济增长的基础上,加快淘汰落后产能,加速产业升级转型。同时,位于东、中、西不同区域的低碳试点城市呈现出不同的碳排放特征,未来在探索差异化、多元化的城市减排路径时,区域性的绿色低碳协同发展有利于实现城市碳减排的目标。     

中国省际区域碳减排差异问题的研究进展

气候变化已经成为人类发展的一大挑战。2009年中国政府正式提出了温室气体减排计划,承诺到2020年单位GDP温室气体排放量比2005年下降40%至45%。节能减排是中国可持续发展的内在要求,无论国际气候谈判进展如何中国都将坚定不移地走绿色低碳发展之路。国家宏观层面明确的碳减排目标最终需要在区域层次上具体落实。中国城镇化正处于战略转型的重要阶段,城镇化的推进需要探索均衡、协调和可持续的发展之路。低碳发展和区域均衡协调发展既是挑战也是机遇。本文着重对省际区域碳排放核算方法、省际区域碳排放的区域格局及转移、省际区域碳排放的动因、排放绩效和省际区域碳排放目标分解设定进行回顾和述评。通过对国内外相关研究系统地进行了归纳和总结,本文客观分析和评价了以上四个问题的研究现状和存在的问题。最后对中国省际区域碳减排差异问题的重点领域和发展方向进行了展望,为政策研究与理论研究提供参考。为了建立科学合理可行促进区域均衡发展的差异化区域碳减排政策,未来还需要进一步关注深化研究的主题包括:1省际区域碳排放核算方法需要建立统一的标准,从生产者和消费者共同承担责任的视角核算省际区域碳排放是未来的研究方向。2从微观角度考虑企业决策导致的东中西部区域间产业转移与碳排放之间的相互关系研究是未来研究的难点和重点。3中国碳减排目标总量地区分解属于命令与控制的行政手段控制碳排放的政策工具。区域碳减排目标的设定需要考虑对改变地方官员和企业决策方式的促进作用。总量目标的有效设定是总量控制与交易的前提。4不同行业、不同区域设定"共同但有区别"的碳减排目标需要与国家战略保持一致的同时体现行业和区域特点。中国幅员辽阔,合理的政策设计需要体现行业和区域特点,不同行业和地区需要分阶段采取不同的推进策略。省际区域碳减排差异研究的几个主要问题都面临着所需有效数据的可获得性的制约以及经济社会发展的不确定性的挑战。     

长江经济带碳减排潜力与低碳发展策略

为长江经济带低碳发展需要,借助长江经济带11省市2005～2014年间相关数据,对长江经济带及区域间的碳排放、能源强度、碳吸收进行测算,并探讨长江经济带未来低碳发展策略,分析 “高碳情景”与“低碳情景”下2030年各区域的碳减排潜力。研究发现：长江经济带碳排放聚集度较高且整体增速趋缓。东部区域碳排放均值最大,西部区域最小。中部区域碳排放增速最快,东部区域最慢。西部区域能源强度最高,东部区域最低;但中部区域能源强度降幅最大,东部区域降幅最小。西部区域碳汇能力最强,东部区域最弱。基于以上发现,从碳减排责任划分、低碳消费、清洁能源替代、高耗能产业优化以及区域生态质量提升等方面提出相关策略,力图实现碳源面的直接碳减排与碳汇面的相对碳减排。最后,经预测可知：2030年,长江经济带“低碳情景”比“高碳情景”减少碳排放约12亿t,中部区域将成为碳排放主要来源地     

长三角地区碳排放效率时空特征及影响因素分析

长三角区域一体化发展战略上升为国家战略,要求建立区域间协调机制,引导低碳产业,弥补绿色发展的短板。掌握长三角地区碳排放效率时空特征及其影响因素,对长三角地区低碳高效发展及顺利实现碳减排目标具有重要的现实意义。基于考虑非期望产出的SBM-DEA模型与窗口分析相结合的方法,测算碳排放效率,利用传统统计分析与空间分析相结合的方法,分析了1995～2017年长三角地区碳排放效率时空特征,并考虑空间因素,构建空间杜宾面板模型分析其影响因素。结果表明:(1)1995～2017年碳排放效率总体呈波动变化趋势。2017年,上海、苏州和无锡的碳排放效率为1。碳排放效率绝对差异与相对差异呈波动变化,且变化趋势基本一致。碳排放效率存在不均衡现象。(2)碳排放效率区域差异明显,2005年后,空间格局变化不大,上海、苏州和无锡形成了碳排放效率高值区。碳排放效率重心主要分布在南京市,总体向西北移动。(3)空间杜宾面板模型结果表明:提高技术水平是改变碳排放效率的重要途径。城镇化和空间因素对碳排放效率具有明显的正向作用;外商投资、单位GDP能耗和生态环境对碳排放效率具有明显的负向作用。     

低碳省区试点政策的净碳减排效应北大核心CSCDCSSCI

低碳试点是实现中国绿色发展的一项重要政策,旨在探索和推广工业化与城镇化过程中低碳建设的做法及经验。客观评估低碳省区试点政策效果,有助于更好积累和推广省级层面的低碳建设经验,进而全面推进绿色化进程与生态文明建设。作者基于2000—2017年中国26个省区的面板数据,采用合成控制法从人均碳排放和碳强度两个方面,对辽宁、广东、陕西、湖北、云南和海南等6个“低碳省区”试点政策的净碳减排效应进行分析和评价,并通过安慰剂检验和双重差分(DID)估计对政策效应的稳健性进行验证和补充分析。研究发现:低碳省区试点政策下,辽宁和湖北的人均碳排放和碳强度均显著下降,即政策效应双有效;广东和云南的人均碳排放显著下降,而这两个省区的碳强度变动并非源于低碳试点政策;低碳省区试点对陕西和海南的碳减排均无效,相反,这两个省区的碳强度以及陕西的人均碳排放显著上升。分析认为,导致各省区净碳减排效应异质性的因素有以下四点:①工业占地区生产总值比重越低,越有利于人均碳排放控制;省区经济水平越高,即人均地区生产总值越高,越有利于碳强度控制。②碳排放权交易试点政策叠加有效促进碳减排。③政策实施前,省区人均碳排放和碳强度指标越低,其减排空间越小,减排难度越大。④经济发展和产业结构优化的惯性作用会长效推进碳减排。有鉴于此,提出以下建议:在省级层面合理布局低碳产业,特别是低能耗、低排放的第三产业,有效降低能源消费;推动人均碳排放和碳强度较高的省区率先减排;加大对经济欠发达省区的节能减排资金与技术支持;加快全国碳排放权交易市场的建设与完善,形成长效的低碳发展机制,实现生态绿色和经济增长和谐共赢。     

绿色信贷能发挥碳减排效应吗？

绿色信贷是推进低碳经济发展的市场型环境规制工具,然而其碳减排效应及影响机制仍有待进一步检验。该研究在厘清绿色信贷影响碳减排理论机制的基础上,运用包含非期望产出的固定效应随机前沿模型测算2000—2019年中国156个城市的全要素碳生产率,从生产率、强度和总量三个维度实证检验绿色信贷的碳减排效应及作用渠道和调节机制。研究发现：(1)绿色信贷具有碳减排效应,主要表现为显著提高全要素碳生产率和降低碳排放强度,但对碳排放总量的平均影响并不显著。以上结论在经过一系列稳健性检验和处理内生性问题后仍然成立。(2)绿色信贷的碳减排效应因区域位置、资源禀赋和金融效率差异而具有异质性。在中部地区、非资源型城市和金融效率较高的城市,绿色信贷在碳生产率和碳强度维度上均具有显著的碳减排效应,但东部地区、资源型城市和金融效率较低的城市,绿色信贷仅能降低碳强度。(3)激励绿色创新和降低能源强度是绿色信贷发挥碳减排效应的有效渠道,而结构转化渠道的中介效应尚不显著。在绿色创新渠道中,绿色信贷对绿色创新质量的影响程度更高,且产生了正外溢性;在能源强度渠道中,绿色信贷提高了碳排放效率,但对低碳技术的支持作用有待提升。(4)...     

数字金融影响碳排放的作用机理及效果北大核心CSCDCSSCI

中国数字金融发展迅速,深刻影响着人们的生产与生活方式,并可能对碳排放产生影响。文章首先梳理了数字金融影响碳排放的可能途径,并以罗默内生经济增长模型为基础,通过在生产函数中引入数字金融和能源消耗,在消费者效用函数中引入二氧化碳存量等方法,构建并阐释了数字金融影响碳排放的经济学原理和作用机制。理论分析的结果显示,数字金融的发展将通过影响居民消费理念和行为、企业生产活动方式与创新效率等方面影响碳排放,并在总体上呈倒“U”型关系,其中碳排放拐点所需的数字金融能力主要取决于能源现存消耗情况以及技术创新能力等因素。其次,基于中国省域数据对上述倒“U”型关系进行实证分析和中介机制检验。结果表明:①数字金融对碳排放的影响可分解为增产效应和节能效应。②在两种效应的综合作用下,碳排放将随着数字金融发展先增多后减少,且这一倒“U”型关系通过了内生性及稳健性检验。③数字金融的广度、深度和数字化程度对碳排放的最终影响效果存在显著的结构性差异。④此外,影响机制分析结果还表明,数字金融的发展缓解了企业融资需求压力,传统生产方式下的生产规模由此得以扩大并增加了碳排放,即数字金融发展广度带来的影响更多地体现为产值扩大的碳排放上升(增产效应);但后期随着数字金融深度和数字化作用的累积发挥,促进企业研发以及节能型技术专利带来的创新减排效应将显著增加,进而通过降低单位碳减排后最终导致碳排放减少(节能效应)。基于此,中国数字金融发展应尽快从量转向质,加大对企业低碳节能转型与数字化升级、能源产业结构优化、新能源开发与利用等方面的精准支持力度,并积极探索数字化碳金融产品的不断创新。     

Leachability of elements from sub-bituminous coal fly ash from India

Environmental concerns regarding the potential contamination of soil, surface and ground water due to the presence of soluble metal species in the ash pond leachate is of great importance. Serial batch leaching was carried out simulating the rainwater condition of the study area to understand the behaviour of elements during leaching. The leachates were analysed for the elements Al, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Si, As, Ba, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ti, V, Pb, Zn, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Cd by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). It was found that Cd, Co, Cr and Ni did not leach from the ash while Cu and Pb concentrations were insignificant in the leachate regardless of liquid to solid (L/S) ratio. Most of the elements showed maximum concentrations at lower L/S ratio and then decreased with increasing L/S. The total cumulative concentrations of As, Mn and Mo were found to be higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended values for drinking water while the concentrations of Fe, Mn and As exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations prescribed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The pre and the post leached ash samples were analysed for morphology, specific surface area and mineralogical changes. Analysis of post-leached fly ash indicated changes in the specific surface area and morphology but no change in mineralogy.     

Assessment of prospective foodchain doses from radioactive discharges from BNFL Sellafield

This paper presents the method used by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) to assess the potential impact of proposed radioactive discharges from the Sellafield nuclear site on food and determine their acceptability. It explains aspects of a cautious method that has been adopted to reflect the UK government policy and uncertainties related to people's habits with regard to food production and consumption. Two types of ingestion doses are considered in this method: 'possible' and 'probable' doses. The method is specifically applied to Sellafield discharge limits and calculated possible and probable ingestion doses are presented and discussed. Estimated critical group ingestion doses are below the dose limit and constraint set for members of the public. The method may be subject to future amendments to take account of changes in government policy and the outcome of a recent Consultative Exercise on Dose Assessments carried out by FSA. Uncertainties inherent in dose assessments are discussed and quantified wherever possible.     

Fuel from waste tyres and particulate matter emitted from the process

The interest in obtaining alternative fuels from waste sources and at the same time diminishing the impact of waste disposal has drawn attention to scrap tyres' carbon recovery. In order to thermally degrade used tyre rubber, a laboratory pyrolysis system was developed in this work. The installation devised focused on the production of liquid pyrolysates, where shredded rubber was supplied as the feedstock and nitrogen used as the carrier gas to provide an oxygen-free atmosphere. The variables affecting the performance of the process were investigated, including target temperature, heating rate and total residence time. Characterization of the volatile matter released was conducted by means of mass spectrometry to determine the composition of products, and particulate matter analysis to ascertain the aerosol content in the gas stream. The reproducibility of experiments, the influence of the temperature and time, and differences between the vapours before condensation and the exhaust gases are discussed. This work identified that the larger hydrocarbon fragments condense to constitute the oils, whereas the lighter molecules remain as non-condensable gases. This work also identified that the total number of nano-scale particles carried by the exhaust stream varies with temperature; significant changes in the composition of products and particle content were reported at approximately 400°C. The high number of nano-scale solid particulate matter present in the exhaust gases suggests that a thorough treatment for that stream would be required to avoid human health hazards.     

Energy production from corn

Several physical and chemical factors limit the production of biofuels, such as the complex process required for the conversion of plant biomass into ethanol. For example, fossil energy inputs needed for the production of ethanol from corn is 1.59 liters per liter of ethanol. One of the many factors limiting energy output from biomass is the extremely low fraction of sunlight reaching a hectare that is captured by the plants. On average only about 0.1% of the sunlight is captured by green plants per year.     

An empirical assessment of rural livelihood assets from gender perspective: evidence from Ghana

Poverty studies have demonstrated that a group’s ability to escape poverty is largely dependent on the types of assets that the group’s members possess. A major claim that has been asserted with limited empirical evidence in the asset literature is the gender disparity dichotomy. Using rural Ghana as a case study, we assess the asset levels of farm households from a gender perspective. In doing so, we theorized and empirically tested assets on case bases. A household questionnaire survey was used to collect data from two hundred households in the Fanteakwa district of eastern Ghana. An asset index was used to compute the asset levels, while Kruskal–Wallis statistics was employed to compare the significance of the temporal changes. The results show a minimum level of asset endowment. Natural, social and financial assets were the three most endowed assets, with physical and human assets being the least. A gender analysis shows no significant difference, even though the levels of assets for the female-headed households were slightly higher than those of the male-headed households. However, the study found a 22.7% increment in the accumulation of financial assets among the female-headed households over the last 5 years compared to a 9.3% decrement in the same assets for their male-headed counterparts. Applying our theory, the results present an unbalanced and unstable asset situation among the household heads. We call for improvement, in physical and human assets. The overall study results imply an improvement in gender-asset accessibility in the context of rural Ghana.     

Emissions from heated indoor dust

Settled indoor dust was collected from a university building, and the fine fraction was heated in the temperature range of 50-250 degrees C. Emissions of compounds were analysed and identified in a system consisting of a thermal desorption unit coupled to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The heating took place in both an oxidative (air) and an inert (He) atmosphere. The results indicate that oxidation of adsorbed compounds occurred, as well as decomposition of the dust itself. The emission in air started somewhere between 150 and 200 degrees C, with aldehydes and ketones as the main compounds. When heated in the inert atmosphere, semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were emitted at temperatures above 150 degrees C. These compounds were not found in the air system, probably due to oxidation. Based on the obtained results we recommend that the temperature of hot surfaces in indoor environments should be kept below 150 degrees C to avoid oxidation of indoor dust and minimise the emissions.     

Evaporation of solutes from water

A model is developed to define the evaporation rates of solutes from water. The rate equation, similar in form to the Knudsen equation, takes into consideration the effect of air and subwater turbulences on the evaporation loss. At given system conditions, the factor accounting for the air turbulence appears to be essentially constant and independent of temperature (3.5–25°C) for various organic chemicals and water. These characteristics allow one to study the rate of evaporation from water and the relative enhancement by subwater mixing for different solutes. This report shows that the volatilization loss of pure substances and solutes with low Henry's law constants is enhanced by air turbulence, not by subwater mixing. However, the loss of volatile solutes (high Henry's law constants) may be promoted both by air turbulence and by subwater mixing, in which the extent of enhancement by liquid mixing is determined primarily by the Henry's law constant. The present model provides a theoretical basis to explain these effects and others, which appear to be important for assessment of pollutant evaporative transport in the environment.     

Methane emissions from dairy farms: case study from a coastal district in South India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - India has the largest dairy industry in the world and accounts for a significant share of the global emission of livestock methane ( $$\hbox...