Technological Progress,Structural Change and China’s Energy Efficiency

Abstract

China has witnessed rapid economic development since 1978, and during the time, energy production and consumption developed at a tremendous speed as well. Energy efficiency which can be measured by energy consumption per unit of GDP, however, experienced continuous decrease. Theoretically, the change of energy efficiency can be attributed to industry structural change and technological change. In order to explain the transformation of Chinese energy efficiency, we adopt logarithmic mean Divisia index techniques to decompose changes in energy intensity in the period of 1994–2005. We find that technological change is the dominant contributor in the decline of energy intensity, but the contribution has declined since 2001. The change in industry structure has decreased the energy intensity before 1998, but raised the intensity after 1998. Decomposed technological effects for all sectors indicate that technological progresses in high energy consuming industries such as raw chemical materials and chemical products, smelting and pressing of ferrous metals, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products and household contribute are the principal drivers of China’s declining energy intensity.     

China＇s Export Expansion, Export Structure and Energy Consumption

Since the reform and opening up, China＇s export trade has maintained a rapid growth; meanwhile, China＇s energy consumption has been increasing sharply. ＂High export and high energy consumption＂ has become the feature of China＇s trade and economic development. In this paper, based on the input-output analysis approach, the authors have conducted an empirical study on the export trade and energy consumption of 21 trade industrial sectors. The results show that, China is a big net exporter of embodied energy. Assuming that the export growth rate of embodied energy maintains to be about 23.6%, the average annual growth rate of the past 32 years, and based on the input-output data of 2005, by 2030 China＇s net export of embodied energy would be over eight times more than the aggregate energy production, which is obviously infeasible. As a country of very low per capita en- ergy, China must change its export pattern, encourage or restrain the export of different industrial sectors according to their energy consumption intensity, and promote structural change of energy- efficient exported products, so as to achieve the sustainable development. Accordingly, the authors put forward some suggestions.     

Energy Efficiency and Emissions Reduction Potential of China＇s Industrial Sector

Based on the total-factor energy efficiency framework,this paper calculates China’s industrial energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction potential from 2000 to 2009 by utilizing the directional distance function and data envelopment analysis.The empirical results show that:China’s industrial overall energy efficiency is relatively lower while the emis-sions reduction potential is relatively greater,given the optimum production frontier.Significant indus-trial disparities of energy efficiency and emissions reduction potential exist.Energy efficiency and emis-sions reduction potential significantly show different tendencies of industrial dynamic variation.This paper suggests the Chinese government impose differential carbon taxes,flexibly utilize carbon market mecha-nism,strengthen energy-saving technological R&D,promote the utilization of renewable energy,and strengthen environmental supervision and regulation,so as to improve China’s industrial energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.     

Climate Change Responsibility and China＇s Endeavor

The problem of climate change is a global challenge. It is closely associated with social development and human survival, and it has a significant impact to all countries on energy develop- ment, economic competitiveness, technological innovation, and way of life. In recent years, with the rapid economic development in China, there is a rumor that the rapid growth of China＇s carbon dioxide emission offset the efforts of the international community in reducing emissions, and China should bear the international responsibility corresponding to its significant role in greenhouse gas emission, which obviously are unfair and not objective. As this paper reveals, ＂China environment responsibility＂ that is the socalled ＂China environment threat＂ or theories, China has made a positive contribution to addressing the climate change in the past and China will still be the backbone on the protection of global climate in the future.     

China＇s Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy： 2006-2010

China achieved major progress in low-carbon develop- ment during the period of the 11th Five Year Plan （2006-2010）. The increasing trend of energy intensity and carbon intensity of the economy as seen ...     

Evolution Rules of Urban-rural Development and Inspiration for China＇s Agriculture

Based on urban-rural contrast coefficient, this article designs the agriculture relative development index （ARDI） as indicators measuring the intensity of urban rural dual structure which is comparable among the countries of the world. This article calculates ARDI of 40 countries from 1980 to 2004. The result shows that ARDI in the developed countries and most of the middle-income countries are rising and yet there are declines in most of the low-income countries. The result also showed that most countries＇ ARDI will see a decline at the earlier stage of industrialization, so their dual economic structure will also aggravate and urban-rural gap will widen. With the economic development, the tendency will change and ARDI presents a U-shape change overall. The turning point is when a country becomes a middle-income one.     

技术进步、结构变动与中国能源利用效率

随着中国经济的快速增长,能源生产与消费量呈几何级数增长,而单位GDP的能耗却不断下降.理论上,能源利用效率的变化可以归因于结构变化与技术进步.为了解释中国能源效率的这种变化过程,本文采用对数平均的LMDI方法将中国1994-2005年的能源强度变化分解为六大类产业结构变化、两位数产业结构变化效应和技术进步效应.研究结果表明,1994-2005年,能源强度降低主要得益于技术进步,但技术进步的贡献在2001年后不断降低,产业结构变动在1998年前降低了能源强度,1998年之后导致能源强度的上升.在技术效应中,化学原料及制品制造业、黑色金属冶炼及压延加工业、非金属矿物制品业等高耗能产业部门及居民消费业的技术进步是导致我国能源强度下降的主要原因.     

China＇s Green Transformation： Efforts, Practices and Future

正I'm very pleased to be here at this side meeting,China's Green Transformation:Efforts,Practices and Future, co-sponsored by ACCA21 and UNDP.Since the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, people around the world have made numerous     

CDM Project Activities in China＇s Iron and Steel Industry：Current Status,Barriers and Development Strategies

China is now facing huge pressure from both the domestic concern of energy security and the global community's call for emission reduction commitment. As one of the major energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters, China's iron and steel industry has a huge clean development mechanism (CDM) potential. This article both quantitatively and qualitatively analyzes the current status of CDM project activities in the iron and steel industry in China, including characteristics of approved project types, applicable methodologies, and potential technology fields. From the perspective of project implementation, the article summarizes development barriers such as high investment risk, difficulty in project identification, strict requirements on PPDs, long registration waiting time, and etc. Policy suggestions are also put forwarded to help better promote the development of CDM projects in the iron and steel industry.     

Population Growth, Available Resources, and Quality of Life： China＇s Post-Reform Economic Development

Two opposing intellectual traditions and their contem- porary developments regarding the relations among population, available resources, and quality of life as reflected in economic growth are reviewe...     

China＇s Regional Policies： Progress of the 11^th Five Year Plan Period and Prospect of the 12^th Five Year Plan Period

During the 11^th Five Year Plan period, China improved its policy system for the overall strategy of regional development, and established and completed the policies intended for the promotion of regional cooperation and interaction. Thereupon, regional development in China took on a series of positive changes such as the enhancement of coordination. During the 12^th Five Year Plan period, China will fully implement and continuously improve the policy measures for development in its four major regions, strengthen differentiated guidance to different regions in line with the planning for major function-oriented zones, and accelerate the establishment of basic systems that facilitate coordinated regional development.     

能源消费与中国工业生产率增长

关于能源对经济增长的作用学术界存在两种观点,一种观点认为能源投入对经济增长发挥了基础性的作用。另一种观点认为能源对经济增长没有作用。本文对能源是否为生产函数中的生产要素进行证明。首先运用DEA方法测度了1998-2003年中国36个工业行业的Malmquasit生产率指数、技术效率和技术进步。然后检验了能源消费与生产率之间的联系。主要结论是：能源应作为相关的投入要素纳入生产函数;当能源消费作为投入时,平均Malmqusit生产率指数比没有能源投入时上升了0．1％．平均技术进步上升了0．2％．技术效率下降了0．1％;技术效率下降的原因可能与大多数行业不重视能源节约有关．能源浪费影响了技术效率;各行业能源投入浪费的程度年平均达到15．07％．并呈现逐年递增态势。     

区域能源强度变动：基于GFI的因素分解分析

使用指数分解分析进行能源强度变动的因素分解是研究能源变动的主要研究方法。拉氏指数和D氏指数法各自都有其自身缺陷;费雪指数法则能折衷这两种指数方法,并能很好地克服拉氏指数和D氏指数法的缺点,因此其在实践中越来越多地被用来进行能源强度变动的因素分解分析。本文基于广义费雪指数（GFI）方法,将影响区域能源,强度变动的因素分解分：技术进步效应、结构变动效应和经济规模效应,并利用1995—2005年间中国30个省（自治区、直辖市）的相关数据对区域能源强度变动进行了函素分解分析,发现区域结构因素是源强度变动的主要解释因素,其次是区域技术进步,而区域经济规模的解释力较弱。     

中日韩钢铁工业能源强度的比较研究

我国钢铁能源强度与世界先进水平相比存在明显差距。该文比较了我国、日本、韩国三个国家在产值能耗和吨钢能耗两类能源强度指标上的发展趋势,并利用分解分析方法计算了1996-2005年中日韩三国产品及工艺结构和能源效率的变化对各国钢铁吨钢能耗的影响,最后将各国产值能耗与吨钢能耗作进一步比较．并对比较结果进行分析。研究结果表明：能源效率的提升对中国和韩国吨钢平均能耗的下降有重要作用,结构的变化则对日本的吨钢平均能耗的下降有显著影响。因此．产品及工艺结构和效率是影响钢铁能源强度偏高的根本原因．在对产品及工艺结构调整和效率改进的过程中。不仅要注重能耗的降低。还应注重经济性的提高。     

中国工业水资源消耗强度变化的结构份额和效率份额研究

多年来,中国工业用水量占当年总供水量的比例呈现逐年递增的趋势。定量研究中国工业水资源消耗强度的变化及其内在原因,降低工业水资源消耗强度．对建设节水型社会具有重要意义。本文利用因素分解法分析了水资源消耗强度变化的结构份额和效率份额。研究结果表明：2002-2005年间,我国工业水资源消耗强度总体呈不断下降的趋势。工业水资源消耗强度下降的结构份额不断下降,效率份额逐渐上升。为了促进我国工业水资源消耗强度的持续下降．应该不断加强我国工业内部的结构调整和优化升级,发展高科技工业。大力发展循环经济,提高水资源的重复利用率。     

中国能源消费增长原因分析与节能途径探讨

中国正处于工业化和城市化快速发展的中期阶段,能源消费迅猛增长,节能减排任务艰巨。分析近年来能源消费增长原因,可为未来寻找节能途径提供参考。论文在构建能源投入产出表的基础上,利用结构分解分析方法,将促使能源消费增长因素分解为经济规模、产业结构、经济增长方式和节能技术变化4个因素。并以1997-2002年为样本期,定量测度了各因素变化对中国能源消费增长的贡献值及贡献率。结果表明：促使能源消费增加的因素中,贡献率最大的是经济规模的增加。其次是产业结构变化和经济增长方式变化。而减少能源消费的因素只有节能技术变化,但由于其贡献值的绝对值小于前3个因素的贡献值之和,因此能源消费总量仍呈增加趋势。可见,技术进步已被证明是节能的有效途径,而未来通过调整产业结构和转变经济增长方式节能的任务还任重而道远。