Threshold effects of renewable energy consumption on economic growth under energy transformation

China proposed that non-fossil energy consumption account for 20% in total energy consumption. EU increased the target of renewable energy consumption share from 27% to 35% in 2030.Energy transformation and increasing renewable energy consumption are important energy strategies for all countries at present. Then, is the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth positive or negative? Are there any differences in the direction or magnitude of the impact among countries or regions, and what are the determinants behind them? We apply panel threshold effect model to test threshold effects of renewable energy consumption on economic growth of EU. Empirical result shows: first, the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth is negative. Second, renewable energy consumption has significant threshold effects on economic growth. Third, now, energy consumption intensity and GDP per capita of most EU members are in the appropriate threshold regimes. In contrast, more and more EU members are in the high-subsidy group. Fourth, the average annual growth rates of renewable energy consumption showed no significant difference between high-subsidy and lowsubsidy countries from 1990 to 2014. Therefore, subsidy with high economic cost is not the onlyeffective means to increase renewable energy consumption.     

Energy consumption,emissions and economic growth in Bahrain

This study examines the Granger causality relationships between economic growth, energy consumption and emissions, from 1980 to 2007 in Bahrain, controlling for capital and urban population using Toda and Yamamoto’s approach. It was found that there is unilateral causality which runs from urban population, economic growth, capital and energy consumption to environment. Further, we found strong support for causality running from economic growth to energy consumption, emissions and capital. The existence of these linkages suggests that the government of Bahrain may pursue energy efficiency strategies and carbon emissions reduction policy in the long run without impeding economic growth. Additionally, the long run pursuit of high economic growth given sustained increases in energy efficiency may also reduce CO₂ emissions intensity per unit of her GDP.     

基于城镇化的居民生活能源消费碳排放门限效应分析

正确认识城镇化发展中碳减排的阶段性特征和应对我国城镇化进程中的碳排放挑战,具有重要的理论参考价值和现实指导意义。现有研究较少关注城镇化发展对居民生活能源消费碳排放的影响,未能将城镇化自身阶段性变化对生活碳排放的影响联系起来。基于此,本文以城镇化率作为门限变量,以生活能源结构、居民消费率、产业结构分别作为解释变量,构建多个不同视角的门限-STIRPAT扩展模型,深入分析城镇化水平处于不同阶段时,居民生活能源消费碳排放所受影响的差异性。研究表明,城市化率分别处于门限值(0.250、0.325和0.457)前后时,居民生活能源消费碳排放所受影响出现了阶段性的变化。当城镇化率低于0.250时,能源结构、居民消费率和产业结构对居民生活能源消费碳排放均呈负向弹性关系,分别为-0.688、-0.570、-0.570;当城市化率低于0.457时,能源结构、居民消费率和产业结构对居民生活能源消费碳排放的负向弹性关系仍然存在,但相关关系明显减弱,能源结构负向弹性关系介于(-0.338,-0.019),居民消费率和产业结构负向弹性关系为-0.251。当城市化率超过0.457时,能源结构、居民消费率和产业结构对居民生活能源消费碳排放已逐步显现或转变为正向弹性关系。基于上述研究结果提出相应建议:区域城镇化发展介于(0.250,0.457]这一阶段的进程中,应把握住能源结构、居民消费率和产业结构对居民生活能源消费碳排放影响效应转变之前的阶段,鼓励居民生活消费,但进行节能低碳生活方式的引导,大力发展第三产业,满足居民对生活商品及服务的需求。当区域城镇化提升至0.457以上时,应合理优化能源结构,提高非化石能源比重,通过财政政策等对居民生活消费进行调控和引导,注重第三产业中的科技、金融等技术密集型的行业发展。     

中国经济增长与能源消耗的脱钩——东部地区的时空分异研究

工业时代的经济增长是以大量消耗能源为代价的,直接导致环境污染和资源枯竭。将经济增速与环境压力脱钩的同时,实现将人类福祉与资源消耗的脱钩,是实现绿色可持续发展的焦点问题。采用Tapio基本模型构建中国能源消耗与经济增长的脱钩模型,将1979-2014年的脱钩指数划分为8种脱钩类型。结果说明,绝对而稳态的脱钩是不存在的。虽然大部分年份的中国处于弱脱钩状态,但长时间尺度上,经济增长与能源消耗存在"连接-脱钩-复钩-再脱钩"的动态反复过程。以中国东部地区10省份为例,研究脱钩指数变化的趋势和时间分异情况。结果显示,进入21世纪后该地区复钩的可能性不断增加,特别在经济增速趋缓的背景下,需要警惕以能源消耗驱动经济发展的模式重现。计算并比较脱钩指数的5年均值,研究中国东部地区脱钩的空间分异情况。结果表明,经济增长与能源消耗是否脱钩与宏观政策的调整密切相关。不断提高利用效率以减少能源消耗总量,保持弱脱钩是中国经济发展与能源消耗关系的常态。     

The relationship between energy consumption,economic growth,and CO2 emissions in China: the role of urbanisation and international trade

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The study tests the EKC hypothesis, forecasts future paths, and models the dynamic relationship between ecological and economic variables in China. The...     

中国典型资源型地区能源消耗与经济增长动态关系研究

随着国内外经济环境的复杂变化,中国资源型地区经济结构转型困难加剧。对资源型地区能源消耗与经济增长之间的关系进行研究,可以帮助该类型地区厘清经济发展过程中的能源消耗现状,对于优化资源型地区经济转型之路具有重要现实意义。本文以中国典型资源型地区山西省、黑龙江省、吉林省、辽宁省为例,选取1985—2014年数据,利用格兰杰因果分析对研究区能源消耗与经济增长之间的动态关系进行了研究。研究结果表明:1山西省表现出从经济增长到能源消耗的单向因果关系,黑龙江省与辽宁省表现出从能源消耗到经济增长的单向因果关系,吉林省表现出能源消耗与经济增长的双向因果关系;2山西省、黑龙江省、辽宁省都表现出从煤炭消耗到经济增长的单向因果关系,吉林省表现出煤炭消耗到经济增长的双向因果关系;3典型资源型地区都表现出从能源消耗到煤炭消耗的单向因果关系。4资源型地区转型务必将落实供给侧改革摆在发展首位。山西省应在提高能源使用效率的基础上选择集约化、低载能的新兴产业,黑龙江省与辽宁省应加大新能源的开发与产业化进程,产业应向高端装备制造业、现代服务业等产品附加值高、能源消耗少、环境污染小的产业转型,吉林省的重工业发展要以油气能源替代煤炭资源,在降低产业能耗的同时加速扶持已经相对成熟的替代产业,减少产业转型对于地区经济产生的负面影响。     

Pollutant emissions,energy consumption and economic development in China:Evidence from dynamic panel data

This study investigates the relationship among pollutant emissions,energy consumption and economic development in China during the period 1982-2007 by using a one-step GMM-system model under a multivariable panel VAR framework,controlling for capital stock and labor force.Regarding the data for all 28 provinces as a whole,we find that there is a unidirectional positive relationship running from pollutant emission to economic development and a unidirectional negative relationship between pollutant emission and energy consumption.Based on traditional economic planning,the panel data of28 provinces are divided into two cross-province groups.It is discovered that in the eastern coastal region of China,there is only a unidirectional positive causal relationship leading from economic development to pollutant emission;while in the central and western regions,there are the unidirectional Granger causal relationships between pollutant emission and energy consumption,as well as between pollutant emission and economic development.There is also a unique unidirectional causal relationship running from economic development to energy consumption,which does not appear in the eastem coastal region or in China as a whole.     

基于结构视角的中国人口城市化与土地城市化异速增长研究

回顾中国最近20年的快速城市化里程,土地资源紧缺和城市化空间需求剧增的矛盾一直尖锐。而土地城市化快于人口城市化已经成为社会各界的共识。但从系统角度看,这仅是城市系统的表象,应从结构层面剖析其内在差异性。本文从区域结构、建设用地结构、城市规模结构等视角,采用异速增长模型,分析了我国2001-2014年土地城市化与人口城市化异速增长的内在关系。结果表明:从区域结构视角看,近14年我国东部地区和中部地区土地城市化始终快于人口城市化,而西部地区则不存在该问题;从建设用地结构角度看,公共管理和公共服务用地、物流仓储用地和居住用地也不存在土地城市化快于人口城市化的问题,虽工业用地、绿地和道路与交通设施用地扩张速度快于城市人口增速,但这体现了城市功能的优化和提升;从城市规模结构角度看,20万以下、500万以上的城市土地城市化慢于人口城市化,而20-50万、50-100万城市的土地城市化快于人口城市化现象明显,100-300万、300-500万的城市则出现了异速增长模式的不同转换。结果证明,中国的人口城市化与土地城市化之间存在明显的区域和结构差异,今后新型城镇化方针政策也应因地因城制宜。     

人口年龄结构、人口迁移与东北经济增长

近些年来,中国东北地区经济增速的迅速下滑引发了广泛关注,与此同时,东北地区的人口老龄化与人口流失局面也在加速发展,为探究二者间的联系,本文在梳理文献的基础上,选择从人口年龄结构和人口迁移的视角切入,利用扩展的索洛模型推导了各变量与人均资本、人均产出间的关系。并通过对地级市面板数据的一阶系统广义矩估计研究了人口年龄结构,人口迁移等变量对东北经济增长的影响及经济增长对人口迁移的反作用,利用交叉项分析探讨了人口因素对东北不同经济发展水平地区的差异化影响。实证发现:1劳动年龄人口占比与东北经济增长成正相关,而人口老龄化与人口净迁出均对东北经济增长产生了不利影响;2相较于一般性的人口流动,户籍人口的净迁出对经济增长的不利影响更突出;3人口年龄结构与人口迁移对发达地区和落后地区产生的影响会有所差异;4东北经济增长存在惯性且符合区域增长收敛理论;5投资率与劳动力参与率这两个变量则未能通过显著性检验。6经济增长也对人口迁移产生了一定的反作用。在此基础上,本文针对性地提出了一些建议:1东北地区应及时科学综合地应对人口老龄化,开发老龄人力资源,调整人口政策,平衡地区间养老压力,发展老龄产业;2东北地区应控制人口流失局面,放宽户籍限制,加快国企改革,形成合理的产业结构与制度环境,留住人才。     

A forecast analysis on world population and urbanization process

The continuous growth of world population and the intensification of urbanization process create a challenge to environment quality and sustainable development around the world. In this paper I tried to conduct a forecast analysis of near-future urbanization related population growth worldwide, based on recent demographic trends. Such an analysis can provide important insights into the prospects for changes in the size and composition of world population and in urbanization process. Optimal polynomial functions were used to fit historical trajectories of population dynamics, and the detailed forecasts of the population mainly over the period 2010–2030 were conducted and analyzed. If the past pattern continues, world total population would increase to 7.94–8.33 billion in 2030 and the annual growth is expected to continually decline in the forecast period. Global total population would stop increasing during the period 2050–2060 and would not exceed 9.5 billion in the future. The total population of Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, North & Central America would separately increase to 1.35–1.41, 4.86–5.65, 0.04–0.05, 0.44–0.45, and 0.71–0.72 billion in 2030. Europe’s total population is forecast to decline to 0.64–0.67 billion in 2030. World’s rural population is expected to grow to the maximum during the period 2015–2020 and would greatly decline after that period. Global rural population would reach 3.12–3.41 billion in 2030. Rural population in Asia and Africa is estimated to increase and achieve the maximum around 2025 and decline thereafter. For other regions, the rural population would continually decline in the forecast period. Urban population in the world would continually grow and reach 4.72–5.00 billion in 2030, an increase of 48.6–57.8%. However the annual growth of urban population is expected to increase to the maximum (6.86 million/year) during the period 2020–2025 and then decline in the following years. Urban population is projected to continually grow in all regions excepting Europe. Europe’s urban population is expected to decline in the period 2010–2030. Urbanization process worldwide, represented by the ratio urban population versus total population (RUT) and the ratio rural population versus urban population, is expected to continue during the period 2010–2030. The RUT of the world is projected to reach 0.5 before 2010 and would continue to increase in the forecast period. Global RUT is estimated to reach 0.56 in 2030. However, the regional patterns of urbanization process would be diverse. Europe’s RUT is estimated to continually decline in the forecast period and reach 0.68 in 2030. The RUT for Africa and Caribbean would continually increase before 2030, while the RUTs for Asia and South America are estimated to achieve their maximums around 2025 and decline in the following years. Oceania and North & Central America would thoroughly realize urbanization (≈1) during the periods 2020–2025 and 2025–2030. The expansion of world population and urbanization will continually exert a stronger stress to environment quality and sustainable development in a near future. However we may expect this situation would start to change from mid-21st century after total population has achieved its maximum. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Decoupling of nonferrous metal consumption from economic growth in China

Nonferrous metal is an important basis material for the development of the national economy, and its consumption directly affects economic development. It has great significance in the effective utilization of nonferrous metals, development of an environment-friendly society, and investigation of the decoupling of nonferrous metal consumption and GDP growth. The decoupling indicators for nonferrous metal consumption and GDP growth (D _r) in China from 1995 to 2010 were calculated in this study, and the results were analyzed. A productive model based on BP neural network was established. Then, the decoupling indicators for nonferrous metal consumption and GDP growth in China for the period of 2011–2020 were predicted. For the period of 1995–2010, the annual average decoupling indicators were <1 for copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, and nickel, except for tin, which was 0.21. The analysis showed that the decoupling of nonferrous metal consumption and GDP growth is in a less optimistic situation to copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, and nickel in China from 1995 to 2010. The annual average decoupling indicator for tin was 0.21, which indicates relative decoupling. For the period of 2011–2020, the predicted decoupling indicators for copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, nickel, and tin were between 0 and 1. This finding indicates the implementation of relative decoupling. However, the total consumption of nonferrous metals did not decouple from GDP growth.     

Environmental perception during rapid population growth and urbanization: a case study of Dhaka city

Dhaka city in Bangladesh has been passing through a hasty process of urbanization and population growth since the last few decades. Rapid growth of population, unplanned urbanization and industrialization in the periphery has generated pressure to the changes in land use pattern, which has also caused huge urban expansion. This expansion process is engulfing cultivated land, vegetation, wetlands and water bodies without considering their environmental impacts. This study argues that these changes and their scale of environmental impacts or sufferings are not equally distributed among the dwellers in Dhaka city. It seeks to explore variations of environmental qualities on the basis of people’s perceptions. The study finds that the dwellers in the city perceive their neighborhood environment differently, which may affect environmental qualities of the area and their sustainable management as well. Therefore, it is imperative to consider spatial variations and inequalities of environmental opportunities or sufferings in urban planning of Dhaka city.     

城镇化对工业能源消费的门槛效应研究——以长江经济带省份为例

高效能源利用是推动工业发展,进而促使城镇格局演化的重要催化剂,同时城镇化的高速发展对工业能源的消费结构和利用效率提出了进一步的要求,这必将影响到低碳城市建设和环境保护等生态责任目标的实现。选取2003—2012年长江经济带11个省份(直辖市)的相关数据,运用门槛模型对城镇化率、城镇居民人均总收入、能源工业投资、工业总产值、城市人口密度、产业结构等影响工业能源消费的因素进行分析,重点研究城镇化率和工业能源消费的非线性关系和相应的地区差异。结果表明:(1)长江经济带城镇化发展存在着明显的地区差异,上海、浙江等东部地区城镇化发展速度和水平明显优于云南、贵州等中西部地区。云南和贵州2012年的城镇化率远远低于2003年上海、浙江的城镇化率,显示出长江上游和下游之间存在着巨大的发展水平差距。(2)城镇化对工业能源消费存在显著的门槛效应,以城镇化率为门槛变量,存在两个结构变化点,分别为36.9%和48.3%。(3)在第一个门槛点前,城镇化对工业能源消费起抑制作用,前期城镇化的发展导致资源和人口的集聚效应明显,资源的利用效率和配置效率得到提升,从而抑制工业能源消费。在越过第二个门槛点后,城镇化对工业能源消费起正向作用,此时工业的发展和生活消费水准的提升对能源消费提出了更多的要求。最后为促进长江经济带城镇化和工业低碳化的协调发展,提出以下建议:加快长江经济带沿线各省份联动发展,缩小城镇化发展差异;针对城镇化率和工业能源消费的非线性关系,采取相应的措施引导和控制工业能源消费的变化趋势;协调城镇化进程和地区工业能源消耗,促进城镇化的健康发展。     

城镇化进程中用水量增长的门槛效应与动态作用机制分析

城镇化是发展中国家21世纪的主要发展趋势,在很大程度上主导着人口、经济和产业结构等各方面的转变,成为拉动用水量增长的关键因素。城镇化进程中城镇居民收入、人口结构、人口密度和人力资本等因素的变化,使得城镇化并非表现为线性发展规律,最终导致用水量也存在相应的门槛效应并呈现阶段性增长特征。本文首先对我国各地区城镇化水平和用水量进行统计分析,从地区层面直观描述我国城镇化水平和用水量的变化特征,然后采用面板门槛模型研究城镇化、城镇居民人均收入、人力资本、城市人口密度和人口年龄结构对于用水量的门槛效应,搜寻在城镇化进程中各人口因素对用水量影响的门槛点并分析阶段性变化特征,最后结合PVAR模型研究城镇化进程中各人口因素对用水量的动态影响和作用机制。门槛回归结果发现:城镇化对用水量的影响具有明显的阶段性特征,分别以城镇化和人均收入为门槛变量,超越门槛点后城镇化对用水量的弹性系数分别呈现先升后降的倒"U"型和先降后升的正"U"型变化趋势;以人力资本为门槛变化量,城镇化对用水量的拉动作用则不断减弱。脉冲响应结果显示:城镇化对用水量具有长期且稳定的正向冲击,而居民收入和人口年龄结构对用水量的正向冲击则逐渐收敛于零,人口密度和人力资本对用水量均具有负向冲击,且人口密度的负效应不断增强,而人力资本的负效应不断减弱。方差分解的结果表明,目前我国用水量的增长受自身的影响较大,除年龄结构外,人口密度、居民收入、人力资本和城镇化也具有小规模的贡献程度。     

Economic growth and energy consumption in Iran: an ARDL approach including renewable and non-renewable energies

Iran experiences a high level of energy consumption which is threatening not only economically but also politically and environmentally. This study aims to estimate the relationship between the economic growth with the various kinds of energies, non-hydroelectric, renewable, non-renewable, and total energies in Iran during 1967–2012, using an autoregressive distributed lags (ARDL) model. The results show the ineffective relationship between the economic growth and energy consumption in Iran, considering non-hydroelectric energy, renewable energy, non-renewable energy, and total energy, one by one as the energy proxy. It implies the ineffectiveness of both the quantitative and qualitative deflationary policies over the energy sector. In another word, neither decreasing energy consumption nor changing energy portfolio affects the economic growth. Therefore, the policy makers are advised to formulate those policies which reduce the quantity of energy consumption or increase the segment of renewable energies in the portfolio of energy consumption because they do not lead to the considerable negative consequence on the economic growth, while they increase both the environmental quality and energy security.     

Green energy clusters and socio-technical transitions: analysis of a sustainable energy cluster for regional economic development in Central Massachusetts,USA

As the societal benefits associated with transitioning to more sustainable, less fossil fuel-reliant energy systems are increasingly recognized by communities throughout the world, the potential of creating ‘green jobs’ within a ‘green economy’ is attracting much attention. Green energy clusters are increasingly promoted throughout the world as a strategy to simultaneously promote economic vitality and stimulate a sustainable energy transition. In spite of their emerging role in regional-scale sustainability planning efforts, such initiatives have not been considered within the sustainability transitions literature. This paper explores the development of one such regional sustainable energy cluster initiative in Central Massachusetts in Northeastern USA to consider the potential for such cluster initiatives to contribute to socio-technical transition in the energy system. Since 2008, a diverse set of stakeholders in Central Massachusetts, including politicians, universities, businesses, local citizens, and activists, have been working toward facilitating the emergence of an integrated cluster of activity focused on sustainable energy. Through interviews with key actors, participant observation, and document review, this research assesses the potential of this cluster initiative to contribute to a regional socio-technical transition. The empirical details of this case demonstrate that sustainable energy cluster initiatives can potentially accelerate change in entrenched energy regimes by promoting institutional thickness, generating regional ‘buzz’ around sustainable energy activities, and building trust between multiple and diverse stakeholders in the region. This research also contributes to emerging efforts to better ground socio-technical transitions in geographic space.     

CGE model-based analysis of the neutralized hybrid carbon policy and its decomposed effects on economic growth,carbon reduction,and energy utilization costs

The hybrid policy is a flexible policy tool that combines features of carbon trading and carbon taxation.Its economic and environmental effects under China's background are still not studied in detail.Given the exogenous carbon reduction targets,carbon prices,and carbon tax-rates,by computable general equilibrium modeling methods and factor decomposition methods,this article investigates direct and cascaded effects of the hybrid policy on economic growth,energy utilization,and carbon emission on the national level and the sector level,with China's national input-output data-set.Stepwisely,policy scenarios with irrational estimated results are selectively excluded based on comprehensive evaluation among economic,carbon reduction and other policy targets.As a result,against national economic conditions in 2007,the hybrid policy,with a carbon reduction target of -10%,a carbon tax-rate of around $10,and a ceiling carbon price of $40,is highly recommended,because of its significant lower economic loss,lower energy utilization cost,and practical robustness against fluctuation of energy market and carbon market.Furthermore,by decomposition analysis,carbon reduction-related costs are decomposed into a direct part that includes carbon allowance price and carbon tax,and an indirect part as the energy price incremental induced by direct carbon costs.Gross carbon reduction may be decomposed into three parts such as energy intensity,economic scale,and technical progress.And,carbon taxation is the main policy tool that stimulates to improve the energy efficiency.