Environmental innovation activities and patenting: Germany reconsidered

This paper provides new econometric evidence on the determinants of eco-innovations by using multiple innovation indicators and by combining survey-based information and patent records at the firm level from two different time periods. We hypothesize that firms with a propensity to patent focus on future technological and market opportunities and do not directly or immediately react to incentives created by environmental policies. Based on negative binomial models, we confirm that eco-patents are stimulated by the expectation of creating technological advancement and new market opportunities. By contrast, energy cost savings can better or more easily be achieved when firms refrain from patenting and concentrate on non-patented innovations or adoption. Favorable framework conditions created by environmental policies and patent protection are also important for eco-patenting, but more in the longer term. Testing the validity of using self-reported eco-innovations, instead of patents, as the dependent variable in simple binomial probit models reveals that product eco-innovations as reported in the surveys are a relatively good proxy for eco-patents. Yet, for product eco-innovations, serving and enlarging current markets is another important reason to innovate.     

A disaggregated emissions inventory for Taiwan with uses in hybrid input‐output life cycle analysis (IO‐LCA)

This paper reports on a life‐cycle analysis (LCA) of Taiwan's “agriculture and forestry”, “crude petroleum, coal and natural gas extraction” and “electricity generation” sectors, revealing for the first time Taiwan's CO₂ and CH₄ emissions inventories and matching Taiwan's input‐output sectors. Integrated hybrid input‐output life cycle analysis is used to disaggregate the electricity generation sector into nuclear, hydro, gas, oil and coal, and cogeneration. Results show that the fossil‐fuel‐related electricity sub‐sectors have higher CO₂ emissions intensity than the remaining sectors in the economy and that the “paddy rice” sector is Taiwan's most CH₄‐intensive sector, making rice cultivation an important source of CH₄ emissions. This work is vital to sound policy decisions concerning power generation, coal, and agriculture and forestry at the national level.     

Study on the efficiency and regional disparity of green technology innovation in China’s industrial companies

This paper first constructed a system to evaluate the innovation efficiency of industrial companies within Mainland China. Then, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to these indicators for dimensionality reduction, so as to figure out the technology innovation efficiency in these two phases, respectively. Finally, the overall efficiency of industrial companies in different regions was estimated and factorized via data envelopment analysis (DEA). The results showed that: (1) the efficiency of green technology innovation of industrial companies in China was relatively low as a whole, which mainly resulted from pure technical efficiency (PTE). Further, this huge gap continues to expand in these regions. And both PTE and scale efficiency (SE) in central and western regions leave much to be expected. (2) In the first phase of green technology development, when environmental factors were concerned, the efficiency was much lower than that without environmental considerations. Besides, the central and western regions were facing increasingly severe environmental problems, and there was a wide disparity in technology development efficiency among eastern, central, and western regions. (3) In the second phase of green technology commercialization, there were still more rooms for improvement in raising the efficiency of green technology innovation, and the efficiency in eastern, central, and western regions was ranked from highest to lowest. (4) Liaoning, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, and Qinghai should focus on improving their technology; Jilin, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Guangxi should make their efforts to reduce resource redundancy; whereas Ningxia and Gansu should try to solve the above two issues.     

我国出口贸易中的碳排放转移测算研究

国际贸易中碳排放转移关系到贸易双方的碳权分配与碳排放责任,处理好贸易出口和碳排放关系非常重要。本研究应用投入产出法及模型,对我国2002—2011年出口贸易的碳排放进行测算。结果显示,出口贸易与出口贸易隐含碳排放呈现出同比增长关系,从出口规模和结构看,电气、机械及器材制造业,基本金属及金属制品业,通用、专用设备制造业,化学原料和化学制品制造业等行业的碳排放位居前列,行业高碳结构性特征明显;短期内出口贸易与出口隐含碳的正相关关系不会有明显变化,但从长期来看二者的正相关关系将会趋于减弱。本研究提出以碳减排为约束,转变出口贸易结构,促进传统制造业优化升级,发展低碳贸易产品和绿色产业等建议。     

基于专利授权数的长江经济带创新差异的多尺度分析

实施长江经济带战略对推动我国经济发展具有重要的意义,而长江经济带创新能力的提升成为其发展的关键。基于标准差指数、变差系数、区位基尼系数和集中度指数的定量研究方法,研究长江经济带在城市群级、省级和市级多尺度上的区域创新差异及原因。研究表明:各尺度区域创新差异均呈现出持续增长趋势,并且区域创新差异随着区域尺度的增加而增加。影响长江经济带创新差异的各个区域尺度的主要原因各不相同,影响城市群创新差异的主要原因是社会环境因素,影响省域创新差异的主要原因是经济环境因素,影响城市创新差异的主要原因是对外开放因素。创新集聚随着区域尺度的增大而减小。长江中游和成渝城市群正处于创新活动向中心城市集聚阶段,而长江三角洲城市群进入创新活动的扩散阶段,并且长江三角洲城市群将形成巨大的创新集聚系统。     

区域生态创新协同度及其影响因素研究

科技创新和低碳环保成为当今时代的主题,如何有效推动区域生态创新对于我国生态文明建设具有重要意义。本文基于低碳环保创新视角构建科技创新与生态环境复合系统协同度模型,在此基础上,选用2005-2013年中国三大城市群的面板数据对中国区域生态创新协同度进行测评,并运用计量经济模型从政府、市场、区域三个层面对生态创新协同度影响因素进行实证分析。协同度测度结果表明三大城市群生态创新协同度在[-0.05,0.3]之间震荡,协同度水平较低,区域科技创新与生态环境协同机制尚未建立。协同度增长速度存在空间差异,长三角增长速度最快,珠三角次之,京津冀增长最慢,原因在于河北省的生态创新协同度较低,京津冀区域存在内部发展不平衡问题。由于宏观经济环境和政府政策的影响,三大城市群协同度变化在时间上具有一致趋势。协同度影响因素分析表明政府环境规制、科技创新支持以及市场竞争程度对区域生态创新协同具有积极的推动作用,这说明政府增加环境规制强度和科技创新支持力度可以有效促进区域生态创新协同,市场竞争程度的提高也有利于提高区域生态创新协同水平。基于上述实证分析,本文认为政府应积极推动创新驱动战略和区域协同发展战略,加强环境规制和科技创新支持力度,建立生态创新产业链,鼓励绿色创新产业的发展,以科技创新拉动生态效益的改善,同时规范市场竞争秩序,完善技术交易市场,为绿色创新技术成果转化消除障碍,促进城市群形成生态创新协同机制并对全国各省市形成良好示范效应。     

Sustainable innovation journeys: exploring the dynamics of firm practices as part of transitions to more sustainable food and farming

Deep structural and sustained change is necessary to tackle contemporary environmental challenges. How such change emerges and can be governed has been explored through the notion of sustainable innovation journeys. To date research had conceptualised such journeys as transitions to more sustainable socio-technical systems, e.g. mobility, shelter, food and farming. However, there is a paucity of how innovation proceeds in firms as part of sustainable innovation journeys. This paper begins to address this gap in knowledge. A longitudinal case study was completed of a medium-sized food-processing firm in the UK. Qualitative data were collected using ethnographic methods such as participant observation. Drawing on practice theory, a conceptual framework was developed which enabled us to explore and make sense of the firm's sustainable innovation journey conceptualised as practices. Findings show that we can usefully treat a firm as a flow of practices that either resist or otherwise accommodate new practices deemed more sustainable.     

河北省太阳能产业可持续发展对策研究

针对太阳能产业发展现状,找出河北省太阳能产业发展过程中存在的问题,如产业环节附加值低、产用不平衡、缺乏激励政策、存在技术难题和污染、运维管理跟不上等。借鉴国内外成功经验,从光热和光电平衡发展、加大科技投入、加强政策和机制建设、实施多元化模式、控制产业污染、培养专业的运维队伍等几方面提出河北省太阳能产业可持续发展的对策。     

环境规制对技术创新效率的影响分析——基于创新链视角的两阶段实证检验

新古典经济学理论认为,严格的环境规制会提高污染治理成本,挤占技术创新活动的资金,对技术创新产生"挤出效应"。而"波特假说"认为,长期内适当的环境规制政策将对企业的科技创新活动起到刺激性推动作用,可弥补因规制而增加的额外成本,从而形成"创新补偿效应"。这个观点表明环境规制对于企业的技术创新可能存在非线性影响效应。另外,技术创新要经历研究开发阶段与成果转化阶段,即从资源投入到产生经济效益的过程。本文基于系统观和创新链视角,创新性地构建两阶段关联DEA模型测算技术创新活动的投入产出效率,并运用中国2011——2017年间的省级面板数据进行回归检验,探讨环境规制强度对研究开发阶段和成果转化阶段技术创新效率的非线性影响效应,同时将中国划分为东部、中西部两大区域分别考察,进一步揭示环境规制对技术创新效率影响的空间异质性和阶段性特点,最后提出相应政策建议。     

营养物质输入对赤潮发生的影响

以国内外7个典型海湾为例,分析了营养物质输入对赤潮发生的影响。结果表明,陆源污染物排人及海水养殖业自身污染是是近岸海域营养物质输入的主要来源。水体富营养化的不断加剧是赤潮频发的重要原因,而富营养化程度降低的海域发生赤潮的风险也会下降,营养盐比例的改变是浮游植物种类的重要控制因子。