Voluntary emission reduction market in China: development,management status and future supply

The voluntary emission reduction (VER) trading mechanism has played an important role in China’s seven pilot carbon markets. From a comprehensive review of the VER trading and offsetting mechanisms since 2013, this study analyses the quality management of the Chinese Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) in the pilot carbon markets, conducts a comparative analysis of the geographical and field distributions of proposed and registered projects and emission reductions and provides the CCER supply outlook for 2020 in the aspects of on record, project registration, emission reduction registration and emission reduction issuance. Results show that the potential number of CCER projects by 2020 will be 2,864, 1,047, 818, and 286 with the corresponding emission reductions amounting to 493, 212, 133, and 49 million tCO₂e, respectively. Although considerable progress has been made, China remains confronted with many challenges in developing the VER trading system. Accordingly, policy stability and continuity and guarding against market risks should be maintained to enable the system to play a substantial role in promoting ecological progress and green low-carbon development in China.     

Review of China’s policy and management system for the paid use of sea area

As a carrier to develop various marine resources, sea area is regulated as a kind of important resources through legislation by many coastal countries with a management system for the paid use of sea area. Since the early 1990s, China has begun to implement the paid use and formed an institutional system comprised of three levels after developing it for more than two decades. From 2002 to 2015, the Chinese Government transferred the use right of sea area of 33,910 km² by paid use and levied a total of 75.89 billion CNY (11.328 billion US dollars) of sea area use payment. Apart from this, the Government has gained rich experience in operating and managing the compensable use of sea area. After retrospectively analyzing the development history of paid use of China’s sea area, the research presents an institutional structure and the implementation of the management system for the paid use of sea area and the main problems therein. On this basis, management policies and feasible policy suggestions are proposed. Research results from this study can provide available references for other developing countries and emerging economies to apply and improve native management system for the paid use of sea area.     

欧盟臭氧污染监测现状及我国开展臭氧污染监测的建议

综述了欧盟臭氧前体物排放及地面臭氧污染监测的现状,分析了欧盟重视地面臭氧污染监测的原因及存在的主要问题.根据欧盟在地面臭氧污染监测方面的经验和做法,提出了加强我国地面臭氧污染监测的必要性和具体建议.     

Land institution of China: overall framework,structural evolution,and regulation intensity

China’s land institution can be defined broadly or narrowly. By examining the broad definition of the land institution, we found that there were prerequisite, complementary, and substitutional relationships among the various systems. These relationships were verified through discussion of the structural evolution of each system. Based on these relationships, three methods for quantification were used to measure the regulation intensity and intra-provincial differences in each system among 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China in 2014. The statistics analysis shows that provinces used to pursue outstanding performances in land institution but few provinces could outperform the other provinces in all types of systems. The statistics results also indicate that the provinces which executed land institution earlier often hold significant advantages in institutional innovations but it is still not clear whether they can maintain the advantages. This study recommends that the Chinese government should improve the overall framework of regional land institution based on land systems’ relationships and evolutionary patterns. Furthermore, the government should optimize the spatial distribution of regional land institution based on the intra-provincial differences in land-regulation intensity.     

The sound of one hand clapping: transparency without accountability

Does increasing government transparency in an authoritarian regime, absent electoral forms of accountability, change outcomes? The case of China, which has adopted a number of open governance and public information laws, is examined to see whether increased transparency by local environmental protection bureaus affects key environmental outcomes, specifically reductions in air and water pollution. Several unique environmental performance measurements, developed by the authors, are used to supplement standard government-reported measurements of environmental outcomes, and a widely used environmental transparency index (the PITI). By testing information that is newly supplied to the public, but already available to government, government and public monitoring are distinguished from one another, and the effect of public knowledge of government functions is tested. In the absence of a mechanism for the public to hold local government accountable, public transparency alone has no impact on outcomes other than information provision itself.     

基于自然生态单元的中国城乡建设用地空间格局特征分析

基于经济和社会视角的国家尺度城市空间格局研究取得重要进展,而全国城市空间格局的自然生态关联性呈现新的研究需求。由此通过自然生态单元等级划分并与城乡建设用地叠加,揭示了全国城乡建设用地在自然生态单元的空间格局特征及其主要问题:在一级生态功能区中,生态调节区面积最广,主要分布在我国西北、西南和东北等生态脆弱地区,但其内部城乡建设用地占比最小仅为0.69%,产品提供区城乡建设用地的占比为2.74%,人居保障区面积最小且集中分布在我国东部沿海地区,但其城乡建设用地占比最大,高达11.20%;城乡建设用地在自然生态单元的分布差异总体由自然地貌与大河流域特征决定,城镇群区、农产品提供区和土壤保持区占据79.54%的城乡建设用地,位于平原水网、丘陵、喀斯特和丹霞等地貌特征为主的胡焕庸线东南部;城乡建设用地分布格局也表现为东多西少,与我国三大阶梯的地势格局分布较为一致;上述格局关联性体现了人和环境之间的相互依存关系,但近些年来在开发需求膨胀和工程技术进步等人为因素驱动下,城乡建设用地呈现向较高海拔地区的扩张趋势。这为新型城镇化背景下城乡可持续发展和生态安全格局构建提供基础信息,也为辨识中国城市空间组织和演化机理提供技术支撑。     

1980年以来中国大宗作物空间格局变化分析

利用1980～2014年间的大宗作物(玉米、水稻、小麦、棉花、油菜)面积数据,以省级行政区为研究单元,采用多种数理统计和GIS空间分析技术,结合同期作物之间的竞争性用地关系,对全国上述五类大宗作物的空间分布格局及其变化特征进行分析.研究结果表明:玉米的空间分布相对较均衡;小麦的空间格局总的变化不明显但是省际分布最不均衡;棉花近30 a来空间格局变化极其显著,其面积重心从河南境内不断地向西北地区移动,目前位于甘肃省境内;油菜的面积重心自湖北境内不断地向南推移到湖南境内,水稻的面积重心则自江西境内逐渐向北移动到湖北境内.另外,部分区域的同期作物(如油菜与小麦、棉花与春玉米)空间格局变化存在明显的“消-长”关系,特别是在甘肃和内蒙,油菜小麦的面积变化有着极强的负相关性,其pearson系数低于-0.8.作物种植的成本收益变化是造成这些大宗作物空间格局变化的主要原因,城市化发展的程度、农民非农就业机会的高低、同期作物之间的比较效益差距等也是这些大宗作物时空格局产生变化的重要原因.     

中部3省城市建设用地功能时空演化特征

定量识别区域城市建设用地功能演化特征与模式,是推进可持续城市建设用地开发利用与管理、助力新型城镇化等国家战略的重要基础。从人口承载、生产与消费、公共服务3个方面构建了城市建设用地功能评价指标体系与模型,以地级市为研究单元探究了2000~2014年期间我国中部3省多尺度城市建设用地功能演化特征与模式。研究结果表明:(1)中部3省城市建设用地人口承载、生产与消费、公共服务和综合功能总体呈改善趋势,但演化过程复杂;(2)不同尺度尤其是城市群地区城市建设用地功能演化特征差异明显。沿长江和城市群地区城市建设用地功能演化强度高,但城市群地区空间异质性较强;(3)城市建设用地功能演化以复合型演化模式为主,演化格局复杂。其中,城市建设用地人口承载功能演化模式类型最多,且局部地区呈衰退型演化格局;城市建设用地生产与消费、公共服务功能和综合功能演化模式类型相对较少,且大多集中连片分布,武汉城市建设用地综合功能加速改善型演化特征显著。如何深入探究城市建设用地功能演化模式形成机理,并系统制定多级城市建设用地可持续利用管理策略,是实现我国新型城镇化和"美丽中国梦"等战略的重要任务。     

基于BML生产率指数的中国旅游业能源效率评价与影响因素研究

为减少旅游业能源消耗,实现旅游低碳绿色发展,探讨如何提高旅游业能源效率,基于包含非期望产出的方向性距离函数,首先构建了适应旅游业的Biennial Malmquist-Luenberger(BML)效率指数,以中国30个省市2005~2013年旅游业为实证对象,测度了其能源效率,9 a来旅游业能源效率变化源泉可被分解为全要素生产率、资本对能源替代效应、劳动对能源替代效应、能源结构效应和产出结构效应5项影响因素。研究发现:(1)中国旅游业能源效率整体上处于较低水平,旅游业能源效率可以扩张提升的比例较大。(2)整体上全要素生产率、资本对能源替代效应、劳动对能源替代效应和能源结构效应的提升能促进旅游业能源效率提高。(3)近3 a来劳动和资本投入的能源替代效应对旅游业能源效率变化的作用超过了全要素生产率。(4)区域层面上,东部地区旅游业能源效率高于中西部地区,主要由地区间旅游业对资本投入使用和能源消耗结构的差异造成。(5)整个样本期间,中国17个省市旅游业能源效率呈现下降趋势,背后的因素各有不同,旅游业资本替代效应是湖北省、福建省和浙江省等多数省市旅游业能源效率下降的主要因素,全要素生产率是安徽省、海南省、贵州省和甘肃省旅游业能源效率下降的主要原因。因此,合理利用投入的资源要素对旅游业低能耗发展至关重要,尤其是要发挥好资本对能源的替代效应,高效的资本配置能极大提高旅游能源效率。     

Are denser cities greener? Evidence from China, 2000–2010

Whether a city develops into a more compact one with a higher density or a more sprawling one may affect multiple aspects of the urban environment, including ecosystem health, greenhouse gas emissions, and quality of life. Using panel data gathered from China's cities from 2000 to 2010, we take advantage of the significant variation in the temporal change of density across cities to estimate the relationship between gross urban population density and multiple indicators of urban greenness. Fixed‐effects estimates support the widely held belief that density improves air quality and reduces the per capita carbon footprint. Results also suggest that higher density reduces the growth of road infrastructure and vehicle ownership and promotes walking. While density often translates into proximity and accessibility, higher density does reduce a city's per capita urban park and green space. This study strengthens the urban policy and planning literature with much needed longitudinal evidence. Our overall findings support higher density as opposed to lower density urban development in China.