Analysis of driving forces behind diversified carbon dioxide emission patterns in regions of the mainland of China

Abstract

China has large regional disparities in carbon dioxide CO₂ emissions with economic development among its 31 provincial mainland regions. This paper investigates these disparities in CO₂ emission patterns and identifies the factors underlying the differences. Results show that the 30 study China's mainland provinces (Tibet not included) can be divided into seven groups with three typical CO₂ emission patterns. Index decomposition results indicate that changes in economic development, the industrial sector, and technology contribute far more to increased CO₂ emissions than do population, energy structure, and other sectors. Close inspection reveals that different industry structures and technology contribute greatly to the differences observed in CO₂ emissions between provinces with similar economic output. This study highlights the importance of region-specific industrial structure adjustment policies, especially for regions transitioning to heavy industry and for those still in the primary stages of industrialization. The potential application of a domestic carbon emissions trading system, to encourage regional investment in updated technology, is also discussed.

Keywords

carbon dioxide emission patterns / China / economic development / index decomposition analysis / industrialization

References

[1] IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC, 2007

[2] Holtz-Eakin D, Selden T M. Stoking the fires? CO₂ emissions and economic growth. Journal of Public Economics, 1995, 57(1): 85–101

[3] Aldy J E. An environmental Kuznets curve analysis of U.S. state-level carbon dioxide emissions. Journal of Environment & Development, 2005, 14(1): 48–72

[4] Bhattacharyya R, Ghoshal T. Economic growth and CO₂ emissions. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2010, 12(2): 159–177

[5] Wang C, Chen J, Zou J. Decomposition of energy-related CO₂ emission in China: 1957-2000. Energy, 2005, 30(1): 73–83

[6] Sun J W. Decomposition of aggregated CO₂ emissions in the OECD: 1960-1995. Energy Journal (Cambridge, Mass.), 1999, 20(3): 59–73

[7] Feng K, Hubacek K, Guan D. Lifestyles, technology and CO₂ emissions in China: a regional comparative analysis. Ecological Economics, 2009, 69(1): 145–154

[8] Raupach M R, Marland G, Ciais P, Le Quéré C, Canadell J G, Klepper G, Field C B. Global and regional drivers of accelerating CO₂ emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2007, 104(24): 10288–10293

[9] Tol R S J, Pacala S W, Socolow R H. Understanding long-term energy use and carbon dioxide emissions in the USA. Journal of Policy Modeling, 2009, 31(3): 425–445

[10] Rezek J P, Rogers K E V I N. Decomposing the CO₂-income tradeoff: an output distance function approach. Environment and Development Economics, 2008, 13(04): 457–473

[11] Aldy J E. Energy and carbon dynamics at advanced stages of development: an analysis of the U.S. States, 1960-1999. Energy Journal, 2007, 28(1): 91–111

[12] Lin Y F, Cai F, Li Z. The China Miracle: Development Strategy and Economic Reform. 3rd ed. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 2008

[13] Lin Y F, Cai F, Li Z. Social consequences of economic reform in China: an analysis of regional disparity in the transition period. In: Renard M F, editor. China and its regions: economic growth and reform in Chinese provinces . Montpellier Parade: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc, 2002, 33–56

[14] Démurger S. Infrastructure development and economic growth: an explanation for regional disparities in China? Journal of Comparative Economics, 2001, 29(1): 95–117

[15] Ang B W, Zhang F Q. A survey of index decomposition analysis in energy and environmental studies. Energy, 2000, 25(12): 1149–1176

[16] Peters G P, Weber C L, Guan D, Hubacek K. China’s growing CO₂ emissions—a race between increasing consumption and efficiency gains. Environmental Science & Technology, 2007, 41(17): 5939–5944

[17] National Bureau of Statistics. China Statistical Yearbook 2006. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2006 (in Chinses)

[18] National Bureau of Statistics. China Statistical Yearbook 2008. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2008 (in Chinses)

[19] Naughton B. Growing Out of the Plan: Chinese Economic Reform 1978-1993. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995, 245–247

[20] Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, NBS Survey Office in Beijing. Beijing Statistical Yearbook 2009. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2009 (in Chinese)

[21] Chen J G, Huang Q H, Zhong H W, Wang Y Z. The Report on Chinese Industrialization. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China), 2007 (in Chinese)

[22] Ningxia Statistical Bureau. Ningxia Statistical Yearbook 2007. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2007 (in Chinese)

[23] Shanxi Statistical Bureau. Shanxi Statistical Yearbook 2007. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2007 (in Chinese)

[24] Sun H, Hone P, Doucouliago H. Economic openness and technical efficiency: a case study of Chinese manufacturing industries. Economics of Transition, 1999, 7(3): 615–636

[25] Watanabe M, Tanaka K. Efficiency analysis of Chinese industry: a directional distance function approach. Energy Policy, 2007, 35(12): 6323–6331

[26] Shiu A. Efficiency of Chinese enterprise. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 2002, 18(3): 255–267

[27] Department of Statistics on Investment in Fixed Assets. Statistics on Investment in Fixed Assets of China. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2002 (in Chinese)

[28] Ekins P, Barker T. Carbon taxes and carbon emissions trading. Journal of Economic Surveys, 2001, 15(3): 325–376

[29] IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Kanagawa: IGES, 2006

[30] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 1991-1996. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2000

[31] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 1997-1999. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2002

[32] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2000-2002. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2004

[33] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2004. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2005

[34] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2005. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2006

[35] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2006. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2007

[36] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2007. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2008

[37] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2008. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2008

[38] National Bureau of Statistics. China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2009. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2010

[39] Ang B W. The LMDI approach to decomposition analysis: a practical guide. Energy Policy, 2005, 33(7): 867–871

[40] Ang B W, Liu N. Handling zero values in the logarithmic mean Divisia index decomposition approach. Energy Policy, 2007, 35(1): 238–246

[41] Kaya Y. Impact of Carbon Dioxide Emission Control on GNP Growth: Interpretation of Proposed Scenarios. Paris: IPCC Response Strategies Working Group, 1990

[42] Liu L C, Fan Y, Wu G, Wei Y M. Using LMDI method to analyze the change of China’s industrial CO₂ emissions from final fuel use: an empirical analysis. Energy Policy, 2007, 35(11): 5892–5900

[43] Liaskas K, Mavrotas G, Mandaraka M, Diakoulaki D. Decomposition of industrial CO₂ emissions: The case of European Union. Energy Economics, 2000, 22(4): 383–394

[44] Ang B W, Pandiyan G. Decomposition of energy-induced CO₂ emissions in manufacturing. Energy Economics, 1997, 19(3): 363–374

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg