Individual new energy consumption and economic growth in China

We document the one-way relationship between individual new energy consumption and economic growth in China through the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model from 2004 to 2017. Our results show that individual new energy consumption has a positive effect on economic growth. Moreover, the urbanization rate, import and export trade volume and foreign direct investment all affect the individual new energy consumption in the short run. The outcome of the causality test reveals a one-way Granger causal relationship from individual new energy consumption to economic growth, from the urbanization rate, and from the import and export trade volume to new energy consumption.     

Energy mix persistence and the effect of carbon pricing

Energy mix persistence is a defining characteristic of energy systems, for reasons including the long‐lived nature of energy infrastructure and the role of local endowments. This persistence is evident in current energy‐type use being strongly influenced by past use. Our analysis uses data for eight energy types and a large sample of countries, finding varying degrees of energy mix persistence. We also find evidence that carbon pricing appears to have played a key role in tilting energy mixes from coal towards renewable energy. Our estimates provide empirical support to policymakers seeking to implement carbon pricing to transition their energy systems in a lower‐carbon direction.     

Clean Energy Trade Governance: Reconciling Trade Liberalism and Climate Interventionism?

Scaling-up clean energy is vital to global efforts to address climate change. Promoting international trade in clean energy products (e.g. wind turbines, solar panels) can make an important contribution to this end through business and market expansion effects. If ratified, the landmark Paris COP21 Agreement will commit states to firmer climate actions, this necessarily requiring them to strengthen their promotion of clean energy technologies. Well over a hundred countries already have active policies in this area, many including industrial policy measures that impact on the international competitiveness of their clean energy sector. At the same time, governments have gradually liberalised their clean energy trade regimes, and large producers are negotiating an Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). Clean energy trade is expanding and disputes among nations in this sector are growing. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) still has limited ‘policy space’ for climate action. Meanwhile, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) still had narrow and infrequent connections with trade matters. Moreover, WTO-UNFCCC engagement on trade-climate issues overall has been largely confined to information sharing and secretariat-level dialogue. This paper explores the extent to which clean energy trade is currently governed, where certain governance gaps and deficiencies exists, and argues why addressing them could help expand trade in clean energy products. It also contends that the most fundamental challenge for the future governance of clean energy trade concerns how to reconcile ramped-up interventionist climate action with an essentially liberal trade order.     

基于定性比较分析（QCA）方法的村级集经济发展影响因素分析

[目的]农村集体经济是社会主义公有制经济的重要组成部分,发展壮大村级集体经济有利于优化配置农业生产要素、完善农村社会治理、提高乡村公共服务能力。如何发展村级集体经济,需要厘清发展的主要影响因素及其作用机制。[方法]文章通过理论分析建立影响村级集体经济发展的因素框架,以发达地区、欠发地区和贫困地区的12个行政村为对象,应用定性比较分析法(QCA)进行分析。[结果]资产利用效率、村庄精英、政府引导、农户认知度在集体经济发展中发挥了重要作用,其中资产利用效率最为关键,资源禀赋作用并不显著;村级集体经济能否有效发展是多种因素组合共同作用的结果,并具有多元化的特点。[结论]资源利用效率是村级集体经济发展的关键条件,村庄精英是重要前提,政府引导是外生动力,农户认知是动力基础。发展村级集体经济需要把握好主要影响因素及其作用机制,注重因素的共同作用。     

迈向“零碳”的日本氢能源社会发展研究

当前,中国面临着实现"碳排放目标"和"经济社会发展全面绿色转型"的双重紧迫任务。面临相似压力的日本选择了"氢"这种极富技术挑战但应用前景广阔的替代能源,并雄心勃勃地发展"氢能源社会",其最新进展举世瞩目。日本不但在氢能源技术突破和相关绿色产业链建设中积累了诸多经验,更重要的是凭借着绿色治理框架,通过政府、企业、社会组织等多主体的合作协同,形成了能源升级中引导企业持续技术研发和市场化推进的治理策略、"刚柔相济"的治理模式以及不同阶段差异化的治理路径。这些实践不但为中国相关现实课题的解决提供了参考,也对绿色治理理论的深化提供了契机。     

喀斯特地区农村能源消费特征及影响因素

[目的]喀斯特农村地区低值粗放的能源利用方式对原本脆弱的生态环境产生强烈胁迫,薪柴过度使用造成植被破坏,从而加剧土壤侵蚀,成为诱发石漠化的主要因素之一。明确不同喀斯特地区农村能源消费特征及影响因素以促进能源结构优化是喀斯特生态系统恢复的重要措施,也是社会—生态研究领域的一大议题。[方法]采用随机抽样的方式调查喀斯特峡谷、高原山地和槽谷3种不同地貌类型的石漠化治理示范区的能源结构特征与消费现状,利用Tobit和Logit模型对能源消费的影响因素进行回归分析。[结果](1)喀斯特地区用能结构单一,电力使用率达99. 31%,但对薪柴的替代进程缓慢,薪柴使用率仍高达83. 10%,其他能源使用率均不足50%,不同地貌区能源结构差异显著。(2)喀斯特地区农村能源消费量整体偏低且以薪柴消费为主导,人均能源消费量仅占全国人均消费量的40. 32%,薪柴消费量占总能耗的50. 69%,其余能源均不足20%,不同地貌区能源消费差异明显。(3)家庭人口数量、年纯收入、养殖牲畜数量、耕地面积、煤矿以及政策对喀斯特地区农村能源的消费具有显著影响,能源政策可以有效促进新能源使用。[结论]针对喀斯特峡谷区、高原山地区和槽谷区依次提出能源服务配套型、金融贷款合作型和企业入驻引资型3种模式建议,对优化喀斯特地区能源结构、保障石漠化治理成果具有一定的现实意义。     

认知型社会资本与农民环境治理参与行为*——以秸秆资源化利用方式为例

[目的]为将分散的农民纳入生态环境治理体系,实现农村地区可持续环境管理模式的转型与创新。[方法]在梳理认知型社会资本对农民环境治理参与行为运作逻辑的基础上,基于四川省崇州市的调研数据,利用多项Logit模型,以秸秆资源化利用方式为例,对比分析个体与村域层面认知型社会资本对农民环境治理参与行为的影响。[结果]认知型社会资本能够解释农民秸秆处理方式的差异。个体认知型社会资本对农民秸秆资源化利用方式的选择具有显著正向影响,而村域认知型社会资本的负向影响则不显著。就个体层面而言,制度信任、规范和亲环境价值观均显著促进农民采用秸秆资源化利用方式,而合作愿景的影响则显著为负。就村域层面而言,公共信任和亲环境价值观均显著负向影响农民的秸秆还田行为,而规范的影响则显著为正。[结论]认知型社会资本对农民秸秆处理方式的选择差异具有强大解释力,能够有助于农村生态环境问题的缓解。     

Energy and machines. Energy capital ratios in Europe and Latin America. 1875–1970

The relationship between energy and capital is one of the most important aspects of modern economic growth. Machines need energy to produce all the goods we enjoy; energy would be far less useful for humankind in absence of machines. However, the great majority of the economic models do not take into account the elasticities of substitution (or complementaries) between these two main variables. Actually, energy is absent in many growth models and discussions on diverging economic development paths. We approach this relevant issue from a new perspective: energy and capital relations during 100 years. We use the latest estimations of capital stock (machinery and equipment) and energy consumption for Latin America and compare them with those of Western Europe. The energy–capital ratio (how much energy is used per unit of capital) could be a predictor of economic growth, thus providing stylised facts about the timing and causes of the different modernisation patterns of these regions and showing us some answers on the long-run relationship between energy consumption and capital accumulation.     

Estimating capacity utilization of Chinese manufacturing industries

This study investigates the capacity utilization (CU) of Chinese manufacturing industries, using a CU indicator based on data envelopment analysis and directional distance functions (DDFs). The inputs are separated into variable inputs and a quasi-fixed input to measure the gap of DDFs, which indicated either under-utilization of inputs or overcapacity. Moreover, we define an indicator for CU change over time and introduced the corresponding decomposition. We note that, during the study time period (2007–2010), the CU of Chinese manufacturing industries improved, which implies that Chinese manufacturing industries expanded their production and got closer to their capacity during the examined period. The driving force of this improvement is technical changes. The higher average CU values of light manufacturing industries than that of the heavy industries and the extremely high CU values of two light industries reveal a severe overcapacity problem in the light industries. We also provided the methods and conduct analysis on determining optimal variable inputs and the type of the overcapacity on specific DMUs. The bootstrap regression procedures are employed to test the influence of environmental variables on CU values. Finally, we provide policy implications and suggestions for policymakers who oversee the development of Chinese manufacturing industries.     

中国城镇化和水资源利用的协调性分析*——基于熵变方程法和状态协调度函数

［目的］通过研究2007—2016年城镇化和水资源利用的协调性，为两者协调发展提供政策建议。［方法］利用熵变方程法和状态协调度函数实证分析。［结果］(1)基于熵变方程法得到的相对协调度结果与利用状态协调度函数测算的静态协调度结果基本一致，目前我国城镇化与水资源利用逼近或处于协调发展状态，但在2009—2011年两者动态协调度偏离了协调发展轨迹。(2)3类城市中地级以上城市城镇化与水资源利用目前处于协调发展状态，两者动态协调度一直处于协调发展的轨迹上，地级市和县级市城镇化与水资源利用则处于基本协调状态，尚未达到协调状态，即目前城镇化发展的同时，水资源利用情况出现了小幅恶化，且2类城市动态协调度分别在2009—2012年和2009—2011年偏离了协调发展轨迹。［结论］我国尤其是地级市和县级市需要统筹城镇化发展与水资源利用，既需提升城镇化质量，又需进一步贯彻执行水资源管理法规，捋顺其管理体制，完善水资源价格形成机制以及污水处理收费制度，构建多渠道的水资源循环利用机制，达到城镇化进程中水资源可持续利用。