中部六省碳排放效率与产业结构优化的耦合协调度及影响因素分析

采用SBM-Undesirable模型测算了1999—2017年中部六省的碳排放效率,分别计算了产业结构合理化指数和高级化指数,利用耦合协调模型考察了碳排放效率与产业结构优化的耦合协调度,并对其影响因素进行了实证分析。结果表明:中部六省碳排放效率和产业结构合理化的耦合协调度较低,处在中度失调和中度协调之间,碳排放效率和产业结构高级化的耦合协调度处在中度失调和中度协调之间,但有明显上升的趋势。人力资本、财政支出对中部六省碳排放效率和产业结构合理化的协调发展起到了促进作用,而环境规制、能源结构产生了抑制的作用。人力资本对碳排放效率和产业结构高级化的耦合协调度有正向作用,而外商投资、人均资本、制度质量和能源结构产生了抑制作用。     

我国省域农业隐含碳排放及其驱动因素时空动态分析

[目的]我国区域农业发展模式由于气候、环境的不同存在较大的差异,而目前针对农业隐含碳的时空动态研究较为缺乏,导致对于区域减排目标的设定缺乏全面的考虑,无法实现农业碳减排的效率性和公平性。因此,有必要分析农业隐含碳排放在不同省域的特征并分析其驱动因素,为制定体现地区间公平性且有效率的碳减排政策提供依据。[方法]文章利用2002年、2007年和2012年3年的投入产出表估算我国各省(市、区)农业隐含碳排放量,根据Kaya恒等关系将其分解为经济规模、经济结构、一般农业技术进步和低碳农业技术进步4类影响因素,并利用LMDI分解分析法对这4类影响因素的驱动力进行了分析。[结果]2002—2012年我国大部分地区农业隐含碳排放量呈上升趋势,空间上呈现从西到东、从南到北逐渐增加的分布规律,经济规模效应在各省份均呈正向驱动,且在经济发展较为迅速、经济增长后劲较强的地区驱动效应逐渐增强;经济结构效应在大部分省份呈负向驱动,且在重型工业的聚集区域负向效应逐渐增强;一般农业技术因素正向驱动区域逐渐扩散,且在农业大省正向驱动效应逐渐增强;低碳农业技术进步因素在东部发达地区负向的驱动效应较强,在西部驱动效应较弱。[结论]在未来的农业减排政策制定过程中,需要充分考虑不同地区的经济发展、产业结构、农业生产等特点。     

碳中和目标导向的省域消费端碳排放减排模式研究——基于多区域投入产出模型

文章以多区域投入产出模型为基础,研究了中国省级和行业层面基于消费端的碳排放及碳转移,并解析了碳中和导向下的碳减排模式。结果表明:23个省份本地消费碳排放大于外地输入碳排放;资本形成是碳排放最大贡献者;能源生产和供应业以及非金属和金属业是碳转移的主要行业,能源生产和供应业输出碳排放量最大的内蒙古主要输出给北方地区,非金属和金属业输出碳排放量最大的河北主要输出给江苏等省份;中国30个省份可以根据消费端碳排放的来源特征和净碳转移方向分为四类。在碳中和目标导向下,本研究有助于倒逼各省份绿色发展和绿色低碳产品的输出,绿色低碳也将是未来贸易市场趋向。     

Is it still economic to build a new coal-fired power plant in the U.S.? A real option analysis

In the U.S., virtually no new coal-fired power plants have been built in recent years. Both industry experts and academics seem to believe that no rational firm will build a new coal-fired plant. Will such a trend continue in the future? To provide insights into this question, we investigate the optimal decision of an electricity company with an irreversible and deferrable opportunity to build either a new coal-fired or natural gas-fired power plant as its new base-load resource. According to our real option analysis, the optimal decision depends on the location. In the case of the eastern U.S., it is optimal to choose a natural gas plant if a firm is given a choice among a new natural gas plant, a new coal plant and deferring the investment. However, contrary to the common sentiment in the industry and academia, building a new coal plant in the western U.S. is still more economical than building a new natural gas plant in the absence of emission pricing. Furthermore, introducing carbon pricing to western U.S. states, as California did, can substantially increase the probability that a firm will optimally choose a natural gas plant over a coal plant.     

How markets will drive the transition to a low carbon economy

This paper investigates the driving factors behind the transition to a low carbon economy. Here, we offer a two-part analysis: First, we examine the factors leading to the current level of cleantech development. To do so, we examine the impact of country-level economic variables (real GDP, market return, and turnover) and country-level institutional variables on patent intensity. Results from this analysis show that cleantech patenting activity is fostered by a supportive institutional environment that promotes innovation and low-carbon development through carbon pricing policies, country-level public R&D expenditure and human capital. Second, we extend the notion of ‘path creation’ to map out different pathways for cleantech development on a country-level within a real options framework, and offer a corresponding valuation of cleantech patents. Our estimates of total wealth creation through the development of cleantech patents by 2050 range from US$10.16 to US$15.49 trillion dollars (13%–20% of the world GDP in 2017) with investment growth from US$2.93 to US$3.71 trillion (3.7%–4.7% of the world GDP in 2017). The results from our analysis suggest that market forces will drive the transition to a cleantech economy.     

Estimating emissions based on the integration of microscopic traffic simulation and vehicle dynamics model

This study proposes an integrated simulation approach, which consists of a microscopic traffic simulation model, a vehicle dynamics model, and an emission estimation model, in order to estimate emissions based on more reliable vehicle performance measures. The vehicle performance measures such as engine power and engine speed significantly relate to the amount of emissions, and road curvatures and inclinations are the core inputs affecting these vehicle performance measures. Therefore, providing reliable vehicle performance measures reflecting the road geometric attributes is critical for a reliable emission estimation. This study proposes to use the microscopic traffic simulation model for generating vehicle trajectories, which is advantageous in modeling various traffic situations, and the vehicle dynamics model for producing the vehicle performance measures based on the vehicle trajectories. Finally, the outputs from the vehicle dynamics model are fed into the emission estimation model to compute emission measures. This study conducted a case-study using two road sections, one is a hypothesized road section, including various curvatures and inclinations with regular variations, and the other is a Kesselberg road section, which is an actual geometry in Bayern, Germany. The emission measures are estimated in these case-study road sections using both an existing simulation approach and the proposed integrated simulation approach. The difference between these two emission estimation approaches is discussed in terms of the emission measures, including fuel consumption, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matters.     

Move fast,travel slow: the influence of high-speed rail on tourism in Taiwan

High-speed rail (HSR) and tourism are closely related economic activities because improved mobility is perceived to facilitate tourist behavioral changes. This study examines the influence of HSR on the travel patterns of individual tourists in Taiwan in relation to time, space and carbon emissions. A framework is first provided to discuss how changes in the speed of intercity transportation will affect visitors’ choice of the journey, behavior at destinations and trip quality. In addition, HSR is expected to influence five general aspects of travel decisions relating to mobility and trip emissions, including mode selection, travel distance, length of stay per trip, annual travel frequency and total travel days. In the example of Taiwan, information by onsite sampling of 400 domestic travelers found that HSR had a weak influence on travel distance and length of stay per trip, but was observed to facilitate extended time at each stop, a deeper engagement with the locality, and an approximate 10% reduction in transport carbon emissions through intermodal substitution. These phenomena are in line with the slow travel concept of sustainable tourism consumption.     

Sustainable development carbon pricing initiative and voluntary environmental disclosures quality

Although corporate environmental disclosures have been researched extensively, empirical evidence regarding the indirect impact of carbon pricing on firms' voluntary disclosures is scarce. The objective of this study is to identify the indirect impact of carbon pricing initiatives on the voluntary environmental disclosures (VEDs) of electricity generating companies, analyzed through the lens of institutional theory. This study adds to the growing literature on the determinants of VED, investigating the impact of adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative and ISO 14001 on VED. Secondary data were collected from 2015 annual reports and/or standalone sustainability reports of electricity generating companies from 53 countries around the world. Content analysis approach was adopted for measuring the extent of the quality of VED. Findings of multiple regression analysis suggest that there is an indirect institutional impact of carbon pricing on the quality of VED. This study also finds that, as the form of nongovernment guidance, the Global Reporting Initiative adoption and ISO 14001 certification also have an institutional influence on the VED. VED is also affected by company size although this study reveals no significant relationship of leverage with VED.     

中国耕地资源利用的碳排放时空特征及脱钩效应研究

研究目的:揭示中国耕地资源利用的碳排放时空分异规律及其与农业经济增长之间的脱钩关系,以期为中国耕地资源低碳化利用政策的制定和推行提供参考。研究方法:IPCC碳排系数法,TAPIO脱钩分析法。研究结果:(1)中国耕地资源利用的碳排放整体上呈现增长趋势,但2010年后增速趋于下降并于2016年开始转入负增长,省际差异不断扩大的同时区域间差异趋于缩小;(2)中国耕地资源利用的碳排放强度总体上处于下降态势,省际和区域间碳排放强度的差异总体上趋于缩小;(3)中国耕地资源利用的不同碳排放源的碳排放量及增速呈现不同的时序波动特征,同时存在明显的地域差异性,其中,化肥是最主要碳排放源;(4)中国2000—2012年耕地资源利用的碳排放与农业经济增长之间呈现以"弱脱钩"为主,但2013—2017年不同省域的脱钩类型及脱钩程度趋于差异化。研究结论:中国耕地资源利用碳排放的时空分异性显著,且与农业经济增长之间不同阶段和不同省域呈现不同脱钩类型,需突出减排重点、实施差异化策略及注重绿色发展等多途径推进耕地资源低碳化利用,提高政策的精准性。     

Impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture of developing countries

This research analyses the impact of foreign direct investment on greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector of developing countries. Panel data from 63 developing countries for the period 2005 to 2014 was used to estimate a dynamic econometric model by applying a system‐generalised method of moments. The empirical results indicate a positive impact of foreign direct investment in agriculture on the carbon dioxide equivalent emission intensity in developing countries. The results provide weak support for the pollution havens hypothesis and imply the importance of coordination between foreign direct investment and environmental policies.