Status of CO2 emissions, driving forces and mitigation countermeasures of Tianjin, China

ncing energy efficiency, exploiting and using clean and renewable energy, advancing energy structure adjustments, and actively developing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.     

Biodiversity pressure and the driving forces behind

Since the UNCED Conference in Rio de Janeiro 1992, the need to actively protect biodiversity is universally acknowledged. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defined biodiversity as comprising ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity, and decided for the ecosystem level as the basis for describing biodiversity. However, due to conceptual problems as much as to the lack of data, so far no comprehensive measurements of biodiversity have been developed. A single measure quantitatively describing biodiversity even seems out of reach due to the incommensurability of the three levels. This makes it impossible to directly base policy decisions on existing or future estimates of the “total size” of biodiversity. Instead, it is suggested to analyse the pressures threatening biodiversity, which can usually be measured quantitatively, and act as the interface between the socioeconomic driving forces behind them and the biological impacts. The drivers (physical primary drivers, politics and policies causing them as secondary and institutional structures as tertiary ones) do not only affect biodiversity, but a range of sustainability problems. The analysis permits to integrate biodiversity risks with broader environmental and sustainability policies, and thus to mainstream biodiversity preservation.Such an analysis is presented for Europe, naming pressures and driving forces and illustrating the close links between the causes of biodiversity pressures and other environmental problems. This way, it is possible to develop first ideas how the standard set of environmental policies must be modified and extended to cover the issue of biodiversity.     

Research on driving forces for rural settlement land changes in China

During the rapid urbanization period, the contradiction between demand for the construction land and the preservation of cultivated land for food security is getting more and more serious in China. With the urbanization the rural settlement land is increasing instead of decreasing; This paper aims at.finding the driving forces for rural settlement land expanston. Based on land use change survey data （1996-2006） by the Ministry of Land and Resources P. R. C., this paper find, that per capita area for rural settlement land is more than per capita area for city; township and industrial land in each province except Tibet. Besides, rural settlement land area and per capita rural settlement land area are increasing while the rural poputation is decreasing in most provinces. The main problems of rural settlement land use are low efficiency, high vacancy rate, chaotic layout and illegal occupancy. Then the driving forces [br rural settlement land expansion, including economic development, family income, family scale, psychological factors, urbanization, transportation, lack of planning, limited circulation of dwelling-house land and imperfect sociat security, ate explored based on above analysis, Finalty, policy recommendations, in view of different influencing factors, are put forward to control the disorder expansion of rural setttement land.     

Do global CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel consumption exhibit long memory? a fractional-integration analysis

In this article we use an autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average approach to measure the degree of fractional integration of aggregate world CO₂ emissions and its five components – coal, oil, gas, cement, and gas flaring. We find that all variables are stationary and mean reverting, but exhibit long-term memory. Our results suggest that both coal and oil combustion emissions have the weakest degree of long-range dependence, while emissions from gas and gas flaring have the strongest. With evidence of long memory, we conclude that transitory policy shocks are likely to have long-lasting effects, but not permanent effects. Accordingly, permanent effects on CO₂ emissions require a more permanent policy stance. In this context, if one were to rely only on testing for stationarity and non-stationarity, one would likely conclude in favour of non-stationarity, and therefore that even transitory policy shocks have permanent effects. Our fractional-integration analysis highlights that this is not the case.     

Can innovation shocks determine CO2 emissions (CO2e) in the OECD economies? A new perspective

ABSTRACT

This study has attempted to address prior knowledge gaps in the environmental economics literature by integrating the innovation shocks into the Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC) equation for twenty-six OECD economies using data from 1990 to 2014. Foreign direct investment (FDI), exports (EXP), renewable energy consumption (REC), and GDP per capita were included as control variables. The results from multiple empirical analyses indicated that positive shocks to innovation improve, but the negative shocks disrupt environmental quality. Data analyses also showed that a positive correlation exists between income per capita of OECD economies. From the negative coefficient of income per capita (squared) and the existence of a negative nexus between FDI and CO2e, both the EKC and the Pollution Halo Hypothesis (PHH) were confirmed in sampled economies, respectively. The paper offers empirical support for the favourable impacts of REC on the quality of the environment and calls for the adoption of innovation shocks as a policy instrument to formulate better environmental policies for a sustainable future.     

The econometrics of the environmental Kuznets curve: an illustration using Australian CO2 emissions

Four econometric issues associated with the estimation and testing of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) are considered: (i) model specification with respect to the order of the polynomial, (ii) model specification with respect to the use of linear or log-linear specifications, (iii) integration and cointegration considerations, and (iv) missing variables and time trends. These issues are examined in reference to Australian data on four measures of CO2 emissions and three measures of per capita income. While evidence is provided for an inverted U-shaped EKC, the results cannot be generalized. It is concluded that without the use of sensitivity analysis, the results are typically fragile.     

中国农产品贸易隐含的CO2评估——基于非竞争型投入产出模型

在有关国际贸易隐含碳的研究中,大多使用竞争型投入产出模型,同时农产品贸易隐含碳少有提及.文章通过构建非竞争型投入产出模型精确地评估了1995～2005年中国农产品贸易隐含的CO2.结果表明:中国农业的CO2排放不容忽视,需要进一步加大节能减排力度;农产品生产所排放的CO2有3.71％～4.50％是由出口所产生的,农产品消费所排放的CO2有3.29％～10.10％是由进口来满足的,尤其是中间投入的进口“节省”了大量的CO2排放;农产品净出口隐含的CO2不断减少,中国逐渐成为农产品CO2排放净进口国,农产品贸易为节能减排做出了贡献.     

基于R/S的中国碳排放演变趋势及其空间差异分析

基于分形理论,利用R/S分析方法,通过计算1990-2008年中国大陆30个省区的碳排放总量和排放强度演变趋势的Hurst指数和分维值D,分析了各地排放总量和排放强度演变趋势的规律性特征,并根据Hurst指数的分布情况,划分了不同的类型区,对不同类型区的总量和强度演变趋势特征进行了比较分析.结果表明,我国大部分省区的排放总量增加的趋势具有较强的持续性,这些省区占到75.86％,但排放强度降低趋势具有较强持续性的地区也占到了64％,这对于我国实现2020年碳排放强度比2005年降低20％-40％的目标,是非常有利的.但是,排放总量增长趋势的持久性普遍大于排放强度降低趋势的持久性,再加上我国仍有部分省区的碳排放降低趋势的持续性较弱,甚至有些省区的强度降低趋势出现了反持续性,这说明碳减排压力较大,特别是实现碳排放与经济发展脱钩的目标,还需要较长一段时间,这主要是由于我国正处于快速工业化和城市化的发展阶段所决定的.     

北京市二氧化碳排放的驱动因素及减排路径

实现低碳发展对北京市意义重大。北京市近二十年来人口城镇化水平迅速提高,二三产业结构发生巨变,能源效率持续提高,因此运用STIRPAT模型对北京市（1995—2012年）二氧化碳排放的驱动因素进行分析。结果表明：城镇化、人口、产业结构、能源强度、人均GDP依次对北京市二氧化碳排放产生正向驱动作用。北京市低碳发展任重道远,需要在控制人口、转变经济发展方式、深度优化产业结构和能源结构等方面采取强有力的措施。     

中国2020年二氧化碳排放情景分析

本文利用中国科学技术信息研究所和美国千年研究所开发的中国可持续发展模型,对我国2020年的CO2排放情景进行定量分析,来模拟与验证如何达到2020年单位GDP二氧化碳排放比2005年下降40％～45％的减排目标。报告设定了技术进步、生活方式改变、价格调整、产业结构调整等几个情景。分析发现,如果要降低CO2排放总量,最好的途径就是加快技术进步、加大可再生能源和核电的比例。要实现二氧化碳排放强度的目标,最好的途径就是实现产业结构调整。     

Club convergence and clustering of U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions

This study examines the convergence of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions among a panel of U.S. states between the period 1960–2010. This examination is carried out by means of a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, we conduct an endogenous grouping, regression-based convergence test. Unlike previous studies, this methodology endogenously identifies groups of states with emissions that are converging to a similar steady state growth path over time. In the second stage, we evaluate the conditional rate of convergence for the whole sample and for each club using panel data, fixed effects models that control for unobserved, time-invariant heterogeneous effects. More specifically, we examine the rates of convergence conditional on certain structural and non-structural characteristics of the state economy. Results from stage one and stage two suggest that one group of twenty-six states is converging to a unique steady-state equilibrium, and otherwise, the remaining states are diverging. Finally, we discuss different policy approaches to mitigating carbon dioxide emissions based on the club convergence hypothesis.     

Localized innovation, localized diffusion and the environment: an analysis of reductions of CO2 emissions by passenger cars

We investigate technological change with regard to CO₂ emissions by passenger cars, using a Free Disposal Hull methodology to estimate technological frontiers. We have a sample of cars available in the UK market in the period 2000–2007. Our results show that the rates of technological change (frontier movement) and diffusion (distance to frontier at the car brand level) differ substantially between segments of the car market. We conclude that successful policies should be aimed at the diffusion of best-practice technology, and take account of the different potential for further progress between different segments of the market (e.g. diesel vs. gasoline engines and small vs. large engines).

Empirical study on the determinants of CO2 emissions: evidence from OECD countries

This article empirically investigates the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for CO₂ emissions in the cases of 11 OECD countries by taking into account the role of nuclear energy in electricity production. The autoregressive distributed lag approach to cointegration is employed as the estimation method. Our results indicate that energy consumption has a positive impact on CO₂ emissions in most countries in the study. However, the impact of trade is not statistically significant. The results provide evidence for the role of nuclear power in reducing CO₂ emissions only in some countries. Additionally, although the estimated long-run coefficients of income and its square satisfy the EKC hypothesis in Finland, Japan, Korea and Spain, only Finland's EKC turning point is inside the sample period of the study, providing poor evidence in support of the EKC hypothesis.     

Impacts of an EC carbon/energy tax and deregulating thermal power supply on CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions

Emission of CO₂, SO₂ and NO_x are all closely linked to the burning of fossil fuels. Here we report on simulations done by linking a Sectoral European Energy Model (SEEM), covering energy demand in nine Western European countries, with the emission-transport-deposition model RAINS developed by IIASA. The study analyses emissions of CO₂, SO₂ and NO_x, deposition of sulphur and nitrogen and the extent of areas where the critical load for sulphur is exceeded in year 2000 under four different energy scenarios. Two different sets of future behavioural patterns for the thermal electric power production sector are considered. In one regime, called the plan-efficient regime, the sector is assumed to follow official plans with regard to investment in new capacity. In the other regime, called the cost-efficient regime, the thermal power sector is assumed to behave in a cost minimizing manner. The effects of the proposed EC carbon/energy tax are studied under both regimes, giving rise to altogether four scenarios.In both regimes the effect of the EC tax is to reduce emissions by between 6 and 10 per cent in year 2000 relative to the scenarios without the tax. A change of regime, from the regulated, plan-efficient regime to the market-based, cost-efficient regime, will, by itself, reduce emissions of CO₂ and NO_x by approximately 3 per cent, while SO₂ emissions are reduced by 13 per cent. The EC tax will reduce sulphur deposition by more than 5 per cent in the nine model countries under the plan-efficient regime. A change of regime further reduces the total deposition by 9 per cent. The area where depositions exceed the critical load is reduced by approximately 6 per cent in year 2000 by the tax in both regimes. Changing from the plan-efficient to the cost-efficient regime has a similar impact.Although the emission reductions due to the EC tax may seem modest, they are shown to have a sizeable effect on the technological abatement costs of reaching targets like those prescribed in the Sofia protocol on the stabilisation of NO_x emissions, and the Helsinki protocol on SO₂ emission reductions. This is part of what can be considered to be secondary benefits of the EC carbon/energy tax.     

CO2 emissions in Australia: economic and non-economic drivers in the long-run

Australia has sustained a relatively high economic growth rate since the 1980s compared to other developed countries. Per capita CO₂ emissions tend to be highest amongst OECD countries, creating new challenges to cut back emissions towards international standards. This research explores the long-run dynamics of CO₂ emissions, economic and population growth along with the effects of globalization tested as contributing factors. We find economic growth is not emission-intensive in Australia, while energy consumption is emissions intensive. Second, in an environment of increasing population, our findings suggest Australia needs to be energy efficient at the household level, creating appropriate infrastructure for sustainable population growth. High population growth and open migration policy can be detrimental in reducing CO₂ emissions. Finally, we establish globalized environment has been conducive in combating emissions. In this respect, we establish the beneficial effect of economic globalization compared to social and political dimensions of globalization in curbing emissions.     

Scenario analysis of low carbon development in Tianjin, China

Low-carbon economic development has become a.fundamental approach to coordinating economic development and carbon emissions mitigation. As rapid developing economic, aviation and navigation, and financial center of North China. Tianjin＇s energy demand and CO2 emissions are mushrooming, with per capita CO2 emission from fossil fuel combustion exceeding 20 t in 2020, which much exceeds current level of USA. In the background of global responding to climate change, China will likely be requested to commit peaking its GHG emissions during 2020-2030, which will inevitable reduce the room of development in Tianjin enormously. Tianjin should make deployment ahead, realizing win-win of addressing climate change and sustainable development, with low-carbon economic development as important strategic mission. First of all, Tianjin should devote more efforts to reducing energy intensity and realizing relative emission reduction. Scenario analysis shows that Tianjin＇s future CO2 emissions will continue to increase rapidly, but they can be significantly reduced by taking measures. Second, Tianjin should get ready for achieving absolute reduction of CO2 emissions as soon as possible, preparing system, technology and talent in advance, making great efforts to establish institutional meehanisms conducive to low-carbon development from now on. starting from energy conservation and emission reduction, actively carrying out low-carbon technology research and development, vigorously developing the tertiary industry with low emissions, developing new and renewable energy resources, actively promote low-carbon consumption.     

地球暖化与温室气体的排放——中日贸易中的CO2排放问题

本文结合中日两国国民收入及外贸基本经济数据,利用数学方程把经济因素、环境因素、国际关系联系起来,建立了环境与经济综合分析的模型,测算经济与环境之间的数量关系,同时为中日两国的环境政策合作、能源管理和可持续发展研究提供了基础数据。     

Modelling the nonlinear relationship between CO2 emissions from oil and economic growth

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from oil and GDP, using panel data from 1971 to 2007 of 98 countries. Previous studies have discussed the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, but little attention has been paid to the existence of a nonlinear relationship between these two variables. We argue that there exists a threshold effect between the two variables: different levels of economic growth bear different impacts on oil CO2 emissions. Our empirical results do not support the EKC hypothesis. Additionally, the results of short-term analyses of static and dynamic panel threshold estimations suggest the efficacy of a double-threshold (three-regime) model. In the low economic growth regime, economic growth negatively affects oil CO2 emissions growth; in the medium economic growth regime, however, economic growth positively impacts oil CO2 emissions growth; and in the high economic growth regime, the impact of economic growth is insignificant.     

外国直接投资、经济规模与二氧化碳排放关系研究

外国直接投资在我国经济发展过程中发挥了巨大的作用，然而随着经济规模的发展，我国的环境问题也日益突出。通过对外国直接投资与经济规模以及经济规模与二氧化碳排放之间的格兰杰因果关系进行检验，发现外国直接投资是我国经济规模增长的格兰杰原因，而经济规模是二氧化碳排放的格兰杰原因，也就是说外国直接投资增加可以通过经济规模导致我国二氧化碳排放量的上升。     

Adoption of digital repositories for CO2 emissions reduction: the case of Korea

This study aims to estimate the potential economic benefits, energy and CO₂ emissions reductions when using trusted third-party digital repository (TTPR) services in one individual bank, and within the banking industry in Korea. First, the cost, benefit and net benefit of using TTPR services in the banking industry are estimated. Second, the net induced output effect is estimated. Third, based on an environmentally extended input–output analysis, CO₂ emissions reduction was estimated as 1924.32 tons in 2009 and the energy consumption reduction as 640.70 TOE. Fourth, the total economic benefit, which is the sum of the net induced output effect and economic value of CO₂ emissions reductions, is approximately $11.04 million. The findings demonstrate that energy consumption and CO₂ emissions reductions are meaningful enough to result in significant economic benefits. Therefore, the Korean government should promote the use of TTPR services in the entire industry.