Technological change in energy systems: Learning curves, logistic curves and input-output coefficients

Learning curves have recently been widely adopted in climate-economy models to incorporate endogenous change of energy technologies, replacing the conventional assumption of an autonomous energy efficiency improvement. However, there has been little consideration of the credibility of the learning curve. The current trend that many important energy and climate change policy analyses rely on the learning curve means that it is of great importance to critically examine the basis for learning curves. Here, we analyse the use of learning curves in energy technology, usually implemented as a simple power function. We find that the learning curve cannot separate the effects of price and technological change, cannot reflect continuous and qualitative change of both conventional and emerging energy technologies, cannot help to determine the time paths of technological investment, and misses the central role of R&D activity in driving technological change. We argue that a logistic curve of improving performance modified to include R&D activity as a driving variable can better describe the cost reductions in energy technologies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the top-down Leontief technology can incorporate the bottom-up technologies that improve along either the learning curve or the logistic curve, through changing input-output coefficients. An application to UK wind power illustrates that the logistic curve fits the observed data better and implies greater potential for cost reduction than the learning curve does.     

Thermodynamics and process analysis for future economic scenarios

Economists are increasingly interested in forecasting future costs and benefits of policies for dealing with materials/energy fluxes, polluting emissions and environmental impacts on various scales, from sectoral to global. Computable general equilibrium (CGE) models are currently popular because they project demand and industrial structure into the future, along an equilibrium path. But they are applicable only to the extent that structural changes occur in or near equilibrium, independent of radical technological (or social) change. The alternative tool for analyzing economic implications of scenario assumptions is to use Leontief-type Input-Output (I-O) models. I-O models are unable to endogenize structural shifts (changing I-O coefficients). However, this can be a virtue when considering radical rather than incremental shifts. Postulated I-O tables can be used independently to check the internal consistency of scenarios. Or I-O models can be used to generate scenarios by linking them to econometric macro-drivers (which can, in principle, be CGE models). Explicit process analysis can be integrated, in principle, with I-O models. This hybrid scheme provides a natural means of satisfying physical constraints, especially the first and second laws of thermodynamics. This is important, to avoid constructing scenarios based on physically impossible processes. Process analysis is really the only available tool for constructing physically plausible alternative future I-O tables, and generating materials/energy and waste emissions coefficients. Explicit process analysis also helps avoid several problems characteristic of pure CGE or I-O models, viz. (1) aggregation errors (2) inability to handle arbitrary combinations of co-product and co-input relationships and (3) inability to reflect certain non-linearities such as internal feedback loops.     

Assessment of regional trade and virtual water flows in China

The success of China's economic development has left deep marks on resource availability and quality. Some regions in China are relatively poor with regards to water resources. This problem is exacerbated by economic growth. Flourishing trade activities on both domestic and international levels have resulted in significant amounts of water withdrawal and water pollution. Hence the goal of this paper is to evaluate the current inter-regional trade structure and its effects on water consumption and pollution via ‘virtual water flows’. Virtual water is the water embedded in products and used in the whole production chain, and that is traded between regions or exported to other countries. For this assessment of trade flows and effects on water resources, we have developed an extended regional input-output model for eight hydro-economic regions in China to account for virtual water flows between North and South China. The findings show that the current trade structure in China is not very favorable with regards to water resource allocation and efficiency. North China as a water scarce region virtually exports about 5% of its total available freshwater resources while accepting large amounts of wastewater for other regions' consumption. By contrast, South China a region with abundant water resources is virtually importing water from other regions while their imports are creating waste water polluting other regions' hydro-ecosystems.     

Analysis of interregional industry linkage and economic distance in China: evidence from the mining industry

The mining industry is an important sector of the national economy, which provides essential support for energy and other resources for economic development. Industrial linkage and economic distance are two different concepts in measuring the correlationship of different industries, in this article, we apply the model that combines both of them to analyse the industries significantly influence the mining industry. We find that electricity and heating industry, and the mining industry itself from forward linkages have greatly influenced the mining industry, and the industries from backward linkages affect mining industry are changing with industrial economic transformation. We also find resources can flow across several regions only after 2007, which means the role of geographical factors limiting long-range transportation of resources is weakening after 2007. And we explain how resources flow among various regions during 1997 ~ 2007. Based on the findings above, policy implications from the empirical results obtained are discussed.     

全球价值链与国内价值链——基于投入产出表的新方法

价值链作为组织和协调经济活动的微观机制,已使经济全球化和增长模式发生了深刻的变化。本文利用来自投入产出表的新方法,测度了广东省和江苏省全球价值链和国内价值链的水平。结果表明,粤苏两省切入全球价值链的倾向高于切入国内价值链的倾向,而对其它省份关联效应较大的行业基本上是中间品行业,且具有自然资源密集的特征。全球价值链与国内价值链之间的互动关系,则关系到我国产业升级的前景和区域经济协调发展的基础。     

中国的增加值率为什么会出现下降？——基于非竞争型投入产出框架的视角

中国经济在快速增长同时，新增价值在产出中比例不断下降。本文在非竞争型投入产出框架下，分别运用结构分解方法和迪氏指数分解方法，从不同的角度对中国的增加值率1987—2007年下降的现象进行研究。结果表明，在研究期间中国增加值率从1987年的0．480下降到2007年的0．323，下降幅度达到32．63％。从行业结构角度来看，中国增加值率的下降与我国产业结构的两次变迁有关，是工业化进程中不可避免的结果；从最终需求角度分析，初次投入结构变动以及生产过程中进口中间品比例增加是导致增加值率下降的主要原因。最后，本文还结合分析结果对提高中国经济增长质量提供了相关建议。     

电子信息产业国内价值链省域比较优势测度及空间差异研究

为应对后疫情时代全球电子信息产业加剧的“比较优势陷阱”,中国亟需通过国内价值链省域比较优势的互补协同提升整体国际竞争力。在价值链产品内,基于垂直专业化分工框架,兼顾增值能力与劳动生产率两个维度,使用非竞争型投入占用产出模型,设计一个评测国家内部区域电子信息产业真实比较优势的新指标。结果表明,东部沿海省域比较优势强度与广度最为显著,内陆省域比较优势集中于上游能源型部门;制造业部门比较优势凸显,服务业部门比较优势相对薄弱;比较优势高省域集中度与低省域集中度的产业部门中,均存在整体比较优势强弱差异,其中,高省域集中度产业部门比较优势强度更高。     

The economic impact of shale gas extraction: A review of existing studies

Recent advances in drilling technology have allowed for the profitable extraction of natural gas from deep underground shale rock formations. Several reports sponsored by the gas industry have estimated the economic effects of the shale gas extraction on incomes, employment, and tax revenues. None of these reports has been published in an economics journal and therefore have not been subjected to the peer review process. Yet these reports may be influential to the formation of public policy. This commentary provides written reviews of several studies purporting to estimate the economic impact of gas extraction from shale beds. Due to questionable assumptions, the economic impacts estimated in these reports are very likely overstated.     

外贸商品结构合理性评价指标的构建及实证研究

文章立足国情,在界定外贸商品结构合理性涵义的基础上,确立了以是否符合产业结构的改善和经济发展的需要为合理性的判断标准,以求克服盲目追求外贸商品结构高级化的弊端。在比较现有研究方法的基础上选择投入产出分析法,运用改进后的影响力系数和推动力系数,重新构造了进出口商品结构合理度指数和调整指数,并利用1997年、2002年和2007年的中国投入产出表计算了相关的评价指标,对我国近10年来的进出口商品结构合理性进行分析,发现我国的外贸商品结构合理度呈先扬后抑的趋势,说明其合理性有待改进,最后依据结论提出了调整我国外贸商品结构合理化的对策。     

加工贸易视角下中美工业贸易隐含碳研究：国别排放与全球效应

本文基于加工贸易视角,区分国内与进口中间投入,构建贸易隐含碳模型,从工业整体及行业角度分析了1998—2009年度中关工业贸易隐含碳的国别排放情况,并基于全球视角分析了中关贸易的全球净效应。结果显示：中国对美工业贸易始终处于隐含碳净出口状态,2001年之后（净）出口隐含碳增幅尤其明显,其中化学、机械、纺织业是隐含碳净出...