Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Industrial total factor CO2 emission performance assessment of Chinese heavy industrial province

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Energy Efficiency Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Industry is the largest consumer of energy and CO2 emission sector. Recognizing the heterogeneity of total factor CO2 emission performances between various industrial sub-sectors is crucial for governments, to enable the compilation of effective industrial CO2 emission reduction policies. To determine the CO2 emission characteristics throughout the industry sectors, Liaoning province was selected as typical heavy industry province for analysis. Based on the input-output data of 37 industrial sub-sectors from 2003 to 2012, the industrial total factor CO2 emission efficiencies and performances were analyzed through data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index. The results show that most sub-sectors have low total factor CO2 emission efficiencies, which indicates that it is difficult for Liaoning’s industry to reduce carbon emissions. The total factor CO2 emission performance of the overall industry declined by 1.85% per year during the study period; this decrease was mainly related to a lack in implementing technical changes. However, efficiency change showed a progressive trend. These findings indicate that to realize carbon reduction in heavy industry provinces within China, it is necessary to focus on expediting technical change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

DEA:

Data envelopment analysis

ML:

Malmquist-Luenberger

TFCEP:

Total factor CO2 emission performance

TC:

Technical change

EC:

Efficiency change

PTEC:

Pure technical efficiency change

SEC:

Scale efficiency change

TFCEE:

Total factor CO2 emission efficiency

References

  • Bureau of Liaoning Statistics. (2013). Liaoning statistical yearbook. Beijing: China Statistics Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai, W., Hui, J., Wang, C., Zheng, Y., Zhang, X., Zhang, Q., & Gong, P. (2018). The lancet countdown on PM2.5 pollution-related health impacts of China’s projected carbon dioxide mitigation in the electric power generation sector under the Paris agreement: A modelling study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2(4), e151–e161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, T.-P., & Hu, J.-L. (2010). Total-factor energy productivity growth, technical progress, and efficiency change: An empirical study of China. Applied Energy, 87(10), 3262–3270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, Y. T., Zhang, N., Danao, D., & Zhang, N. (2013). Environmental efficiency analysis of transportation system in China: A non-radial DEA approach. Energy Policy, 58, 277–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charnes, A., Cooper, W. W., & Rhodes, E. (1978). Measuring the efficiency of decision making units. European Journal of Operational Research, 2(6), 429–444.

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Chung, Y. H., Fare, R., & Grosskopf, S. (1997). Productivity and undesirable outputs: A directional distance function approach. Journal of Environmental Management, 51(3), 229–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • ClÒ, S. (2009). The effectiveness of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Climate Policy, 9(3), 227–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan, M., Shao, S., & Yang, L. (2015). Combining global Malmquist–Luenberger index and generalized method of moments to investigate industrial total factor CO2 emission performance: A case of Shanghai (China). Energy Policy, 79, 189–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Färe, R., Grosskopf, S., Norris, M., & Zhang, Z. (1994). Productivity growth, technical progress, and efficiency change in industrialized countries. The American Economic Review, 84(1), 66–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng, C., Huang, J. B., & Wang, M. (2018). Analysis of green total-factor productivity in China’s regional metal industry: A meta-frontier approach. Resources Policy, 58, 219–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geng, Y., Zhao, H., Liu, Z., Xue, B., Fujita, T., & Xi, F. (2013a). Exploring driving factors of energy-related CO2 emissions in Chinese provinces: A case of Liaoning. Energy Policy, 60, 820–826.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geng, Y., Sarkis, J., Wang, X. B., Zhao, H. Y., & Zhong, Y. G. (2013b). Regional application of ground source heat pump in China: A case of Shenyang. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 18, 95–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, R., Redding, S., & Van Reenen, J. (2000). Mapping the two faces of R&D: Productivity growth in a panel of OECD industries, Centre for Economic Policy Research (No. 2457). Discussion Paper.

  • Griffith, R., Redding, S., & Reenen, J. V. (2004). Mapping the two faces of R&D: Productivity growth in a panel of OECD industries. Review of Economics and Statistics, 86(4), 883–895.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guan, D., Meng, J., Reiner, D. M., Zhang, N., Shan, Y., Mi, Z., et al. (2018). Structural decline in China’s CO2 emissions through transitions in industry and energy systems. Nature Geoscience, 11(8), 551–555.

    Google Scholar 

  • He, Y. X., Zhang, S. L., Zhao, Y. S., Wang, Y. J., & Li, F. R. (2011). Energy-saving decomposition and power consumption forecast: The case of Liaoning province in China. Energy Conversion and Management, 52(1), 340–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, J.-L., & Wang, S.-C. (2006). Total-factor energy efficiency of regions in China. Energy Policy, 34(17), 3206–3217.

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) (2006). 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

  • Jian, J., Jianxiang, W., & Shiyun, W. (2013). Malmquist-based research on total factor productivity of Liaoning’s modern service industry. International Journal of Digital Content Technology and its Applications, 7(2), 239–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneko, S., Fujii, H., Sawazu, N., & Fujikura, R. (2010). Financial allocation strategy for the regional pollution abatement cost of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions in the thermal power sector in China. Energy Policy, 38(5), 2131–2141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaya, Y., & Yokobori, K. (1999). Environment, energy and economy: Strategies for sustainability. Delhi: Bookwell Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, S. (2006). Environmentally sensitive productivity growth: A global analysis using Malmquist–Luenberger index. Ecological Economics, 56(2), 280–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., Zhang, J., Gong, L., & Miao, P. (2015). Research on the total factor productivity and decomposition of Chinese coastal marine economy: Based on DEA-Malmquist index. Journal of Coastal Research, 73, 283–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, M., Mi, Z., & Wei, Y. M. (2018). Assessing the policy impacts on non-ferrous metals industry’s CO2 reduction: Evidence from China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 192, 252–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang, S., Liu, Z., Crawford-Brown, D., Wang, Y., & Xu, M. (2014). Decoupling analysis and socioeconomic drivers of environmental pressure in China. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(2), 1103–1113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, B., & Chen, X. (2019). Evaluating the CO2 performance of China’s non-ferrous metals industry: A total factor meta-frontier Malmquist index perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 209, 1061–1077.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, B., & Fei, R. (2015). Regional differences of CO2 emissions performance in China’s agricultural sector: A Malmquist index approach. European Journal of Agronomy, 70, 33–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, B., & Wang, X. (2015). Carbon emissions from energy intensive industry in China: Evidence from the iron & steel industry. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 47, 746–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z., Geng, Y., Lindner, S., & Guan, D. (2012). Uncovering China’s greenhouse gas emission from regional and sectoral perspectives. Energy, 45(1), 1059–1068.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z., Guan, D., Wei, W., Davis, S. J., Ciais, P., Bai, J., et al. (2015a). Reduced carbon emission estimates from fossil fuel combustion and cement production in China. Nature, 524(7565), 335–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z., Guan, D., Moore, S., Lee, H., Su, J., & Zhang, Q. (2015b). Climate policy: Steps to China’s carbon peak. Nature, 522(7556), 279–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lugovoy, O., Feng, X.-Z., Gao, J., Li, J.-F., Liu, Q., Teng, F., et al. (2018). Multi-model comparison of CO2 emissions peaking in China: Lessons from CEMF01 study. Advances in Climate Change Research, 9(1), 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makarova, A. S., Jia, X., Kruchina, E. B., Kudryavtseva, E. I., & Kukushkin, I. G. (2019). Environmental performance assessment of the chemical industries involved in the Responsible Care® Program: Case study of the Russian Federation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 222, 971–985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mielnik, O., & Goldemberg, J. (1999). Communication the evolution of the “carbonization index” in developing countries. Energy Policy, 27(5), 307–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nabavieh, A., Gholamiangonabadi, D., & Ahangaran, A. A. (2015). Dynamic changes in CO2 emission performance of different types of Iranian fossil-fuel power plants. Energy Economics, 52, 142–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2008). Annotations for China industry classification. China Statistic Press, Beijing, China.

  • National Development Reform and Commission (2015). Enhanced actions on climate change: China’s intended nationally determined contributions. Available at http://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xwzx/xwfb/201506/t20150630_710204.html.

  • Oh, D. H., & Heshmati, A. (2010). A sequential Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index: Environmentally sensitive productivity growth considering the progressive nature of technology. Energy Economics, 32(6), 1345–1355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parisi, M. L., Schiantarelli, F., & Sembenelli, A. (2006). Productivity, innovation and R&D: Micro evidence for Italy. European Economic Review, 50(8), 2037–2061.

    Google Scholar 

  • People’s Government of Liaoning Province (2015). The Key Technology for Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction Directory. The government of Liaoning province, http://www.ln.gov.cn/qmzx/jnjpjsml/20141_111238/index.html.

  • Ramanathan, R. (2002). Combining indicators of energy consumption and CO2 emission: A cross-country comparison. Int. J. Glob. Energy Issues, 17(3), 214–227.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Shan, Y., Liu, J., Liu, Z., Xu, X., Shao, S., Wang, P., & Guan, D. (2016). New provincial CO2 emission inventories in China based on apparent energy consumption data and updated emission factors. Applied Energy, 184, 742–750.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shephard, R. W. (1970). Theory of cost and production. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Sueyoshi, T., & Goto, M. (2011). DEA approach for unified efficiency measurement: Assessment of Japanese fossil fuel power generation. Energy Economics, 33(2), 292–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sueyoshi, T., & Goto, M. (2013). A comparative study among fossil fuel power plants in PJM and California iso by dea environmental assessment. Energy Economics, 40, 130–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sueyoshi, T., Goto, M., & Sugiyama, M. (2013). DEA window analysis for environmental assessment in a dynamic time shift: Performance assessment of U.S. coal-fired power plants. Energy Economics, 40, 845–857.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, J. W. (2005). The decrease of CO2 emission intensity is decarbonization at national and global levels. Energy Policy, 33(8), 975–978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, M., Wang, Y., Shi, L., & Klemeš, J. J. (2018). Uncovering energy use, carbon emission and environmental burdens of pulp and paper industry: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 92, 823–833.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tu, Z. G. (2008). The coordination of industrial growth with environment and resource. Economic Research Journal, 2(93–105), 431–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, N., & Choi, Y. (2019). Comparative analysis of the energy and CO2 emission performance and technology gaps in the agglomerated cities of China and South Korea. Sustainability, 11(2), 475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, K., Wang, C., Lu, X., & Chen, J. (2007). Scenario analysis on CO2 emissions reduction potential in China’s iron and steel industry. Energy Policy, 35(4), 2320–2335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, K., Zhang, X., Wei, Y.-M., & Yu, S. (2013). Regional allocation of CO2 emissions allowance over provinces in China by 2020. Energy Policy, 54, 214–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, A.-H., Cao, Y.-Y., & Liu, B. (2013). Energy efficiency evaluation for regions in China: An application of DEA and Malmquist indices. Energy Efficiency, 7(3), 429–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J., Zhu, Q., Yin, P., & Song, M. (2015). Measuring energy and environmental performance for regions in China by using DEA-based Malmquist indices. Operational Research, 17(3), 715–735.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J., Zhu, Q., Chu, J., Liu, H., & Liang, L. (2016). Measuring energy and environmental efficiency of transportation systems in China based on a parallel DEA approach. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 48, 460–472.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, J., Chu, J., An, Q., Sun, J., & Yin, P. (2018). Resource reallocation and target setting for improving environmental performance of DMUs: An application to regional highway transportation systems in China. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 61, 204–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xi, F., Geng, Y., Chen, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, X., Xue, B., et al. (2011). Contributing to local policy making on GHG emission reduction through inventorying and attribution: A case study of Shenyang, China. Energy Policy, 39(10), 5999–6010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xian, Y., Yang, K., Wang, K., Wei, Y. M., & Huang, Z. (2019). Cost-environment efficiency analysis of construction industry in China: A materials balance approach. Journal of Cleaner Production.

  • Xie, B. C., Shang, L. F., Yang, S. B., & Yi, B. W. (2014). Dynamic environmental efficiency evaluation of electric power industries: Evidence from OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. Energy, 74, 147–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, L., & Wang, K. L. (2013). Regional differences of environmental efficiency of China’s energy utilization and environmental regulation cost based on provincial panel data and DEA method. Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 58(5–6), 1074–1083.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao, X., Guo, C., Shao, S., & Jiang, Z. (2016). Total-factor CO2 emission performance of China’s provincial industrial sector: A meta-frontier non-radial Malmquist index approach. Applied Energy, 184, 1142–1153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan, P., Liang, W., & Cheng, S. (2012). The margin abatement costs of CO2 in Chinese industrial sectors. In D. Zeng (Ed.), 2011 2nd International Conference on Advances in Energy Engineering (Vol. 14, pp. 1792-1797, Energy Procedia).

  • Zachariadis, M. (2003). R&D, innovation, and technological progress: A test of the Schumpeterian framework without scale effects. Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, 36(3), 566–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, S., Jiang, X., Su, B., & Nan, X. (2018a). China’s SO2 shadow prices and environmental technical efficiency at the province level. International Review of Economics & Finance, 57, 86–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, S., Jiang, C., Ma, C., & Su, B. (2018b). Investment efficiency of the new energy industry in China. Energy Economics, 70, 536–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, N., & Choi, Y. (2013). Total-factor carbon emission performance of fossil fuel power plants in China: A metafrontier non-radial Malmquist index analysis. Energy Economics, 40, 549–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, N., & Wei, X. (2015). Dynamic total factor carbon emissions performance changes in the Chinese transportation industry. Applied Energy, 146, 409–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z., Qu, J., & Zeng, J. (2008). A quantitative comparison and analysis on the assessment indicators of greenhouse gases emission. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 18(4), 387–399.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, N., Zhou, P., & Kung, C.-C. (2015). Total-factor carbon emission performance of the Chinese transportation industry: A bootstrapped non-radial Malmquist index analysis. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 41, 584–593.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, P., Ang, B. W., & Han, J. Y. (2010). Total factor carbon emission performance: A Malmquist index analysis. Energy Economics, 32(1), 194–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, P., Ang, B. W., & Wang, H. (2012). Energy and CO2 emission performance in electricity generation: A non-radial directional distance function approach. European Journal of Operational Research, 221(3), 625–635.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, X., Chen, Y., & Feng, C. (2018). Green total factor productivity of China’s mining and quarrying industry: A global data envelopment analysis. Resources Policy, 57, 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zofío, J. L., & Prieto, A. M. (2001). Environmental efficiency and regulatory standards: The case of CO2 emission from OECD industries. Resource and Energy Economics, 23(1), 63–83.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the [National Nature Science Foundation of China] under Grant [number 41473076, 41603068, and 41501605]; [CAS President’s International Fellowship for Visiting Scientists Project] under Grant [number 2017VCB0004].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Fengming Xi or Jiaoyue Wang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors have read and approve the paper. No part of this paper has been published or submitted elsewhere. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, L., Xi, F., Yin, Y. et al. Industrial total factor CO2 emission performance assessment of Chinese heavy industrial province. Energy Efficiency 13, 177–192 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-019-09837-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-019-09837-4

Keywords

Navigation