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The purpose of this paper is to reveal the mechanism and process of the dynamic evolution of the economy-energy-environment (EEE) system and study the variables that determine the speed of system evolution and development. The innovation is to overcome the defect of single index by constructing a system evaluation index and reveal the regional EEE system's evolution mechanism based on Haken's synergetic theory to supplement a systematic perspective's empirical evidence. It selects 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China to empirically analyse the evolution mechanism of the EEE system from 2005 to 2019. The empirical results show that economic development is the order parameter of the evolution and development of the EEE system. In the process of system evolution, the economic development subsystem is the decisive factor in EEE system evolution. In terms of the positive feedback mechanism of order parameter combination, the EEE system forms a positive feedback mechanism for increasing economic development in the stage of evolution and development. The negative feedback mechanism of decreasing environmental pollution emissions is formed in the EEE system. The increase in pollutant emissions has a certain inhibitory effect on economic growth. The improvement in the economic development level has no promoting effect on pollutants, and economic development, in turn, reduces environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally as well as in China, cities have contributed to most of economic output and have accordingly given rise to most of CO2 emissions. In particular, given unprecedented urbanization, cities will play an even greater role in shaping energy demand and CO2 emissions. Therefore, cities are the key to meeting its proposed carbon intensity target in 2020 and whatever climate commitments beyond 2020 that China may take. Given the paramount importance of cities, China is practicing low carbon city (LCC) development. Against this background, this paper first summarizes the general situation and main characteristics of China's LCC development. The paper then indentifies eight problems and challenges for China's LCC development including the absence of sound carbon accounting systems, lack of low-carbon specific evaluation system, rare use of market-based instruments, insufficient government-enterprise interactions, excessive budget dependence on land concession, increasing difficulty in further carbon mitigation, inevitable emissions growth due to rising living standards, and coal-dominant energy structure in the foreseeable future. Since these challenges are not applied to one or few cities, but are to all cities across the country, finally, the paper discusses how governments, in particular the central government, should address these problems and challenges. Given that China has faced great difficulty ensuring that local governments act in accordance with centrally-directed policies, the paper in particular discusses ways to incentivize local governments not to focus on economic growth alone and to move away from a heavy reliance on land concession. The paper ends with emphasizing on putting a price on carbon a crucial step for China's endeavor of harnessing the market forces to reduce its energy consumption and carbon emissions and genuinely transiting into a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between CO2 emissions and economic growth for China. This relationship is of considerable interest in the literature. There is a major focus on the underlying causes of the improvement in energy efficiency for China post the market reforms and whether such improvements in energy efficiency are likely to be maintained. The results demonstrate the importance of allowing for structural breaks in the econometric modelling to capture the impacts of the economic reforms on energy efficiency. The reforms have produced large gains in energy efficiency and an analysis of their likely continuation is important in forecasting the impacts of future growth in the Chinese economy. The paper concludes by outlining some possible forecast scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a forecast and analysis of population, economic development, energy consumption and CO2 emissions variation in China in the short- and long-term steps before 2020 with 2007 as the base year. The widely applied IPAT model, which is the basis for calculations, projections, and scenarios of greenhouse gases (GHGs) reformulated as the Kaya equation, is extended to analyze and predict the relations between human activities and the environment. Four scenarios of CO2 emissions are used including business as usual (BAU), energy efficiency improvement scenario (EEI), low carbon scenario (LC) and enhanced low carbon scenario (ELC). The results show that carbon intensity will be reduced by 40–45% as scheduled and economic growth rate will be 6% in China under LC scenario by 2020. The LC scenario, as the most appropriate and the most feasible scheme for China’s low-carbon development in the future, can maximize the harmonious development of economy, society, energy and environmental systems. Assuming China's development follows the LC scenario, the paper further gives four paths of low-carbon transformation in China: technological innovation, industrial structure optimization, energy structure optimization and policy guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the energy supply shortage and environmental pollution have increasingly become the major obstacles to China's economic development, the Chinese government has proposed various policies to reduce energy consumption, one of which is to implement a differentiated electric power price scheme (DEPP) on the energy-intensive industries (EIs). Although it is only imposed on EIs, its indirect impact on other sectors or national economy could be profound. This paper applies an input-output (IO) model, which composes 42 sectors calibrated with data in 2002 to examine the potential impact of DEPP. The results show that DEPP would result in significant energy savings at the expense of declines in gross domestic product (GDP) and increases in consumer price index (CPI). The ancillary benefits include reduction of emissions from the energy-intensive sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper analyzed the interactions among China’s economic growth and its energy consumption, air emissions and air environmental protection investment during 2000–2007. Conventional energy and emergy are applied to quantify energy consumption and emissions’ impact, respectively. The five indicators based on money, energy and emergy, including ratio of nonrenewable energy to renewable energy (RNR), energy use per unit GDP (EUPG), environmental cost per unit GDP (ECPG), impact of emissions per unit energy consumption (IEPEC), and environmental benefit per unit environmental protection investment (EBPEI), are presented to depict the relationships among economic growth and energy consumption and impact of air emissions and air environmental protection investment. The results show that energy consumption rapidly rises with China’s fast economic growth; however, energy efficiency and environmental loading intensity from energy consumption are reduced simultaneously but their improvements fall far behind economic growth rate. Impact of air emissions, mainly composed of impact of emissions on human health (especially dust), is slightly decreased. The performance of air environmental protection investment is obviously declined in the study period. Generally speaking, the conflict among economy, energy and air environment protection is slightly mitigated but still acute due to great dependence of China’s economy on fossil energy and inefficient environmental protection measures. Finally, this paper discusses the corresponding issues, and then puts forward some related suggestions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

China has become the biggest CO emitter in the world. In China, economic development in different regions is not the same. Thus, it is necessary to study the regional decoupling relationship between energy-related CO emission and economic development. Considering the regional difference of economic development, energy consumption and CO emission, provincial regions in China are divided into seven economic bands. The Tapio decoupling method is adopted to calculate the decoupling index in the seven regions over the study period 1996-2013. Furthermore, the WCDM is developed to study the driving factors governing the decoupling state. The result showed that decoupling development differed in each economic band; North-East and North-West, showed a better trend and a worse one, respectively, than the others. Economic factor showed a stable trend of negative effect, and energy intensity factor was the crucial factor to accelerate the process of CO emission decoupling. Only in Yangtze River delta, economic band had structural factor shown a positive effect during the research period, and emission efficiency factor was not stable and showed a negative effect in most years in every region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing conflict between economic growth, energy and environment in China has restrained the country's economic development. In this work we investigated the interaction among the Chinese economy, energy production and consumption and the impacts of concomitant air emissions from 2000 to 2011, using an indicator system based on energy, emergy and money units. The results show that China's rapid economic growth has promoted tremendous expansion in energy production and consumption, which have led to increasing the impact of emissions in this study period. During the time examined, energy production and use efficiencies and the structure of the energy sector improved slightly; the self-sufficiency of energy use fluctuated, as petroleum took on an increasingly strong dependence on imports; fossil energy, mainly coming from coal, still has a majority share in energy production and consumption of the nation; the environmental loading intensity of energy consumption decreased slightly while that of energy production increased; most of the impacts of energy-related emissions are derived from their impact on human health; the impact of emissions from energy production made an increasing contribution to the total impact. Generally speaking, China's economic growth still heavily depends on energy-intensive industries that put great pressure on energy supply and pollution control. Although China has made obvious progress in energy mix optimization to save energy and reduce emissions, the pace of improvement still fell behind that of economic growth. Finally, this paper discussed some related issues and presented corresponding suggestions to further coordinate the relationship between the economy, energy production and consumption and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper employs a spatial dynamic panel model to forecast China's energy consumption in 2011–2020. We find that energy consumption would continue to increase at least till 2020, with annual growth rates of 10% in 2011–2015 and 6% in 2016–2020. A higher proportion of service sectors in the economy and technological progress reduce energy demand. However, the latter appears to have dwindled impact since 2001. Strong spatial dependence implies copying behaviour in energy consumption across regions. Therefore, more efficient energy control at the disaggregated level can have multiplied impact on the country's goal in energy saving and carbon emission reducing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports China''s eco-efficiency trends and the cause of their dynamic behavior during the period 1978–2010. We show three main results. First, in general, eco-efficiency indicators increased for resource utilization, energy consumption and emissions for air and water, and relative decoupling occurred in China at a high level in the global context. Second, decoupling from economic growth has been absolute for the discharge of soot, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen. Third, during the years 2001–2010, the decoupling level was very low, and resource utilization was almost coupled with GDP due to the high consumption and dramatic increase of mineral extraction. The causes of the observed dynamics of eco-efficiency and decoupling were also explored, with the conclusion drawn that the effect of technology was the predominant positive factor while structure effects were the negative factors for resource and energy efficiency; the technological effect of pipe-end treatment played a dominant role in the improving eco-efficiency of pollutant emissions and decoupling from economic growth. Furthermore, implications for further policymaking to setting proper targets for the relative decoupling of resource use, especially for mineral resource use and economic growth, are suggested. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the interactions among China''s economic growth and energy consumption and emissions during 1978–2007. Conventional energy and emergy are applied to quantify energy consumption and emissions’ impact respectively. Several indicators, based on emergy, energy and monetary units, are applied to depict the relationships among economic growth and energy consumption and emissions’ impact. The results show that energy consumption and emissions’ impact rise simultaneously. Therein, nonrenewable energy resources possess absolute share in total energy consumption and undertake primary responsibility for increasing emissions’ impact, and NH3–N in wastewater leads to the most emissions’ impact on environment. Energy mix and energy efficiency and pollution control make some achievements, but their improvements fall far behind economic growth rate. As a result, the structure of China''s economy has been obviously optimized; however, the improvement of the relationship between China''s economy, energy and environment is far behind that of its economic structure in this period. Therefore, China will continue to face huge pressure on resources and environment its rapid economic growth brings about in future. Those study results imply that enhancing energy efficiency, optimizing economic structure and strengthening pollution control will still be the main tasks for China''s governments in future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper employs an extended Kaya identity as the scheme and utilizes the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI II) as the decomposition technique based on analyzing CO2 emissions trends in China. Change in CO2 emissions intensity is decomposed from1995 to 2010 and includesmeasures of the effect of Industrial structure, energy intensity, energy structure, and carbon emission factors. Results illustrate that changes in energy intensity act to decrease carbon emissions intensity significantly and changes in industrial structure and energy structure do not act to reduce carbon emissions intensity effectively. Policy will need to significantly optimize energy structure and adjust industrial structure if China's emission reduction targets in 2020 are to be reached. This requires a change in China's economic development path and energy consumption path for optimal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The interplays among economy and energy and environment have been widely concerned. This paper put forward several indicators to quantify the relationships among economic growth and energy consumption and CO2 emission. As an example, these indicators were applied to evaluate the comprehensive performances of China during 1990–2007. The results show that Chinese people has been living a better life with Chinese rapid economic growth but not synchronously in urban and rural areas. Non-carbon energy resources share has increased; however, fossil energy resources have still acted as the main driver for Chinese economic growth during this period. Technical progress has improved the fossil energy efficiency of Chinese economic activity, which leads to CO2 emission per unit GDP and CO2 emission per capita unit GDP dropping simultaneously; however, the two indicators’ annual decline rates become smaller and smaller, which reflects that technical progress’ role is dropping and economic scale''s effect is climbing. People''s survival has a rising contribution to CO2 emission. CO2 emission per capita has increased, which shows that economic scale has greater impact on CO2 emission than technical progress does. Relatively speaking, Chinese development patterns have become more and more sustainable during this period. Finally, based on the related issues being discussed, some corresponding suggestions are put forward for Chinese government to further coordinate the relationship among economic development and energy consumption and CO2 emission. The proposed indicators can form a set of useful tool for policy-makers to promote the harmonious development of economy and energy and environment in different regions and countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In China, Rapid economic growth has stimulated fast urban expansion and rural household income and consumption expenditure. In current paper, an input–output method is used to determine the impact of China’s increased urban and rural household consumption on carbon emissions. The results shows that the direct and indirect CO2 emission from household consumption accounted for more than 40% of total carbon emissions from primary energy utilization in China in 1992–2007. The population increase, expansion of urbanization and the increase of household consumption per capita all contribute to an increase of indirect carbon emissions, while carbon intensity decline mitigates the growth of carbon emissions. Therefore, at the domestic level, household consumption is of great significance for CO2 emission, which could be mitigated through changing the composition of goods and services consumed by households, and switching to consumption pattern of less carbon-intensive products. The government must consider the substantial contribution of household consumption to carbon emissions when China is encouraging consumption in order to address the current global financial crisis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: From the time of reform and opening up, China''s rapid economic growth attracts worldwide attention, which also brings the accompanying problems that high energy consumption, high pollution and high emission are more prominent. Therefore, the low carbon economy development model has become an inevitable choice for China''s sustainable economic development. However, the stage of economic development is insurmountable and the continuing growth and the disadvantaging structure of energy consumption will become a serious obstacle for China''s low-carbon economy. Selecting the relevant data from 1980 to 2009, and using not only Hebei Province as its study area but also the whole country as its reference region, this paper analyzes the relationship between the changes in energy consumption structure and the carbon emissions in Hebei Province, and basing on which predicts the energy consumption and carbon emissions in the future in order to provide policy recommendations for the optimization of energy consumption structure, the upgrade of industrial structure, and the development of carbon economy [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper addresses the impact of both economic growth and financial development on environmental degradation using a panel cointegration technique for the period between 1980 and 2007, except for Russia (1992–2007). In long-run equilibrium, CO2 emissions appear to be energy consumption elastic and FDI inelastic, and the results seem to support the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The causality results indicate that there exists strong bidirectional causality between emissions and FDI and unidirectional strong causality running from output to FDI. The evidence seems to support the pollution haven and both the halo and scale effects. Therefore, in attracting FDI, developing countries should strictly examine the qualifications for foreign investment or to promote environmental protection through the coordinated know-how and technological transfer with foreign companies to avoid environmental damage. Additionally, there exists strong output-emissions and output-energy consumption bidirectional causality, while there is unidirectional strong causality running from energy consumption to emissions. Overall, the method of managing both energy demand and FDI and increasing both investment in the energy supply and energy efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions and without compromising the country’s competitiveness can be adopted by energy-dependent BRIC countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper uses the methods of co-integration analysis and Granger Causality test, analyses the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth of Hebei Province from 1980 to 2008. The empirical results show that there is a stable causal relation between TEC and GDP in the long run. Hebei''s economic growth contributes to energy consumption growth. To change economic development mode and save energy, reduction of pollutant emission will not only impact the economic growth, but also achieve energy-saving, emission reduction and sustainable development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper uses multivariate co-integration Granger causality tests to investigate the correlations between carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and economic growth in China. Some researchers have argued that the adoption of a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption as a long term policy goal will result in a closed-form relationship, to the detriment of the economy. Therefore, a perspective that can make allowances for the fact that the exclusive pursuit of economic growth will increase energy consumption and CO2 emissions is required; to the extent that such growth will have adverse effects with regard to global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation industry is an important pillar in China’s economic development and one of the main industries that consumes fossil energy and emits pollution gases. Decreasing the pollutant emission during the energy consumption process by improving energy efficiency of the transportation industry can realize coordinated development of transportation industry and ecological environment. The existing literature regarding estimation of energy efficiency in the transportation industry was reviewed firstly. Then, energy consumption status of transportation industry in China was summarized. In addition, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was presented to estimate transportation energy efficiency. Results demonstrate that the transportation industry’s energy consumption status can be manifested by sustainable rapid growth of total energy consumption, continuous high proportion of energy consumption of the transportation industry in total energy consumption, and year-by-year growth of energy utilization efficiency. The mean values of industrial energy overall technical efficiency, industrial energy pure technical efficiency and industrial energy scale efficiency are 0.994, 0.998, and 0.996. Moreover, the overall conditions of the energy input and output efficiency in the transportation efficiency are benign and stable. The conclusions in this study are important positive reference for adjusting energy consumption structure, realizing energy conservation and emission reduction objectives, and improving economic efficiency and technological progress in terms of energy utilization of the transportation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the panel data of 30 provinces in China between 1997 and 2011, we employed the extended STIRPAT model and spatial panel econometrics methods to investigate the relationship between financial development and carbon emissions and test the influence of financial development as well as other factors on provincial carbon emissions per capita among Chinese provinces. The estimation results show that: (i) spatial spillover effects play a role in provincial carbon emissions in China; and (ii) the sum of technical effect and structure effect of financial development surpass its' sum of direct effect and wealth effect in China, which suggests that financial development reduces carbon emissions per capita. China should pay more attention to the integration of green finance policy and environmental regulation, and establish appropriate mechanisms to strengthen inter-provincial interaction and coordinated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resource-development trajectory of developed countries after the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries can be portrayed as an ' environmental mountain' (EM). It is important for developing countries to decouple their resource use from economic growth and tunnel through the EM. In this study, we embedded the decoupling indicators for resource use and waste emissions into EM curves to quantify China's progress in tunneling through the EM over a specific time period. Five case studies regarding the conditions required for decoupling energy consumption, crude steel production, cement production, CO2 emissions, and SO2 emissions from economic growth in China were conducted. The results indicated that during 1985-2010 the trajectories of energy consumption, and CO2 and SO2 emissions in China met the requirements for tunneling through the EM, but the trajectories of cement and steel production did not. Based on these results, suggestions regarding China's environmental policies are provided to enable the country to tunnel through the EM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]