Zeng An, Sheng Yuhui, Gu Baihe, Wang Zhengzao, Wang Mingyue
Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Nov;29(51):77401-77417. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-21185-y. Epub 2022 Jun 9.
Full mobilization and effective use of climate aid is of great importance for the low carbon transition of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. This study utilizes the two-step system generalized method of moments model to evaluate the effects of climate aid on carbon emissions reduction and the impact mechanism through energy structure optimization. The panel data of 93 Belt and Road countries from 2000 to 2018 were used for empirical analysis. Results show that climate aid has a significant reduction effect on the carbon emissions intensity of BRI countries, and the dominant component of climate aid, i.e., mitigation aid, corresponds to better carbon emissions reduction benefits than adaptation aid. The impact mechanism demonstrates that the climate aid has dual carbon emissions reduction effects in BRI countries which have an intermediate energy structure. It indicates that climate aid not only directly reduces carbon emissions by increasing carbon reduction resources, but also indirectly reduces carbon emissions by promoting renewable energy and optimizing the energy structure. The results evidence the theory of environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and channels of climate aid effects. Practical implications from the current study include that more climate finance support should be provided to BRI countries by developed countries, the effectiveness of climate aid should be improved by investing in projects with significant carbon reduction like renewable energy, data monitoring and performance evaluation of climate aid should be strengthened, and China should take its role and make more contributions to the low carbon transition especially energy transition of BRI countries.
全面动员和有效利用气候援助对于“一带一路”倡议国家的低碳转型至关重要。本研究运用两步系统广义矩估计模型评估气候援助对碳排放减少的影响以及通过能源结构优化的影响机制。使用2000年至2018年93个“一带一路”国家的面板数据进行实证分析。结果表明，气候援助对“一带一路”国家的碳排放强度有显著的降低作用，并且气候援助的主要组成部分，即减缓援助，比适应援助具有更好的碳排放减少效益。影响机制表明，气候援助在能源结构处于中等水平的“一带一路”国家具有双重碳排放减少效应。这表明气候援助不仅通过增加碳减排资源直接减少碳排放，还通过促进可再生能源和优化能源结构间接减少碳排放。研究结果证实了环境库兹涅茨曲线假说理论和气候援助效应渠道。本研究的实际意义包括发达国家应向“一带一路”国家提供更多气候资金支持，通过投资可再生能源等具有显著碳减排效果的项目提高气候援助的有效性，加强气候援助的数据监测和绩效评估，以及中国应发挥作用，为“一带一路”国家的低碳转型特别是能源转型做出更多贡献。
