Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 3;19(15):9543. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159543.
Energy consumption and industrial activities are the primary sources of carbon emissions. As the "world's factory" and the largest carbon emitter, China has been emphasizing the core role of technological innovation in promoting industrial structure upgrades (ISU) and energy efficiency (EE) to reduce carbon emissions from industrial production and energy consumption. This study investigated the mechanism (through ISU and EE) and spillover effect of technological innovation on carbon emission reduction using the panel dataset of 30 Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2019 and spatial econometrics models. The study concluded that (1) technological innovation had a negative direct effect on provincial carbon emissions, while it also showed a spatial spillover effect on neighboring provinces; (2) technological innovation had an indirect effect on provincial carbon emissions reduction through the mediation of energy efficiency improvement, while the mediation effect of industrial structure upgrading is not yet significant; and (3) the effect of technological innovation on carbon emission reduction showed heterogeneity in the eastern, central, and western regions of China. This study provided empirical and theoretical references to decision-makers in China and other developing countries in promoting technological and carbon control policies. More specifically, direct technology investment and indirect investment in industrial structure upgrades and energy efficiency could help with regional carbon emissions reduction.
能源消耗和工业活动是碳排放的主要来源。作为“世界工厂”和最大的碳排放国，中国一直强调技术创新在促进产业结构升级（ISU）和能源效率（EE）方面的核心作用，以减少工业生产和能源消耗的碳排放。本研究利用 2008 年至 2019 年中国 30 个省份的面板数据集和空间计量经济学模型，探讨了技术创新通过 ISU 和 EE 对碳减排的作用机制和溢出效应。研究结果表明：（1）技术创新对各省的碳排放有负向直接影响，同时对相邻省份也有空间溢出效应；（2）技术创新通过提高能源效率来间接影响各省的碳减排，而产业结构升级的中介效应尚不显著；（3）技术创新对碳减排的影响在中国东部、中部和西部地区表现出异质性。本研究为中国和其他发展中国家的决策者在推动技术和碳控制政策方面提供了经验和理论参考。具体来说，直接的技术投资和间接的产业结构升级和能源效率投资有助于区域碳减排。
