IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i24p13284-d704111.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards Carbon Neutrality: The Impact of Renewable Energy Development on Carbon Emission Efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Feng Dong

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Chang Qin

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Xiaoyun Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Xu Zhao

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Yuling Pan

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Yujin Gao

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Jiao Zhu

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Yangfan Li

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

Abstract

The energy transition and carbon emission efficiency are important thrust and target functions, respectively, for achieving carbon neutrality in the future. Using a sample of 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2018, we measured their carbon efficiency using the game cross-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA). Then, a random forest regression model was used to explore the impact of renewable energy development on regional carbon emission efficiency. The results are as follows. First, China’s carbon emission efficiency in the southeast coastal area was better than that in the northwest area. Second, renewable energy development first inhibited and then promoted carbon emission efficiency, and there existed a reasonable range. Third, through a regional heterogeneity analysis, the trend of the influence of renewable energy development on carbon emission efficiency was found to not be significantly different in eastern, central, and western China, but there was a certain gap in the reasonable range. Our study not only helps to promote the study of renewable energy development and the carbon neutral target, but also provides an important reference for Chinese policy-makers to design a reasonable carbon emissions reduction path.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng Dong & Chang Qin & Xiaoyun Zhang & Xu Zhao & Yuling Pan & Yujin Gao & Jiao Zhu & Yangfan Li, 2021. "Towards Carbon Neutrality: The Impact of Renewable Energy Development on Carbon Emission Efficiency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13284-:d:704111
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13284/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13284/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, Yaqin & Zhao, Guohao & Zhao, Yushan, 2016. "An analysis of Chinese provincial carbon dioxide emission efficiencies based on energy consumption structure," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 524-533.
    2. Liangen Zeng & Haiyan Lu & Yenping Liu & Yang Zhou & Haoyu Hu, 2019. "Analysis of Regional Differences and Influencing Factors on China’s Carbon Emission Efficiency in 2005–2015," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Raghutla, Chandrashekar & Chittedi, Krishna Reddy & Jiao, Zhilun & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2020. "The effect of renewable energy consumption on economic growth: Evidence from the renewable energy country attractive index," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    4. Dong-hyun Oh, 2010. "A global Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 183-197, December.
    5. Sheng, Pengfei & Li, Jun & Zhai, Mengxin & Huang, Shoujun, 2020. "Coupling of economic growth and reduction in carbon emissions at the efficiency level: Evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    6. Jingdong Zhong, 2019. "Biased Technical Change, Factor Substitution, and Carbon Emissions Efficiency in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-17, February.
    7. Tone, Kaoru & Tsutsui, Miki, 2010. "An epsilon-based measure of efficiency in DEA - A third pole of technical efficiency," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(3), pages 1554-1563, December.
    8. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    9. Yu, Bolin & Fang, Debin & Meng, Jingxuan, 2021. "Analysis of the generation efficiency of disaggregated renewable energy and its spatial heterogeneity influencing factors: A case study of China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    10. Chen, Chaoyi & Pinar, Mehmet & Stengos, Thanasis, 2020. "Renewable energy consumption and economic growth nexus: Evidence from a threshold model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    11. Liu, Yajie & Dong, Feng, 2022. "What are the roles of consumers, automobile production enterprises, and the government in the process of banning gasoline vehicles? Evidence from a tripartite evolutionary game model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PC).
    12. Meeusen, Wim & van den Broeck, Julien, 1977. "Efficiency Estimation from Cobb-Douglas Production Functions with Composed Error," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 18(2), pages 435-444, June.
    13. Yu, Bolin & Fang, Debin & Dong, Feng, 2020. "Study on the evolution of thermal power generation and its nexus with economic growth: Evidence from EU regions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    14. Yu, Bolin & Fang, Debin & Yu, Hongwei & Zhao, Chaoyang, 2021. "Temporal-spatial determinants of renewable energy penetration in electricity production: Evidence from EU countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 438-451.
    15. Kern, Florian & Smith, Adrian, 2008. "Restructuring energy systems for sustainability? Energy transition policy in the Netherlands," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4093-4103, November.
    16. Rauf, Abdul & Zhang, Jin & Li, Jinkai & Amin, Waqas, 2018. "Structural changes, energy consumption and carbon emissions in China: Empirical evidence from ARDL bound testing model," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 194-206.
    17. Pan, Yuling & Dong, Feng, 2022. "Design of energy use rights trading policy from the perspective of energy vulnerability," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    18. Wang, Keying & Wu, Meng & Sun, Yongping & Shi, Xunpeng & Sun, Ao & Zhang, Ping, 2019. "Resource abundance, industrial structure, and regional carbon emissions efficiency in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 203-214.
    19. Fang, Debin & Yu, Bolin, 2021. "Driving mechanism and decoupling effect of PM2.5 emissions: Empirical evidence from China’s industrial sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    20. Steven Chu & Arun Majumdar, 2012. "Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future," Nature, Nature, vol. 488(7411), pages 294-303, August.
    21. Wang, Guofeng & Deng, Xiangzheng & Wang, Jingyu & Zhang, Fan & Liang, Shiqi, 2019. "Carbon emission efficiency in China: A spatial panel data analysis," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-1.
    22. Cenjie Liu & Chunbo Ma & Rui Xie, 2020. "Structural, Innovation and Efficiency Effects of Environmental Regulation: Evidence from China’s Carbon Emissions Trading Pilot," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 75(4), pages 741-768, April.
    23. Marina Blohm, 2021. "An Enabling Framework to Support the Sustainable Energy Transition at the National Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-20, March.
    24. H. Fried & C. Lovell & S. Schmidt & S. Yaisawarng, 2002. "Accounting for Environmental Effects and Statistical Noise in Data Envelopment Analysis," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 157-174, January.
    25. Zafar, Muhammad Wasif & Sinha, Avik & Ahmed, Zahoor & Qin, Quande & Zaidi, Syed Anees Haider, 2021. "Effects of biomass energy consumption on environmental quality: The role of education and technology in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    26. Xu, Le & Fan, Meiting & Yang, Lili & Shao, Shuai, 2021. "Heterogeneous green innovations and carbon emission performance: Evidence at China's city level," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    27. Jianbo Hu & Shanshan Gui & Wei Zhang, 2017. "Decoupling Analysis of China’s Product Sector Output and Its Embodied Carbon Emissions—An Empirical Study Based on Non-Competitive I-O and Tapio Decoupling Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-17, May.
    28. Chun Jiang & Xiaoxin Ma, 2019. "The Impact of Financial Development on Carbon Emissions: A Global Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-22, September.
    29. Kaoru Tone & Miki Tsutsui, 2010. "An epsilon-based measure of efficiency in DEA revisited -A third pole of technical efficiency," GRIPS Discussion Papers 09-21, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    30. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan, 2017. "Social sustainability measured by intermediate approach for DEA environmental assessment: Chinese regional planning for economic development and pollution prevention," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 154-166.
    31. Höfer, Tim & Madlener, Reinhard, 2020. "A participatory stakeholder process for evaluating sustainable energy transition scenarios," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    32. Tone, Kaoru, 2002. "A slacks-based measure of super-efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 32-41, November.
    33. Li, Wei & Lu, Can & Zhang, Yan-Wu, 2019. "Prospective exploration of future renewable portfolio standard schemes in China via a multi-sector CGE model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 45-56.
    34. Pasquale Marcello Falcone, 2020. "Environmental regulation and green investments: the role of green finance," International Journal of Green Economics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 14(2), pages 159-173.
    35. Jinkai Li & Jingjing Ma & Wei Wei, 2020. "Analysis and Evaluation of the Regional Characteristics of Carbon Emission Efficiency for China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-22, April.
    36. Tone, Kaoru, 2001. "A slacks-based measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 498-509, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Getao Hu & Jun Yang & Jun Li, 2022. "The Dynamic Evolution of Global Energy Security and Geopolitical Games: 1995~2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-25, November.
    2. Aleksandr Kulikov & Pavel Ilyushin & Aleksandr Sevostyanov & Sergey Filippov & Konstantin Suslov, 2024. "Estimation of an Extent of Sinusoidal Voltage Waveform Distortion Using Parametric and Nonparametric Multiple-Hypothesis Sequential Testing in Devices for Automatic Control of Power Quality Indices," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Zhang, Peng & Li, Zeyun & Ghardallou, Wafa & Xin, Yan & Cao, Jie, 2023. "Nexus of institutional quality and technological innovation on renewable energy development: Moderating role of green finance," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C), pages 233-241.
    4. Shuguang Liu & Jiayi Wang & Yin Long, 2023. "Research into the Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Technological Innovation in China’s Natural Gas Industry from the Perspective of Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-34, April.
    5. Aleksandr Kulikov & Pavel Ilyushin & Anton Loskutov & Konstantin Suslov & Sergey Filippov, 2022. "WSPRT Methods for Improving Power System Automation Devices in the Conditions of Distributed Generation Sources Operation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Yizhang He & Wei Song, 2022. "Analysis of the Impact of Carbon Trading Policies on Carbon Emission and Carbon Emission Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Dai, Li & Xiong, Yuyu, 2023. "Does the green finance development and renewable energy affect the economic recovery in Asian economies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    8. Yingqi Xu & Yu Cheng & Ruijing Zheng & Yaping Wang, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Carbon Emission Efficiency in the Yellow River Basin of China: Comparative Analysis of Resource and Non-Resource-Based Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-16, September.
    9. Zhou, Lianjie & Hu, Junhui & Liu, Dongshuang & He, Mengwei, 2023. "Studying the role of fiscal policy to utilize natural resources development: Leads to sustainable development goals," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    10. Jun Shi & Xiang Cao & Zhi Chen, 2023. "Pathways for Integrating the Concept of Carbon Neutrality into the Talent Cultivation Process: A Case Study of Animal Production Programs in Chinese Agricultural Colleges and Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-10, November.
    11. Pavel Ilyushin & Sergey Filippov & Aleksandr Kulikov & Konstantin Suslov & Dmitriy Karamov, 2022. "Intelligent Control of the Energy Storage System for Reliable Operation of Gas-Fired Reciprocating Engine Plants in Systems of Power Supply to Industrial Facilities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Shahriyar Mukhtarov & Fuzuli Aliyev & Javid Aliyev & Richard Ajayi, 2022. "Renewable Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions: Evidence from an Oil-Rich Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fang, Tao & Fang, Debin & Yu, Bolin, 2022. "Carbon emission efficiency of thermal power generation in China: Empirical evidence from the micro-perspective of power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    2. Ruijing Zheng & Yu Cheng & Haimeng Liu & Wei Chen & Xiaodong Chen & Yaping Wang, 2022. "The Spatiotemporal Distribution and Drivers of Urban Carbon Emission Efficiency: The Role of Technological Innovation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-22, July.
    3. Pan, Yuling & Dong, Feng, 2022. "Dynamic evolution and driving factors of new energy development: Fresh evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    4. Juanjuan Tian & Xiaoqian Song & Jinsuo Zhang, 2022. "Spatial-Temporal Pattern and Driving Factors of Carbon Efficiency in China: Evidence from Panel Data of Urban Governance," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-24, March.
    5. Li-Ming Xue & Zhi-Xue Zheng & Shuo Meng & Mingjun Li & Huaqing Li & Ji-Ming Chen, 2022. "Carbon emission efficiency and spatio-temporal dynamic evolution of the cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 7640-7664, June.
    6. Sun, Yu & Yang, Feng & Wang, Dawei & Ang, Sheng, 2023. "Efficiency evaluation for higher education institutions in China considering unbalanced regional development: A meta-frontier Super-SBM model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Xu Zhang & Huaping Sun & Taohong Wang, 2022. "Impact of Financial Inclusion on the Efficiency of Carbon Emissions: Evidence from 30 Provinces in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-15, October.
    8. Geng Peng & Xiaodan Zhang & Fang Liu & Lijuan Ruan & Kaiyou Tian, 2021. "Spatial–temporal evolution and regional difference decomposition of urban environmental governance efficiency in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8974-8990, June.
    9. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2015. "Efficiency of the banking system in Vietnam under financial liberalization," OSF Preprints qsf6d, Center for Open Science.
    10. Liangen Zeng, 2021. "China’s Eco-Efficiency: Regional Differences and Influencing Factors Based on a Spatial Panel Data Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-19, March.
    11. Lampe, Hannes W. & Hilgers, Dennis, 2015. "Trajectories of efficiency measurement: A bibliometric analysis of DEA and SFA," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 240(1), pages 1-21.
    12. Qin, Quande & Li, Xin & Li, Li & Zhen, Wei & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2017. "Air emissions perspective on energy efficiency: An empirical analysis of China’s coastal areas," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 604-614.
    13. Huayong Niu & Zhishuo Zhang & Manting Luo, 2022. "Evaluation and Prediction of Low-Carbon Economic Efficiency in China, Japan and South Korea: Based on DEA and Machine Learning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-28, October.
    14. Gómez-Calvet, Roberto & Conesa, David & Gómez-Calvet, Ana Rosa & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2014. "Energy efficiency in the European Union: What can be learned from the joint application of directional distance functions and slacks-based measures?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 137-154.
    15. Avkiran, Necmi K. & Rowlands, Terry, 2008. "How to better identify the true managerial performance: State of the art using DEA," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 317-324, April.
    16. Ze Tian & Fang-Rong Ren & Qin-Wen Xiao & Yung-Ho Chiu & Tai-Yu Lin, 2019. "Cross-Regional Comparative Study on Carbon Emission Efficiency of China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt Based on the Meta-Frontier," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-19, February.
    17. Avkiran, Necmi K., 2007. "Stability and integrity tests in data envelopment analysis," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 224-234, September.
    18. Carla Henriques & Clara Viseu, 2022. "Are ERDFs Devoted to Boosting ICTs in SMEs Inefficient? A Three-Stage SBM Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-20, August.
    19. Zhou, Anhua & Li, Jun, 2021. "Investigate the impact of market reforms on the improvement of manufacturing energy efficiency under China’s provincial-level data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    20. Yu, Bolin & Fang, Debin & Pan, Yuling & Jia, Yunxia, 2023. "Countries’ green total-factor productivity towards a low-carbon world: The role of energy trilemma," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PB).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13284-:d:704111. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.