IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v109y2017icp181-190.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factor substitution and energy productivity fluctuation in China: A parametric decomposition analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Qunwei
  • Zhang, Cheng
  • Cai, Wanhuan

Abstract

Technical research on energy productivity can support government officials as they evaluate practical energy policies for the future. This study proposed a parametric method to decompose China's energy productivity rate of change into six factors based on a theoretical stochastic frontier analysis. The method was applied to conduct an empirical study using inter-provincial panel data in China from 1995 to 2012. The results highlighted three key points. First, the general rate of change in energy productivity was mainly influenced by a steady positive rate of change in technical progress, combined with a steady negative rate of change in technical efficiency. The core factors causing fluctuations in energy productivity included: a positive rate of change in the substitution of capital and energy, and a negative rate of change in the substitution of labor and energy. Second, from a geographic perspective, provinces with a high rate of change in technical progress experienced a weaker deterioration in technical efficiency. However, the rate of change in technical efficiency tends to decline as the rate of change in technical progress increases. Third, there is a similar changing trend between the substitution of capital and energy and the substitution of labor and energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Qunwei & Zhang, Cheng & Cai, Wanhuan, 2017. "Factor substitution and energy productivity fluctuation in China: A parametric decomposition analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 181-190.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:109:y:2017:i:c:p:181-190
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.07.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421517304330
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.07.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chang, Tzu-Pu & Hu, Jin-Li, 2010. "Total-factor energy productivity growth, technical progress, and efficiency change: An empirical study of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(10), pages 3262-3270, October.
    2. Wang, H. & Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin, 2017. "Multiplicative structural decomposition analysis of energy and emission intensities: Some methodological issues," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 47-63.
    3. Wang, Ke & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2016. "Sources of energy productivity change in China during 1997–2012: A decomposition analysis based on the Luenberger productivity indicator," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 50-59.
    4. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    5. Smyth, Russell & Narayan, Paresh Kumar & Shi, Hongliang, 2011. "Substitution between energy and classical factor inputs in the Chinese steel sector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 361-367, January.
    6. Apostolos Serletis, 2012. "International Evidence on Sectoral Interfuel Substitution," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Interfuel Substitution, chapter 3, pages 37-65, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Alfons Oude Lansink & Christien Ondersteijn, 2006. "Energy Productivity Growth in the Dutch Greenhouse Industry," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(1), pages 124-132.
    8. Boyd, Gale A. & Pang, Joseph X., 2000. "Estimating the linkage between energy efficiency and productivity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 289-296, May.
    9. Panesar, Balwinder S. & Fluck, Richard C., 1993. "Energy productivity of a production system: Analysis and measurement," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 415-437.
    10. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W., 2008. "Decomposition of aggregate CO2 emissions: A production-theoretical approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 1054-1067, May.
    11. Serletis, Apostolos & Timilsina, Govinda & Vasetsky, Olexandr, 2011. "International evidence on aggregate short-run and long-run interfuel substitution," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 209-216, March.
    12. Wang, Qunwei & Zhao, Zengyao & Zhou, Peng & Zhou, Dequn, 2013. "Energy efficiency and production technology heterogeneity in China: A meta-frontier DEA approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 283-289.
    13. Haller, Stefanie A. & Hyland, Marie, 2014. "Capital–energy substitution: Evidence from a panel of Irish manufacturing firms," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 501-510.
    14. Honma, Satoshi & Hu, Jin-Li, 2008. "Total-factor energy efficiency of regions in Japan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 821-833, February.
    15. Chen, Shiyi & Santos-Paulino, Amelia U., 2013. "Energy consumption restricted productivity re-estimates and industrial sustainability analysis in post-reform China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 52-60.
    16. Wang, H. & Ang, B.W. & Wang, Q.W. & Zhou, P., 2017. "Measuring energy performance with sectoral heterogeneity: A non-parametric frontier approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 70-78.
    17. Lin, Boqiang & Du, Kerui, 2014. "Decomposing energy intensity change: A combination of index decomposition analysis and production-theoretical decomposition analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 158-165.
    18. Wesseh, Presley K. & Lin, Boqiang & Appiah, Michael Owusu, 2013. "Delving into Liberia's energy economy: Technical change, inter-factor and inter-fuel substitution," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 122-130.
    19. Ma, Hengyun & Oxley, Les & Gibson, John, 2009. "Substitution possibilities and determinants of energy intensity for China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1793-1804, May.
    20. Wang, Qunwei & Chiu, Yung-Ho & Chiu, Ching-Ren, 2015. "Driving factors behind carbon dioxide emissions in China: A modified production-theoretical decomposition analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 252-260.
    21. Shiyi Chen, 2009. "Engine or drag: Can high energy consumption and CO 2 emission drive the sustainable development of Chinese industry?," Frontiers of Economics in China, Springer;Higher Education Press, vol. 4(4), pages 548-571, December.
    22. Chen, Shiyi & Jefferson, Gary H. & Zhang, Jun, 2011. "Structural change, productivity growth and industrial transformation in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 133-150, March.
    23. Steinbuks, Jevgenijs & Narayanan, Badri G., 2015. "Fossil fuel producing economies have greater potential for industrial interfuel substitution," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 168-177.
    24. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan, 2015. "China's regional sustainability and diversified resource allocation: DEA environmental assessment on economic development and air pollution," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 239-256.
    25. Adetutu, Morakinyo O., 2014. "Energy efficiency and capital-energy substitutability: Evidence from four OPEC countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 363-370.
    26. Wang, Chunhua, 2007. "Decomposing energy productivity change: A distance function approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1326-1333.
    27. Wang, Qunwei & Wang, Yizhong & Zhou, P. & Wei, Hongye, 2017. "Whole process decomposition of energy-related SO2 in Jiangsu Province, China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 679-687.
    28. Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin & Wang, H., 2016. "A spatial–temporal decomposition approach to performance assessment in energy and emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 112-121.
    29. Koetse, Mark J. & de Groot, Henri L.F. & Florax, Raymond J.G.M., 2008. "Capital-energy substitution and shifts in factor demand: A meta-analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 2236-2251, September.
    30. Wan, Jun & Baylis, Kathy & Mulder, Peter, 2015. "Trade-facilitated technology spillovers in energy productivity convergence processes across EU countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 253-264.
    31. Hang, Leiming & Tu, Meizeng, 2007. "The impacts of energy prices on energy intensity: Evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 2978-2988, May.
    32. Hu, Jin-Li & Wang, Shih-Chuan, 2006. "Total-factor energy efficiency of regions in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(17), pages 3206-3217, November.
    33. Daniel J. Henderson & R. Robert Russell, 2005. "Human Capital And Convergence: A Production-Frontier Approach ," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 46(4), pages 1167-1205, November.
    34. Dimitropoulos, John, 2007. "Energy productivity improvements and the rebound effect: An overview of the state of knowledge," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6354-6363, December.
    35. Gao, Jing & Nelson, Robert & Zhang, Lei, 2013. "Substitution in the electric power industry: An interregional comparison in the eastern US," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 316-325.
    36. Kander, Astrid & Schon, Lennart, 2007. "The energy-capital relation--Sweden 1870-2000," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 291-305, September.
    37. Wang, Chunhua, 2011. "Sources of energy productivity growth and its distribution dynamics in China," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 279-292, January.
    38. Jones, Clifton T., 2014. "The role of biomass in US industrial interfuel substitution," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 122-126.
    39. Roy, Joyashree & Sanstad, Alan H. & Sathaye, Jayant A. & Khaddaria, Raman, 2006. "Substitution and price elasticity estimates using inter-country pooled data in a translog cost model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(5-6), pages 706-719, November.
    40. Wang, Qunwei & Su, Bin & Zhou, Peng & Chiu, Ching-Ren, 2016. "Measuring total-factor CO2 emission performance and technology gaps using a non-radial directional distance function: A modified approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 475-482.
    41. Kim, Jihyo & Heo, Eunnyeong, 2013. "Asymmetric substitutability between energy and capital: Evidence from the manufacturing sectors in 10 OECD countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 81-89.
    42. Zhang, Cheng & Wang, Qunwei & Shi, Dan & Li, Pengfei & Cai, Wanhuan, 2016. "Scenario-based potential effects of carbon trading in China: An integrated approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 177-190.
    43. Zhou, P. & Ang, B.W. & Poh, K.L., 2008. "Measuring environmental performance under different environmental DEA technologies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-14, January.
    44. Khiabani, Nasser & Hasani, Karim, 2010. "Technical and allocative inefficiencies and factor elasticities of substitution: An analysis of energy waste in Iran's manufacturing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 1182-1190, September.
    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. Yongyi Cheng & Liheng Lu & Tianyuan Shao & Manhong Shen & Laiqun Jin, 2018. "Decomposition Analysis of Factors Affecting Changes in Industrial Wastewater Emission Intensity in China: Based on a SSBM-GMI Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-23, December.
    2. Yongyi Cheng & Tianyuan Shao & Huilin Lai & Manhong Shen & Yi Li, 2019. "Total-Factor Eco-Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Peng, Jiachao & Xiao, Jianzhong & Zhang, Lian & Wang, Teng, 2020. "The impact of China's ‘Atmosphere Ten Articles’ policy on total factor productivity of energy exploitation: Empirical evidence using synthetic control methods," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    4. Feng Wang & Yijie Jiang & Wulin Zhang & Fang Yang, 2019. "Elasticity of factor substitution and driving factors of energy intensity in China’s industry," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(3), pages 385-407, May.
    5. Yu, Shiwei & Zheng, Yali & Li, Longxi, 2019. "A comprehensive evaluation of the development and utilization of China's regional renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 73-86.
    6. Ur Rehman, Faheem & Islam, Md. Monirul, 2023. "Does energy infrastructure spur total factor productivity (TFP) in middle-income economies? An application of a novel energy infrastructure index," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    7. Wang, H. & Zhou, P., 2018. "Multi-country comparisons of CO2 emission intensity: The production-theoretical decomposition analysis approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 310-320.
    8. Zhong, Sheng, 2018. "Structural decompositions of energy consumption between 1995 and 2009: Evidence from WIOD," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 655-667.
    9. Jiang, Rui & Wu, Peng & Song, Yongze & Wu, Chengke & Wang, Peng & Zhong, Yun, 2022. "Factors influencing the adoption of renewable energy in the U.S. residential sector: An optimal parameters-based geographical detector approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 201(P1), pages 450-461.
    10. Peirong Chen & Ruhe Xie & Mingxuan Lu, 2020. "“Resource Conservation” or “Environmental Friendliness”: How do Urban Clusters Affect Total-Factor Ecological Performance in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-28, June.
    11. Sun, Jiasen & Li, Guo & Wang, Zhaohua, 2018. "Optimizing China’s energy consumption structure under energy and carbon constraints," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 57-72.
    12. Qian Wang & Duo Li & Tzu-Han Chang, 2019. "Energy and Health Efficiencies in China with the Inclusion of Technological Innovation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-20, October.
    13. Liu, Bingquan & Shi, Junxue & Wang, Hui & Su, Xuelin & Zhou, Peng, 2019. "Driving factors of carbon emissions in China: A joint decomposition approach based on meta-frontier," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    14. Mingyue Wang & Yu Liu & Yawen Liu & Shunxiang Yang & Lingyu Yang, 2018. "Assessing Multiple Pathways for Achieving China’s National Emissions Reduction Target," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-16, June.
    15. Safarzadeh, Soroush & Rasti-Barzoki, Morteza, 2019. "A game theoretic approach for pricing policies in a duopolistic supply chain considering energy productivity, industrial rebound effect, and government policies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 92-105.
    16. Chen, Bin & Jin, Yingmei, 2020. "Adjusting productivity measures for CO2 emissions control: Evidence from the provincial thermal power sector in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    17. Shuai Zhang & Xiaoman Zhao & Changwei Yuan & Xiu Wang, 2020. "Technological Bias and Its Influencing Factors in Sustainable Development of China’s Transportation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-26, July.
    18. Yang, Shenglang & Shi, Xunpeng, 2018. "Intangible capital and sectoral energy intensity: Evidence from 40 economies between 1995 and 2007," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 118-128.
    19. Xu, Xiaofeng & Wei, Zhifei & Ji, Qiang & Wang, Chenglong & Gao, Guowei, 2019. "Global renewable energy development: Influencing factors, trend predictions and countermeasures," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Guangming Rao & Bin Su & Jinlian Li & Yong Wang & Yanhua Zhou & Zhaolin Wang, 2019. "Carbon Sequestration Total Factor Productivity Growth and Decomposition: A Case of the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-28, November.

    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. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan & Goto, Mika, 2017. "A literature study for DEA applied to energy and environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 104-124.
    2. Chen, Xiude & Qin, Quande & Wei, Y.-M., 2016. "Energy productivity and Chinese local officials’ promotions: Evidence from provincial governors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 103-112.
    3. Shenghao Feng & Keyu Zhang & Xiujian Peng, 2021. "Elasticity of Substitution Between Electricity and Non-Electric Energy in the Context of Carbon Neutrality in China," Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre Working Papers g-323, Victoria University, Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre.
    4. Yongyi Cheng & Liheng Lu & Tianyuan Shao & Manhong Shen & Laiqun Jin, 2018. "Decomposition Analysis of Factors Affecting Changes in Industrial Wastewater Emission Intensity in China: Based on a SSBM-GMI Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-23, December.
    5. Feng Wang & Yijie Jiang & Wulin Zhang & Fang Yang, 2019. "Elasticity of factor substitution and driving factors of energy intensity in China’s industry," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(3), pages 385-407, May.
    6. Wang, Qunwei & Hang, Ye & Su, Bin & Zhou, Peng, 2018. "Contributions to sector-level carbon intensity change: An integrated decomposition analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 12-25.
    7. Zhou, P. & Zhang, H. & Zhang, L.P., 2022. "The drivers of energy intensity changes in Chinese cities: A production-theoretical decomposition analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    8. He, Yongda & Lin, Boqiang, 2019. "Heterogeneity and asymmetric effects in energy resources allocation of the manufacturing sectors in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 1019-1035.
    9. Elena Lagomarsino & Karen Turner, 2017. "Is the production function Translog or CES? An empirical illustration using UK data," Working Papers 1713, University of Strathclyde Business School, Department of Economics.
    10. Ma, Chunbo & Stern, David I., 2016. "Long-run estimates of interfuel and interfactor elasticities," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 114-130.
    11. Liu, Xiao & Zhou, Dequn & Zhou, Peng & Wang, Qunwei, 2017. "What drives CO2 emissions from China’s civil aviation? An exploration using a new generalized PDA method," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 30-45.
    12. Du, Minzhe & Wang, Bing & Zhang, Ning, 2018. "National research funding and energy efficiency: Evidence from the National Science Foundation of China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 335-346.
    13. Zha, Donglan & Yang, Guanglei & Wang, Qunwei, 2019. "Investigating the driving factors of regional CO2 emissions in China using the IDA-PDA-MMI method," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    14. Zhou, Haibo & Yang, Yi & Chen, Yao & Zhu, Joe, 2018. "Data envelopment analysis application in sustainability: The origins, development and future directions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(1), pages 1-16.
    15. Xie, Chunping & Hawkes, Adam D., 2015. "Estimation of inter-fuel substitution possibilities in China's transport industry using ridge regression," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 260-267.
    16. Wang, H. & Zhou, P., 2018. "Multi-country comparisons of CO2 emission intensity: The production-theoretical decomposition analysis approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 310-320.
    17. Wang, H. & Zhou, P. & Xie, Bai-Chen & Zhang, N., 2019. "Assessing drivers of CO2 emissions in China's electricity sector: A metafrontier production-theoretical decomposition analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(3), pages 1096-1107.
    18. Du, Kerui & Lin, Boqiang, 2017. "International comparison of total-factor energy productivity growth: A parametric Malmquist index approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 481-488.
    19. Du, Kerui & Xie, Chunping & Ouyang, Xiaoling, 2017. "A comparison of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission trends among provinces in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 19-25.
    20. Lin, Boqiang & Xie, Chunping, 2014. "Energy substitution effect on transport industry of China-based on trans-log production function," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 213-222.

    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:eee:enepol:v:109:y:2017:i:c:p:181-190. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    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.