IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v147y2018icp648-654.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decomposing the South African CO2 emissions within a BRICS countries context: Signalling potential energy rebound effects

Author

Listed:
  • Inglesi-Lotz, Roula

Abstract

This paper employs an LMDI decomposition exercise to investigate the main factors that affect changes in CO2 emissions of South Africa at national level within the BRICS group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) from 1990 to 2014. From the results, it is expected to derive some information on the existence of the energy rebound hypothesis for South Africa with ultimate purpose to direct future research into examining the effect in a micro level. The aim of this paper is not to estimate the precise rebound effect but to decompose the determinants of emission changes in the BRICS countries. The concept of energy rebound would play a role if the improvements in energy intensity might lead to emission increases, instead of the opposite as expected. The overall results suggest that the changes in CO2 intensity and energy intensity had a negative impact to the changes in CO2 emissions: in other words, as the energy intensity (energy consumption per unit of economic output) decreased for all the countries (possible technological developments), the emissions kept rising. For South Africa specifically, the energy intensity was a negative contributor to CO2 emissions only for the part of the examined period (2008–2014).

Suggested Citation

  • Inglesi-Lotz, Roula, 2018. "Decomposing the South African CO2 emissions within a BRICS countries context: Signalling potential energy rebound effects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 648-654.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:147:y:2018:i:c:p:648-654
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2017.12.150
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036054421732193X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2017.12.150?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. Karmellos, M. & Kopidou, D. & Diakoulaki, D., 2016. "A decomposition analysis of the driving factors of CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions from the power sector in the European Union countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 680-692.
    2. Lu-Yi Qiu & Ling-Yun He, 2017. "Are Chinese Green Transport Policies Effective? A New Perspective from Direct Pollution Rebound Effect, and Empirical Evidence From the Road Transport Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-11, March.
    3. Sorrell, Steve & Dimitropoulos, John, 2008. "The rebound effect: Microeconomic definitions, limitations and extensions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 636-649, April.
    4. Wang, Can & Chen, Jining & Zou, Ji, 2005. "Decomposition of energy-related CO2 emission in China: 1957–2000," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 73-83.
    5. Kenneth A. Small & Kurt Van Dender, 2007. "Fuel Efficiency and Motor Vehicle Travel: The Declining Rebound Effect," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1), pages 25-52.
    6. Sheinbaum, Claudia & Ruíz, Belizza J. & Ozawa, Leticia, 2011. "Energy consumption and related CO2 emissions in five Latin American countries: Changes from 1990 to 2006 and perspectives," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 3629-3638.
    7. Cansino, José M. & Sánchez-Braza, Antonio & Rodríguez-Arévalo, María L., 2015. "Driving forces of Spain׳s CO2 emissions: A LMDI decomposition approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 749-759.
    8. Inglesi-Lotz, R. & Pouris, A., 2012. "Energy efficiency in South Africa: A decomposition exercise," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 113-120.
    9. Zhao, Min & Tan, Lirong & Zhang, Weiguo & Ji, Minhe & Liu, Yuan & Yu, Lizhong, 2010. "Decomposing the influencing factors of industrial carbon emissions in Shanghai using the LMDI method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 2505-2510.
    10. Korppoo, Anna & Luukkanen, Jyrki & Vehmas, Jarmo & Kinnunen, Miia, 2008. "What goes down must come up? Trends of industrial electricity use in the North-West of Russia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3588-3597, September.
    11. Zhao, Xiaoli & Ma, Chunbo & Hong, Dongyue, 2010. "Why did China's energy intensity increase during 1998-2006: Decomposition and policy analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 1379-1388, March.
    12. Zhou, Nan & Levine, Mark D. & Price, Lynn, 2010. "Overview of current energy-efficiency policies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 6439-6452, November.
    13. Sumabat, Ana Karmela & Lopez, Neil Stephen & Yu, Krista Danielle & Hao, Han & Li, Richard & Geng, Yong & Chiu, Anthony S.F., 2016. "Decomposition analysis of Philippine CO2 emissions from fuel combustion and electricity generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 795-804.
    14. Rüstemoğlu, Hasan & Andrés, Antonio Rodríguez, 2016. "Determinants of CO2 emissions in Brazil and Russia between 1992 and 2011: A decomposition analysis," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 95-106.
    15. Lima, Fátima & Nunes, Manuel Lopes & Cunha, Jorge & Lucena, André F.P., 2016. "A cross-country assessment of energy-related CO2 emissions: An extended Kaya Index Decomposition Approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(P2), pages 1361-1374.
    16. Inglesi-Lotz, Roula & Blignaut, James N., 2011. "South Africa’s electricity consumption: A sectoral decomposition analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(12), pages 4779-4784.
    17. Liddle, Brantley, 2009. "Electricity intensity convergence in IEA/OECD countries: Aggregate and sectoral analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1470-1478, April.
    18. Wu, Libo & Kaneko, Shinji & Matsuoka, Shunji, 2005. "Driving forces behind the stagnancy of China's energy-related CO2 emissions from 1996 to 1999: the relative importance of structural change, intensity change and scale change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 319-335, February.
    19. B. W. Ang & Ki-Hong Choi, 1997. "Decomposition of Aggregate Energy and Gas Emission Intensities for Industry: A Refined Divisia Index Method," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3), pages 59-73.
    20. Ma, Chunbo & Stern, David I., 2008. "China's changing energy intensity trend: A decomposition analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 1037-1053, May.
    21. Sun, J. W., 1998. "Changes in energy consumption and energy intensity: A complete decomposition model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 85-100, February.
    22. Bhattacharyya, Subhes C. & Matsumura, Wataru, 2010. "Changes in the GHG emission intensity in EU-15: Lessons from a decomposition analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 3315-3322.
    23. Gilbert E. Metcalf, 2008. "An Empirical Analysis of Energy Intensity and Its Determinants at the State Level," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3), pages 1-26.
    24. Wang, W.W. & Zhang, M. & Zhou, M., 2011. "Using LMDI method to analyze transport sector CO2 emissions in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 5909-5915.
    25. Imhotep P. Alagidede & Tamara E. Mughogho, 2019. "Capital Account Liberalization and Capital Flows to Sub-Saharan Africa: A Panel Threshold Approach," Working Papers 203, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    26. Mendiluce, María & Pérez-Arriaga, Ignacio & Ocaña, Carlos, 2010. "Comparison of the evolution of energy intensity in Spain and in the EU15. Why is Spain different?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 639-645, January.
    27. Paul, Shyamal & Bhattacharya, Rabindra Nath, 2004. "CO2 emission from energy use in India: a decomposition analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 585-593, March.
    28. Shao, Shuai & Yang, Lili & Gan, Chunhui & Cao, Jianhua & Geng, Yong & Guan, Dabo, 2016. "Using an extended LMDI model to explore techno-economic drivers of energy-related industrial CO2 emission changes: A case study for Shanghai (China)," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 516-536.
    29. Markandya, Anil & Pedroso-Galinato, Suzette & Streimikiene, Dalia, 2006. "Energy intensity in transition economies: Is there convergence towards the EU average?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 121-145, January.
    30. Zhang, Ming & Mu, Hailin & Ning, Yadong & Song, Yongchen, 2009. "Decomposition of energy-related CO2 emission over 1991-2006 in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(7), pages 2122-2128, 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. Li, Aijun & Zhou, Dinglin & Chen, Guoshi & Liu, Yuhao & Long, Yan, 2020. "Multi-region comparisons of energy-related CO2 emissions and production water use during energy development in northwestern China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 940-961.
    2. Sinha, Avik & Shah, Muhammad Ibrahim & Sengupta, Tuhin & Jiao, Zhilun, 2020. "Analyzing Technology-Emissions Association in Top-10 Polluted MENA Countries: How to Ascertain Sustainable Development by Quantile Modeling Approach," MPRA Paper 100253, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2020.
    3. de Lucas-Santos, Sonia & Delgado-Rodríguez, María Jesús & Cabezas-Ares, Alfredo, 2021. "Cyclical convergence in per capita carbon dioxide emission in US states: A dynamic unobserved component approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Qipeng Sun & Yafang Geng & Fei Ma & Chao Wang & Bo Wang & Xiu Wang & Wenlin Wang, 2018. "Spatial–Temporal Evolution and Factor Decomposition for Ecological Pressure of Carbon Footprint in the One Belt and One Road," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Galvin, Ray & Martulli, Alessandro & Ruzzenenti, Franco, 2021. "Does power curb energy efficiency? Evidence from two decades of European truck tests," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    6. Wei Zhen & Quande Qin & Lei Jiang, 2022. "Heterogeneous Domestic Intermediate Input-Related Carbon Emissions in China’s Exports," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 81(3), pages 453-479, March.
    7. Cansino, José M. & Román-Collado, Rocío & Merchán, José, 2019. "Do Spanish energy efficiency actions trigger JEVON’S paradox?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 760-770.
    8. Ortega-Ruiz, G. & Mena-Nieto, A. & Golpe, A.A. & García-Ramos, J.E., 2022. "CO2 emissions and causal relationships in the six largest world emitters," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

    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. Roula Inglesi-Lotz, 2017. "Decomposing the South African COâ‚‚ emissions within a BRICS countries context: The energy rebound hypothesis," Working Papers 690, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    2. Moutinho, Victor & Madaleno, Mara & Inglesi-Lotz, Roula & Dogan, Eyup, 2018. "Factors affecting CO2 emissions in top countries on renewable energies: A LMDI decomposition application," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 605-622.
    3. Inglesi-Lotz, R. & Pouris, A., 2012. "Energy efficiency in South Africa: A decomposition exercise," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 113-120.
    4. Robaina Alves, Margarita & Moutinho, Victor, 2013. "Decomposition analysis and Innovative Accounting Approach for energy-related CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions intensity over 1996–2009 in Portugal," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 775-787.
    5. Weihua Su & Yuying Wang & Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Balezentis & Chonghui Zhang, 2020. "Carbon dioxide emission decomposition along the gradient of economic development: The case of energy sustainability in the G7 and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 657-669, July.
    6. Liang, Wei & Gan, Ting & Zhang, Wei, 2019. "Dynamic evolution of characteristics and decomposition of factors influencing industrial carbon dioxide emissions in China: 1991–2015," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 93-106.
    7. Inglesi-Lotz, Roula & Blignaut, James N., 2011. "South Africa’s electricity consumption: A sectoral decomposition analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(12), pages 4779-4784.
    8. Xianrui Liao & Wei Yang & Yichen Wang & Junnian Song, 2019. "Uncovering Variations, Determinants, and Disparities of Multisector-Level Final Energy Use of Industries Across Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, March.
    9. Yang Yu & Qiuyue Kong, 2017. "Analysis on the influencing factors of carbon emissions from energy consumption in China based on LMDI method," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 88(3), pages 1691-1707, September.
    10. Xu, X.Y. & Ang, B.W., 2013. "Index decomposition analysis applied to CO2 emission studies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 313-329.
    11. Jiang, Jingjing & Ye, Bin & Xie, Dejun & Li, Ji & Miao, Lixin & Yang, Peng, 2017. "Sector decomposition of China’s national economic carbon emissions and its policy implication for national ETS development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 855-867.
    12. Wang, Miao & Feng, Chao, 2018. "Decomposing the change in energy consumption in China's nonferrous metal industry: An empirical analysis based on the LMDI method," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2652-2663.
    13. Fernández González, P. & Presno, M.J. & Landajo, M., 2015. "Regional and sectoral attribution to percentage changes in the European Divisia carbonization index," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1437-1452.
    14. Xu, Xianshuo & Zhao, Tao & Liu, Nan & Kang, Jidong, 2014. "Changes of energy-related GHG emissions in China: An empirical analysis from sectoral perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 298-307.
    15. Moutinho, Victor & Moreira, António Carrizo & Silva, Pedro Miguel, 2015. "The driving forces of change in energy-related CO2 emissions in Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Europe: The LMDI approach to decomposition analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1485-1499.
    16. Kang, Jidong & Zhao, Tao & Liu, Nan & Zhang, Xin & Xu, Xianshuo & Lin, Tao, 2014. "A multi-sectoral decomposition analysis of city-level greenhouse gas emissions: Case study of Tianjin, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 562-571.
    17. Wang, Miao & Feng, Chao, 2017. "Decomposition of energy-related CO2 emissions in China: An empirical analysis based on provincial panel data of three sectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 772-787.
    18. Margarida R. Alves & Victor Moutinho, 2013. "Decomposition analysis for energy-related CO2 emissions intensity over 1996-2009 in Portuguese Industrial Sectors," CEFAGE-UE Working Papers 2013_10, University of Evora, CEFAGE-UE (Portugal).
    19. Voigt, Sebastian & De Cian, Enrica & Schymura, Michael & Verdolini, Elena, 2014. "Energy intensity developments in 40 major economies: Structural change or technology improvement?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 47-62.
    20. Jidong Kang & Tao Zhao & Xiaosong Ren & Tao Lin, 2012. "Using decomposition analysis to evaluate the performance of China’s 30 provinces in CO 2 emission reductions over 2005–2009," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 64(2), pages 999-1013, November.

    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:energy:v:147:y:2018:i:c:p:648-654. 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.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    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.