Renewable Energy Technology Innovation and Carbon Reduction: A Study from the Perspective of Regional Unbalanced Development
Yan Zheming, Du Kerui, Zhang Ning
摘要：本文基于部分线性函数型系数面板数据模型，本文实证分析了各地区可再生能源技术创新对碳排放的异质性影响。结果显示：只有当收入达到既定水平（1997年不变价格人均实际GDP1.89万元）后，再生能源技术创新才能实现碳减排效应；在此之后，其边际减排效应随着收入增长而提升。进一步，由于碳减排具体机制的收入临界值条件有别，不同省份在不同年份的碳减排机制存在差异：在样本末期，所有省份都能利用可再生能源比重提升渠道机制，但仅有不到一半的样本省份能够利用碳生产率提升渠道机制。基于部分线性函数型系数模型的新实证框架，本文发现经济发展差异下不同省份之间可再生能源创新的异质性碳减排机制，有助于充分评估不同省份的碳减排能力和潜力，促进区域间合理分解和制定气候政策目标。
Abstract: Renewable energy technological innovation is an important driving force in China’s path to achieve climate and environmental targets. For regions with various levels of economic development, their capacities and ways of developing and utilizing renewable energy technologies could be quite different. Based on the partial linear functional-coefficient panel data models, this paper uses a panel dataset from 30 provinces in mainland China from 1997 to 2015 to explore the heterogeneous impact of renewable energy technology innovation in various regions. The results show that only when income reaches a certain level can renewable energy technology innovation achieve CO2 reduction. After that, the marginal emission reduction effect of renewable energy technology innovation increases with income growth. More importantly, income level thresholds of the two mechanisms are different, implying that provinces in different years use renewable energy innovation to achieve CO2 reduction through different mechanisms.The difference in income level threshold between the two mechanisms that significantly reduce carbon emissions is noticeable. In 2015, all provinces can achieve substantial carbon emission reduction effects by increasing the proportion of renewable energy, but less than half of the regions can use carbon productivity as improving channel mechanism. Based on the empirical findings, this paper proposes policy recommendations for renewable energy development with regional differences.
Keywords: Renewable Energy Technology Innovation; Carbon Dioxide Emissions; Carbon Productivity; Partial Linear Functional-Coefficient Model
项目基金：国家社会科学基金重大招标项目“推动黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展研究”（21ZDA065）、国家自然科学基金项目“偏向性投资视角下绿色财政对绿色技术创新的影响效应与作用机理研究”（72003145）、国家自然科学基金项目“环境规制与中国城市经济绿色转型：基于绿色技术进步和产业结构升级视角的研究”（72074184）、中国博士后基金项目“绿色财政政策的绿色技术创新绩效：作用机理与政策优化”（2020M683437）和教育部人文社会科学研究青年基金项目“低碳技术创新的环境绩效研究：基于偏向性技术进步视角”(18YJC790194)
