Trends and driving forces of low-carbon energy technology innovation in China’s industrial sectors from 1998 to 2017: from a regional perspective

doi:10.1007/s11708-021-0738-z

Front. Energy

2021, Vol. 15

Issue (2) : 473-486 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-021-0738-z

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Trends and driving forces of low-carbon energy technology innovation in China’s industrial sectors from 1998 to 2017: from a regional perspective

Xi ZHANG¹, Yong GENG²(

), Yen Wah TONG³, Harn Wei KUA⁴, Huijuan DONG⁵, Hengyu PAN⁶

¹. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
². China Institute for Urban Governance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; School of International and Public Affairs, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; School of Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
³. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
⁴. Department of Building, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
⁵. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
⁶. Institute of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

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Abstract

Low-carbon energy technology (LC) innovation contributes to both environmental protection and economic development. Using the panel data of 30 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in China from 1998 to 2017, this paper constructs a two-layer logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) model to uncover the factors influencing the variation of the innovation of LC in China’s industrial sectors, including the alternative energy production technology (AEPT) and the energy conversation technology (ECT). The results show that China’s industrial LC patent applications rapidly increased after 2005 and AEPT patent applications outweighed ECT patent applications all the time with a gradually narrowing gap. Low-carbon degree played the dominant role in promoting the increase in China’s industrial LC patent applications, followed by the economic scale, R&D (research and development) efficiency, and R&D share. Economic structure contributed to the increases in LC patent applications in the central and the western regions, while led to the decreases in the eastern region, the north-eastern region, and Chinese mainland

Xizang(Tibet) Autonoomous Region is not considered due to lack of data. This note applies to the entire article.

. Low-carbon degree and economic scale were two main contributors to the growths of both industrial AEPT patent applications and ECT patent applications in Chinese mainland and the four regions. Several policy recommendations are made to further promote industrial innovation in China.

Keywords low-carbon energy technology (LC) logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) industrial sector regional disparity China

Corresponding Author(s): Yong GENG

Online First Date: 27 April 2021 Issue Date: 18 June 2021

Cite this article:

Xi ZHANG,Yong GENG,Yen Wah TONG, et al. Trends and driving forces of low-carbon energy technology innovation in China’s industrial sectors from 1998 to 2017: from a regional perspective[J]. Front. Energy, 2021, 15(2): 473-486.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-021-0738-z
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/Y2021/V15/I2/473

Tab.1 Definitions of variables in Eq. (1)

Fig.1 Trends of patent application of LC and its share in total number of patent applications in China’s industrial sector from 1998 to 2017.

Fig.2 Trends of patent application of LC and its share in total number of patent applications in industrial sector for China’s four regions from 1998 to 2017.

Fig.3 Changes of AEPT patent applications and contributions of six factors in China’s industrial sector from 1999 to 2017.

Fig.4 Changes of ECT patent applications and contributions of six factors in China’s industrial sector from 1999 to 2017.

Fig.5 Changes of LC patent applications and contributions of five factors in China’s industrial sector from 1999 to 2017.

Fig.6 Contributions of four regions to the changes of (a) AEPT, (b) ECT and (c) LC patent applications in industrial sectors of Chinese mainland from 1998 to 2017. (d) total contributions.

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