IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v112y2016icp285-292.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can employment structure promote environment-biased technical progress?

Author

Listed:
  • Song, Malin
  • Wang, Shuhong

Abstract

Environment-biased technical progress can stimulate improvement in environmental quality, leading to coordinated development between the economy and the environment. However, the existing literature scarcely refers to the factors influencing the technical progress bias. We use the overlapping generations model to realize the endogenesis of biased technical progress in the Chinese context. We show that an increase in the aging population will encourage the use of pollution-biased technology and focus the attention of enterprises on improving economic benefits rather than environmental quality. We measure the directions of technical progress during 2003 to 2013 and estimate regressions for the relevant indicators of the labor force employment structure. Under equilibrium, increased ratios of the aging population and state-owned enterprises will stimulate environment-biased technical progress. Further, the effects of research and development and clustering of state-owned enterprises on environmental technology improvement are significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Song, Malin & Wang, Shuhong, 2016. "Can employment structure promote environment-biased technical progress?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 285-292.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:112:y:2016:i:c:p:285-292
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.02.016
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162516000652
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.02.016?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. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Leonardo Bursztyn & David Hemous, 2012. "The Environment and Directed Technical Change," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(1), pages 131-166, February.
    2. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    3. Jaffe, Adam B. & Newell, Richard G. & Stavins, Robert N., 2003. "Chapter 11 Technological change and the environment," Handbook of Environmental Economics, in: K. G. Mäler & J. R. Vincent (ed.), Handbook of Environmental Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 11, pages 461-516, Elsevier.
    4. Philippe Aghion & Antoine Dechezleprêtre & David Hémous & Ralf Martin & John Van Reenen, 2016. "Carbon Taxes, Path Dependency, and Directed Technical Change: Evidence from the Auto Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(1), pages 1-51.
    5. Popp, David, 2004. "ENTICE: endogenous technological change in the DICE model of global warming," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 742-768, July.
    6. Van Reenen, John, 2011. "Wage inequality, technology and trade: 21st century evidence," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 730-741.
    7. Ma, Hengyun & Oxley, Les & Gibson, John & Kim, Bonggeun, 2008. "China's energy economy: Technical change, factor demand and interfactor/interfuel substitution," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 2167-2183, September.
    8. Daron Acemoglu & Ufuk Akcigit & Douglas Hanley & William Kerr, 2016. "Transition to Clean Technology," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(1), pages 52-104.
    9. Popp, David & Newell, Richard G. & Jaffe, Adam B., 2010. "Energy, the Environment, and Technological Change," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 873-937, Elsevier.
    10. Roberta Arduini & Fabrizio Cesaroni, 2001. "Environmental Technologies in the European Chemical Industry," LEM Papers Series 2001/09, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    11. Welsch, Heinz & Ochsen, Carsten, 2005. "The determinants of aggregate energy use in West Germany: factor substitution, technological change, and trade," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 93-111, January.
    12. Krugman, Paul R., 2000. "Technology, trade and factor prices," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 51-71, February.
    13. Daron Acemoglu, 2007. "Equilibrium Bias of Technology," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 75(5), pages 1371-1409, September.
    14. Michael Greenstone, 2002. "The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Industrial Activity: Evidence from the 1970 and 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments and the Census of Manufactures," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(6), pages 1175-1219, December.
    15. Min Gong & David Krantz & Elke Weber, 2014. "Why Chinese discount future financial and environmental gains but not losses more than Americans," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 103-124, October.
    16. Deborah Aiken & Rolf Färe & Shawna Grosskopf & Carl Pasurka, 2009. "Pollution Abatement and Productivity Growth: Evidence from Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 44(1), pages 11-28, September.
    17. 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.
    18. McAdam, Peter & Willman, Alpo & León-Ledesma, Miguel A., 2010. "In dubio pro CES - Supply estimation with mis-specified technical change," Working Paper Series 1175, European Central Bank.
    19. Rainer Klump & Peter McAdam & Alpo Willman, 2007. "Factor Substitution and Factor-Augmenting Technical Progress in the United States: A Normalized Supply-Side System Approach," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(1), pages 183-192, February.
    20. Daron Acemoglu & Gino Gancia & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2015. "Offshoring and Directed Technical Change," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 84-122, July.
    21. Douglas Hanley & Daron Acemoglu & Ufuk Akcigit & William Kerr, 2014. "Transition to Clean Technology," Working Paper 534, Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, revised Jan 2014.
    22. Daron Acemoglu, 2003. "Labor- And Capital-Augmenting Technical Change," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 1(1), pages 1-37, March.
    23. Peter Bogetoft & Dexiang Wang, 2005. "Estimating the Potential Gains from Mergers," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 145-171, May.
    24. Alwyn Young, 2000. "The Razor's Edge: Distortions and Incremental Reform in the People's Republic of China," NBER Working Papers 7828, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Wang, Shu-Hong & Song, Ma-Lin, 2014. "Review of hidden carbon emissions, trade, and labor income share in China, 2001–2011," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 395-405.
    26. Arnberg, Soren & Bjorner, Thomas Bue, 2007. "Substitution between energy, capital and labour within industrial companies: A micro panel data analysis," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 122-136, May.
    27. W. Liu & W. Meng & X. Li & D. Zhang, 2010. "DEA models with undesirable inputs and outputs," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 177-194, January.
    28. Mads Greaker & Tom-Reiel Heggedal, 2012. "A Comment on the Environment and Directed Technical Change," Discussion Papers 713, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    29. Manne, Alan & Richels, Richard, 2004. "The impact of learning-by-doing on the timing and costs of CO2 abatement," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 603-619, July.
    30. Gordon H. Hanson & Robert C. Feenstra, 2000. "Aggregation Bias in the Factor Content of Trade: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 155-160, May.
    31. Chiara Peroni & Ivete Ferreira, 2012. "Competition and Innovation in Luxembourg," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 93-117, March.
    32. Alwyn Young, 2000. "The Razor's Edge: Distortions and Incremental Reform in the People's Republic of China," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(4), pages 1091-1135.
    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. Malin Song & Shuhong Wang & Kaiya Wu, 2018. "Environment-biased technological progress and industrial land-use efficiency in China’s new normal," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 268(1), pages 425-440, September.
    2. Xueli Wang & Caizhi Sun & Song Wang & Zhixiong Zhang & Wei Zou, 2018. "Going Green or Going Away? A Spatial Empirical Examination of the Relationship between Environmental Regulations, Biased Technological Progress, and Green Total Factor Productivity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, September.
    3. Zhao, Jun & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Dong, Xiucheng & Dong, Kangyin, 2021. "How does financial risk affect global CO2 emissions? The role of technological innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    4. Penghu Zhu & Boqiang Lin, 2022. "Vanishing Happiness: How Does Pollution Information Disclosure Affect Life Satisfaction?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-19, August.
    5. Gao(高凯), Kai & Wang(王玲), Ling & Liu(刘婷婷), Tingting & Zhao(赵华擎), Huaqing, 2022. "Management executive power and corporate green innovation——Empirical evidence from China's state-owned manufacturing sector," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    6. Song, Malin & Xie, Qianjiao & Wang, Shuhong & Zhou, Li, 2021. "Intensity of environmental regulation and environmentally biased technology in the employment market," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    7. Xiaoxiao Zhou & Ming Xia & Teng Zhang & Juntao Du, 2020. "Energy- and Environment-Biased Technological Progress Induced by Different Types of Environmental Regulations in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.
    8. Weijiang Liu & Mingze Du & Yuxin Bai, 2021. "Mechanisms of Environmental Regulation’s Impact on Green Technological Progress—Evidence from China’s Manufacturing Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-23, February.
    9. Weijiang Liu & Mingze Du, 2021. "Is Technological Progress Selective for Multiple Pollutant Emissions?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-17, September.
    10. Adele Parmentola & Antonella Petrillo & Ilaria Tutore & Fabio De Felice, 2022. "Is blockchain able to enhance environmental sustainability? A systematic review and research agenda from the perspective of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 194-217, January.
    11. Tao Zhao & Jung-Mo Koo & Min-Jae Lee, 2022. "How Firms Can Improve Sustainable Performance on Belt and Road Initiative," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, October.
    12. Xi Chen & Zhigang Chen, 2021. "Can China’s Environmental Regulations Effectively Reduce Pollution Emissions?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Chen, Shih-Chih & Jiang, Wei & Ma, Yin, 2020. "Decent work in a transition economy: An empirical study of employees in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    14. Xinfei Li & Baodong Cheng & Qiling Hong & Chang Xu, 2021. "Can a Win–Win Situation of Economy and Environment Be Achieved in Cities by the Government’s Environmental Regulations?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, May.
    15. Xinfei Li & Chang Xu & Baodong Cheng & Jingyang Duan & Yueming Li, 2021. "Does Environmental Regulation Improve the Green Total Factor Productivity of Chinese Cities? A Threshold Effect Analysis Based on the Economic Development Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-21, April.
    16. Du, Kerui & Yu, Ying & Li, Jing, 2020. "Does international trade promote CO2 emission performance? An empirical analysis based on a partially linear functional-coefficient panel data model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    17. Zhao, Desen & Dou, Yao & Tong, Lu, 2022. "Effect of fiscal decentralization and dual environmental regulation on green poverty reduction: The case of China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    18. de Sousa Jabbour, Ana Beatriz Lopes & Jabbour, Charbel Jose Chiappetta & Foropon, Cyril & Godinho Filho, Moacir, 2018. "When titans meet – Can industry 4.0 revolutionise the environmentally-sustainable manufacturing wave? The role of critical success factors," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 18-25.
    19. Zha, Donglan & Kavuri, Anil Savio & Si, Songjian, 2017. "Energy biased technology change: Focused on Chinese energy-intensive industries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 1081-1089.
    20. Zhao, Pan & Hu, Guoheng & Jin, Peizhen, 2023. "Biased technical change, capital deepening, and efficiency of environmental regulations: Evidence from the Chinese provinces," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    21. Wen Xiang & Jianzhong Gao, 2023. "From Agricultural Green Production to Farmers’ Happiness: A Case Study of Kiwi Growers in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-25, February.

    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. Malin Song & Shuhong Wang & Kaiya Wu, 2018. "Environment-biased technological progress and industrial land-use efficiency in China’s new normal," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 268(1), pages 425-440, September.
    2. Gregory Casey, 2024. "Energy Efficiency and Directed Technical Change: Implications for Climate Change Mitigation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(1), pages 192-228.
    3. Zhu, Xuehong & Zeng, Anqi & Zhong, Meirui & Huang, Jianbai, 2021. "Elasticity of substitution and biased technical change in the CES production function for China's metal-intensive industries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/14g286e42n8bl9is6h16b18kes is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Naqvi, Asjad & Stockhammer, Engelbert, 2018. "Directed Technological Change in a Post-Keynesian Ecological Macromodel," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 168-188.
    6. Lamperti, Francesco & Napoletano, Mauro & Roventini, Andrea, 2020. "Green Transitions And The Prevention Of Environmental Disasters: Market-Based Vs. Command-And-Control Policies," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(7), pages 1861-1880, October.
    7. Witajewski-Baltvilks, Jan & Verdolini, Elena & Tavoni, Massimo, 2017. "Induced technological change and energy efficiency improvements," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(S1), pages 17-32.
    8. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/14g286e42n8bl9is6h16b18kes is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Xiaoxiao Zhou & Ming Xia & Teng Zhang & Juntao Du, 2020. "Energy- and Environment-Biased Technological Progress Induced by Different Types of Environmental Regulations in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.
    10. Antosiewicz, Marek & Witajewski-Baltvilks, Jan, 2021. "Short- and long-run dynamics of energy demand," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    11. Ma, Hengyun & Oxley, Les & Gibson, John, 2010. "China's energy economy: A survey of the literature," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 105-132, June.
    12. Carolyn Fischer & Garth Heutel, 2013. "Environmental Macroeconomics: Environmental Policy, Business Cycles, and Directed Technical Change," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 5(1), pages 197-210, June.
    13. Wenhan Ren & Jing Ni & Wen Jiao & Yan Li, 2023. "Explore the key factors of sustainable development: A bibliometric and visual analysis of technological progress," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 492-509, February.
    14. Esfandiar Maasoumi & Almas Heshmati & Inhee Lee, 2021. "Green innovations and patenting renewable energy technologies," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 513-538, January.
    15. Acemoglu, Daron & Rafey, Will, 2023. "Mirage on the horizon: Geoengineering and carbon taxation without commitment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    16. Song, Malin & Xie, Qianjiao & Wang, Shuhong & Zhou, Li, 2021. "Intensity of environmental regulation and environmentally biased technology in the employment market," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    17. Antoine Dechezleprêtre & David Popp, 2015. "Fiscal and Regulatory Instruments for Clean Technology Development in the European Union," CESifo Working Paper Series 5361, CESifo.
    18. Yi, Ming & Wang, Yiqian & Sheng, Mingyue & Sharp, Basil & Zhang, Yao, 2020. "Effects of heterogeneous technological progress on haze pollution: Evidence from China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    19. Zhangsheng Liu & Liuqingqing Yang & Liqin Fan, 2021. "Induced Effect of Environmental Regulation on Green Innovation: Evidence from the Increasing-Block Pricing Scheme," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    20. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    21. Philippe Aghion & Antoine Dechezleprêtre & David Hémous & Ralf Martin & John Van Reenen, 2016. "Carbon Taxes, Path Dependency, and Directed Technical Change: Evidence from the Auto Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 124(1), pages 1-51.
    22. 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.

    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:tefoso:v:112:y:2016:i:c:p:285-292. 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.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    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.