IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/engenv/v30y2019i5p755-775.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decoupling effect between economic development and environmental pollution: A spatial-temporal investigation using 31 provinces in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yao Bo Shi
  • Xin Xin Zhao
  • Chyi-Lu Jang
  • Chun-Ping Chang

Abstract

Environmental pollution is an important factor affecting the sustainable development of a country or region. Therefore, it is of great theoretical and practical significance to deeply study and judge the decoupling relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution. On the basis of 31 provinces in China, the present paper decomposes the decoupling elastic coefficient into scale decoupling elasticity, technical decoupling elasticity, and structural decoupling elasticity by log mean divisia index and analyzes the decoupling relation between economic growth and environmental pollution from 2001 to 2015. We also evaluate the degree of the decoupling in time and space for various provinces. The results show economic growth has decoupled from industrial waste water emissions; industrial solid waste has gradually gained some improvement; the decoupling state between economic growth and industrial exhaust is unstable; and the increasing economic scale is the key driver for environmental pollution. However, the evidence also shows that technology plays a positive role in the decoupling. From analysis of the spatial pattern of decoupling, almost all developed areas in the eastern coastal region have achieved decoupling, while decoupling in the middle and western regions is unstable. Finally, the revision of The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Energy Conservation has played a certain role on the decoupling of economic growth and environmental pollution.

Suggested Citation

  • Yao Bo Shi & Xin Xin Zhao & Chyi-Lu Jang & Chun-Ping Chang, 2019. "Decoupling effect between economic development and environmental pollution: A spatial-temporal investigation using 31 provinces in China," Energy & Environment, , vol. 30(5), pages 755-775, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:30:y:2019:i:5:p:755-775
    DOI: 10.1177/0958305X18813611
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0958305X18813611
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0958305X18813611?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Grossman, G.M & Krueger, A.B., 1991. "Environmental Impacts of a North American Free Trade Agreement," Papers 158, Princeton, Woodrow Wilson School - Public and International Affairs.
    2. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    3. de Freitas, Luciano Charlita & Kaneko, Shinji, 2011. "Decomposing the decoupling of CO2 emissions and economic growth in Brazil," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1459-1469, June.
    4. Wachsmann, Ulrike & Wood, Richard & Lenzen, Manfred & Schaeffer, Roberto, 2009. "Structural decomposition of energy use in Brazil from 1970 to 1996," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(4), pages 578-587, April.
    5. Diakoulaki, D. & Mandaraka, M., 2007. "Decomposition analysis for assessing the progress in decoupling industrial growth from CO2 emissions in the EU manufacturing sector," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 636-664, July.
    6. Wood, Richard, 2009. "Structural decomposition analysis of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4943-4948, November.
    7. de Bruyn, S. M. & Opschoor, J. B., 1997. "Developments in the throughput-income relationship: theoretical and empirical observations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 255-268, March.
    8. Ang, B. W., 2004. "Decomposition analysis for policymaking in energy:: which is the preferred method?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1131-1139, June.
    9. Andreoni, V. & Galmarini, S., 2012. "Decoupling economic growth from carbon dioxide emissions: A decomposition analysis of Italian energy consumption," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 682-691.
    10. Sigrid Stagl, 1999. "Delinking Economic Growth from Environmental Degradation? A Literature Survey on the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis," Working Papers geewp06, Vienna University of Economics and Business Research Group: Growth and Employment in Europe: Sustainability and Competitiveness.
    11. Tapio, Petri & Banister, David & Luukkanen, Jyrki & Vehmas, Jarmo & Willamo, Risto, 2007. "Energy and transport in comparison: Immaterialisation, dematerialisation and decarbonisation in the EU15 between 1970 and 2000," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 433-451, January.
    12. 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.
    13. 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. Zhen Yang & Weijun Gao & Jiawei Li, 2022. "Can Economic Growth and Environmental Protection Achieve a “Win–Win” Situation? Empirical Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Jing Li & Lipeng Hou & Lin Wang & Lina Tang, 2021. "Decoupling Analysis between Economic Growth and Air Pollution in Key Regions of Air Pollution Control in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-22, June.
    3. Jiasha Fu & Fan Wang & Jin Guo, 2024. "Decoupling Economic Growth from Carbon Emissions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China: From the Coordinated Regional Development Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-24, March.
    4. Jingwen Zhang & Yin Dai & Chi-Wei Su & Dervis Kirikkaleli & Muhammad Umar, 2021. "Intertemporal change in the effect of economic growth on carbon emission in China," Energy & Environment, , vol. 32(7), pages 1207-1225, November.
    5. Ping Zhang & Xiaojuan Yang & Hua Chen & Sidong Zhao, 2023. "Matching Relationship between Urban Service Industry Land Expansion and Economy Growth in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-29, May.
    6. Loo, Becky P.Y. & Tsoi, Ka Ho & Banister, David, 2020. "Recent experiences and divergent pathways to transport decoupling," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    7. Waheed Ahmad & Sana Ullah & Ilhan Ozturk & Muhammad Tariq Majeed, 2021. "Does inflation instability affect environmental pollution? Fresh evidence from Asian economies," Energy & Environment, , vol. 32(7), pages 1275-1291, 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. de Freitas, Luciano Charlita & Kaneko, Shinji, 2011. "Decomposition of CO2 emissions change from energy consumption in Brazil: Challenges and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1495-1504, March.
    2. 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.
    3. Leal, Patrícia Alexandra & Marques, António Cardoso & Fuinhas, José Alberto, 2019. "Decoupling economic growth from GHG emissions: Decomposition analysis by sectoral factors for Australia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 12-26.
    4. Xu, X.Y. & Ang, B.W., 2013. "Index decomposition analysis applied to CO2 emission studies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 313-329.
    5. Rui Jiang & Yulin Zhou & Rongrong Li, 2018. "Moving to a Low-Carbon Economy in China: Decoupling and Decomposition Analysis of Emission and Economy from a Sector Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-12, March.
    6. Jie-fang Dong & Qiang Wang & Chun Deng & Xing-min Wang & Xiao-lei Zhang, 2016. "How to Move China toward a Green-Energy Economy: From a Sector Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Roinioti, Argiro & Koroneos, Christopher, 2017. "The decomposition of CO2 emissions from energy use in Greece before and during the economic crisis and their decoupling from economic growth," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 448-459.
    8. Lima, Fátima & Nunes, Manuel Lopes & Cunha, Jorge & Lucena, André F.P., 2017. "Driving forces for aggregate energy consumption: A cross-country approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P2), pages 1033-1050.
    9. Jialing Zou & Weidong Liu & Zhipeng Tang, 2017. "Analysis of Factors Contributing to Changes in Energy Consumption in Tangshan City between 2007 and 2012," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-14, March.
    10. Zhang, Wei & Li, Ke & Zhou, Dequn & Zhang, Wenrui & Gao, Hui, 2016. "Decomposition of intensity of energy-related CO2 emission in Chinese provinces using the LMDI method," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 369-381.
    11. 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.
    12. Tan, Hao & Sun, Aijun & Lau, Henry, 2013. "CO2 embodiment in China–Australia trade: The drivers and implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1212-1220.
    13. Lu, Qinli & Yang, Hong & Huang, Xianjin & Chuai, Xiaowei & Wu, Changyan, 2015. "Multi-sectoral decomposition in decoupling industrial growth from carbon emissions in the developed Jiangsu Province, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 414-425.
    14. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2004. "Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis: A Survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 431-455, August.
    15. Ming-Ming Zhao & Rongrong Li, 2018. "Decoupling and decomposition analysis of carbon emissions from economic output in Chinese Guangdong Province: A sector perspective," Energy & Environment, , vol. 29(4), pages 543-555, June.
    16. Zhang, Ming & Guo, Fangyan, 2013. "Analysis of rural residential commercial energy consumption in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 222-229.
    17. 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.
    18. Patiño, Lourdes Isabel & Alcántara, Vicent & Padilla, Emilio, 2021. "Driving forces of CO2 emissions and energy intensity in Colombia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    19. Yalan Zhao & Yaoqiu Kuang & Ningsheng Huang, 2016. "Decomposition Analysis in Decoupling Transport Output from Carbon Emissions in Guangdong Province, China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-23, April.
    20. He, Jie, 2010. "What is the role of openness for China's aggregate industrial SO2 emission?: A structural analysis based on the Divisia decomposition method," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 868-886, February.

    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:sae:engenv:v:30:y:2019:i:5:p:755-775. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.