Efficiency and Influencing Factors of Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction in High-Energy-Consuming Industries Driven by Technological Innovation

Abstract

High-energy-consuming industries (HECI) are the main sectors of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Technological innovation (TI) driving the energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) of HECI is critical to achieving carbon neutrality. Using a system theory perspective, this study decomposed the system of ECER of HECI driven by TI into two stages, TI and ECER. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2015-2020, the network weighted stochastic block model (WSBM) and panel Tobit models were used to measure the efficiency of ECER of HECI driven by TI; the spatial and temporal differences and influencing factors were analyzed. The overall efficiency exhibited a V-shaped pattern of falling, then rising. From a regional perspective, the Northeast region shows a breakthrough growth from a low point to a high point. The East, Central and West regions show similar trends to the national overall, with the total efficiency of the East slightly higher than the West and a lower total efficiency in the Central region. In terms of two-stage efficiency, the efficiency of the ECER stage was higher than that of the TI stage. The rationalization level of industrial structure, green finance development level, and investment in education were the main forces enabling TI to drive the efficiency improvement of ECER in HECI.

Has Green Finance Enhanced the Ecological Resilience Level in the Yangtze River Economic Belt?

“…Concerning the research of Lee C C and Chen Yanhua et al [32,33], this paper constructs an indicator system for the development level of green finance from the four perspectives of green credit, green bonds, green investment, and green insurance, i.e., the explanatory variables (See Table 2). The definitions of the specific indicators are as follows: (1) Green credit is measured by the proportion of interest expenditure of high-energy-consuming industries in the total industrial interest expenditure, and the six high-energy-consuming industries refer to the petroleum-, coal,-and other fuel-processing industry, the chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry, the non-metallic mineral products industry, the black metal smelting and rolling processing industry, the non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing industry, and the electric power and heat production and supply industry, whose interest expenses constrain the industry's green transformation, energy saving, and emission reductions [34]. (2) Green bonds are measured by the proportion of the total output value of environmental protection enterprises in the total market capitalization of A-shares.…”

Empowering Sustainable Energy Solutions through Real-Time Data, Visualization, and Fuzzy Logic

“…Energy stands as an essential linchpin of contemporary civilization, underpinning economic expansion, societal progress, and driving technological breakthroughs [5]. Its ubiquitous influence spans a gamut of applications, from industrial processes to residential power consumption, affirming its pivotal role across diverse sectors [6]. However, the world's growing demand for energy and the urgent need to fight climate change and environmental damage are driving the search for sustainable energy solutions [7].…”