A Study Of Regional Developmental Pattern Based On Low-carbon Economy

The development of low-carbon economy is a global consensus on sustainable development under the background of resource constraints, environmental protection and the knowledge economy. China is also faced with the urgent task of the transformation of economic development, and industrial restructuring. Scholars have already done much research on low-carbon economy, but there are still some considerable controversies on fundamental issues. This paper tries to make its own point to the core issues of low-carbon economic development from the perspective of economic geography. The research is support by National Social Science Significant Foundation project, "Research on the development of national ecological civilization" (10ZD&016), National Natural Science Foundation project, "Research on the regional development model of ecological civilization" (41071093), and Shanghai Science and Technology Significant Projects, "Research on the indexes system and construction guidelines for the development of Lingang low-carbon city" (09DZ1200800). Basis on the field research and the analysis of domestic and international existing research, the paper analyzes the theory and practice of regional low-carbon economic development.Based on the review of the low-carbon economy related research at home and abroad, this paper, from the perspective of economic geography, claims that the core part of low-carbon economy includes the innovation of technology, the reform of regional development mode, and the international political debate on low carbon issue. The overall objective of the low-carbon economy development is for achieving a regional sustainable development, facing the safety of energy sources and global climate issues, realizing the comprehensive development of regional economy, society, environment, ecology and the people'livelihood under the opening up policy. The key factors of influencing the regional low-carbon economy development are the ecological environment, regional innovation, regional economy construction and the number of regional population.Regional low-carbon economy development is a comprehensive and huge system, so the changing conditions of regional development inside and outside needs a new mechanism. Low-carbon economy is under the philosophical guidance of ecological environment, based on the key development framework mechanism of regional learning——regional innovation——regional cooperation, with innovation as the core development driving force.The development bases of regional low-carbon economy are different between developed region and less developed region. The core of less developed regional low-carbon economy development is regional study, introducing external advanced low-carbon technologies, mechanisms, governances. For the regional study, it can be divided into three levels on interactive learning:core enterprises, regional system and cross-region, in which the learning ways and focus are different. While the core of developed regional low-carbon economy development is regional innovation, including establishing regional low-carbon economy innovative system, developing low-carbon economy innovative knowledge system, cultural system, intermediary services system and industrial system. These comprehensive innovations are closely related to low-carbon technology, low-carbon system, low-carbon management, low-carbon industry and low-carbon spatial planning, for achieving the transformation of regional economy development pattern, exporting low-carbon technologies and low-carbon management.The importance of implicit low-carbon knowledge will be underlined during the process of regional learning and regional innovation. The types of regional low-carbon economy have great differences and complementarities, which present the necessity of regional cooperation. For the choice of regional low-carbon economy development ways, we emphasize on four aspects:firstly, the cooperation on global low-carbon economy development, which is related to the management framework between governments, the new rules of market economical system, and the application of new low-carbon innovation technologies based on intellectual property rights; secondly, the transformation of economical development mode, which is related to the regulation of industry development mode and the factors of economical development driving force; thirdly, the optimization of regional system, which is related to the low-carbon planning in city, the land low-carbon exploitation, low-carbon communication system in city, low-carbon construction and the resident low-carbon lifestyles;fourthly, the innovation of regional management mode, building evaluation index system for low-carbon city construction, establishing five specific fields on low-carbon industry, low-carbon communication, low-carbon construction, low-carbon energy and low-carbon management. Based on the above index system, the low-carbon city construction will be built, which also will regulate the construction behavior and process, building a market system of ecological environment goods and services, the pubic service mechanism of regional low-carbon development, and the coordinating mechanism of regional low-carbon development economic benefits.Through careful field research and analysis, this paper addresses that the core elements for developing low-carbon economy in Shanghai are exploiting the function of city ecology services, inspiring the innovation parts during the economic development, upgrading the industrial structure, extending the industrial chain and optimizing the city spatial planning and distribution of city function. It is advisable to build the low-carbon city in Lingang. According to the structure characteristics of large equipment manufacturing industry, the development of low-carbon industry should emphasize on the high-end industry and industrial control, which ask for the development of the two sides on industrial chain and the high-end on value chain. Meanwhile, based on the comprehensive communication advantage of seaports, airports, railways, roads and inland, the modernized high-end logistic industry should be highly developed, and the innovation of enterprise management mode and regional innovative system also should be followed. As for the spatial planning and exploitation, it should be optimized on regional system, forming multiple city centers on spatial distribution, with the characteristics on the combinations of green circle structure control and main center layout development, the overlap of regional function and land mixed development, the function gathering and connection of public transport axis, and the low-carbon city characteristic of small regional roadway system building for sidewalk and bicycle paths.This research finds that the core factors for supporting regional development under low-carbon economy have been changed. With the restriction condition of low-carbon economy development, the traditional regional development, which aimed to boost the economic development, has been transformed to a comprehensive development of economy, environment, ecology and the people's livelihood. Under these circumstances, the value of regional economic increase is declined, but the multi-objective oriented comprehensive value, like environment and ecology, and the equality of value distribution are prominent. The traditional region economy activities, which focused on the production process, has reduced the impact on resources, capital, labors and other production elements; in contrast, the impact on transaction and control factors of fair distribution and production associated emissions has been increased. These factors include regional ecology, environment, management mechanism and technology innovation.This research also finds that low-carbon economy development can settle a new regional relationship. Under the condition of low-carbon economy, the factors for connecting different regional economy social relationship has been changed, shifting from traditional region resources, energy, labors and capital to carbon emission, trading rights and other ecological, environmental factors, to the regional fairness and development represented for livelihood and civil rights. So, new regional shifting factors decide the changes of different quality and types regional relationships.The changes of external environment and standard of regional development, under the condition of low-carbon economy, have been found after thorough research. Low-carbon economy development has promoted the building of new technology system, including the new technology innovation and system of energy technology. The open and cooperation characteristics of low-carbon economy have promoted the formation of new international trade mechanism, technology spreading mechanism, financial mechanism and enterprise management mechanism, endowing new understanding for region, industry and enterprise competition, changing the external environment of regional development. At the same condition, multi-objectives development requires the establishment of new developing measurement standard system. Regional development faces the new external environment and standard.This paper explores the new low-carbon development mode. The new planning and low-carbon development practices of new city low-carbon development strategy, technologies, and implementing paths in Shanghai can give great experience and reference for other regions. The Midwest area in China is under the rapid process of urbanization and industrialization, so there is a great need for new thought and research during the new city construction and industrial development. In order to avoid the former questions during the process of urbanization and industrialization, the low-carbon city development practices in Lingang can provide great experience and reference.