Low Carbon Economy Development Research, Theoretical Analysis And Policy Choice

Climate change has become an important global environmental problem, and low‐carbon economy is a new model of economic development in order to mitigate climate change. At present, the countries of the world are racing to promote the transition to a low carbon economy. Global climate change has profound impact on China, so the development of low‐carbon economy in China is very urgent. Development of low‐carbon economy is not only the important content of the changing the mode of economic development, and also an important way to achieve ecological civilization; which can both reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow global climate change and can foster new economic growth point to seize the opportunities of the future economic development. Nevertheless, mitigation of climate change requires a certain amount of cost, so the excessive emissions reduction targets would undermine the law of industrial development and evolution, and thus jeopardize the entire national economy. Therefore, China should be based on the national conditions，and take the institutional construction as the guarantee, the technological progress as the core point, the industrial development as the important point, the incentive policy as the important way, and take a low‐carbon economy path with Chinese characteristics.This paper follows the basic research ideas of raise questions, analyze questions and solve questions. First, take the Marxist theory as the guide, and apply the basic analysis method of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, profoundly analyze the basic cause and specific causes of the climate change crisis, and pointed out the guiding ideology and methodology which China’s development of low carbon economy should insist on. Secondly, based on Marxist political economy theory and some theories of environmental economics, this paper takes use of comparative analysis to analyze the similarities and differences of the low‐carbon economy development practice between the developed countries and developing ones. This paper applies the quantitative and empirical analysis to research the China’s carbon emission characteristics and the relationship between the carbon emission and economic development, and uses the qualitative analysis methods to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of low‐carbon economy development in China. Finally, this paper presents the development ideas and policy system of Chinese low‐carbon economy.The Introduction of this paper describes the background and significance of the topics, sorts out and shortly reviews the relevant research literature, and then points out research target, the analysis framework, thoughts and methods of the research.Chapter I of the paper expounds the global climate change course, situation and effects, and proposes the background and the process of the rise of low carbon economy, defines the related concept, summarizes the connotation and characteristics, and points out that it is urgent for China to development low carbon economy. Chapter II, III and IV of this paper studies the low carbon economy from the aspects of the theory, methodology and practice respectively. Chapter II summarizes the related theory of low carbon economy, including the ecological Marxist philosophy thought and ecological economics thought; western ecological Marxist theory; ecological footprint theory, decoupling theory, environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis; and ecological economy theory, sustainable economy theory, circulation economy theory, green economy theory and so on, so as to construct a theoretical framework of low carbon economy research. Chapter III mainly applies Marxist theory and critical absorbed western ecological Marxist theory to analyze the ideological and institutional cause of the crisis of climate change, thus put forward the methodology that China’s low carbon economy development should adhere to. Chapter IV comparatively analyzes the similarities and differences of low‐carbon economic development between developed countries, developing countries and that of the two kinds of countries, and thus provides references for the development of China’s low‐carbon economy.Chapter V of the paper analyzes the relationship between carbon emissions and the economy mainly from the views of quantitative analysis and empirical analysis. First, from the quantitative analysis and correlation analysis, the chapter summed up the characteristics of China’s carbon emissions; Secondly, the chapter uses the kaya model to take the empirical analysis of the driving factors of the carbon emissions, the relationships between Industrial structure, energy structure and carbon emissions, China’s carbon emission reduction targets; uses the Environmental Kuznets Curve to empirically analyze the relationship between carbon emissions and per capita GDP; from added the environment factor and environmental governance factor into the traditional Solow model of economic growth to build the economic growth model under the low‐carbon constraints, and which is applied to analyze the impact of environmental quality and environmental governance on economic growth. Finally, this chapter analyzes the global climate change negotiations in the interests of the game, and the consequent differences and disputes, the impact of different outcomes of global climate change negotiations on China’s development.Chapters VI and VII of this paper research the low‐carbon economy development in China from two aspect of the present situation and countermeasures. Chapter VI analyzes the objective difficulties, institutional barriers and advantages of the low‐carbon economy development. Chapter VII put forward the development ideas and policy framework of the low‐carbon economy.In this paper, the author has made main theoretical consideration as follow:First, put forward a new perspective. That is to analyze the causes and solutions for the climate change crisis from the perspective of political economy.Second, build new index. That is to build new industrial structure coefficient and the energy structure coefficient which is used to analyze the relationship of the economic structure and carbon emissions.Thirdly, carry out new empirical analysis. That is empirical research on the carbon emissions driving factor, the relationship between economic structure and carbon emissions, and the relationship between carbon emissions and GDP from collecting the latest statistics.Fourth, adopt the new model. That is modified EKC model which is used for the analysis of carbon emissions trend with GDP changing.Fifth, obtain new conclusions. That is:1. Western ecological thought and the capitalist system are the ideological and institutional roots of the climate change crisis. Eco‐colonialism and ecological hegemony are the main reason that is difficult for to achieve a consensus and reach agreed action in the climate change conference.2. There is no unified mode of low carbon economy development, so that China should take the low‐carbon economy development path with Chinese characteristics based on the China’s national conditions.3. The biggest driving force of China’s carbon emissions is the growth of per capita GDP, the largest reduction factor is reduction of the energy intensity, and the contribution to the carbon intensity of energy is positive.4. The western developed countries (sample countries) have been over the turning point (inflection point) of the EKC and gone into steady orbit of emissions reduction, but the developing countries (sample countries) are in the rising stage of EKC.5. It is so long time to realize the economic transformation through the market regulation completely, that the government intervention in developing a low carbon economy is indispensable.6. Put forward new development ideas and policy framework of low carbon economy.