| China has become the world's largest carbon emission producer,carbon emission intensity has been not only higher than United States,European Union,Japan and other developed economies,but also higher than some developing economies,such as India and Brazil.High total and high intensity of carbon emission lead China not only facing great international pressure to reduce emission,but also threaten sustainable development of China itself.In order to effectively control carbon emission,Chinese government promised to the world that carbon emission intensity will be decreased 40%-45% and 60%-65% by the year of 2020 and 2030 than 2005 respectively,this action not only reflects the responsibility of the major powers in response to global climate change,but also reflects the determination of transformation that China's economic development will to be green and low-carbon.For such a vast country like China,it is important to allocated carbon emission optimally among regions in order to decrease total carbon emission and carbon emission intensity.However,under the incentive of fiscal decentralization,segmenting market is the dominant strategy of local government,thus distorts the allocation of carbon emission among regions.However,decentralization could take the information advantage of local government,and enhance economic efficiency,so as to reduce carbon intensity.So it needs to seek a banlance between decentralization and centralization,make full use of the benefits of the decentralization,avoid the disadvantages of decentralization effectively,so as to promote carbon reduction.Based on this background,China's inter-provincial carbon emission is been measured carefully and its spatial distribution aslo been studied,then,this paper studies the relationship between fiscal decentralization,market segmentation and carbon emission intensity,confirms the existence of optimal fiscal decentralization that is conducive to reducing carbon emission intensity,reveals the mechanism of “decentralization-segmentation-carbon emission”,and analyses the long-term effect that market segmentation influences carbon emission intensity and the carbon allocative efficiency loss caused by it.The main work and the discovery of this paper are presented as follows:Firstly,this paper measures China's inter-provincial carbon emission and analyses its regional differences and spatial correlation characteristics carefully.Through the regional energy balance sheets of thirty provinces from 1997 to 2014,in addition to Tibet,carbon emission from energy consumption in each province is calculated by the IPCC(2006)method.The regional differences of carbon emission are analyzed by using three complementary inequality indicators such as gini coefficient,theil index and mean logarithmic deviation,it turns out that there are large differences between Chinese provincial carbon emission intensity,and there exsits distortion of carbon emission allocation.The spatial correlation network characteristics of Chinese provincial carbon emission are characterized and analyzed by using modified gravitational model and social network analysis method,it turns out that there are certain spatial correlations between Chinese provincial carbon emission,the network of provincial carbon emission can be divided into four plats constituted by “bidirectional spillover plate”,“net benefit plate”,“net spillover plate” and “broker plate”.Secondly,this paper confirms that the relationship between fiscal decentralization and carbon emission intensity is not simple linear relation,but a U type curve.Theoretically,fiscal decentralization has both positive and negative effects on carbon emission intensity at the same time,and the marginal effect is changing along with the degree of fiscal decentralization,therefore,there should be an optimal fiscal decentralization that is conducive to reducing carbon emission intensity.The empirical study found that there is indeed a robust U type curve relationship between carbon emission intensity and fiscal decentralization,no matter the fiscal decentralization is measured by fiscal expenditure or fiscal revenue,even if the spatial interaction effect is taken into account,the empirical conclusion is not changed.From the perspective of the average level of fiscal decentralization during sample period,the degree of fiscal expenditure decentralization is higher than the optimal value in all provinces,the degree of fiscal revenue decentralization is lower than the optimal value in most provinces.From the perspective of the proportion of the observation point during sample period,there are 87 percent observation points higher than the optimal fiscal expenditure decentralization,there are 60 percent observation points lower than the optimal fiscal revenue decentralization.For the carbon emission intensity controling,it has the problem of excessive expenditure decentralization and insufficient revenue decentralization.Thirdly,this paper reveals the mechanism of “decentralization-segmentation-carbon emission”.Since fiscal decentralization is the institutional reason for market segmentation,market segmentation hinders the optimal allocation of carbon emission among regions,therefore,there should be a mechanism of “decentralization-segmentation-carbon emission”.This paper confirms that market segmentation is a transmission channel which fiscal decentralization influences carbon emission intensity by panel simultaneous equation models.As market segmentation is the transmission channel that fiscal decentralization influences carbon emission intensity,and the effect is negative,the bottom line of decentralization could be captured by observing the impact of market segmentation on the carbon emission intensity under different levels of fiscal decentralization.Based on the panel threshold regression model,it is found that there are double threshold effects that market segmentation influences carbon emission intensity based on fiscal decentralization.In the low and high regime of fiscal decentralization,the effect of market segmentation on carbon emission intensity is stronger,in the middle regime of fiscal decentralization,the effect of market segmentation on carbon emission intensity is weak,it indicates that market segmentation is an important factor to determine the pattern of U type curve between fiscal decentralization and carbon emission intensity.Finally,this paper analyses the long-term effect that market segmentation influences carbon emission intensity and the carbon allocative efficiency loss caused by it.Theoretically,market segmentation may lead enterprises to choose “bad” production methods to engage in production,which leads to increase carbon emission intensity directly,at the same time,market segmentation distorts resource allocation,which leads to increase carbon emission intensity indirectly.In the framework of dynamic analysis,it is confirmed that market segmentation has lasting negative impact on carbon emission intensity,and the intension of this impact does not diminish over time.Under the total factor carbon emission efficiency framework,according to the results of fixed-effect stochastic frontier analysis,market segmentation significantly reduces the allocative efficiency of carbon emission.Above on the conclusions,this paper puts forward the following policy suggestions mainly from macro and institutional level: First,it is necessary to deepen the reform of fiscal and taxation system furtherly under the framework of the existing decentralization system.Central government should moderately centralize fiscal expenditure and decentralize fiscal revenue,so as to establish an optimal fiscal decentralization system that is beneficial to economic development and environmental protection.Second,formal constraint rules should be established when central government empowers local government,so as to break the regional market segmentation,promote the formation of a unified national market and achieve the optimal allocation of carbon emission among regions.Third,the the performance evaluation system should be reformed and green performance evaluation should be established.The fundamental cause of market segmentation and environmental pollution is the partial incentive mechanism of “competition for growth” under fiscal decentralization,therefore,the incentive mechanism needs to be properly adjusted,and it is necessary to thoroughly implement the concept of green development and gradually establish green performance evaluation system.Fourth,it should promote industrial structure transforming and upgrading,and reduce excessive dependence of economic development on energy.The measures,such as promoting cleaner production technology,improving energy efficiency,reducing the proportion of high-emission industries and so on,are beneficial to reduce carbon emission intensity. |
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