A Spatial Econometric Analysis On The Convergence Of Chinese Regional Energy Efficiency

As one of the indispensable productive factors in the economy, energy plays an important role in the economy. Since the reform and opening up began, there has been a rapid development in Chinese economy and a sharp increase in energy consumption. At the same time, many kinds of energy problems increasingly exposed, and had become one of the most important things that restricts the sustainable development of the Chinese economy. In order to alleviate the serious energy problems in China, government has made a series of energy saving goals and emission reduction plans. However, there are significant differences in the completion of energy-saving plans among regions. Therefore, it is necessary to have an analysis on the differences and the convergence of Chinese regional energy efficiency, and to make a more reasonable energy saving and emission reduction plans.Through reviewing the relevant research literature on the convergence of Chinese regional energy efficiency, conclusions on the research are not uniform. And few scholars have considered the spatial correlation between regions when they made an analysis on the convergence of regional energy efficiency. The government have also ignored the spatial correlation in the process of policy making in energy saving and emission reduction. However, the fact is that in the process of China economy development, regional market segmentation is eliminated gradually. There are more and more exchanges in technology and trade among various provinces. There are mainly two aspects that the spatial correlation has influenced the regional energy efficiency. On the one hand, the spatial correlation between regions has accelerated the flow speed of productive factors so that the energy can flow across the region and industry. Energy efficiency can be improved to a much higher standard. On the other hand, the spatial correlation between regions has increased the possibility of access of external market. The industries transferring of developed regions or countries can bring the production technology and advanced management measure to promote the energy efficiency in the accepting regions or industries. Therefore, it is necessary to give a consideration on the spatial correlation in the study of convergence of regional energy efficiency so as to formulate a plan on energy saving and emission reduction in accordance with the actual development of Chinese regions.Based on the above research background, this paper has made an analysis on the convergence of energy efficiency in Chinese regions. Base on the traditional convergence mechanism of economic development, the paper has used the theory of spatial economics to analyze the mechanism of the convergence of regional energy efficiency in the spatial perspective and has made the construction of the regional energy efficiency convergence model. It also has made an empirical study on the regional energy efficiency by using the characteristics of 2003-2013. In view of the actual situation and the conclusion of research, the paper has put forward some recommendations on energy-saving and emission reduction to improve the Chinese overall energy efficiency and complete the twelfth five-year energy saving and emission reduction targets so that we can alleviate the increasingly serious energy problem to realize the sustainable development of the economy Chinese.This paper focuses on the following aspects:Firstly, it has reviewed the relevant literature. It has collected research literature about the energy efficiency at home and abroad. And it mainly has reviewed the relevant research on the convergence of regional energy efficiency. Combined the problems that China actually faced with the existing research achievements, the paper has proposed that the main content is the convergence of regional energy efficiency on the perspective of spatial correlation.Secondly, it has illustrated the mechanism of the convergence of regional energy efficiency. Based on the traditional convergence mechanism of regional energy efficiency, the paper has made an analysis on the convergence mechanism of regional energy efficiency in the framework of spatial economics. And based on the theoretical analysis, it has made an empirical study model that includes the spatial correlation.Thirdly, the paper has estimated the total-factor energy efficiency. By using the super efficiency DEA model, it has constructed the model to estimate the regional total-factor energy efficiency under the consideration of environment pollution. It has used the input variables(including labor force, capital, and energy), the desired output variable(including GDP) and the undesirable output variable(including carbon dioxide emission) to estimate the regional energy efficiency from 2003 to 2013. Then it has tested the existing of spatial correlation in Chinese regions and the convergence of regional energy efficiency.Finally, based on theoretical analysis and empirical analysis, this paper obtained the following conclusions: there are great difference between the results that has considered the emission of carbon dioxide and the results that has not included the emission; there is a strong positive spatial correlation in regional energy efficiency; under the influence of spatial correlation, there is an absolute beta convergence in regional energy efficiency; in the control of technological progress, industrial structure, market level, the level of opening up and other variables, there is a conditional beta convergence in the regional energy efficiency; as to the east, middle and west area, there is a significant club convergence in China except that the club convergence characteristics in the western region is not significant; under the effect of the spatial correlation, regional energy efficiency convergence is more significant, and the speed of energy efficiency convergence is faster, because the growth rate of regional energy efficiency is not only effected by the initial level of energy efficiency but also related to the impact of energy efficiency error in the adjacent areas. In addition, government intervention is negatively related to the growth rate of regional energy efficiency. The level of opening to the outside world is positively related to the growth rate of regional energy efficiency.In order to improve the regional energy efficiency, government needs to take full account of the spatial correlation between areas. It is important to increase the opportunity of economic cooperation between regions, especially in the aspect of energy saving technology cooperation including advanced production technology and management measurement, etc. It is necessary to improve spatial spillover effect on energy efficiency. In order to make a reasonable energy saving and emission reduction targets, it is important to take full consideration of the economic development conditions in the three areas. In addition, it is great important to improve the situation of market reform and the level of opening up to promote the energy efficiency.