The Effect Of International Technology Spillover On Regional Carbon Productivity

With a series of environmental problems caused by climate change,China's willingness to respond to climate change is growing.Emissions of carbon dioxide is the main causes of environmental problems.The development of low-carbon economy has become a national consensus.As the biggest carbon dioxide emitter and the largest developing country in the world,China's carbon dioxide emission reduction should be carried out on the premise of economic growth.The concept of "carbon productivity" covers the two goals of carbon emission reduction and economic growth.Therefore,improving the carbon productivity is the right way to develop low-carbon economy.International technology spillover is an important source of technology progress,which is an important factor to increase carbon productivity.Meanwhile,due to its vast territory there is remarkable regional disparity among the development in China.In this context,it is important to analyse the effect of international technology spillovers on regional carbon productivity.Firstly,this paper analyzed the current situation of absorbing international technology spillover through outward foreign direct investment,foreign direct investment,export trade and import trade in China.Secondly,based on Chinese provincial panel data during 2005-2013,using unit root test,co integration test and panel regression model,this paper examined the effect of international technology spillover on regional carbon productivity.Thirdly,based on the three aspects of economic development level,human capital level,R & D investment intensity,using the threshold panel regression model,this paper examined the reasons for the regional differences in the impact of international technology spillover on carbon productivity.Finally,on the basis of the research results,this paper put forward some feasible measures to absorb the international technology spillover and improve the carbon productivity.The main conclusions of the study are as follows:(1)International technology spillover have extremely significant regional differences,and international technology spillover mainly gather at the eastern region.OFDI technology spillover and FDI technology spillover mainly come from developing countries with low technology content.Import trade technology spillover and export trade technology spillover mainly come from developed countries with high technology content.FDI technology spillover,OFDI technology spillover and export trade technology spillover mainly come from resource intensive and labor intensive industries with low technology content.Import trade technology spillover mainly comes from technology intensive goods with high technology content.(2)From the view of whole country,OFDI and import trade technology spillover have positive effect on carbon productivity,but the effect of OFDI technology spillover on carbon productivity is more significant.FDI and export trade technology spillover have negative effect on carbon productivity.From the view of three regions,the effect of OFDI technology spillover,FDI technology spillover,export trade technology spillover and import trade technology spillover on carbon productivity show obvious regional differences.OFDI and import trade technology spillover have positive effect on carbon productivity in the east,middle and west.But the effect presents successively degression pattern.FDI and export trade technology spillover have positive effect on carbon productivity in the east,but they have negative effecton carbon productivity in the middle and west.(3)In the east,the OFDI technology spillover has the biggest effect on carbon productivity,the import trade technology spillover follows,the FDI technology spillover and export trade technology spillover are the smallest.In the middle,only OFDI and import trade technology spillover have positive effect on carbon productivity,and the OFDI technology spillover has the bigger promotion.In the west,only OFDI and import trade technology spillover have positive effect on carbon productivity,but the import trade technology spilloverhas the bigger promotion.(4)Empirical results based on the full sample and three regions show that the industrial structure variables and energy structure variables have a negative impact on carbon productivity.(5)The effect of OFDI technology spillover,FDI technology spillover,export trade technology spillover and import trade technology spillover on carbon productivity have significant threshold characteristics,and it is affected by the level of economic development,the level of human capital and R & D investment intensity.The higher the economic development level,human capital level and R&D investment intensity,the greater effect of OFDI technology spillover,FDI technology spillover,export trade technology spillover and import trade technology spillover on carbon productivity.The differences among the three aspects of economic development level,R & D intensity,and human capital level in East,central and western regions are the important reasons for the regional differences in the impact of international technology spillover on carbon productivity.