Have Chinese cities achieved the win–win between environmental protection and economic development? From the perspective of environmental efficiency

The development of a regional or national economy is always accompanied by a variety of environmental problems. Using meta-frontier and data envelopment analysis (DEA), this paper investigates the environmental protection mechanisms and economic development of 211 cities in China from the perspective of environmental efficiency. The major conclusions are: (1) the overall environmental efficiency of Chinese cities is low when the most advanced production technology is selected as the reference. Only 10% of cities have achieved a win–win, defined as an effective balance between environmental protection and economic growth. It is possible to increase economy and reduce pollutant emissions at the same time for most of cities. (2) The environmental efficiencies and production technologies of cities in five different groups (based on a widely accepted business index) present significant differences. First-tier cities possess more advanced technology, higher environmental efficiency and, therefore, a higher overall win–win balance between economic development and environmental protection; while the fourth-tier and fifth-tier cities have a relatively large gap between development and protection. (3) To achieve a win–win balance between environmental protection and economic development, the local government of different cities should develop appropriate policies that maximize the use of technology and management practices that enhance both growth and protection.     

Regional environmental efficiency in China: Analysis based on a regional slack-based measure with environmental undesirable outputs

As the largest developing country, China has been suffering from resource shortage and serious environmental pollution. Evaluation and improvement of the regional environmental efficiency is crucial to pursuing the balance between economic development and environmental protection. This paper used a regional environmental efficiency SBM (slack-based measure) (REES) model which treats environmental pollution as undesirable outputs to evaluate the environmental efficiency of 30 provincial administrative regions (PARs) in China from 2005 to 2011 and investigated the factors affecting environmental efficiency using the Tobit regression model. The results indicate that there is distinct difference in environmental efficiency amongst each PAR. The GDP per capita, industrial structure, innovation capability, environmental awareness of local government and population density have significant positive impacts, while energy intensity exerts a significantly negative effect on environmental efficiency. In order to make more effective policies for improving China’s regional environmental efficiency, the hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to divide the 30 PARs into 3 sub-regions. A number of policy recommendations were provided for improving environmental efficiency according to the characteristics of each sub-region, which are helpful for the Chinese government to achieve the targets of environmental protection along with the economic development in the coming years.     

Urgency,development stage and coordination degree analysis to support differentiation management of water pollution emission control and economic development in the eastern coastal area of China

The eastern coastal areas of China have high-density population, developed society and economy, and large water pollution emissions. How to reduce water pollution and realize the coordinated development of the economy and environment has become the national focus. Effective environmental policies should consider regional differences in development stage and sustainability performance. Here, we first analyzed the water pollution emissions intensity of the eastern coastal areas of China and the urgency of emissions reduction using 8-year environmental statistics from 2003 to 2010. We characterized development stages of the eastern coastal areas based on the relationships between water pollution emissions intensity and economic development. Further, we built a coordination degree index of economic development and water environment protection as a measure of sustainability. Results show that water pollution emissions intensity decreases as the economy grows from 2003 to 2010. The less-developed regions have a better coordination degree than some more-developed regions, especially those most-developed ones (e.g., Shanghai show more pressures on long-term sustainability than Hebei). The less-developed regions should take advantage of economic growth to invest more advanced environment protection technologies. The more-developed regions need to upgrade its economic structures and municipal infrastructures. Overall, the study provided a comprehensive approach to understand regional difference in development stage and sustainability performance in the eastern coastal region of China as well as the need of different environmental policies to reduce water pollution emissions.     

Influencing factors of the grassland ecological compensation policy to herdsmen's behavioral response: An empirical study in Hexi corridor

Ecological protection of grassland is an important part of the construction of ecological civilization in China. Grassland ecological compensation and reward policy is an important policy for grassland ecological protection in China. As the main participants in the grassland ecological compensation and reward policy, herders' behavioral response largely affects the effect of policy implementation. In this study, 550 herders in two regions with different compensation standards were selected as samples, and the comparative analysis of herdsmen's response to policy behavior and influence factors was carried out. The results showed that the grassland area owned by herders, ethnic group and perception of policies were important factors to affect the response of herdsmen's behavior in the two regions, but larger differences existed in the two regions. The grassland area and family size owned by herders are important factors that affect the response of herdsmen's behavior in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; However, the ethnic group, the understanding of policy and family income are the important factors in the western desert area.     

Environmental Performance Index at the Provincial Level for China 2006–2011

In recent years, China has experienced rapid economic development and thousands of people escaped from poverty. However, this high-speed development has also led to increased pressure on the environment. Although the Chinese government has focused on solving environmental problems for the past few decades, it appears to have had little effect. Environmental performance evaluation (EPE) is a quantifiable environmental management tool that can evaluate environmental protection effects and provide guidance to improve government efficiency. We use EPE to evaluate China’s environmental performance at the provincial level between 2006 and 2011. In this study, the theme framework and driver force-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework models are used to build the composite index (CI) for environmental performance. This index includes 39 indicators in four categories that were selected based on data that can be acquired from China’s Statistical Bureau. The results indicate that the environmental performance index (EPI) of 30 provincial administrative regions (PARs) from 2006 to 2011 ranges from 44.12 (Shanxi, 2006) to 80.87 (Beijing, 2010), from poor to good, respectively. To help develop more effective policies to improve China’s regional environmental performance, cluster analysis (CLA) is applied to divide the 30 PARs into 3 sub-regions. Recommendations for improving the environmental performance of different sub-regions are made to help guide the Chinese government to adjust environmental governance approaches to local conditions.     

我国省域森林生态安全评价及差异化——基于生态文明建设背景

生态文明是我国"五位一体"总体布局的重要内容,将直接引领我国生态环境保护与建设的大略方针,而森林作为生态文明建设中最本质和最重要的物质基础,其生态安全状况显得尤为重要。基于生态文明建设背景,从省域层面分析森林生态安全状况,沿用PSR模型构建森林生态安全评价指标体系,对2007年、2011年和2014年各省级行政区森林生态安全状况进行评价和对比。结果表明:森林资源状况是各省(市、自治区)森林生态安全状况存在差异的最主要原因;森林生态状态对森林生态安全评价影响最主要,森林生态压力影响次之;生态文明建设前期,我国各省级行政区的森林生态安全状况均呈上升趋势,生态文明建设后期,大部分省(市、自治区)森林生态安全状况出现下降趋势。同时,针对各地区森林资源的不同状况,提出了提高森林生态系统安全性的建议。     

A Method for Green Rating of Automobiles

Coherent information about the environmental impacts of a product is essential for pursuing market-oriented approaches to environmental protection. Such green rating information can influence consumers' choices and, by affecting product and corporate images in the marketplace, might also influence technology development and product planning. Automobiles and their supporting industries are the subjects of many environmental policies. Informational approaches to automotive environmental performance, however, have been relatively piecemeal. In the course of developing consumer information and market creation programs for vehicles of higher energy efficiency (an important determinant of environmental performance), the authors felt that it was necessary to address this fragmentation rather than treat efficiency in isolation from other factors. A green rating system was developed based on principles of life-cycle assessment and is usable within the confines of available data that permit discrimination among makes and models. The resulting methodology is applied in a consumer-oriented publication that rates vehicles in the U.S. market. The ratings cover all vehicles and do not constitute an eco-label, although the methodology provides groundwork for developing a label. The background, data issues, analysis, and future research needs for this rating system are described along with a summary of its application.     

国家大型煤电基地生态环境监测技术体系研究——以内蒙古锡林郭勒盟煤电基地为例

随着我国煤电基地建设进程的不断加快,煤电基地建设与开发活动引起的环境问题也日趋严重。了解生态环境质量现状,评估其对生态系统与人民健康水平的影响,制定合理的保护、治理、恢复策略是煤电基地环境保护工作的重中之重,而生态环境监测是解决上述问题的基础。然而,现有的监测技术体系普遍存在自动化水平较低、成本较高、时空覆盖面较低等问题。鉴于物联网技术在提高信息采集效率和改善信息获取方式方面的作用日益显著,所以将物联网技术应用于煤电基地生态环境监测,从感知层、传输层、支撑层、应用层、用户层的角度明确生态环境监测技术体系,为解决上述问题提供有效途径。     

Regional material flow accounts for China: Examining China's natural resource use at the provincial and national level

Over the last three decades, China has experienced the most dynamic economic development lifting living standards and resulting in fast‐growing use of natural resources. In the past, the focus has been on national MFA accounts which do not do justice to the second largest economy, home to 19% of the world population and having 30% of global material use. In this research, we calculate material extraction for China at the regional level during 1995–2015 using the most recent available statistical data and applying the most up‐to‐date international calculation methods. In particular, we combine a bottom‐up and top‐down approach for constructing the dataset of China's economically used Domestic Extraction (DEU) in an integrated way. This approach also improves the Chinese national material flow accounts and allows us to present a reliable database of DE of materials for China to date. Our new dataset provides the basis for calculating material footprints and environmental impacts of China's regions. The dataset enables us to evaluate regional resource efficiency trends in China. We find that during the past two decades, China's material use has grown strongly from 11.7 billion tonnes in 1995 to 35.4 billion tonnes in 2015. Material use has accelerated between 2000 and 2010 but slowed down between 2010 and 2015 reflecting the economic contraction caused by the Global Financial Crisis which reduced the global demand for China's manufacturing and a reorientation of China's economic policy settings toward quality of growth. Unsurprisingly, different regions play different roles in the supply chain of materials, achieving different economic performances resulting in very diverse material efficiency outcomes. This information is important to allow for a targeted policy approach to increase resource efficiency, reduce environmental impacts of resource use, and grow wellbeing in China with large positive implications for global sustainability. This study provides the basis for the development of relevant resource management policies for different regions in the future.     

泰山保护地生态资产价值评估

为进一步加强自然保护地生态资源的保护,促进区域更好地发挥其生态系统服务功能,进行生态资产价值衡量具有重要意义。实现对保护地生态资产及价值的评估,明确自然保护地的生态保护价值,可以为保护地生态功能定位以及生态环境的建设和保护提供重要的科学依据。泰山因其独特的地理位置和生态条件,有着丰富的自然生物资源,构成了独特的自然生态系统,具有重要的生态学研究价值。研究选取泰山保护地内的生态资产为研究对象,基于文献调研、观测与统计资料等相关数据,从物质量与价值量的角度进行模型运算,得到2017年泰山保护地生态资产价值为133908万元。研究结果表明泰山生态资产价值对维持当地可持续发展具有举足轻重的作用。本文构建的评估体系为我国生态资产价值的评估提供了一个相对全面的综合评估方案,为我国生态资产评估提供更为全面的科学依据与决策支持,也为环境产权、生态补偿等政策制定提供定量分析基础。     

西北干旱区生态脆弱性时空演变分析

西部大开发政策实施以来,随着社会经济的发展和环境政策的调整,西北干旱区生态环境发生深刻变化。基于西北干旱区生态本底特征,选取土壤、地形、气候并结合夜间灯光数据构建西北干旱区生态脆弱性评价体系,运用空间主成分分析法（SPCA）、地理探测器对西北干旱区2000、2007、2012、2018年生态脆弱性时空演变及驱动力进行分析。结果表明：（1）从西北干旱区生态脆弱性时空演变特征来看,研究区生态脆弱性以重度脆弱性为主;从不同土地利用脆弱性来看,微度脆弱区以草地、林地为主,轻度脆弱区以草地为主,中度脆弱区和重度脆弱区以未利用地为主,18年来研究区生态脆弱性整体保持不变;（2）影响西北干旱区生态脆弱性分异的主导因素包括土壤有机质含量、地形位指数、气温、降水、夜间灯光指数,各因素对生态脆弱性的平均决定力分别为0.63、0.36、0.27、0.26和0.22。（3）基于生态脆弱性监测结果和驱动因素分析,将西北干旱区划分为5个生态功能区：生态核心保护区、生态综合监测区、生态优化关注区、生态恢复治理区、生态潜在治理区,并提出相应管理方案。研究可以为干旱区生态环境保护提供借鉴。     

辽宁省重化工业地区公众的环境意识调查与评价

公众环境意识对国家环境保护政策的制定与实施具有重要影响.辽宁省中部重化工业区公众环境意识水平的调查对象为5个城市的居民、决策者、教师、学生、企业职工与农民,主要调查内容包括公众对环境质量变化的评价、对所居住社区环境的满意程度、公众关注的环境问题、环境污染类型、环境污染和生态破坏的原因、造成地区环境质量差异的原因、对环境保护的认知程度及国家未来的发展目标等.调查表明,78.7%的公众认为环境质量同5年前相比明显好转;但65.3%的公众认为居住社区环境一般,公众对于环保经费的使用排序为垃圾处理＞植树造林＞建污水处理厂＞改善空气质量.总体来看,多数公众缺乏必要的环境保护知识,对水体、食品污染的严重性普遍认识不足;居民环保意识差对环境质量改善具有明显制约作用;公众对环境意识宣传具有很强要求.本调查结果可为研究辽宁地区的环境保护、生态建设、经济可持续发展和政府部门制定各种环保政策法规提供依据.     

Eco‐efficiency Based on Social Performance and its Relationship with Financial Performance

As corporate responsibility for environmental management has gained attention, eco‐efficiency has become recognized as an important concept for improving the social performance of the business sector as well as that of the public sector. Improving eco‐efficiency is widely accepted not only as a means of increasing economic value, but also as a means of reducing environmental effects. However, managing for eco‐efficiency should take into consideration the differences among industries, because the impact of eco‐efficiency on financial and social performance varies among industries. To explore this variation, we conducted a cross‐industry analysis of eco‐efficiency based on social performance using data envelopment analysis (DEA). DEA measures relative efficiency and is a useful tool for taking into account the relative importance of industry‐specific characteristics. Using DEA, eco‐efficiency scores were derived based on the ratio of two factors of social performance: (1) value‐added inducing and production‐inducing economic spillover effects and (2) the amount of greenhouse gases emitted and energy used. Then, we identified the relationships between our eco‐efficiency score and financial performance, which is a measure of the firm's stability. The case study is based on 272 firms in 16 industries in South Korea. Results show that firms in product manufacturing and service‐intensive industries tend to have higher eco‐efficiency scores than those in raw material or chemical‐intensive industries. In addition, most of the industries reveal no relationship between traditional financial performance metrics and eco‐efficiency scores. A handful of industries had significant relationships with one or more financial performance metrics; in some cases, these relationships were negative, whereas in others they were positive. Surprisingly, almost all industries have no significant relationships between eco‐efficiency and financial performance. This result implies that government support for policies that reward firms that attempt to be eco‐efficient are needed, or that other nonfinancial metrics that influence eco‐efficiency, such as employment and brand reputation, should be considered. This article is expected to support policy makers as they formulate industry‐specific environmental strategies.     

中国生态保护政策发展历程及其演进特征

生态环境是人类社会生存和发展的基础,建设生态文明是中华民族永续发展的千年大计。伴随着环境保护事业和生态文明制度体系的发展完善,生态保护政策制度体系发生着显著变化。通过对党和国家的重大决定、重要会议及政策法规文件的广泛调研和梳理,重点从基本国策确立、生态保护观念转变和政策制度变迁等3个方面,分析了我国生态保护政策发展历程及其演进特征。节约资源和保护环境基本国策的确立,是生态保护政策制度体系之根基。从生态保护思想启蒙阶段将生态保护纳入经济社会发展计划,到可持续发展阶段将生态保护作为文明发展道路的内在要求,再到生态文明阶段将人与自然视为生命共同体,这些生态保护观念的转变是生态保护最根本的政策,对于形成生态友好的社会经济发展政策和开发利用自然行为具有决定性作用。纲领性政策、生态空间管控政策、生态补偿政策、责任追究政策等生态保护政策制度的制订实施,是在客观判断我国当时基本国情基础上对生态保护观念的实践,对于推动生态保护事业发展、保障国家生态安全和社会经济高质量发展起到了关键作用。     

IPBES评估报告对全球生物多样性保护的影响——以美国传粉者保护政策为例

作为生物多样性领域首个政府间、多学科、跨领域的综合性科学政策平台, 联合国生物多样性和生态系统服务政府间科学-政策平台(The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, IPBES)将会对全球生物多样性保护及其他领域产生重要影响。本文通过分析美国传粉者保护政策的制定和实施过程, 获得了生物多样性相关保护政策的制定为科学评估-政府关注-出台限制性政策措施的过程和模式。基于IPBES 2016年发布《传粉者、传粉与粮食生产评估报告》(The Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production)的事实, 推测IPBES交付品可能促进对新烟碱类农药产业和蜂产品尤其是野生蜂产品交易限制性政策的产生。并进一步分析了IPBES交付品可能在全球以及我国生物多样性保护及其相关领域带来的影响, 比如可能通过促进生物多样性领域的科学评估, 进一步主流化生物多样性保护问题, 促使生物多样性保护成为重要的政治议题。本文旨在为我国建立生物多样性保护的适应性政策提供科学支持。     

Emergy evaluations of three aquaculture systems on wetlands surrounding the Pearl River Estuary,China

Emergy and economic analysis, accompanied by sensitivity analysis, were used to evaluate the ecological economic characteristics of three fish aquaculture systems on wetlands surrounding the Pearl River Estuary in China. The sustainability of these systems was compared to two aquaculture systems and two wetland systems, to provide reference conditions for the best use of limited wetland areas. We found that the three systems studied had similar emergy characteristics, despite their very different economic characteristics. Counter intuitively, the high economic input and output mode did not have higher environmental impact or lower sustainability compared with low economic input and output mode. Apparently, the sustainability of an intensive aquaculture system is determined mainly by how many natural renewable resources are exploited. The large differences in economic benefit and environmental impacts between the mangrove reserve and the aquaculture systems demonstrated the important role of nature reserves on preserving the sustainability of an estuary. Transformity (TR) and Emergy Yield Ratio (EYR) are both indicators of system efficiency, but from different points of view, and they produced opposite results in assessing the efficiency of the same system in this study. The ratio of EYR to TR might be used in addition to the EYR and transformity as a discreet perspective on overall system production efficiency.     

生态脆弱区贫困与生态环境的博弈分析

生态脆弱区既是生态环境破坏最典型、最强烈的区域,也是贫困问题最集中的区域。然而,实践中试图摆脱"贫困陷阱"的成功案例并不多见。其中一个重要原因是鲜有协同生态保护与扶贫的研究,尤其是忽视了不同利益主体的相互作用过程与机制。从博弈论的视角,探讨生态脆弱区不同利益主体的两组核心博弈,即政府与民众以及政府与企业的博弈。研究发现,扶贫与生态环境保护相互作用过程事实上就是协调不同利益主体的目标与利益的博弈过程,博弈结果一定程度上决定了扶贫的效果以及生态环境保护的效应。研究为深入理解贫困与生态环境相互作用的过程与机制提供一个理论分析框架,并为中国生态脆弱区可持续发展实践提供有益借鉴。     

我国生态港口的建设思路与发展对策

港口的快速发展带来了严重的环境问题,生态港口是顺应我国生态文明建设形势的新一代港口的主要模式。通过生态港口内涵的探讨,建立了生态港口建设的概念模型。在美国、日本、澳大利亚、英国等国际先进港口环境保护及生态港口建设经验及研究进展分析的基础上,通过对我国生态港口建设所面临的形势、外部环境及基础的分析,从港口环境保护政策的制定与落实、生态港口的规划与建设、生态港口指标体系的建设、港口功能的转变与产业结构的优化、港口发展模式的选择等方面讨论了我国生态港口的建设思路与发展对策。     

农户生计资本与沙漠化逆转趋势的关系——以宁夏盐池县为例

探索禁牧政策背景下农户生计资本与生计结果关系,对提升农户生计和沙漠化逆转的可持续水平具有重要意义。以农牧交错带上典型的沙漠化逆转区宁夏盐池县为例,基于SLA可持续生计框架和实地调研数据,定量评估了农户生计资本与沙漠化逆转趋势,运用灰色关联法和二元Logistic模型探讨了两者间的关系和影响。结果表明:(1)盐池县农户的生计资本存量仅处于维持基本生活需求阶段,金融资本和社会资本储量较低,存在明显的属性差异,各乡镇间差异较小;(2)农户对沙漠化逆转的响应主要表现在生态政策、适应行为、环保意识、环保行为和环境感知5个方面,存在显著的属性差异和空间差异,63.76%的受访户倾向于沙漠化逆转可持续;(3)农户生计资本与沙漠化逆转趋势之间存在较强的关联关系,人力资本和金融资本对沙漠化逆转可持续起负向作用,而物质资本、自然资本和社会资本则呈正向影响;(4)金融资本、社会资本和人力资本是影响沙漠化逆转可持续的关键因素,是今后该县农户生计资本更新与发展、可持续生计能力形成的关键点和突破点。     

中国农业环境效率时空演变及其驱动因素

农业环境效率是衡量经济与资源环境协调发展的重要指标,研究农业环境效率对实现农业资源的高效率利用具有重要意义。基于2004-2019年中国30个省（市、区）面板数据,运用SBM （Slacks-based model）模型、空间马尔科夫链、GIS技术和空间计量模型,分析了农业环境效率的时空演变特征,研究了农业环境效率变动的驱动因素。结果表明：（1）2004-2019年,考虑非期望产出的农业环境效率要低于不考虑非期望产出情况,呈持续上升趋势;区域差异整体呈倒"V "型变化趋势,东西方向上递减,南北方向上呈" U"型趋势特征。（2）中国不同等级的农业环境效率空间差异明显,地理空间格局在空间演变过程具有重要作用,空间关联性特征显著,不同类型的演变存在显著的时空惯性。（3）中国农业环境效率存在空间溢出效应,农业经济水平、环境规制、农业生产能力是提升农业环境效率的关键因素,财政支农水平、工业化水平、农作物种植结构、农业机械强度则是制约效率提升的约束要素。