Research On The Relationship Of Energy Consumption, Carbon Emissions And Economic Growth In Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Collaborative Development has been carried out as a major development strategy of China in recent years.It is of strategic importance to establish new capital economy region,to share complementary advantages among Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei Province,as well as to boost development of Bohai Rim economic zone.In order to realize environmental governance objectives in the near future,Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region should make breakthrough in focused areas such as traffic integration,environmental protection as well as industrial upgrading and transferring.Under such circumstances,it's vital to coordinate the relationship among energy consumption,carbon emissions and economic growth in this area.Based on the related panel data in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region during 1986-2014,this study investigates the relationship between economic growth,energy consumption and carbon emission in this region.Firstly,this study reviews related literatures on the theme of the relationship among economic growth,energy consumption and carbon emission.Secondly,this study analyzes the present status of the economic growth,energy consumption and carbon emission in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.The results show that the total energy consumption in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region was 443 million tons in 2014,which had increased 380.7%compared with that in 1986;the total carbon emissions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region was 1.01 billion tons in 2014,which had increased 389.6%since 1986;the carbon emission intensity of Beijing,Tianjin and Hebei are respectively 0.62,1.87 and 3.20tons CO₂ per ten thousand yuan,while the carbon emission intensity of Hebei is higher than the regional average level.Thirdly,econometric methods such as co-integration test,Granger Causality test,impulse response function and variance decomposition analysis are employed in this study to discover the co-integration relationship and casual relationship among economic growth,energy consumption and carbon emission in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.Results show that there exists long term balance relationship and unidirectional Granger causality relationship between economic growth and energy consumption in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region;there also exists long term balance relationship and unidirectional Granger causality relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.Finally,this study investigates the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth,between carbon emissions and economic growth by using Tapio decoupling analysis model,results of which show that the decoupling state between energy consumption and economic growth in Beijing is mostly weak decoupling,whilst Tianjin,Hebei and the rest region present various decoupling states,mostly weak decoupling in recent years.The decoupling state between carbon emissions and economic growth in Beijing is virtually weak decoupling;weak decoupling and expansive decoupling in Tianjin;weak decoupling,expansive decoupling and expansive negative decoupling in Hebei.The decoupling state between economic growth and carbon emissions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region is generally weak decoupling and expansive decoupling.Based on the conclusions made by this study and the present status,policy suggestions are given at the end of the study,specifically on how to coordinate the relationship among energy consumption,carbon emissions and economic growth in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and how to realize environmental governance objectives in the near future.