Publication detail

Towards decoupling in chemical industry: Input substitution impacted by technological progress

SUN, XJ. FAN, Y. LEI, YL. ZHAO, J. CHEN, WH. CAO, ZM.

Original Title

Towards decoupling in chemical industry: Input substitution impacted by technological progress

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The chemical industry is one of the fundamental industries of economic development. Coordinating the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions (EGCE) is crucial in realizing the carbon neutrality target. The Tapio model and decomposition models are used to assess the degree of decoupling within the Chinese chemical industry and identify pivotal factors impeding progress. The energy efficiency decomposition model explores the crux of failure to achieve strong decoupling. This framework further decomposed the energy intensity to uncover how technical efficiency, technological progress, and input substitution changes affect energy intensity and CO2 emission. The paper found that the EGCE of the chemical industry were stable in a weak decoupling mode from 2009 to 2019. The reliance on technological progress to reduce energy intensity and emissions is insufficient (accounting for only 18.2%), far below the cumulative contribution from economic growth (accounting for 57.76%), which has become the crux of the strong decoupling failure. Technological advancements drive energy substitution for labour, resulting in 244.41 Mt of cumulative carbon emissions. The improper factor input allocation hinders the desired reduction in energy intensity and carbon emissions. A series of policy implications are proposed based on the insights derived from the decomposition analysis to foster sustainable practices in the chemical industry.

Keywords

Almeida; Chemical industry; Decoupling; Energy intensity; Technological progress; Input substitution

Authors

SUN, XJ.; FAN, Y.; LEI, YL.; ZHAO, J.; CHEN, WH.; CAO, ZM.

Released

1. 5. 2024

Publisher

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Location

London

ISBN

0959-6526

Periodical

Journal of Cleaner Production

Number

452

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

142040

Pages to

142040

Pages count

13

URL

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652624014884

BibTex

@article{BUT197526,
  author="SUN, XJ. and FAN, Y. and LEI, YL. and ZHAO, J. and CHEN, WH. and CAO, ZM.",
  title="Towards decoupling in chemical industry: Input substitution impacted by technological progress",
  journal="Journal of Cleaner Production",
  year="2024",
  number="452",
  pages="13",
  doi="10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142040",
  issn="0959-6526",
  url="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652624014884"
}