The Effect of Green R&D Activities on China’s SO2 Emissions: Evidence from a Panel Threshold Model
Shuxing Chen
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China (China)
Ke Liu
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China (China)
Denglong Ding
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China (China)
Zeyu Yue
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China (China)
Zhu Bo
People’s Bank of China, Financial Research Office, Chengdu 610041, China (China)
Yuee Tang
chensx@swufe.edu.cnChengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China (China)
Abstract
Previous studies on the effectiveness of improving sustainable development have acknowledged the importance of domestic research and development (R&D) activities. However, these studies remain general and ambiguous because they assume that all R&D activities are related to energy-saving and sustainable development. The corresponding empirical evidence is scabrous and ambiguous. In this paper, we focus on the effect of green innovation R&D activities on SO2 emission which is an important greenhouse gas affect global climate change and eco-civilization. Considering that there is heterogeneity exists in the innovation activities, the R&D activities are divided into three performers with two purposes. The empirical results based on a Chinese inter-provincial dataset of 2000-2016 suggest that the green innovation R&D activities are crucial for the reduction of the SO2 emission. However, the innovation R&D activities of different purposes and performers show statistically differentiated effects on SO2 emission. The major positive effect of green innovation R&D activities on SO2 emissions reduction is mainly from enterprises and utility-type of R&D activities. A further study based on the panel threshold also indicates that effects of green innovation R&D activities on SO2 emissions are nonlinear, depending on the technology absorptive ability.
Keywords:
green innovation activities, SO2 emissions, technology absorptive ability, sustainable developmentReferences
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Authors
Shuxing ChenSouthwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China China
Authors
Ke LiuSouthwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China China
Authors
Denglong DingSouthwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China China
Authors
Zeyu YueSouthwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China China
Authors
Zhu BoPeople’s Bank of China, Financial Research Office, Chengdu 610041, China China
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