对外贸易是否有利于提高能源环境效率——以中国工业行业为例

Do Energy and Environment Efficiency Benefit from Foreign Trade?——The Case of China's Industrial Sectors

本文首先运用非径向方向距离函数测算了中国工业两位数行业的能源环境效率,并通过高度细分的联合国商品贸易统计数据整理得到各行业的进出口数据,然后构建包含Tobit模型的联立方程组,就对外贸易等因素如何影响能源环境效率进行了实证分析。测算结果表明,中国工业行业能源环境效率水平不高,但整体处于上升趋势。进一步研究发现,对外贸易与能源环境效率之间存在正向的反馈作用:一方面,对外贸易通过进口产品技术外溢和出口中学两种途径对能源环境效率起到显著的促进作用;另一方面,能源环境效率高的行业会更积极参与对外贸易。实证结论在控制了研发投入、环境规制、所有制结构、能源价格和行业异质性等因素后仍然稳健。

This paper analyzes the effect of foreign trade on energy and environment efficiency using the case of China＇s industrial sectors. For that purpose, two non-radial directional distance functions are adopted to measure the energy and environment efficiency indices. Each sector＇s historical import and export trade data are built from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics. Simultaneous equations with Tobit models are constructed in order to avoid endogeneity problems and the influence mechanisms are further discussed. Our study finds that： （ 1 ） Overall, energy and environment efficiency of China＇s industry is growing at a low level; （2） Foreign trade significantly impacts on energy and environment efficiency improvement via two mechanisms ： technology spillover effect by importing and learning by exporting ; （ 3 ） A mutual cause-effect relationship exists between trade and efficiency, i. e. , industries with high energy and environment efficiency are more active in trade. The empirical results present robust after other control variables are considered, such as R＆D investment, environmental regulation, structure of ownership, energy prices, and industrial heterogeneity.