新能源示范城市建设能否提升环境福利绩效? ———基于自然地理与社会经济要素的双重视角

New Energy Demonstration City and Environmental Welfare Performance: Based on the Dual Perspective of Natural Geographic and Socio-Economic Elements

摘要:

新能源示范城市(NEDC)政策是推动能源转型与实现“双碳”目标的重要措施,系统地评估其对环境福利绩效的影响对于增进能源的可持续化与居民福祉至关重要。 将经济发展、环境污染与居民健康因素同时纳入环境福利绩效,并运用两阶段网络超效率 SBM 对其进行测算,进而就 NEDC 政策对环境福利绩效的影响进行评估。 研究发现:第一,NEDC 政策显著促进了环境福利绩效的提升,在进行一系列稳健性检验后,结论依然成立。 第二,环境规制,平均气温在 NEDC 政策对环境福利绩效的影响过程中发挥正向调节作用,平均海拔发挥负向调节作用,NEDC 政策通过提升能源利用效率与新型基础设施建设促进环境福利绩效的提升。 第三,在地理区位上,NEDC 政策对环境福利绩效的影响在东部地区、南方地区的作用更加显著,在“胡焕庸”线两侧地区均显著;在城市特征上,对超大型城市、中心城市及具有碳交易平台的城市促进作用更加显著,对特大城市反而具有抑制作用。 第四,NEDC 政策对环境福利绩效的影响存在正向的空间溢出效应。 研究为政府优化能源发展与增进居民福祉提供政策启示。

Abstract:

The New Energy Demonstration City (NEDC) policy is a crucial measure to promote energy transition and achieve the “dual carbon” goals. A systematic assessment of its impact on environmental welfare performance is essential for advancing sustainable energy development and enhancing residents' well-being. Economic development, environmental pollution, and residents' health factors were simultaneously incorporated into the measurement of environmental welfare performance. A two-stage network super-efficiency SBM model was applied to calculate this indicator, and the impact of the NEDC policy on environmental welfare performance is evaluated. The findings are as follows. First, the NEDCpolicy significantly improves environmental welfare performance, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. Second, environmental regulation and average temperature play positive moderating roles in the impact of the NEDC policy on environmental welfare performance, while average altitude exerts a negative moderating effect. The NEDC policy promotes the improvement of environmental welfare performance by enhancing energy utilization efficiency and new infrastructure construction. Third, in terms of geographical location, the impact of the NEDC policy on environmental welfare performance is more significant in eastern and southern China, and is significant in regions on both sides of the “Hu Huanyong Line”. In terms of urban characteristics, the promotion effect is more pronounced in megacities, central cities, and cities with carbon trading platforms, while it has an inhibitory effect in large megacities. Fourth, the impact of the NEDC policy on environmental welfare performance has a positive spatial spillover effect. It provides policy implications for the government to optimize energy development and improve residents' well-being.