Abstract
The study aim is to assess the urban–rural income gap nexus with economic sustainability with the mediating role of energy transition. Communities worldwide are accelerating the energy transition and promoting social justice to combat global warming and poverty. Our experiment examined how the multi-dimensional energy transition rate affects the urban–rural income gap in 30 Chinese regions. The article analyzes China's renewable energy performance and creates an index. We next evaluate how the energy transition affects the urban–rural income gap using panel data from all 30 Chinese provinces between 2009 and 2020. China is increasing its energy conversion, according to our research. This research found that energy conversion has been effective but uneven in addressing the urban–rural income divide. Clean to warm and PV-based poverty reduction, the initiative's positive impact on China's urban–rural income inequalities, and the positive and negative effects of transition methods and ecological factors are also measured. Our study on the urban–rural wealth gap in China illuminates global energy transitions.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are openly available on request.
References
Altenburg T, Pegels A (2017) Sustainability-oriented innovation systems–managing the green transformation. In: Altenburg T (ed) Sustainability-oriented innovation systems in China and India. Routledge, London, pp 17–34
Anbumozhi V, Kalirajan K, Kimura F (2018) Financing for Low-carbon energy transition. Springer, Berlin
Araújo K (2014) The emerging field of energy transitions: Progress, challenges, and opportunities. Energy Res Soc Sci 1:112–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2014.03.002
Arco Bravo I del, Ramos Pla A, Zsembinszki G, Gracia Cuesta A de, Cabeza LF (2022) ALMIA Educativa as an educational strategy towards an effective energy transition of a rural village. In: XII National and III International Conference on Engineering Thermodynamics. 29 June–1 July 2022, Madrid, Spain
Batcha RR, KalaiselviGeetha M (2021) Internet of Things (IoT)-based renewable energy and sustainable power sources. Stud Big Data 85:167–198. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6400-4_9
Bhutta US, Tariq A, Farrukh M, Raza A, Iqbal MK (2022) Green bonds for sustainable development: Review of literature on development and impact of green bonds. Technol Forecast Soc Change. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121378
Bolwig S, Bolkesjø TF, Klitkou A, Lund PD, Bergaentzlé C, Borch K, Olsen OJ, Kirkerud JG, Chen Y, Gunkel PA (2020) Climate-friendly but socially rejected energy-transition pathways: the integration of techno-economic and socio-technical approaches in the Nordic-Baltic region. Energy Res Soc Sci 67:101559
Bugaje A-AB, Dioha MO, Abraham-Dukuma MC, Wakil M (2022) Rethinking the position of natural gas in a low-carbon energy transition. Energy Res Soc Sci 90:102604
Bullock RCL, Zurba M, Parkins JR, Skudra M (2020) Open for bioenergy business? Perspectives from Indigenous business leaders on biomass development potential in Canada. Energy Res Soc Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101446
Chen S, Wang R, Wang T, Zhou W (2022) the impact of student-teacher policy perception on employment intentions in rural schools for educational sustainable development based on push-pull theory: an empirical study from China. Sustainability 14(11):6639
Cheng Y, Sinha A, Ghosh V, Sengupta T, Luo H (2021) Carbon tax and energy innovation at crossroads of carbon neutrality: designing a sustainable decarbonization policy. J Environ Manag. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112957
Chenic AȘ, Cretu AI, Burlacu A, Moroianu N, Vîrjan D, Huru D, Stanef-Puica MR, Enachescu V (2022) Logical analysis on the strategy for a sustainable transition of the world to green energy—2050. Smart cities and villages coupled to renewable energy sources with low carbon footprint. Sustainability 14(14):8622
Chilvers J, Bellamy R, Pallett H, Hargreaves T (2021) A systemic approach to mapping participation with low-carbon energy transitions. Nat Energy 6(3):250–259
Chugunova N, Polyakova T, Narozhnyaya A, Lisetskii F (2023) Current Challenges to the sustainable development of rural communities in Russia’s Central Chernozem Region.
Dall-Orsoletta A, Ferreira P, Dranka GG (2022) Low-carbon technologies and just energy transition: prospects for electric vehicles. Energy Conv Manag X 16:100271
Dell’Anna F (2021) Green jobs and energy efficiency as strategies for economic growth and the reduction of environmental impacts. Energy Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.112031
Di Pirro E, Mendes R, Fidélis T, Sallustio L, Roebeling P, Marchetti M, Lasserre B (2022) The embeddedness of nature-based solutions in the recovery and resilience plans as multifunctional approaches to foster the climate transition: the cases of Italy and Portugal. Land. https://doi.org/10.3390/LAND11081254
Dong K, Ren X, Zhao J (2021) How does low-carbon energy transition alleviate energy poverty in China? A nonparametric panel causality analysis. Energy Econ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105620
Drago C, Gatto A (2019) A robust approach to composite indicators exploiting interval data: the interval-valued global gender gap index (IGGGI). Springer Proc Bus Econ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00335-7_7
Fabra N (2021) The energy transition: an industrial economics perspective. Int J Ind Organ 79:102734
Forootan MM, Larki I, Zahedi R, Ahmadi A (2022) Machine learning and deep learning in energy systems: a review. In: Sustainability (Vol. 14, Issue 8). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084832
Fu FY, Alharthi M, Bhatti Z, Sun L, Rasul F, Hanif I, Iqbal W (2021) The dynamic role of energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability in the dilemma of emission reduction and economic growth. J Environ Manag. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2020.111828
Gatto A (2022) The energy futures we want: a research and policy agenda for energy transitions. Energy Res Soc Sci 89:102639
Geels FW (2018) Disruption and low-carbon system transformation: progress and new challenges in socio-technical transitions research and the Multi-Level Perspective. Energy Res Soc Sci 37:224–231
Gitelman L, Kozhevnikov M (2022) Energy transition manifesto: a contribution towards the discourse on the specifics amid energy crisis. Energies 15(23):9199
Hafner M, Tagliapietra S (2020) The geopolitics of the global energy transition. Springer, Berlin
Iqbal S, Taghizadeh-Hesary F, Mohsin M, Iqbal W (2021) Assessing the Role of the green finance index in environmental pollution reduction. Estudios de Economia Aplicada. https://doi.org/10.25115/EEA.V39I3.4140
Jacobson MZ, Delucchi MA, Bauer ZAF, Goodman SC, Chapman WE, Cameron MA, Bozonnat C, Chobadi L, Clonts HA, Enevoldsen P, Erwin JR, Fobi SN, Goldstrom OK, Hennessy EM, Liu J, Lo J, Meyer CB, Morris SB, Moy KR, Yachanin AS (2017) 100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight all-sector energy roadmaps for 139 countries of the world. Joule 1(1):108–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2017.07.005
Johnson OW, Gerber V, Muhoza C (2019) Gender, culture and energy transitions in rural Africa. Energy Res Soc Sci 49:169–179
Kern F, Rogge KS (2016) The pace of governed energy transitions: agency, international dynamics and the global Paris agreement accelerating decarbonisation processes? Energy Res Soc Sci 22:13–17
Khan I (2020) Impacts of energy decentralization viewed through the lens of the energy cultures framework: Solar home systems in the developing economies. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 119:109576
Khan I, Zakari A, Zhang J, Dagar V, Singh S (2022) A study of trilemma energy balance, clean energy transitions, and economic expansion in the midst of environmental sustainability: new insights from three trilemma leadership. Energy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.123619
King LC, Van Den Bergh JCJM (2018) Implications of net energy-return-on-investment for a low-carbon energy transition. Nat Energy 3(4):334–340
Kivimaa P, Sivonen MH (2021) Interplay between low-carbon energy transitions and national security: an analysis of policy integration and coherence in Estonia, Finland and Scotland. Energy Res Soc Sci 75:102024
Kundu D, Dutta D, Samanta P, Dey S, Sherpa KC, Kumar S, Dubey BK (2022) Valorization of wastewater: a paradigm shift towards circular bioeconomy and sustainability. Sci Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157709
Lee JW (2020) Green finance and sustainable development goals: the case of China. J Asian Finance Econ Bus 7(7):577–586. https://doi.org/10.13106/JAFEB.2020.VOL7.NO7.577
Ma S, He Y, Gu R (2021) Joint service, pricing and advertising strategies with tourists’ green tourism experience in a tourism supply chain. J Retail Consum Serv. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102563
Maes J, Jacobs S (2017) Nature-based solutions for Europe’s sustainable development. Conserv Lett 10(1):121–124
Meadowcroft J (2009) What about the politics? Sustainable development, transition management, and long term energy transitions. Policy Sci 42:323–340
Montauban C, Mas M, Wangensteen OS, Sarto I Monteys V, Fornós DG, Mola XF, López-Baucells A (2021) Bats as natural samplers: First record of the invasive pest rice water weevil Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus in the Iberian Peninsula. Crop Prot. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105427
Mottet A, Bicksler A, Lucantoni D, De Rosa F, Scherf B, Scopel E, López-Ridaura S, Gemmil-Herren B, Bezner Kerr R, Sourisseau J-M (2020) Assessing transitions to sustainable agricultural and food systems: a tool for agroecology performance evaluation (TAPE). Front Sustain Food Syst 4:579154
Nepal R, Phoumin H, Khatri A (2021) Green technological development and deployment in the association of southeast Asian economies (ASEAN)—At crossroads or roundabout? Sustainability (switzerland) 13(2):1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU13020758
Olujobi OJ, Okorie UE, Olarinde ES, Aina-Pelemo AD (2023) Legal responses to energy security and sustainability in Nigeria’s power sector amidst fossil fuel disruptions and low carbon energy transition. Heliyon 9(7):e17912
Pingkuo L, Huan P (2022) What drives the green and low-carbon energy transition in China?: An empirical analysis based on a novel framework. Energy 239:122450
Rasoulinezhad E, Taghizadeh-Hesary F (2022) Role of green finance in improving energy efficiency and renewable energy development. Energy Eff. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12053-022-10021-4
Razmjoo A, GakeniaKaigutha L, Vaziri Rad MA, Marzband M, Davarpanah A, Denai M (2021) A Technical analysis investigating energy sustainability utilizing reliable renewable energy sources to reduce CO2 emissions in a high potential area. Renew Energy 164:46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.09.042
Riza F, Wiriyanata W (2021) Analysis of the Viability of fiscal and monetary policies on the recovery of household consumption expenditures because of the covid-19 pandemic. Jambura Equilib J. https://doi.org/10.37479/jej.v3i1.10166
Rodriguez-Gonzalez PT, Rico-Martinez R, Rico-Ramirez V (2018) An integrated stochastic economic-ecological-social model with stratified-population. Ecol Model 368:15–26
Rwelamira JK (1999). Effect of socio-economic and gender issues on sustainable resource management. In: Kaumbutho PG, SimalengaTE (eds) Conservation tillage with animal traction
Si F, Du E, Zhang N, Wang Y, Han Y (2023) China’s urban energy system transition towards carbon neutrality: challenges and experience of Beijing and Suzhou. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 183:113468
Sovacool BK, Griffiths S (2020) Culture and low-carbon energy transitions. Nat Sustain 3(9):685–693
Suárez-Rojas C, Hernández MMG, León CJ (2023) Sustainability in whale-watching: a literature review and future research directions based on regenerative tourism. Tour Manag Perspect 47:101120
Susur E, Hidalgo A, Chiaroni D (2019) A strategic niche management perspective on transitions to eco-industrial park development: a systematic review of case studies. Resour Conserv Recycl 140:338–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.06.002
Tashie-Lewis BC, Nnabuife SG (2021) Hydrogen production, distribution, storage and power conversion in a hydrogen economy—a technology review. Chem Eng J Adv 8:100172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2021.100172
Trane M, Marelli L, Siragusa A, Pollo R, Lombardi P (2023) Progress by research to achieve the sustainable development goals in the EU: a systematic literature review. Sustainability 15(9):7055
VanegasCantarero MM (2020) Of renewable energy, energy democracy, and sustainable development: a roadmap to accelerate the energy transition in developing countries. Energy Res Soc Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101716
Yasmin N, Grundmann P (2020) Home-cooked energy transitions: women empowerment and biogas-based cooking technology in Pakistan. Energy Policy 137:111074
Zhang S, Chen W (2022) Assessing the energy transition in China towards carbon neutrality with a probabilistic framework. Nat. Commun. 13(1):87
Zhao C, Ju S, Xue Y, Ren T, Ji Y, Chen X (2022a) China’s energy transitions for carbon neutrality: challenges and opportunities. Carbon Neutr 1(1):7
Zhao X, Ma X, Chen B, Shang Y, Song M (2022) Challenges toward carbon neutrality in China: strategies and countermeasures. Resour Conserv Recycl. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105959
Funding
National Social Science Funds of China (21BJY251).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Writing—original draft—was performed by AL; data curation, analysis, visualization, editing were performed by JL.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval and consent to participate
The authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships, which affect the work reported in this article. We declare that we have no human participants, human data, or human issues.
Consent for publication
We do not have any person's data.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Lyu, A., Li, J. Urban–rural income gap and economic sustainability: how does energy transition matters?. Econ Change Restruct 57, 51 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-024-09603-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-024-09603-2