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Direct rebound effect for urban household in China—an empirical study

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Abstract

Household sector has become one important target sector on which the Chinese government implements its energy-saving and emission reduction policies. Improving energy efficiency is the primary method adopted by the Chinese government for energy conservation. However, its real energy-saving effects would be affected greatly owing to energy rebound effects. In this paper, we set up a Linear Approximation of the Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) model to estimate the direct rebound effect for urban households in China, and real energy conservation effect of improving energy efficiency is also obtained. The assessment of the rebound has a lot of uncertainty, and therefore, exact figures are hard to determine. The results show that energy rebound for Chinese urban household is approximately 66%. In this regard, the Chinese government could not accomplish the energy conservation target through improving energy efficiency only. Policy supplements like energy pricing reform are also needed.

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Notes

  1. Data source: author calculated it based on the relevant data from China Statistical Yearbook 2013

  2. Data source: author calculated it based on the relevant data from China Statistical Yearbook 2013 and China Premium Database

  3. http://env.people.com.cn/n/2015/0615/c1010-27154304.html

  4. Tibet is not included due to data unavailability and Chongqing is classed into Sichuan province

  5. http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-wikileaks-idUSTRE6B527D20101206

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 71503156 and 71603086) and the National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 15CJY058).

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Correspondence to Jianghua Liu.

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Appendix

Appendix

Results for Zhejiang province

 

Food

Clothing

HFS

HCM

TC

CEE

WEF

Housing

lnXt-lnPt

−0.135***

−0.0291

0.0656*

−0.0572***

0.163***

−0.0379*

−0.000589

0.0319

LnP1

0.0722**

       

LnP2

−0.0194

−0.151***

      

LnP3

0.0591

0.163*

−0.105

     

LnP4

−0.106***

−0.0691*

0.0269

0.0854

    

LnP5

0.0526

0.0226

0.0839

−0.057

−0.0794

   

LnP6

−0.0703***

−0.00389

−0.0848

0.0502

0.00906

−0.051

  

LnP7

0.00556

0.00792

−0.0507

0.0285*

0.00644

0.00424

0.0153**

 

LnP8

0.00657

0.0499*

−0.0914

0.0414

−0.0382

0.147***

−0.0173

−0.0975***

constant

0.900***

0.236***

−0.117

0.249***

−0.493***

0.221***

0.0426

−0.039

Results for Jiangsu province

 

Food

Clothing

HFS

HCM

TC

CEE

WEF

Housing

lnXt-lnPt

−0.0182

0.0563***

0.0070

0.0244***

0.0531***

0.0321***

−0.0668***

−0.0879***

LnP1

0.212***

       

LnP2

0.0740***

0.199***

      

LnP3

0.0221

0.0239

−0.1080

     

LnP4

−0.0755***

−0.111**

0.1440

0.0588

    

LnP5

0.0372*

−0.0702

0.191*

−0.124**

−0.174***

   

LnP6

−0.0846***

0.0765***

−0.156***

−0.0186

0.0548***

0.0176

  

LnP7

−0.127***

−0.0782**

0.194***

−0.106***

−0.0685***

0.0607***

0.0623**

 

LnP8

−0.0576*

−0.114***

−0.310***

0.232***

0.154***

0.0495*

0.0631*

−0.0159

constant

0.524***

−0.0663*

0.0806*

−0.0322

−0.113***

−0.0146

0.273***

0.348***

Results for Hainan province

 

Food

Clothing

HFS

HCM

TC

CEE

WEF

Housing

lnXt-lnPt

−0.174***

0.0146

0.0322*

0.0323

0.0726**

0.0271

−0.0142

0.0099

LnP1

0.168***

       

LnP2

−0.0018

−0.0762*

      

LnP3

−0.0179

0.0254

0.0309

     

LnP4

−0.0196

0.0383

−0.0442

−0.0007

    

LnP5

0.0868***

0.0294*

0.0324

−0.0416*

−0.122***

   

LnP6

−0.0774***

0.0300

−0.0385

0.0628*

0.0110

0.0124

  

LnP7

−0.0830***

−0.0468***

0.0271

0.0109

0.0107

0.0003

0.0297

 

LnP8

−0.0556**

0.0016

−0.0154

−0.0061

−0.0067

−0.0006

0.0510**

0.0317

constant

1.094***

0.0273

−0.0263

−0.0631

−0.201**

0.0391

0.0900*

0.0396

  1. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001

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Li, X., Liu, J. & Liu, X. Direct rebound effect for urban household in China—an empirical study. Energy Efficiency 10, 1495–1510 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-017-9533-4

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