Exports, energy and the environment in China: An input-output perspective

Yutian Shi, Kishor Sharma, Tom Murphy, John Hicks, Lesley Arthur

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

60 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper investigates how the changing structure of Chinese foreign trade has impacted on employment and energy-intensity in recent years. Our findings indicate a considerable fall in both employment and energy intensity. A fall in employment intensity appears to be mainly due to an increase in the exports of assembly items which are relatively less unskilled employment intensive, while a decline in energy consumption, per billion yuan worth of exports, appears to be due to increased use of energy saving technology as the price of energy rises and the pressure for improving Chinese environmental standards grows. While a fall in energy consumption is a welcome development, overall environmental standards in China remain a major concern, not only for the Chinese but globally. The paper also suggests that increased investment in human capital is part of the answer to increasing employment in the modern economy while minimising damage to the environment.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)279-293
Number of pages15
JournalInterdisciplinary Environmental Review
Volume13
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Exports, energy and the environment in China: An input-output perspective'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this