Is Technological Progress Selective for Multiple Pollutant Emissions?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Economics
• Technological Innovation
• Sustainable Development

Background:

• Existing research on technological progress overlooks potential biases related to pollutant emissions.
• Understanding the selective nature of technological advancement is crucial for effective environmental policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether technological progress in China is selectively biased towards specific pollutant emissions.
• To analyze the regional heterogeneity of this selective bias.
• To assess the impact of technological progress on SO2, PM2.5, and CO2 emissions.

Main Methods:

• Measurement of green total factor productivity for 30 Chinese provinces (2004-2018).
• Econometric testing for selective bias in technological progress concerning pollutant emissions.
• Analysis of the position relative to the inverted U-shaped curve for different pollutants.

Main Results:

• A significant selective bias of technological progress on pollutant emissions was identified, with regional variations.
• Technological progress reduces SO2 and PM2.5 emissions, but primarily through end-of-pipe treatment, not source reduction.
• Technological advancement has not reduced CO2 emissions, suggesting carbon lock-in.

Conclusions:

• China's technological progress exhibits a bias that favors emission treatment over source reduction for SO2 and PM2.5.
• Carbon lock-in hinders technological progress from reducing CO2 emissions.
• Policy recommendations include increasing new energy adoption and reducing reliance on polluting industries.