Do renewable energy technology innovations promote China's green productivity growth? Fresh evidence from partially linear functional-coefficient models

Zheming Yan, Baoling Zou, Kerui Du and Ke Li

Energy Economics, 2020, vol. 90, issue C

Abstract: Renewable energy technology innovation can benefit the environment by promoting green productivity, as proposed by existing theoretical studies. However, recent uneven developments of both environmental performance and renewable energy technology among regions in China remind us to revisit the above theoretical link. In this paper, we relax the hypothesized homogeneity and linearity in traditional empirical models to investigate the effects of renewable energy technology innovation on China's green productivity. The results of the partially linear functional-coefficient models show that the effect of renewable energy technological innovation on green productivity is significant only when the relative income level of a province passes a critical turning point. Beyond the turning point, such an effect increases with the growth of relative income levels. Finally, we provide provincial specific policy implications based on the estimated nonparametric relationship between renewable energy technology innovation and green productivity.

Keywords: Renewable energy technology innovations; Green productivity; Income; Partially linear functional-coefficient model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 O44 O47 Q40 Q55 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (84)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:90:y:2020:i:c:s0140988320301821

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2020.104842

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