Decomposition of Intensity and Sustainable Use Countermeasures for the Energy Resources of the Northwestern Five Provinces of China Using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) Method and Three Convergence Models

Zhenxu Zhang, Junsong Jia (), Chenglin Zhong, Chengfang Lu and Min Ju
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Zhenxu Zhang: Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Junsong Jia: Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Chenglin Zhong: School of Finance, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Chengfang Lu: Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Min Ju: Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: Energy resources are a material basis for regional sustainable development and ecological security. However, this issue has not been adequately studied in Northwest China. Here, we consider the five northwestern provinces of China and break down the change in energy use intensity. Results show that the total energy intensity in the five northwestern provinces decreased from 2.389 tons/10 4 Chinese yuan (CNY) in 2000 to 0.92 tons/10 4 CNY in 2021. The main influencing factors for the decline in energy intensity are the industrial energy intensity followed by the industrial structure and the energy structure. There are eight industrial sub-sectors that contributed to the decrease in industrial energy intensity. Conversely, there are seven sub-sectors that increased industrial energy intensity. In addition, there are six sub-sectors with an energy intensity of more than 1 ton/10 4 CNY. The convergence parameters demonstrate that the energy intensities of the five northwestern provinces did not converge to the same steady-state level, and their gap did not narrow in the short term. While the region’s overall energy intensity has shown a consistent downward trajectory, sectors heavily reliant on traditional fossil fuels—such as coal chemical processing, petroleum refining, and coking—have experienced a paradoxical upward trend in energy consumption. To address this, governments must implement targeted sector-specific measures, including upgrading technical capabilities through advanced coal gasification technologies, optimizing heat integration systems in petroleum refining processes, and streamlining intermediate production stages to minimize energy waste.

Keywords: five northwestern provinces of China; energy intensity; LMDI; convergence; sustainable use countermeasures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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