Inputs optimization to reduce the undesirable outputs by environmental hazards: a DEA model with data of PM2.5 in China

Xianhua Wu (), Yufeng Chen (), Ji Guo () and Ge Gao ()
Additional contact information
Xianhua Wu: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Yufeng Chen: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Ji Guo: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
Ge Gao: National Climate Center

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2018, vol. 90, issue 1, No 1, 25 pages

Abstract: Abstract Currently, the hazy weather in China is increasingly serious. It is urgent for China to reduce haze emissions in environmental governance. A feasible way is to control haze emissions by optimizing the input sources. This paper proposed an innovative method in which the haze emission is controlled by readjusting input indicators. The output efficiency of input indicators in 29 provinces in China is calculated through 7 input indicators (namely, SO2 emissions, NOX emissions, soot emissions, coal consumption, car ownership, capital, and labor force) as well as GDP (desirable output) and PM2.5 emissions (undesirable output). The results showed that the input indicators are excessive in redundancy on condition that PM2.5 emissions and GDP are equal. The input indicators are high in redundancy rate except labor force. The redundancy rates of soot emissions, SO2 emissions and coal consumption are relatively high and, respectively, are 78, 67.18, and 61.14%. Moreover, all the provinces are redundant in inputs except Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai which are optimal in input–output efficiency. The redundancy of middle and western provinces, such as Ningxia, Guizhou, and Shanxi, is relatively large. The ideas and methods proposed in this paper can provide a reference for the future researches that aim to reduce the input indicators of undesirable output, and the empirical results can provide empirical support for the PM2.5 abatement in China.

Keywords: Environmental hazards; PM2.5; DEA model; Undesirable output; Reduction indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-017-3105-y Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:90:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11069-017-3105-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/11069

DOI: 10.1007/s11069-017-3105-y

Access Statistics for this article

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards is currently edited by Thomas Glade, Tad S. Murty and Vladimír Schenk

More articles in Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards from Springer, International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().