Yi-Ming Wei

Chinese CO2 emission flows have reversed since the global financial crisis

This study seeks to estimate the carbon implications of recent changes in China’s economic development patterns and role in global trade in the post-financial-crisis era. We utilised the latest socioeconomic datasets to compile China’s 2012 multiregional input-output (MRIO) table. Environmentally extended input-output analysis and structural decomposition analysis (SDA) were applied to investigate the driving forces behind changes in CO2 emissions embodied in China’s domestic and foreign trade from 2007 to 2012. Here we show that emission flow patterns have changed greatly in both domestic and foreign trade since the financial crisis. Some economically less developed regions, such as Southwest China, have shifted from being a net emission exporter to being a net emission importer. In terms of foreign trade, emissions embodied in China’s exports declined from 2007 to 2012 mainly due to changes in production structure and efficiency gains, while developing countries became the major destination of China’s export emissions.China has entered a new normal phase of economic development with a changing role in global trade. Here the authors show that emissions embodied in China’s exports declined from 2007 to 2012, while developing countries become the major destinations of China’s export emissions.

A model for China's energy requirements and CO2 emissions analysis

This paper introduces a model and corresponding software for modeling Chinas Energy Requirements and the CO2 Emissions Analysis System (CErCmA). Based on the input–output approach, CErCmA was designed for scenario analysis of energy requirements and CO2 emissions to support policymakers, planners and others strategically plan for energy demands and environmental protection in China. In the system, major drivers of energy consumption are identified as technology, population, economy and urbanization; scenarios are based on the major driving forces that represent various growth paths. The input–output approach is employed to compute energy requirements and CO2 emissions under each scenario. The development of CErCmA is described in a case study: Chinas energy requirements and CO2 emissions in 2010 and 2020 are computed based on the input–output table of 1997. The results show that Chinas energy needs and related CO2 emissions will grow exponentially even with many energy efficiency improvements, and that it will be hard for China to maintain its advantage of low per capita emissions in the next 20 years. Chinas manufacturing and transportation sectors should be the two major sectors to implement energy efficiency improvements. Options for improving this model are also presented in this paper.

Regional efforts to mitigate climate change in China: a multi-criteria assessment approach

The task of mitigating climate change is usually allocated through administrative regions in China. In order to put pressure on regions that perform poorly in mitigating climate changes and highlight regions with best-practice climate policies, this study explored a method to assess regional efforts on climate change mitigation at the sub-national level. A climate change mitigation index (CCMI) was developed with 15 objective indicators, which were divided into four categories, namely, emissions, efficiency, non-fossil energy, and climate policy. The indicators’ current level and recent development were measured for the first three categories. The index was applied to assess China’s provincial performance in climate protection based on the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. Empirical results show that the middle Yangtze River area and southern coastal area perform better than other areas in mitigating climate change. The average performance of the northwest area in China is the worst. In addition, climate change mitigation performance has a negative linear correlation with energy self-sufficiency ratio but does not have a significant linear correlation with social development level. Therefore, regional resource endowments had better be paid much more attention in terms of mitigating climate change because regions with good resource endowments in China tend to perform poorly.

Virtual enterprise and its intelligence management

Virtual enterprise (VE) will be the efficient organization form in the future owing to the rapid development of computer techniques and information technology. This paper exposes systematically the concept of VE and its structure. Methodology for intelligentized management is described. An integrated system based on client/server is proposed, which is useful for intelligent decision making in VE management.

Artificial neural network based predictive method for flood disaster

Most of flood disaster predictions belong to ill-structured problems, while artificial neural network (ANN) has several characteristics that are suitable for solving them. In this paper, a neural network based predictive method for flood disaster problem is proposed in which the neural network model and its basic designing principles are described, and an example of flood disaster area in China from 1949 to 1994 is used for demonstration.

Examining the structural changes of European carbon futures price 2005-2012

The aim of this research was to examine the structural changes of European carbon futures price under the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme during 2005–2012. More specifically, by relying on the daily EU allowance futures contract, we investigate the structural changes of the European carbon futures price. Structural breakpoints are detected based on the iterative cumulative sums of squares algorithm and event study models. The results show that since 2005, there have been three major breakpoints of the European carbon futures price, stemming from the two extreme events of the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2011 European debt crisis. This study contributes to understanding the pricing mechanism of the EU ETS and effectively forecasting carbon prices.

Energy Economics: CO2 Emissions in China

Energy is essential to socio-economic development in modern society. China is the largest developing country and the second largest energy producer and consumer in the world, as well as the second largest producer of CO2 emissions after the USA. CO2 emissions in China has become a common focus of academic communities and governments worldwide. Therefore, the study of Chinas CO2 emissions is not only helpful in terms of fully implementing scientific development, but also significant in working towards the sustainable development of China and mitigating global climate change. Beginning with energy use and CO2 emissions, Energy Economics: CO2 Emissions in China discusses topical issues related to the present CO2 emissions status and its historical evolution. In addition, it analyzes CO2 emission reduction technologies, the CO2 market and CO2 emissions reduction strategies and policies, in the hope of providing a reference resource for decision making in future CO2 emission reduction and climate change resolution strategies and policies in China. The book focuses on several key issues, which are discussed further as below. 1) Energy use and CO2 emissions; 2) Characteristics of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in China; 3) Factors affecting CO2 emissions at different economic development levels; 4) Evolution characteristics of CO2 emissions in CO2-intensive sectors; 5) The analysis of regional CO2 emissions in China; 6) Potential for, and impacts of, CO2 emission reduction technologies; 7) Simulation research on CO2 emission reduction policies; 8) International CO2 trading mechanism and its impact on emission reduction; 9) Chinas CO2 emissions prospects.

The cellular automaton model of investment behavior in the stock market

The modeling theory and method using cellular automata are applied to the study on the complexity in the stock market. An evolution model based on cellular automaton for the investment behavior in the stock market is formulated. The simulation results and analyses of various states of the stock market show that investors’ imitation degree and the macro factors are the key determinants to the stability of the stock market. We observed that more diversity in the investment views of agents and lower imitation among investors are in favor of the normal development of the stock market.

An overview of climate change vulnerability: a bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science database

Abstract Based on worldwide scholars’ 3,004 papers published in 658 academic journals in the Web of Science database on the topic of climate change vulnerability from 1991 to 2012, this paper quantitatively analyzes the global scientific performance and hot research areas in this field by adopting bibliometric method. The results show that (1) the vulnerability researches on climate change have experienced a rapid growth since 2006, and the publications are widely distributed in a large number of source journals, while the top two productive institutions are the University of East Anglia and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; (2) the cooperation at author level is on the rise, and there are closer relationships in institutional and national levels; (3) the most widely focused research topics in this field include health issues in the socioeconomic system, food security in the field of agricultural system and the issue of water resource management, etc.; (4) according to the papers from the top journals, we find that the research areas for climate change vulnerability in those publications are located in the ecological diversity, ecosystem service, water resource management and electric power supply, etc.

Progress in energy complex system modelling and analysis

From the viewpoint of energy system modelling, this paper systematically analyses energy models developed by various international organisations. Their modelling approaches, functions, modelling structures, as well as their typical applications are reviewed. The review will be helpful for further study and development in the area of modelling and analysis of energy complex systems.