Changing trends and influencing factors of energy productivity growth: A case study in the Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region

Against the background of new urbanization, urban agglomeration plays an important role in boosting development in surrounding areas. It is important that energy consumption is reduced and energy productivity improved. The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region (PRD) is one of the most promising city agglomerations in China. Therefore, based on data sourced from China City Statistical Yearbooks (2006-2016) and Guangdong Statistical Yearbooks (2006-2016), a global Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index is adopted to analyze the change trends of energy productivity growth in the PRD during 2005-2015. The estimation results show that there are differences among the change trends of energy productivity growth in the nine cities in the PRD, and that productivity growth improved during the study period. The greatest contributor to energy productivity growth is technological progress. We also identified the key determinants affecting energy productivity growth using generralized least squares regression and found that industrial structure, openness index and capital per capita have a positive effect. The energy price, energy intensity, per capita of GDP, R&D intensity and government regulation have a negative effect on energy productivity growth. These conclusions inform decision makers in improving energy productivity and coordinating economic development and environmental protection in the PRD.