The role of industrial symbiosis on consumer demand under ecological carbon fixation: Evidence from the energy industry

Abstract

Since the energy sector is the primary source of carbon emissions, achieving low carbon emission reduction and meeting the carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets require a full grasp of the symbiotic relationship between the traditional and new energy industries. This study analyzes data from China's conventional energy industries and the new energy industry from 2005 to 2021 to examine the symbiosis between these two sectors of the economy and its implications. The Lotka–Volterra model is used to determine the symbiosis between industries and further select provinces with industrial symbiosis to analyze the relationship between industrial symbiosis and consumer demand. The results show that, first, 28 provinces in China have industrial symbiosis, of which only four provinces are commensal symbiosis and the remaining 24 provinces are parasitic symbiosis. Second, whereas the parasitic symbiosis will impede the growth of consumer demand, the commensal symbiosis between the new energy industry and the traditional energy industry can greatly encourage the growth of consumer demand. In addition, the promotion effect of commensal symbiosis on consumer demand is mainly manifested in government consumption, while parasitic symbiosis has a dampening effect on residential consumption, government consumption, and investment. Finally, under the regulation of ecological carbon sequestration, parasitic symbiosis can promote the growth of consumer demand. Therefore, the government should continue to promote industrial symbiosis and ecological carbon sequestration and, in this way, promote the growth of consumer demand.