从全球到地方:东莞家具产业的绿色化升级路径

地方产业链嵌入全球价值链带动绿色化升级的研究已开始成为经济地理学关注的研究话题。在梳理国内外产业绿色化升级研究基础上,构建发展中国家产业绿色化升级理论分析框架,以东莞市家具产业为案例,通过实地调研和半结构访谈法,分析东莞家具企业嵌入全球生产网络的发展历程,理清在全球化动力、国家和地方动力等两大驱动力的作用下,东莞家具产业绿色化升级的路径和动力机制。结果显示：全球动力、国家和地方动力影响下的家具产业绿色化升级路径有差异,全球动力推动的绿色化升级被锁定在有限范围内,并对本地出口企业造成“可持续采购挤压”,而国内绿色家具利基市场的形成和产业绿色化发展的制度环境对本地绿色化升级起关键作用。结论对理解中国制造业由外向型向内循环发展过程中产业绿色化升级有一定的实践意义。

From global to local:Environmental upgrading of the furniture industry in Dongguan

Research on environmental upgrading through embedding of local industrial chains in global value chains (GVC) is an evolving subject within the field of economic geography. The environmental upgrading driven by lead firms in GVC is discussed in existing literature, though few case studies on the environmental upgrade paths of industries in developing countries. Using the furniture industry in Dongguan as a case study, this research details the process of embedding a specific industrial chain in GVC. This particular case is typical due to the timing of global market access, resulting in a fledgling industry, comprised of small furniture manufacturing companies, being embedded in GVC. This transforms a nascent industry into the largest furniture distribution, exhibition, and trading center in Asia. Consequently, significant function improvement and environmental upgrading occurs in parallel with manufacturing process and product improvement where market demands require higher standards. Through semi-structured interviews with key players within the industry, such as manufacturers, resellers, part enterprises and local governments, this study charts exact paths of environmental upgrading during the embedding process. The result of the study is an understanding of how environmental upgrading of industries in developing countries has responded to changing demands from the international and domestic markets. The distinction paths of between the international and domestic market, have been observed in environmental upgrading of Dongguan's furniture industry. Lead firms have engaged in environmental upgrading through requiring local enterprises meet standards and certifications, which are treated as another way to squeeze suppliers. The environmental upgrading led by international markets is also locked in a limited range. A niche for environmentally green furniture had been created in domestic markets to use environmental upgrading to capture value for environment, which helps the formation of sustainable production system in local furniture industry. In this case, the core mechanisms driving the transition in Dongguan are isolated such that they can be quantified and replicated for other industries in developing countries. The results make practical contributions in an improved understanding of the environmental upgrading through China's industry transition from global export-oriented economy to domestic circulation economy.