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Given the urgency of the transition to renewable energy, this study examines the challenges and opportunities associated with the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, particularly new energy construction dump trucks, in China. Through a combination of policy analysis and empirical research, it investigates drivers' purchase intentions towards these alternative energy vehicles in a designated study area. The findings reveal that while policies aimed at encouraging adoption are in place, drivers' purchase intentions remain low due to factors such as high costs, technical concerns, inadequate infrastructure, and satisfaction with existing trucks. Specifically, the study identifies key technical challenges, including battery performance and range limitations, and advocates for a shift in policy support towards product development to address these issues. Overall, the paper highlights the need for a comprehensive approach that combines policy incentives with technological advancements to promote the widespread adoption of new energy construction dump trucks in China and achieve sustainability and carbon neutrality goals in the transportation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the integrated gas-electricity system (IEGS) grows within the context of carbon abatement, natural gas shippers (NGSs) face a twofold challenge: perceiving the dynamic behavior of the gas system swiftly while considering the revenue and costs of IEGS. To address these challenges, a novel Integrated Electric-Gas Dispatch (IEGD) model is introduced in this paper. Firstly, the Box-Jenkins-based NGPN rapid transient flow model is proposed. Secondly, an IEGD model with optimization targets focusing on IEGS cost and NGSs revenue is introduced. Finally, the proposed natural gas flow model is validated through its application to an inter-provincial natural gas pipeline network and a regional-level network in China's central and western regions. A comparison with commercial software indicates that the proposed model offers additional advantages, with a total relative average error of 0.57% and 0.36%, respectively, and a computation speed of 62.3 times and 72.4 faster. When the IEGD model is applied to an IEGS, promising outcomes are revealed by two distinct scenarios: carbon emissions within the IEGS can be reduced by as much as 32.64% per day, considering carbon taxes. Furthermore, through intensifying the collaborative integration of gas and electricity systems, overall carbon emissions can be lowered by up to 48.19%, and NGSs revenue can be boosted by as much as 11.2%. • A novel rapid natural gas network transient flow model is proposed. • Natural gas transient flow is first converted to the Box-Jenkins system. • The network topology can be established by the proposed model conveniently. • Natural gas shipper revenue and integrated system cost are considered as objective. • Overall carbon emissions can be lowered by up to 48.19%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China leads the world in apple production, contributing to over half of the global total. Annually, extensive pesticide use is employed in apple cultivation, but the uncertain quantities of pesticide deposition and indiscriminate application have resulted in significant pesticide loss and residue. This poses a considerable potential risk to human health. This paper focuses on ground-based plant protection and stratifies the canopy horizontally, using 3D point cloud reconstruction technology and tree deposition experiments to explore the relationship between canopy leaf area index and pesticide deposition. By calculating the droplet penetration coefficient based on the amount of solution deposited at various canopy layers, a functional model linking leaf area index and droplet penetration coefficient has been established, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.92. Based on this model, and by integrating the canopy volume with the amount of solution deposited on the outermost layer of the canopy, the total solution deposition on the entire tree can be estimated. According to the deposition model, there is a negative correlation between the amount of solution deposited on the canopy and the leaf area index of the canopy. Moreover, the experiments have shown that when the spray vehicle travels at a speed of 1.5 m/s, the maximum amount of solution is deposited while still ensuring an effective deposition rate. The establishment of the deposition estimation model allows for the visualization of canopy solution deposition and can guide fruit farmers in determining the appropriate frequency of spraying based on the severity of pest and disease infestations. [Display omitted] • Accurately forecasting the deposition of solutions on the canopy of apple trees. • Development of a model for solution penetration coefficient. • Establishing standard parameters for the optimal voxel size of apple trees. • Determining the optimal driving speed for pesticide trucks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequality and climate change are major challenges for sustainable development, but a dilemma between the objectives has been widely observed. Based on the panel data of China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), inequality in carbon emissions across income groups is witnessed, which provides basics for the study. From a quasi-natural experiment, an increase of 9.9% in household per capita carbon emissions (HCEs) of the impoverished group is found after the Targeted Poverty Alleviation policies (TPA) in China, providing evidence for the enhancement of poverty alleviation measures on equal right for household carbon emissions. Specifically, dual mechanism of transfer payments and employment assistance acting as direct and indirect strategies to enhance family wealth are examined as the pathways to carbon equality. Further, a decline in household carbon emission intensity in the impoverished group is also observed after the treatment, which implies the accelerating role of TPA in low-carbon lifestyle formulation for the impoverished families. The findings of this paper confirm the positive effect of TPA policies on carbon equality for households, and also refute the "equality-pollution dilemma", which provide insights for policy makers in formulating equitable decarbonization policies and allocating the carbon budget. • Poverty alleviation policies have reduced household carbon emission inequality. • Transfer payments and employment assistance act as mechanisms of policy effect. • Household carbon emission intensity is decreased by the policies. • Policy effect is more prominent in families suffered from special burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon technology has become the focus of addressing global climate challenges but is facing the supply restriction of critical high-tech metals. Recycling has become a powerful measure to solve this issue. In the paper, a comprehensive recycling potential index (RPI) is constructed to evaluate the recycling potential of high-tech metals for low-carbon energy technologies in China from 2020 to 2050, and development strategies are proposed based on the evaluation results. The results indicate that the future trends of recycling potential show four evolution modes – either reaching or rapidly rising to a high level, increasing to the middle and middle-high level, unsteadily staying at the low and middle-low level, or remaining at a low and continuously decreasing level. According to the evolution trend, different strategies, including key development, reserves, digestion, and transfer, should be adopted in different stages. Co, Li, Dy, Nd, Tb, and Eu should be the focus of technology, funds and policy from both the government and enterprises due to their high recycling potential in the long term. Moreover, measures should be taken to encourage recycling and mitigate the supply risk of high-tech metals for low-carbon energy technologies, including tracking the development of low-carbon energy technologies, adjusting the list of critical high-tech metals, promoting recycling technology, and exploring substitute resources. [Display omitted] • A comprehensive recycling potential index is constructed to evaluate the recycling potential of high-tech metals. • The future trends of recycling potential of high-tech metals show four evolution modes. • Strategies like key development, reserves, digestion, and transfer should be adopted in different stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technical lignin (TL) is a solid waste generated in industrial activities including pulp and paper mills and second-generation (2G) biorefineries. After isolation processes, TL is available in large quantities and has favorable compositional characteristics to produce high-performance activated carbons (ACs), such as low amount of residual carbohydrates, high reactivity due to the presence of different functional groups, and high aromatic carbon content. The value of the AC market is projected to reach US$ 7 billion by 2028, led by the water treatment sector. This work provides a brief overview of the status quo in the production of new adsorbents from TL, focusing on biorefineries, together with a bibliometric and patentometric survey. This evidenced a scarcity of publications on this topic, with the primary focus being on chemical modification of TL. A notable increase was observed in the production of ACs for electrochemical applications. Only a few patents were found on the subject, with China predominating technological development in this area. The findings revealed a technical-scientific-economic potential that has been largely unexplored, as no TL-derived AC from 2G biorefineries has yet been produced and applied in water treatment. Hence, there is excellent potential for the wider commercialization of AC produced from TL, representing an excellent opportunity to recycle TL and support the bio-based circular carbon economy, while also contributing to carbon emission neutrality. The marketing of high-performance ACs produced from TL could make biorefineries more profitable and less sensitive to market price fluctuations, while becoming carbon-neutral multiproduct platforms. [Display omitted] • Technical lignin (TL) has untapped technical-scientific-economic potential. • Production of activated carbon is a technological way to add value to TL. • Bibliometrics and patentometrics indicate a scarcity of value-added TL products. • Biorefineries as key contributors to carbon neutral emissions in the energy sector. • New opportunities and challenges identified for excess TL in 2G ethanol plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most swiftly industrializing countries in the world, China is struggling with significant challenges facing its environment, in particular in its marine ecosystems. Hence, economic activities increasingly are influencing these ecosystems, requiring their study crucial for sustainable development. Therefore, it is paramount perceiving the potential implications of economic growth and foreign direct investment (FDI) for marine health. The study aims to explore the impact of economic growth and FDI on China's marine ecosystem during 1980–2019, examining the probable intersections of economic advancement, FDI, and marine sustainability, the study used a novel nonlinear Fourier Autoregressive Distributed Lags (FARDL) approach. Notably, the paper confirms the Fishing Grounds Load Capacity Curve (FGLCC) hypothesis, demonstrating a nonlinear affiliation among income levels and maritime conditions. Moreover, the results point out that FDI initially worsens marine conditions until a certain threshold is reached, marking a pivotal change in the influence of FDI from environmental degradation to improvement. In addition, the study underscores the critical need for policies that balance economic development with Chines' marine environmental sustainability, emphasizing the importance of intended regulatory and strategic interventions. These insights are vital for enhancing marine requirements and ensuring well-being and health of future generations, providing significant implications maritime policymakers in addressing marine environmental challenges amid economic development. [Display omitted] • Analyzes China's marine sustainability from 1980 to 2019 using the Fishing Grounds Load Capacity Factor. • Proposes and tests the Fishing Grounds Load Capacity Curve hypothesis. • Evaluates marine Pollution Haven and marine Pollution Halo hypotheses. • Provides evidence for FGLCC and marine Pollution Haven based on Fourier ARDL modelling. • Offers insights into balancing economic growth and marine ecosystem preservation in China through key policy levers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart energy plays an important role in alleviating energy poverty in China in the context of the new technological revolution and industrial change. This paper uses China's smart pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, employing China's provincial panel data from 2011 to 2022, measuring energy poverty indices based on a projection pursuit evaluation model, and conducting a quasi-natural experiment using a synthetic control method to assess the effect of smart energy on energy poverty and specific mechanisms of action. The study found that smart energy has a specific and significant impact on energy poverty, but the effect differs in different regions depending on the construction cycle and energy endowment. In the mechanism test, smart energy significantly alleviates energy poverty through the mechanisms of improving energy supply capacity, improving energy payment capacity, and improving energy cleanliness. The results of the study provide empirical references for regional solutions to energy poverty and the planning of smart energy construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on 196 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2021, this paper constructs a weight matrix of urban economic geography and uses the spatial differential model to verify the impact of smart city policies on urban green energy efficiency. The results show that the efficiency value of green energy fluctuates in Chinese cities. Different test results show that smart city policies can effectively improve urban green energy efficiency, but mainly from the time effect rather than the individual effect. It means the improvement in urban green energy efficiency comes more from the fast-growing of the Chinese economy and urban construction in this period than from the country's smart city pilot policy. In addition, from the spatial spillover effect result, China needs to design a better urban spatial development plan to improve the capacity of smart city energy services and vigorously develop intelligent technology represented by information and communication science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving urbanization sustainability is considered to be both an important component of the Sustainable Development Goals and a key way to address the conflict between limited resource constraints and urban continued growth. Regarding the urbanization sustainability, the impact of ecological environment and resource consumption has been widely discussed, while the holistic effect of urban land expansion and urban population dynamics is under-researched. This paper evaluated the urbanization sustainability of 15 urban agglomerations in China from 2000 to 2020, and applied the Geodetector model to investigate its impact mechanism. The results show that at the national level, the level of urbanization sustainability exhibited a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, accompanied by significant spatial differentiation. Spatially, the level of urbanization sustainability in urban agglomerations located in the northeast regions had strong variability during the study period. In contrast, urban agglomerations located in the central region had a lower level of urbanization sustainability due to the unrestricted expansion of urban land. In addition, urbanization sustainability varied according to the development stage of urban agglomerations. Specifically, urbanization sustainability showed a downward trend in the initial development stage, early growth stage and later growth stage of urban agglomeration, and upward trend in mature stage. Economic development level, foreign direct investment, industrial structure and urbanization level were the primary determinants of differences in urbanization sustainability at both national and regional levels. These findings may help to formulate the urban sustainable development planning and differentiated land use policies. • A new evaluation framework for urbanization sustainability was proposed. • The sustainability of urbanization varies at different stages of development. • Economic factors are the primary determinants of urbanization sustainability. • The interaction effect of factors affect sustainability of urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delineates the impact of digital infrastructure construction (DIC) on carbon emission efficiency (CEE) within the ambit of China's "Broadband China" pilot policy (BCP). A quasi-natural experimental framework reveals direct effects, indirect influences, non-linear relationships, and spatial heterogeneity of DIC on CEE. The research distills several pivotal insights: (1) DIC exerts a markedly positive impact on CEE, as evidenced by comprehensive robustness analyses. (2) The digital service industry agglomeration and green technology innovation act as key mechanisms through which DIC influences CEE. (3) The intensity of BCP exhibits an "inverted U-shaped" relationship with CEE. As the level of CEE increases, the impact of DIC on CEE gradually rises, demonstrating a marginal increasing effect. (4) The spatial spillover effects of DIC on CEE vary with increasing distance, revealing a dichotomy: an "agglomeration shadow" within 200 km of policy pilot cities and a pronounced stimulative effect on CEE within a 200–300 km radius. (5) The efficacy of DIC in enhancing CEE is augmented by proximity to central cities, with the optimal radius of influence for central cities determined to be 200 km, beyond which a diminishing gradient effect is observed, forming a "core-peripheral" spatial pattern. The findings endorse the strategic augmentation of digital infrastructure as a lever for economic and environmental co-benefits, steering towards carbon neutrality and equitable regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of "double carbon", ecological water has become one of the significant resources to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the regional ecological environment. And the ecological water consumption prediction is a prerequisite for optimizing water supply structures. Considering the impact of CO 2 emissions on ecological water consumption, the FGM(1,1) model was firstly used to predict CO 2 emissions considered as an impact factor in this paper. Then, an adjacent accumulative grey multivariate convolution model (AGMC(1,N)) was combined with the Average Weakening Buffer Operator (AWBO) to predict the annual ecological water consumption of 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in China. The results show that the AGMC(1,N) model combined with the AWBO has better prediction effect. In addition, in the next decade, only six provinces in the northern region will have a decreasing trend in ecological water consumption. However, the other provinces are showing an upward trend. The ecological water consumption trends deviate from the CO 2 emission trends in 12 provinces. The research results are beneficial for the formulation of the ecological water consumption policies and the achievement of the dual carbon goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological restoration of river basin is sensitive to ecosystem service variation. However, previous ecological restoration effectiveness assessments often ignore the social perception of ecosystem services. This paper proposed an integrated effectiveness assessment framework for ecological restoration incorporating public satisfaction level. The InVEST model was deployed to compute four key ecosystem services, which are water conservation, water purification, soil retention, and carbon storage, by using both market price and in-lieu cost methods. Then, public satisfaction as incorporated into cultural services was quantified via social media analytics using the travel cost method. Taking the Yongding River as a case, we analyzed its pre- and post-ecological restoration performance during 2015–2021 using the proposed framework. The results showed that the ecosystem service value surged by $2664.19 million, resulting in an ecosystem service change index (ESCI) of 24.49%. In particular, a 20.27% increase in the public satisfaction level was found. Public satisfaction contributed 39.25% to the total increase in the ecosystem service value of the Yongding River. Our study may provide support for ecological restoration strategies concerning both physical and public demand aspects. [Display omitted] • An integrated assessment for ecological restoration effectiveness was developed. • Social Media Analytics was used to quantify the cultural services. • The public satisfaction contributed 39.25% to the total increase of the Ecosystem Service Value of the Yongding River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trade volume of agricultural products can be used to measure the global flow of virtual cropland. This paper measures the virtual cropland contained in 68 major agricultural products in China, analyzes the changes in China's virtual cropland from 2001 to 2020, and examines the main import and export agricultural product categories of virtual cropland and the main trading countries of virtual cropland. Meanwhile, according to the LMDI model, the driving factors of virtual cropland trade are categorized into five effects, and the driving factors of virtual cropland trade are discussed in depth. The main findings are as follows: the net value of virtual cropland trade is growing rapidly, the import of legume crops is the main source of the net value of virtual cropland trade, and the virtual cropland importing countries are dominated by European and American countries, and the exporting countries are dominated by Asian countries. As for the driving factors, the quality effect and the structural effect play a dampening effect on the net imports of virtual cropland, however, the dampening effect is relatively weak and cannot offset the promotion brought by the other effects. The economic effect is the main driver of virtual net imports of cropland, and the amount of trade in agricultural products also has an important role in promoting virtual imports of cropland, while the demand effect is not significant. It is suggested that China should correctly formulate reasonable cropland management policies and trade strategies, optimize the structure of virtual cropland trade, guarantee national food security and promote sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between government environmental governance (GEG) and regional green development. The findings suggest that GEG boosts green innovation by promoting the "innovation compensation effect" while inhibiting regional green development due to increased environmental costs, supported by the "compliance cost effect". The relationship between GEG and regional green development is moderated by economic development and environmental pollution in an inverted U-shaped pattern. When economic development and environmental pollution are at lesser levels, the positive effect of GEG amplifies as economic growth and environmental pollution ascend. However, if economic growth and environmental pollution continue to escalate, the positive impact of GEG will lose its strength. In low-carbon pilot cities, GEG negatively affects regional green development, whereas the opposite effect is seen in non-pilot cities. Regardless, there is an inverted U-shaped moderating impact of economic development or environmental pollution in both low-carbon pilot and non-pilot cities, yet the inflection point varies across regions. This paper offers an original perspective by creating a theoretical link between green development and environmental governance and emphasizes the significance of a nonlinear viewpoint when examining the relationship between variables in the regional green development process, thereby expanding our understanding of green development phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordination of economic development and ecological conservation has emerged as a global trend for sustainable development. This paper utilizes the "Broadband China" policy as a quasi-natural experiment, employing panel data from 279 prefecture-level cities spanning from 2006 to 2019. By constructing a spatial difference-in-differences (SDID) model, it examines the impact of digital infrastructure (DI) on industrial ecology (IE). The study finds that DI enhances both local and neighboring IE, with a spatial attenuation boundary of 600 km for IE impacts on neighboring cities. DI primarily facilitates the transformation of IE by promoting green technology innovation and expediting factor mobility. Heterogeneity analysis conducted using a spatial difference-in-difference-in-differences (SDDD) model reveals that DI has a greater impact on IE in resource-based cities, highly marketized regions, small-scale cities, and eastern regions. This research provides a novel perspective for exploring the transformation of IE theoretically and offers practical insights for leveraging digitization to promote IE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the energy and environmental crisis is increasingly prominent, and how to solve the global energy and environmental problems is one of the challenges facing the world today. China is a major producer and consumer of organosilicon, so it is necessary to explore the stage of high energy consumption and high pollution in the organosilicon industrial chain. In 2022, the proportion of submerged arc furnaces of 25000 kVA and higher in China reached 40%. Further expansion of these furnaces in the future is inevitable. However, research on the life cycle assessment of organosilicon manufactured using large-capacity submerged arc furnaces is still blank.Therefore,in this paper, the life cycle assessment method is used to evaluate the synthesis process of chemical grade silicon-organosilicon monomer prepared by large capacity (33000 kVA) submerged arc furnace, and the dominant process in various environmental impacts is defined.At the same time, the measures to improve the production process of organosilicon monomer were put forward. In the production process of 1000 kg organosilicon monomer, global warming potential (GWP) contributed the most (73.43%) to the comprehensive environmental impact, followed by chronic public health impact (HTI, 10.55%). Energy consumption (EN) accounted for 8.50%, while resource consumption (RU) accounted for 7.43%. The contributions of other environmental factors were relatively small (0.09%).The energy consumption and environmental pollution in the production of organosilicon monomer can be reduced by strictly controlling the quality of raw materials into the furnace, using heat pump technology in the distillation unit, and comprehensively utilizing the heat of reaction by-products and steam condensate. [Display omitted] • This study is the first one in China to conduct LCA for the preparation of chemical grade silicon-organosilicon monomer synthesis process in 33000 kVA submerged arc furnace. It provides the best improvement suggestions for reducing the environmental load of the product life cycle process and achieving cleaner production. • In response to the national development policy of large-scale submerged arc furnace, the dominant process of preparing organosilicon monomer based on 33000 kva submerged arc furnace in various environmental impacts was clarified. • The main technical improvement directions are: Strictly control the quality of raw materials for submerged arc furnace; Strictly control the sulfur content and nitrogen content of carbonaceous reductant, and adopt the most suitable flue gas treatment technology route; Smelt with large submerged arc furnace; Use heat pump technology for distillation unit; Optimize the monomer synthesis device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat storage is a critical measure to realize the utilization of waste heat and to enhance the heating capacity of the medium-deep U-type borehole heat exchanger (MDUBHE) system. However, the effects of heat storage on the operation of the MDUBHE system remain unclear. The effects of heat storage measures on the building and the environment have not been assessed. In this paper, the effects of heat storage measures on system performance are revealed and assessed using the numerical heat transfer model. The results show that heat storage measures are particularly necessary in severe cold regions of China. The minimum value of the storage inlet temperature in this study should be more than 42.25 °C, and the flow rate is recommended at no more than 15 kg/s. Although increasing the inlet temperature of heat storage enhances the MDUBHE system's heating performance, the storage system's energy and exergy efficiencies are attenuated. Heat is mainly stored in the underground region within 6 m from the MDUBHE and at a depth of up to 2000 m, and the shape of the thermal plume is an inverted funnel. After adopting heat storage measures, the heating area supplied to buildings by the MDUBHE system increases, and reduces environmental pollution. Compared with the no heat storage measure, the heating area of the MDUBHE system is increased by 6770 m2 when the storage inlet temperature is 80 °C, and the corresponding solar collector area needs to be 756.1 m2. When T i n s increases from 45 °C to 80 °C, the reduction of CO 2 emissions increases by 12.43 tons, 21.05 tons, 38.26 tons, 55.41 tons, and 72.50 tons, respectively. This study could promote the application of the MDUBHE system and the heat storage system in severe cold regions. [Display omitted] • A heat storage system based on the medium and deep U-type borehole heat exchanger is proposed. • The energy efficiency and the exergy efficiency of the heat storage system are clarified. • The effects of heat storage on the temperature field of rock and soil are revealed. • The effects of heat storage on system performance and the environment were assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the path of industrial eco-efficiency (IEE) needs to be re-examined from a multi-dimensional perspective, this research opens the internal "black box" of China's industrial eco-economic system driven by sustainable development goals (SDGs) and decomposes IEE into industrial production and sustainable development stages. It further divides the industrial production stage into two parallel subsystems of water use efficiency (WUE) and energy efficiency (EE) and derives SDG6 efficiency (SDG 6 E) and SDG7 efficiency (SDG 7 E) in the sustainable development stage respectively. The paper proposes a meta two-stage parallel entropy dynamic DDF-DEA model to re-measure IEE of 30 provinces in China from 2015 to 2021, discusses the relationship between overall efficiency and stage efficiency, and by using the Tobit model explores various types of influencing factors by subregion. The results show that the modified DDF-DEA model can explore China's IEE more accurately under SDGs. China's IEE is more stable from 2015 to 2021, with the efficiency value always fluctuating between 0.59 and 0.64, the overall level is low, and there is more room for improvement. There are significant inter-provincial differences in IEE and efficiency inertia. In more than 75% of the provinces SDG 7 E constrains IEE improvement, while the dynamic evolution of IEE and its subsystem efficiency varies across regions. Environmental regulation is a common factor affecting IEE across the country and in the east, central, and west regions, whereas the level of economic development, openness to the outside world, and urbanization rate are differential factors affecting IEE across the country and in the three major regions. This study offers new perspectives for exploring the path of IEE enhancement and providing empirical references for the collaborative construction of industrial ecological civilization. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of accelerated globalization, the issue of technology blockade in complex product supply chains has taken centre stage, making the resilience and security of these chains a focal point in the strategic manoeuvres of major nations. This paper presents a tripartite evolutionary game model encompassing main manufacturers, domestic suppliers, and foreign suppliers. The aim is to delve into the internal mechanisms of transnational supply chain enterprises dealing with complex products, utilizing the "double cycle" framework to address technological blockade. The study's findings reveal a progression in the evolutionary system linked to the technological innovation capabilities of domestic suppliers. The system evolves from the independent innovation of domestic suppliers to cooperative innovation within domestic enterprises and ultimately culminates in joint ventures and cooperation involving multinational suppliers. Additionally, a noteworthy technology gap exists between domestic and foreign countries, suggesting that introducing foreign advanced technology initially and mimicking innovation can effectively mitigate research and development risks. Furthermore, the study underscores the role of Chinese government subsidies in incentivizing technological innovation among domestic suppliers, particularly pronounced when facing significant technology gaps. Simultaneously, the foreign government's imposition of penalties on premium sales by foreign suppliers serves as a catalyst for internal innovation within Chinese enterprises. These actions also motivate multinational enterprises to invest and cooperate, fostering the development of an international cycle. This study provides a fresh perspective on overcoming foreign technological blockades. Its positive implications extend to the advancement of technology in China's complex product landscape and the bolstering of supply chain resilience. • Evolutionary Game Theory Research on the Dynamic Impact of Technology Blockade on China's Complex Product Supply Chain. • Improving the level of technological innovation capability helps to break the foreign technological blockade. • The increase in fines imposed by foreign governments helps break the technological blockade through international circulation. • Domestic government subsidies are beneficial for breaking the technological blockade in domestic circulation. • Significant technological gap between domestic and foreign countries should be introduced first, and innovation should be based on imitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the existing modes of "Internet plus tree-planting" in China, the government-led mode is represented by "Internet plus national voluntary tree planting", and the enterprise-led mode is represented by "Ant Forest". Now, the public enthusiasm for participating in both modes has declined. We investigated the factors influencing public participation in "Internet plus tree-planting" activities of the two modes, with a view to providing better suggestions for solving the dilemma of public participation. This paper examines the factors that influence public participation in "Internet plus tree-planting" of these two different modes. We combine the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to explore the formation of public intention and behavior practice for the two modes and compares the differences between them. Results show that subjective norm has the greatest effect on public participation in national voluntary tree planting but has no effect on public participation in Ant Forest. On the contrary, the total effect of outcome efficacy on public participation behavior has the least weight in national voluntary tree planting, while the conclusion is the opposite for Ant Forest. This paper contributes to researchers' understanding of the two participation behaviors. In addition, suggestions on promoting integrated forms of the two modes were proposed for policymakers: (1) Keep channels of communication open and attract emerging forces. (2) Popularize environmental knowledge and improve environmental protection literacy. (3) Enrich interactive content and improve incentive policies. (4) Create an integration platform and foster two-way linkage between government and enterprises. • Combined KAP and TPB to construct the conceptual model of two "Internet plus tree-planting" modes. • Explored the different influencing factors of public participation between two modes. • In the government-led mode, subjective norm and outcome efficacy both had mediating effect on intention, and the total effect of subjective norm was greatest. • In the enterprise-led mode, outcome efficacy had a mediating effect on intention, while subjective norm had neither any direct nor indirect effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the realization of the "dual carbon target", the implementation of rooftop distributed photovoltaic (RDPV) projects in the whole county will usher in large-scale development in China. However, comprehensive investigations into the economic benefits of RDPV projects in the whole county are still rare. This paper thus aims to evaluate the economic benefits of RDPV projects when considering multiple factors. The net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and payback period (PBP) were used to analyze the financial feasibility of RDPV projects. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was adopted to optimize the economic benefits of RDPV projects by calculating the different installation ratios of different building types, including industrial and commercial buildings, government buildings, public buildings, and residential buildings. A case study verified the feasibility of the optimization model of the economic benefits of RDPV projects in the whole county in China. The results revealed that the self-use ratio of power generation greatly impacted the economic benefits of RDPV projects and a single RDPV project became economically feasible when the self-use ratio of power generation was greater than 87.753%. When considering the limitations of the self-use ratio of power generation, installed capacity, and grid connection mode of different building types, compared to the single RDPV project, the economic benefits of RDPV projects on a county scale were not financially feasible based on the optimization model, which had an NPV of about −10.35 million yuan. Industrial and commercial buildings had the highest proportion of RDPV systems installed among the four building types, while residential buildings had the lowest proportion. The current results demonstrate the economic benefits of RDPV projects in the whole county, which will promote the development of RDPV projects and reduce carbon emissions in China. Therefore, this study is expected to provide investors of RDPV with recommendations for both decision-making and making scientific plans for the government. • This paper aims to evaluate economic benefits of RDPV projects in a whole county when considering multiple factors. • Self-use ratio of power generation greatly effects RDPV projects' economic benefits. • Maximizing the use of roofs can improve RDPV projects' large-scale effects. • Installing RDPV on industrial and commercial building has good economic benefits. • Investing in RDPV systems on residential buildings needs for caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The support of digital technology is urgently needed to promote low-carbon development and green economic and social transformation and to realize the goal of "carbon neutrality" early. This paper utilizes the "Golden Tax III" project for the digital transformation of China's tax collection and administration and empirically confirms that digital tax collection and administration significantly reduces carbon emissions based on the panel data of 30 provinces (municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions) in China from 2010 to 2020, i.e., digital technology plays a positive role in carbon emission reduction. The mechanism test shows that digital technology indirectly affects carbon emissions through industrial structure, technological innovation, and tax structure. Heterogeneity analysis shows that digital technology has a significant inhibitory effect on carbon emissions in the northern region, non-Yangtze River region, provincial administrative areas with heavy local government debt, and a large proportion of tax revenue from the secondary industry and tax revenue from state-owned enterprises. Under the requirement of high-quality and green development of the economy, this paper is of great theoretical and practical significance for using digital technology to ensure the governance functions of tax, help low-carbon development, and reach the goal of "carbon neutrality" at an early date. • This study assesses the impact of digital technology on carbon emissions from the government's perspective. • This study enriches the mechanism by which digital technology affects carbon emissions. • This study provides suggestions to promote the digitization of government affairs and carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the goal of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality" in China, it is significant to explore whether emission reduction commitments contribute to carbon risk premium. Therefore, based on a sample of Chinese listed companies that publicly disclosed questionnaires in the CDP from 2009 to 2021, this paper empirically examines the relationship between emission reduction commitments and carbon risk premium and their formation mechanism. The results show that emission reduction commitments can effectively hedge the carbon risk premium, which pass several robustness tests. Specifically, the more comprehensive and ambitious the commitment is, the greater the suppression of the carbon risk premium. The mechanism test shows that disclosing emission reduction commitment information can reduce carbon risk by improving investor confidence and attracting political resources. Differences in enterprise emission levels, regional environmental regulation intensity and green financial development result in different risk-hedging effects of emission reduction commitments. Moreover, the greater the substantial pressure from stakeholders, the greater the tendency for firms to set up emission reduction commitments. Finally, the heterogeneity analysis reveals that confidence level of commitments has a significant impact on risk premium. Specifically, enterprises with SBTi validation, higher CDP ratings and higher target completion are more helpful in curbing carbon risk premium. Our findings contribute to corporate commitment to climate change and complement the carbon risk premium hypothesis. [Display omitted] The possible highlights of this study are as follows. • With the help of forward-looking information on emission reduction commitments, we re-examine the conclusion of the carbon risk premium and find that emission reduction commitments can effectively hedge the risk premium, enriching and developing the carbon risk premium hypothesis • This paper brings commitment levels and carbon emission levels into a unified analytical framework to study the correspondence between emission reduction commitments made under pressure to reduce emissions and the carbon risk premium, providing micro evidence for solving the mystery of the carbon risk premium. • Measure emission reduction commitment indicators from various angles, making the data on emission reduction commitments more objective and scientific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities have emerged as critical and challenging places for promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society in the context of the "dual carbon" targets. Meanwhile, fiscal policy is also an indispensable component of the public policy framework supporting the green and low-carbon transformation. This paper uses the pilot project of "Comprehensive Demonstration Cities for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Fiscal Policies" ("ECER-CD" policy) implemented in China since 2011 as a quasi-natural experiment. This research theoretically analyzes and empirically tests the energy conservation and emission reduction effects of fiscal policies supporting green and low-carbon transformation utilizing methodologies such as time-varying DID and multiple periods and multiple groups of DID. The study finds that the pilot cities effectively reverse the behavioural bias of local governments and promote energy conservation and emission reduction efforts. This conclusion holds after undergoing robustness tests such as parallel trend analysis and heterogeneity treatment effects. The effectiveness of the pilot policy is attributed to the upgrade of industrial structure, improvement of energy efficiency, and the effects of green technology innovation. However, cities' geographic location and resource dependency can interfere with the effective implementation of policies. This paper also further explores the environmental dividends and economic consequences of the policy and finds that the pilot cities have certain environmental dividends and do not significantly restrain economic and social development. This study broadens the research perspective on fiscal policies in energy conservation and emission reduction and clarifies the pathways through which fiscal policies promoting green, low-carbon transformation drive energy conservation and emission reduction in cities. Moreover, it also improves the use of the Difference-in-Differences method in evaluating policy effects in scenarios such as the overlapping implementation of pilot policies and policy withdrawal. Finally, this paper proposes policy recommendations to provide more empirical evidence for China to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies on emission accounting in global value chains (GVCs) have not focused on the relational nature of GVC activities manifested as the interaction of intermediate goods between enterprises. This paper proposes a relational GVC emissions accounting framework based on an inter-country input-output (ICIO) model distinguishing between domestic-owned enterprises (DOEs) and foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), which is classified as trade-based, investment-based and hybrid-based emissions. Using AMNE-ICIO tables from 2005 to 2016, this paper traces emissions and carbon intensity in relational GVC activities at the global, economic, and industry levels. We find the following: (1) Investment-based emissions accounted for about 94.15% of the increase in relational GVC emissions, of which more than half comes from the interactive activities between DOEs and FIEs. (2) For the United States, high-income economies, and high-tech manufacturing, investment-based emissions were higher than trade-based emissions, and the reverse was true for upper-middle and lower-middle income economies and China. (3) Although relational GVC carbon intensity was high, the trend of decline was significant. (4) Compared to trade activities, investment-based activities were less carbon intensity in China and upper-middle income economies due to the interaction of production between FIEs and DOEs. The findings add new insights into the coordination of global emissions reductions and the allocation of emissions responsibility. • Emphasize the interdependence between enterprises in cross-border production. • Combine GVC linkages with carbon emissions and carbon intensity. • Investment-based emissions are the main factor of relational GVC emissions growth. • The carbon intensity of relational GVC decreased significantly. • Developing countries can access green spillover through investment-based GVC links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contradiction between industrial agglomeration and energy constrains the development of cities. Government competition can affect the flow of factors for industrial agglomeration. Based on the data of 274 cities in China from 2005 to 2020, this paper constructs improved non-radial directional distance function (NDDF) and dynamic spatial durbin model (SDM). The paper further uses a threshold effect model and a mediating effects model to examines the impact and spillover effects of local government competition (LGC), new energy industry clustering and their integration on ecological total factor energy efficiency (ETFEE) from the perspective of the role of knowledge. To solve the problem of endogeneity, this paper uses the presence or absence of highway entrances and exits in cities in 2004 as an instrumental variable. The study found that new energy industry agglomeration and LGC can promote ETFEE in the short term, but it will inhibit ETFEE in the long term. New energy industry agglomeration affects local ETFEE through two types of mediating effects: narrowing knowledge breadth and widening knowledge distance between cities. At the same time, new energy industry agglomeration and LGC has a significant spatial spillover effect on urban ETFEE in the short term. Areas with high urban ETFEE can promote the improvement of ETFEE in neighbouring areas. However, from the perspective of regional differences, it finds that the concentration of new energy industries and LGC have different effects on ETFEE. There is a significant impact in the eastern region, but not in the central and western regions. Finally, the paper gives constructive advice for the adaptation of the knowledge structure and the improvement of energy efficiency through the national and governmental levels. • First examination of local government competition, new energy industry agglomeration and energy efficiency from a perspective on the role of knowledge. • The relationships among new energy industry agglomeration, local government competition and energy efficiency are all inverted U-shape. • The level of government competition above 2.097 will inhibit the increase of ETFEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green total factor productivity is a vital measure of sustainable progress, holding immense implications for attaining both economic growth and environmental preservation in a mutually beneficial manner. Focusing on green total factor productivity, this paper examines its nexus with low-carbon energy technology using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments (IV-GMM) model, based on a panel dataset in China during 2005–2018. This paper also examines the asymmetric impact of low-carbon energy technology on green total factor productivity. In addition, the moderating and mediating effects are checked. The main findings are that (1) low-carbon energy technology is a promoting factor for green total factor productivity. (2) Low-carbon energy technology exerts a more prominent marginal impact on green total factor productivity when green total factor productivity is at higher quantile levels. (3) Renewable energy generation not only drives green total factor productivity directly, but also further increases the promotion effect of low-carbon energy technology on green total factor productivity, showing a positive moderating role. (4) Energy structure transition and industrial structure transition are two internal impact mechanisms between low-carbon energy technology and green total factor productivity. These findings suggest that the government can promote green total factor productivity development by developing policies related to low-carbon energy technology and fully releasing the effects of technology on sustainable development. • This paper assesses the level of low-carbon energy technology (LCET) in China. • This paper examines the effect of LCET on green total factor productivity (GTFP). • LCET plays a significant role in enhancing GTFP. • Renewable energy generation positively moderates the nexus between LCET and GTFP. • Energy structure transition and industrial structure transition are two mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulty of the sulfur dioxide (SO 2) pollution control task has deepened step by step in recent years, while the marginal cost of environmental protection in China has also been higher. Therefore, it is necessary to study the main impact factors of China's industrial SO 2 pollution. Based on China's Industrial Environmental Statistics Database from 2004 to 2013, this paper extends the Index Decomposition Analysis (IDA) with firm entry and exit to conduct a micro-level decomposition study. The industrial SO 2 emission in China is decomposed into scale effect, composition effect, firm growth effect, and firm selection effect. Also, we use the Dagum Gini coefficient to analyze the spatial differences of firm growth effect and selection effect between the eastern, central, and western regions in China. This paper finds that the main contribution of industrial SO 2 emission control in China is the firm growth effect, which was −103% between 2004 and 2013. And the second largest contribution term is the firm selection effect, which is −18%, while the composition effect is −15%. In terms of temporal patterns, the size of the firm growth effect shrinks as time grows, and the composition effect changes from negative to positive after 2009. For spatial difference analysis, the Dagum Gini coefficient of technique effect and firm growth effect between different regions have become smaller and smaller over time, while the spatial differences of firm selection effect between regions remain unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to study the significance of China's Industrial Structure Rationalization (ISR) in reducing carbon emissions. To this end, this study uses panel data from 30 Chinese province from 2000 to 2019 to measure the Industrial Structure Rationalization of each province by calculating the Thiel index, base on which a nonlinear autoregressive lagged distribution (NARDL-PMG) model is established to explore the impacts of industrial structure rationalization on carbon emissions. The results show that: (1) There still exist significant regional differences between Eastern and Central-Western regions in industrial structure as illustrated by the ISR index. The industrial structure in Eastern region is more rational; (2) In the long run, the carbon emission in China will drop when the industrial structure becomes more rational; (3) However, in the short run, the carbon emission in China will increase when the industrial structure becomes more rational. Besides the findings above, the major difference between this paper and the extant researches is that this paper pays attention to the relationship between industrial structure rationalization and environmental quality by investigating the asymmetric influences of industrial structure rationalization index's positive and negative shocks on carbon emission, which lays solid foundations for government aiming to set more detailed policies. • Focus on the impact of rationalization of industrial structure on CO2 emissions. • Focused on the linear relationship between industrial structure and carbon emissions. • Attempts to analyze three regional pairs from the East, Central and West regions. • Provide a reference for developing countries to achieve sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has observed pivotal changes in innovative frameworks at the intersection of the digital revolution and sustainable initiatives. Within Industry 4.0, the fusion between intelligent manufacturing and green innovation has become a central driver for sustainability. Integrating these two pivotal forces to harness their collective efficiency is crucial. However, current literature offers limited insights into their combined impact, and the direction of their evolving trends still needs to be defined. Considering this, the research elucidates the core concepts and traits of digital-green fusion (DGF) within regional advanced manufacturing (RAMIDGF). Moreover, this research proposes a double-helix fusion mechanism model. Utilizing data from the advanced manufacturing sectors in six key Chinese urban clusters, this paper adopts a comprehensive analytical toolkit that includes the Coupling Modified Model, Kernel Density Estimation, Markov Chain algorithms, and the Dagum Gini Coefficient for trend analysis. The findings indicate that between 2009 and 2021, RAMIDGF exhibited a trend of initial growth followed by a decline, showing a strong correlation with per capita GDP (RGDP). The principal source of variation in RAMIDGF stems from differences between urban agglomerations, with the Yangtze River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei clusters exhibiting transitional behavior and a 'ladder-type trend' in RAMIDGF. As metropolitan clusters become more economically integrated, the probability of transitional behavior in RAMIDGF heightens. However, achieving elevated leapfrog development proves challenging, with an inherent risk of decline. Spatial spillover implications, agglomeration characteristics, and club convergence tendencies mark the RAMIDGF process. These findings expand upon new paradigms for regional sustainable development, offering novel avenues for realizing high-quality growth. [Display omitted] • The conceptual connotation and characteristics of RAMIDGF are proposed. • The double helix fusion model is constructed to analysis the fusion mechanism. • The RAMIDGF level of urban agglomerations is evaluated. • The trend and characteristics of RAMIDGF in urban agglomerations are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need to address climate change, driven by the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, has made it imperative for the world to focus on enhancing carbon emission mitigation and carbon utilization. Consequently, carbon-negative technologies have garnered significant attention, such as Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). In order to achieve the circular utilization of carbon and improve the economic viability of conventional carbon-negative technologies, this paper proposes the innovative concept of Carbon Capture, Circular Utilization, and Sequestration (CCCUS). This multifunctional carbon-negative technology couples underground biomethanation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen-rich industrial by-product gases with geothermal energy production. CCCUS also offers several additional functions, such as renewable natural gas storage, natural gas displacement, and carbon dioxide geological sequestration. Furthermore, a preliminary assessment of the techno-economic feasibility of CCCUS is undertaken. A numerical case study, conducted using the XGS gas storage in the Sichuan Basin, China, unveiled that over a 425-day period, the conversion ratio of carbon dioxide to methane in the working gas can achieve 98.9%. Moreover, the net present value (NPV) of CCCUS over a 30-year period is estimated to be approximately 4.67 × 108 CNY under the base scenario. These findings, along with field monitoring and laboratory experiments, preliminarily present evidence supporting the potential techno-economic feasibility of CCCUS. This paper offers a fresh perspective on the development of the circular carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of high-quality development, the e-commerce industry needs to seek more comprehensive development, and the logistics industry should not only maintain higher efficiency, but also meet the requirements of green and low-carbon transportation. This study aims to investigate the link between the logistic density and the proportion of e-commerce transaction scale. There are few studies on how logistics density affects the development of e-commerce quantitatively. In order to solve this gap, this study establishes an impact model of high-quality growth of e-commerce, and based on Solow production model, constructs a calculation method of logistics density, and analyzes the impact mechanism of logistics density on the scale ratio of e-commerce transactions. Using the bidirectional fixed effect model, this paper makes an empirical analysis of the panel data of 31 provinces consisting of 248 observations and autonomous regions in China from 2014 to 2020. The results show that logistic density has a positive and significant impact on the growth of e-commerce, thus promoting the optimization of economic structure. The acceleration of logistics density decreases the expansion of the ecommerce. Finally, there are obvious regional differences between the development of e-commerce and logistics infrastructure in China. Finally, based on the empirical result, this paper puts forward recommendations for government and companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing is both an essential pillar of China's economy and a significant source of environmental pollution, and there is an urgent need for the manufacturing industry to use green innovation to accelerate its goal of sustainable development. From the intellectual property protection (IPP) perspective, this paper uses Chinese manufacturing and its 26 sub-sectors as a sample from 2003 to 2018, examining the impact of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) coordinated development in manufacturing green innovation capability. The empirical results suggest that two-way FDI coordinated development enhances manufacturing green innovation, and this finding still holds after endogeneity and robustness tests. Under the influence of IPP, the relationship between two-way FDI coordinated development and manufacturing green innovation capability is nonlinear. Under the influence of macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic dimensions IPP, the effect of two-way FDI coordinated development on manufacturing green innovation capability is U, Steps, and N shaped respectively. This paper's findings can provide empirical evidence for the government to formulate industrial development strategies and for manufacturing enterprises to improve their green innovation capabilities to achieve sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic pollution is currently one of the environmental pollution issues of global concern, and microplastics (plastics with a size ≤ 5 mm) have also attracted much attention due to their large specific area, higher pollutant adsorption capacity, and higher migration performance. As the population increases and more chemical products are manufactured, the level of microplastic pollution continues to increase. Microplastics discharged from sewage treatment systems will enter the ocean and rivers, so estuary ecosystems are vital to controlling marine microplastics. As the estuary of China's most significant river entering the East China Sea, the Changjiang River Estuary has become one of the typical areas for microplastic research in estuaries. This paper systematically reviews the sources, hazards, and impacts of microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary. Firstly, the research on microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary was analyzed, and we found that the bioaccumulation, removal, and interaction with microorganisms of microplastics have become a new research hotspot. At the same time, the current abundance of microplastics in the surface water of the Changjiang River Estuary is 1.71 ± 3.12 MP/L, which is lower than that of the Changjiang River area and the river farmland in Shanghai, but still higher than the 0.22 ± 0.27 MP/L in the area adjacent to the East China Sea. Microplastics smaller than 1000 μm accounted for 68% of the total, while transparent, white, blue, and black were the primary colors of microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary. In addition, polyethylene and polypropylene are the primary materials of microplastics in the central Changjiang River Estuary and related water bodies, and fibers are the main shape of microplastics. Industry, agriculture, domestic sewage, and air deposition may be the primary sources of microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary. The numerous lakes and water conservancy facilities in the Changjiang River Basin can reduce the number of microplastics reaching the Changjiang Estuary to a certain extent. At the same time, seasonal rainfall and ocean currents will affect the abundance of microplastics in the surface waters of the Changjiang River Estuary. Finally, this paper puts forward relevant suggestions based on the actual situation of the Changjiang River Estuary and the developed microplastic treatment technologies. This article will provide a structured reference for future research on microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary and assist in assessing microplastics' impact on the ecological environment. The Fate of Microplastic Pollution in the Changjiang River Estuary. [Display omitted] • Microplastics' sources, hazards, and impacts in the Yangtze Estuary were reviewed. • Bioaccumulation, removal, and interaction with microorganisms are the hotspots. • The microplastics in the water of the Changjiang mainly exists in the form of fibers. • Source control and establishment of MPs barriers will help to solve MPs pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have primarily examined the impact of farmland fragmentation on agricultural production from the perspective of crop yield per unit of land. However, they generally overlook the effects of farmland fragmentation on the productivity of both labor and capital. Drawing upon micro-level data from rice, wheat, and maize farmers across 14 provinces in China for the years 2019 and 2020, this paper measures the effects of farmland fragmentation on the labor productivity, land productivity, and capital productivity of these three different crops, within the same temporal and spatial dimensions. We utilize the internal instrumental variable method (KV-IV) to address potential endogeneity issues in the model. The research findings indicate: (1) Farmland fragmentation hampers the use of machinery, resulting in a significant decrease in the labor productivity of farmers. On average, for every 1% increase in the level of farmland fragmentation, labor productivity for rice, wheat, and maize farmers drops by 21.3%, 19.9%, and 21.9% respectively. (2) Farmland fragmentation has significantly increased the land productivity of rice. With every 1% increase in farmland fragmentation, the land productivity of rice farmers increases on average by 3.4%. However, the impact of farmland fragmentation on the land productivity of wheat and maize is not significant. (3) The capital productivity of rice, influenced by farmland fragmentation, mirrors the changes seen in land productivity. Rice farmers with higher levels of farmland fragmentation exhibit greater capital productivity. On average, with every 1% increase in the level of farmland fragmentation, the capital productivity of rice farmers increases by 6.7%. Conversely, farmland fragmentation has a significant negative impact on the capital productivity of both wheat and maize farmers. On average, for every 1% increase in farmland fragmentation, the capital productivity of wheat and maize farmers drops by 9.1% and 7.0% respectively. Based on the empirical results of this paper, we propose corresponding policy recommendations. In the conclusion, we delve into the underlying causes of farmland fragmentation in China and ascertain that, to address the issue of farmland fragmentation in the country, the government must take a leading role. The significance of this paper lies in analyzing the varying degrees and directions of the impact of farmland fragmentation on different crops, providing a basis for the government to implement differentiated farmland fragmentation management policies in different crop-producing regions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational assessment of the regional sustainable development level is an important prerequisite for formulating development strategies and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, little literature provides nuanced understanding for national sustainable development from the perspective of county sustainability. Such studies can provide more accurate regional heterogeneity characteristics and policy decision support. Thus, this paper applies the entropy weight method and Chinese county data from 2000 to 2017 to reassess the sustainability of Chinese counties. The results show that China's county sustainability (Sustainable Development Index, SDI) is slowly improving. County sustainability performance is poorer in ethnic minority agglomerations, poor counties, old revolutionary counties, and central and western regions, better in county-level cities and eastern regions. The decomposition results show that economic sustainability and environmental sustainability are the main supporters of SDI growth, and livelihood sustainability is in urgent need of improvement. The regional inequality of SDI in Chinese counties gradually decreases, and inter-group differences are the main contributors to regional inequality in SDI. This paper provides support for China to develop county-level sustainable development measures and practice the SDGs. The findings could be useful for policymakers. [Display omitted] • Based on the entropy weight method and the Chinese county data, the sustainable development levels of 1533 counties in China from 2000 to 2017 are estimated. • Analyses of spatial-temporal dynamic heterogeneity, Linear decomposition, and Dagum decomposition are conducted to study the features of sustainable development in Chinese counties. •The influence of natural features and national concern preferences on county sustainable development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of urbanization in China inevitably leads to a sharp increase in building energy consumption, and Passive House (PH) have received much attention in China in recent years. In this paper, the annual energy demand (AED) and summer discomfort hours (SUH) of PH are used as optimization objectives to establish a set of design solutions for multi-objective optimization (MTO) and economic analysis of a PH in Shandong Province, China. It is found that (1) the algorithm based on nearest neighbor component analysis (NCA) feature extraction applies to the sensitivity analysis of multivariate nonlinear high-dimensional data, and the NCA-GA-RBF neural network technique is proposed, which has significantly improved the goodness of fit and generalization ability for AED and SUH. (2) The NSGA-II genetic algorithm is used for the optimization search, and the results show that the overall improvement rates of AED and SUH are 25.5% and 21.6%, respectively, among the nine solutions after comprehensive evaluation; (3) Finally, the optimal scheme of energy saving and the optimal scheme of the economy are selected for economic evaluation. By comparing the economics of the two options and the improvement rates of AEDs and SUHs, the guidelines for design decision-makers are provided. In summary, the design scheme of this paper is forward-looking and reference-oriented and provides some reference suggestions for the development of PH in China. • The NCA algorithm is suitable for multivariate nonlinear sensitivity analysis. • NCA-GA-RBF has stronger and more stable generalization ability and accuracy. • In this paper, climate is the main factor affecting thermal parameters. • Global costs have a stronger economic interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive system for assessing contaminant emissions, including the dominant contaminant reduction effects, recessive contaminant reduction effects, and contaminant reduction efficiency indexes. The system is used to evaluate the linkage changes in contaminant emissions reduction across different sectors, the ease of regulation, and the returns on emissions reduction efforts. The study's results demonstrate that firstly, COVID-19 initially reduced contaminant emissions across almost all sectors, although this effect waned over time. Secondly, applying conventional regulatory measures to sectors with high reductions in contaminant emissions may not yield the expected results. Thirdly, while some sectors may be more difficult to regulate, they may offer a higher return on investment in terms of emissions reduction. Based on the above results, the paper advocates for timely measures to consolidate environmental gains, prevent rebounding of contaminant emissions, prioritize supervision and management of easily regulated sectors, prioritize upgrading of cleaner production in sectors with high reduction efficiency indices, and increase investment in environmental technology. • Created a new comprehensive system for assessing contaminant emission changes. • Quantified the unique linkage changes of contaminant emissions during COVID-19. • Developed new models to reveal contaminants' regulatory difficulty and return. • The innovative reduction effects of four key contaminant indicators were measured. • Applied WHEM firstly in research across multiple areas of contaminant emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the spatial distribution and influencing factors of China's newborn digital enterprises (NDEs). Based on digital enterprises in 287 cities across China from 2005 to 2020, the paper uses the negative binomial model coupled with Geographic Information System (GIS) maps methods. The results reveal that NDEs are concentrated in the east of the country and are more sparsely distributed in the center and west. The number of NDEs in different Chinese regions varies significantly with location choice featuring agglomeration characteristics. The empirical analysis confirms that new location factors are of growing importance to the location choice of NDEs while the impact of traditional factors is waning. We also report that NDEs prefer developed eastern cities, while location factors are less important in the center and west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for chemical products in China, how to manage the risks associated with hazardous freight transportation has attracted arising attentions from both government and industry practitioners. From the perspective of carrier companies, transportation modal choice and routing for hazardous freight transportation need to be carefully designed, which motivates current research. This paper aims to optimize the service mode and routing for hazardous freight transportation in a rail-truck network with bi-objectives optimization approach. Several practical concerns are addressed, including the coordination of rail transportation which has fixed train running plan and road transportation which is flexible and mobile, and the consideration of alternative path when the expressway is temporally blocked for hazardous freight due to the traffic restriction measurements on inter-city road segments. Furthermore, the time-varying transportation risks and costs associated with accidents of hazardous freight transportation are investigated. The Max-Min Ant-colony Algorithm (MMAS) algorithm is adopted for solution. For model validations and conclusion generalization, this paper implements a real-life case study in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China with the objective of minimizing transportation risks and costs. The solutions show that traffic restrictions have an adverse impact on the carrier and alternative paths are able to help the carriers further optimize their routing strategy. A careful consideration and appropriate processing of differences in operational characteristics of two transportation modes, is able to provide a better and more realistic understanding of rail-truck hazardous freight transportation problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data industry development and carbon dioxide emissions reduction are the crucial driver and objective functions of economic growth, respectively. Whether the two types of corresponding policies can achieve the "win-win" effect is the key to green development transformation in the future. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of big data industry development on carbon dioxide emissions. Based on the quasi-natural experiment in China's national big data comprehensive experimental area, the paper identifies the causal effect between big data industry development and carbon dioxide emissions. Specifically, the panel data of 282 cities in China spanning from 2010 to 2019 are used in regression analysis. The study reveals that the big data industry development has a substantial impact in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Meanwhile, the findings are confirmed by a set of rigorous robustness checks. The heterogeneity analyses suggest that the effect of inhibiting carbon dioxide emissions due to the big data industry development is more significant in eastern & central China, and large-sized cities. In addition, the big data industry reduces carbon dioxide emissions through the effects of industrial structure optimization, technological innovation, and resource allocation. Our findings contribute to the nexus between big data industry development and carbon dioxide emissions. In light of these findings, the paper recommends that governments integrate economic growth and environmental protection policies by promoting big data industry development. • The paper provides a novel insight into the CO 2 emission from the perspective of big data industry. • Based on quasi-natural experiment, the paper has identified the causal effect between the big data industry development and CO 2 emissions with the Difference-in-Difference (DID) methodology. • Big data industry development effectively stimulate the reduction of CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling effect of green innovation participants, elements, and environments directly reflects the operation and evolution of a green innovation ecosystem. This paper studies the spatial organization mode of green innovation ecosystems and the structural evolution and self-organization mode of their associated networks under this coupling effect. By selecting relevant data from 286 cities in China from 2010 to 2021, the green innovation ecosystem coupling coordination index (GIECCI) is calculated using a coupling coordination model. The calculation result is used as a weight to modify a gravity model to construct an innovation ecological network. After analyzing the calculation results, the findings are as follows. (1) The polarization effect of the GIECCI is significantly alleviated, presenting a quantitative structure close to the normal distribution; However, the existence of the Matthew effect trap leads to great resistance to green innovation in some cities. (2) Cities with the same or a similar GIECCI are more likely to form agglomerations, including mature, cross-distribution, and budding agglomeration models. (3) The connectivity status of urban nodes significantly varies, and the mismatch between connectivity symmetry and the total strength of green innovation gravity is widespread. These findings may provide a reference for government departments to plan the layout of green innovation industries and choose sustainable innovation strategies for enterprises. This paper explains the coupling effect of urban green innovation ecosystem from three dimensions of green innovation participants, elements and environment, and corrects the gravity model with coupling coordination index to construct a directional complex network to describe the relationship between green innovation ecosystems (green innovation ecological network). Innovative indicators such as node efficiency, connection symmetry and chain network density are put forward to explore the evolution law and self-organization effect of ecological network. [Display omitted] • Green ecosystem's coordination gap has lessened. • Similar GIECCI cities tend to cluster. • The innovation network shows dual imbalance. • Cities display varied connectivity. • Connection quantity and strength often mismatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's industry is facing a carbon lock-in (CLI) dilemma. Based on the complexity and dynamics of CLI, exploring diversified unlocking paths is an important way to achieve emission reduction goals. This paper innovatively applies system dynamics (SD) to the study of CLI prediction and unlocking path, and systematically constructs an industrial CLI SD model, trying to break the positive feedback mechanism of CLI through multiple causality and feedback chains. This paper simulates and predicts the changing trend of the CLI level of China's industry and 8 major subsectors from 2020 to 2050. At the same time, the random forest algorithm is used to select the regulatory variables of policy analysis. Compared with the previous research methods, the accuracy and objectivity of the selection of regulatory variables are improved, so as to test the effectiveness of the unlocking path under each scenario. The results show that (1) the whole industry faces a serious CLI problem and is still in a deep lock-in state. From the perspective of subsectors, the light, electromechanical, and textile industries have achieved unlocking; the oil and extractive industries are in a moderately lock-in state; the chemical, steel, and power industries are in a deep lock-in state; and the CLI situation is serious. (2) The results of the random forest algorithm show that R&D investment, the proportion of fixed asset investments in the energy industry, car sales, energy structure, and carbon emission industry structure are the most significant factors affecting CLI in each subsystem. (3) Compared with the existing economic development model, the technological, institutional, social, and comprehensive unlocking scenarios can all enable industry to achieve carbon peak and carbon unlocking in advance. However, the effect of each scenario is as follows: comprehensive unlocking scenario > technological unlocking scenario > institutional unlocking scenario > social unlocking scenario. (4) The unlocking times of the oil, chemical, steel, and power industries are relatively late in each scenario. To realize carbon unlocking in industry, these four areas should be focused on in the future. This study helps policymakers formulate reasonable policies to accelerate industrial carbon unlocking and promote the implementation of the "dual carbon" strategy. • The whole industry faces a serious carbon lock-in problem. • The technological, institutional, social and comprehensive unlocking scenarios can all achieve carbon unlocking in advance. • The comprehensive unlocking scenario has the best effect, and the social unlocking scenario has the worst effect. • The oil, chemical, steel and power industries should be focused on in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China's spent lead-acid battery (LAB) recycling market, there is a fundamental issue of irregular recycling due to the illegal industrial chain's vicious price competition. Investigating stakeholders' behavior evolutions and strategic choices will help explore solutions. Focusing on spent LABs' collection, this paper introduces an evolutionary game model consisting of the government agency (GA), massive collection site (MC), and primary collection site (PC). After identifying evolutionary stability strategies, this paper assigns parameter values to simulate evolution process and investigate parameter sensitivity and effect comparison. The results demonstrate that: (i) it is necessary for the GA to regulate market with the parameters meeting corresponding stability conditions. (ii) the GA can appropriately increase policy support, fine, and subsidy, but excessive intensity is inappropriate. (iii) different parameters need to be focused on respectively from result orientation and process orientation. This study provides valuable management implications for policymakers to promote spent LABs' regular recycling. [Display omitted] • The regular recycling of spent LABs is significant to environment and resource. • A tripartite evolutionary game model is established based on the collection process. • The government plays an important role at the current stage of industry development. • The incentives and punishments should be appropriate, neither too low nor too high. • Different parameters should be focused on from different orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of tidal pumping station has an energetic impact on energy course of massive water pumping for a long time. Thus, a multi-objective optimal operation model was developed to optimize the operation scheme and reduce the energy consumption of the tidal pumping station. In the model, a day is divided into several sub-periods according to the regulation of water level in tidal reach. The partition of sub-periods, the number and blade angle of operating units in each sub-period are adjusted to minimize daily operation energy consumption. And the less switching times, the better the reliability and durability of the unit, the lower the failure rate. Therefore, the reduction of wearing parts' service life is quantified for each switching time in the form of cost. A case study is performed with the tidal pumping station of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China. In this paper, energy consumption and switching times are quantified as costs respectively, and the result shows that the daily energy consumption could be saved about 2.28%–6.56%, and the switching times reduced at least 60%. Therefore, this paper could provide an effective optimal operation scheme for the tidal pumping station whose operation is affected by tides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing energy poverty and promoting energy equity are crucial for China to eradicate poverty comprehensively and achieve shared prosperity. Through a combined dynamic evaluation approach to accurately measure the extent of energy poverty, this paper analyzes the staged time series, spatial distribution characteristics of energy poverty applies the Dagum Gini coefficient and variance decomposition to observe the imbalance characteristics of energy poverty and identify the sources of variation. The objective of this paper is to mitigate the influence of spatial disparities on coordinating efforts to eradicate energy poverty across different regions. Consequently, provides valuable insights for decision-making to effectively eradicate energy poverty and expedite the achievement of energy equity. The results indicate: The reduction process of energy poverty in China exhibit phased characteristics from 2000 to 2020, with significant variations in reduction levels among provinces. Different sources of energy poverty exhibits imbalanced spatial distribution and evolution. The overall disparity in energy poverty widens as the phases progress, with characteristic nodes experiencing a temporal delay of 2–3 years compared to the policy nodes. Inter-regional disparities are the primary spatial source of energy poverty differences, while energy use capacity is the main factor contributing to variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the complex network of industry space, this paper investigates the industry structure optimization in Jiangxi Province in China. For the prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi Province, the location quotient is applied to obtain the specialized sub-industries. The conditional probability is used to analyze the interdependencies between industries. The complex network of industry space is presented to illustrate the relatedness among industries and analyze the space and structure of the regional overall industry. The index of transitional potential is proposed to measure the potential of a non-specialized industry which will become a specialized one in the future. The transformation difficulty index of industry is obtained to analyze the difficulty level of the transformation of the original specialized industry set to a new specialized one of a city. The results show that more industries have positive than negative interdependencies with one another in Jiangxi Province; rare industries specialize in cities at higher-level GDP, and common industries dominate the cities at lower-level GDP; it is more difficult for rarer non-specialized industries to become specialized ones, more common non-specialized industries can become specialized ones more easily, and the cities with higher GDP can transform industries more easily. By discussing the industries that have positive interdependencies with existing specialized industries, the detailed direction of industry structure optimization is analyzed. Finally, the policy implications are proposed, and these can be applied to other developing countries. • The conditional probability is used to analyze the interdependencies between industries. • The complex network of industry space is presented to illustrate the relatedness among industries. • The index of transitional potential is used to measure the potential of a non-specialized industry becoming specialized. • The transformation difficulty index is the difficulty level of the transformation of the originally specialized industry. • The industry structure can be optimized by developing the industries that have positive interdependencies with existing specialized industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the environmental regulations affecting carbon emissions is complex, and for many years it has been a hot research topic for researchers. However, few of the previous studies have focused on whether or not environmental regulations can potentially influence carbon emissions through technical efficiency. Therefore, the present study chose to investigate the mediation effects of the technical efficiencies between environmental regulations and carbon emissions using the provincial panel data of energy-intensive industries for the period ranging from 2005 to 2015. The results were as follows: (i) In regard to the entire group of energy-intensive industries, it was found that environmental regulations could not only potentially directly reduce carbon emissions, but also indirectly reduce carbon emissions through technical efficiency. In other words, technical efficiency had played a partial mediation role between the environmental regulations and the carbon emissions; (ii) It was observed that for the different subdivided energy-intensive industries, the different levels of technical efficiency had shown various mediation effects. For example, the mediation effects of technical efficiency in the petroleum processing and coking (PPC) industry; papermaking and paper products (PPP) industry, and raw chemical materials and chemical products (RCMCP) industry, were found to be similar to those of the whole energy-intensive industries. Furthermore, the "Porter Hypothesis" had been verified in the nonmetal mineral products (NMP) industry. However, there were no mediation effects observed in the smelting and pressing of ferrous metals (SPFM) and smelting and pressing of nonferrous metals (SPNM) industries; (iii) In this study, in accordance with the regression results of the double-threshold models, it was found that for the energy-intensive industries as a whole, the carbon emission reduction effects of environmental regulations had become stronger with the increases in technical efficiency. For the PPP and RCMCP industries, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship observed between environmental regulations and carbon emissions when the technical efficiency was taken as the threshold variable. Therefore, based on the research conclusions achieved in this study, some policy recommendations were put forward. • Environmental regulation reduces carbon emission of the energy intensive industries of China. • Technical efficiency plays a partial mediation effect between environmental regulation and carbon emission. • The mediation effects of technical efficiency differ in the subdivided energy-intensive industries. • The "Porter hypothesis" is verified in Nonmetal Mineral Products (NMP) industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As major strategic development areas in China, the provinces around the Yangtze River are facing the pressure of large aggregate CO 2 emissions and high per capita CO 2 emissions. The study on the pathway of reducing CO 2 emissions and increasing carbon sequestration will help China better clarify the ways realize the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality as soon as possible. In this paper, the extended STIRPAT model and OLS regression were used to establish a prediction model to estimate the CO 2 emissions during 2010–2060 under different scenarios. Meanwhile, the InVEST model was used to estimate the carbon sequestration, and the comparison with the CO 2 emissions was analyzed. The results show that Qinghai and Yunnan have achieved the goal of carbon neutrality in 2010. Under the low-carbon and energy-saving scenario and the baseline scenario, all provinces within the study area are anticipated to attain their emissions peak by 2030 or earlier, and the CO 2 emissions peak value of the whole study area is 3111 Mt and 3199 Mt, respectively. While under the high emissions scenario, only Chongqing and Qinghai will reach the emissions peak in 2030, and the whole study area will reach the emissions peak in 2040, with peak value of 3470 Mt. Under the three scenarios, the whole study area cannot achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Only Sichuan and Hubei can achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 and 2060 under the low-carbon and energy-saving scenario. All provinces and municipalities in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River are facing huge pressure of emissions reduction. The research reveals that the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality should be achieved by developing clean energy, transforming industrial structure, increasing carbon sequestration and improving carbon emissions trading system. [Display omitted] • The CO 2 emissions showed a pattern of increase during 2010–2020. • The whole study area will achieve carbon peak by 2040 or earlier. • The whole study area cannot achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. • The realization pathway of carbon peak and neutrality was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]