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The international recovered paper trade serves two important functions: increasing raw material availability in the paper and board industry and providing economic incentives to recycle. The purpose of this paper is to shed further light on emerging patterns in this trade by empirically analysing the changes in the bilateral trade flows of recycled paper between 1992 and 2008. According to our estimations, two important changes occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. First, the growing importance of developing economies in global recycled paper trade plays a significant role in import demand as a determinant of trade flows. Second, the changes in global trade patterns necessitate investigating the transportation cost measures used in applied research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using recent data on a cross-section of Swedish chemical and pulp and paper firms, this paper provides novel empirical insights into the Porter hypothesis. Well-designed environmental regulation can stimulate firms' innovative capabilities, while at the same time generating innovation offsets that may both offset net compliance costs and yield a competitive edge over those firms that are not affected by such regulations. In doing so, we also test the alleged effectiveness of regulatory time strategies in stimulating innovation activities of regulated firms. We find evidence for the effectiveness of such well-designed regulations: announced rather than existing regulation induces innovation and some innovation offsets. Our results imply that empirical tests of the Porter hypothesis that do not account for its dynamic nature, and that do not measure well-designed regulations, might provide misleading conclusions as to its validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the emergence of the concept in the 1980s, the terms "sustainable development" and "sustainability" have appeared in a great many papers. Consistent with the nature of the sustainable development concept, most JEPM papers take a social science perspective. More specifically, recent papers within JEPM have significantly contributed to a range of UN goals for sustainable development. Such policy transfer remains an important issue in achieving the UN sustainable development goals. [Extracted from the article]

Globally, tourism is currently one of the fastest-growing industries, with strong impacts on territories, from an environmental, economic and social point of view. The increase in the number of tourists who flock to destinations requires greater attention to sustainability through tools (indicators) such as strategic destination management support. This paper, through the review of 104 scientific papers, aims to analyze the structure and evolution of the evaluation and monitoring of sustainable tourism through the use of sets of indicators. In particular, the study favors the understanding of the most significant aspects of sustainable tourism that the literature suggests to analyze, evaluating how these vary in relation to the type of destination and the time period of the study. The results contribute to the understanding of the theoretical and operational aspects which, today, are considered representative of the concept of sustainable tourism, improving the sustainable management of territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the necessary and sufficient influence of the innovation environment, which incorporates various innovation variables, on IGTFP from a configurational standpoint. This paper utilizes fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis and necessary condition analysis methodologies. A total of 11 models are found to be driven by the innovation environment for IGTFP. Technological output is necessary for IGTFP and thus a fundamental factor in various models. The effects of wages and human capital on IGTFP are also relatively significant. Longitudinally, there is no consistent innovation environment-driven model. This paper reveals the intricate associations between the innovation ecosystem and IGTFP while elucidating the mechanism of variable effects on IGTFP influenced by varying spatio-temporal environments, which significantly amplifies current comprehension of the mean effect link between the two. Concurrently, the article furnishes methodological direction for subsequent investigation into the complexity of the relationships between relevant variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change requires forward-looking policy responses. Developing such responses can be challenging for governments and, therefore, specific long-term institutions have been proposed for overcoming short-termism. However, the impacts of such institutions have been underexplored. In this paper, we analyze the influence of a long-term institution, the Dutch Delta Programme, on local governments' decisions. The paper results are based on an analysis of climate adaptation strategies, investment plans and adaptation projects and interviews with policymakers, across seven Dutch municipalities. Results indicate that while local adaptation strategies are largely forward looking, adaptation projects tend to focus on solving present-day issues. We found that the Delta Programme enabled local governments to make forward-looking decisions and policies, by: (1) providing knowledge about climate vulnerabilities, (2) creating a broader framing of the issue of climate change, and (3) providing guidance for developing local climate adaptation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many regions or countries seek to transition to a low-carbon economy, but there is ambiguity about how carbon emissions change with economic growth. This paper captures characteristics of carbon emissions in China using the Tapio Method. To detect driving factors of carbon emissions in economic growth, we adopt the Log-Mean Divisia Index decomposition method. The results of the paper are as follows: (1) Economic growth in most regions of China has outpaced the growth rate of carbon emissions, showing the characteristics of decoupling. (2) Metropolitan cities have a greater impact on the level of decoupling in neighboring provinces and municipalities. (3) The decoupling of carbon emissions from economic growth is caused by declining energy intensity in China. (4) The energy mix and industrial structure have little impact on the growth rate of carbon emissions. In addition, some policy implications are summarized according to the findings of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial introduces the Special Issue on the role and use of discrete choice modelling in informing environmental and energy decision making and summarises the main insights provided. The papers collected in this Special Issue address a range of applications of discrete choice modelling, from energy decisions to climate change and transport choices, from tourism preferences for climate change mitigation to wildlife conservation strategies and ecosystem management. However, all the papers share the same fundamental aim of using novel methodological approaches in choice models to tackle conceptually and spatially specific policy questions and support decisions with robust empirical evidence. This is particularly relevant to enhance the real-world policy uptake of choice modelling results and develop a network of practice and capacity building to improve the quality of information that is provided to stakeholders and decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the prerequisites for a regulatory-driven transition toward radically lower air and water pollution in industry. This is achieved in the empirical context of the Swedish mining and metals industry, and by investigating the environmental licensing processes during two regulatory systems. The paper derives an analytical framework that explores under what circumstances such licensing processes can result in radical emissions reductions without seriously jeopardizing the competitiveness of the industry. Archived material covering six environmental licensing processes, three during each system, is used to illustrate the various design and implementation issues. The results suggest that regulatory-driven green transitions benefit from trust-based bargaining procedures in which companies are involved in repeated interactions with regulatory authorities, and which extended probation periods permit tests of novel abatement technologies (including innovation). The findings also illustrate the importance of abstaining from simplified normative notions about policy instrument choice (e.g. taxes versus standards). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns for the ongoing and increasing degradation of the natural environment worldwide have increased the impetus for action, and development of governance arrangements to support natural resource management. Despite this, several issues around governance still remain as challenges to the success of natural resource management. This study reports the findings of a systematic literature review of 240 papers to better understand how governance challenges manifest spatially, and how they change over time. Also the paper identifies key priority areas for strategic governance reform. This paper reveals that the capacity of natural resource management governance systems internationally is most limited by factors that limit connectivity and collaboration between stakeholders in decision-making processes, and the alignment of vision and objectives across institutions. The paper also reveals clear spatial disparities and temporal changes in the number of studies and governance challenges identified in natural resource management in developing and developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data for 812 Chinese farmers and a conditional mixed process (CMP) approach, this paper investigates the impact of farmers' e-commerce participation on their awareness of green production. Main results include: (1) e-commerce participation increases farmers' overall awareness of green production by 0.771 (i.e. 0.88 standard deviations); meanwhile such impact is more evident for old-generation, low-income and small-scale farmers; (2) risk awareness is most affected among three sub-dimensions; (3) three influencing channels are confirmed, which are improving information acquisition, strengthening connections with the food market, and alleviating information asymmetry. This paper concludes that e-commerce can play a significant role in promoting the green transition of farmers and agricultural production. As for implications, policymakers need to further promote e-commerce in agriculture while building a more solid food system, including green food certification and a full chain traceability system. However, farmers' heterogeneities should be considered when any intervention is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in behavioural and communication sciences generated enthusiasm in public policy for new ways of 'framing' messages and 'nudging' individual behaviour. Wide research and practice of behavioural interventions that have since ensued triggered the rise of a new sub-field called Behavioural Public Policy (BPP). At the same time, nudges – a part and parcel of BPP, have received criticism for being paternalistic, non-democratic and lacking evidence of long-term effectiveness. More recently, the whole project of BPP has come under criticism as construed too narrowly. Critics have argued for a new approach to BPP that is pluralistic, multi-disciplinary and multi-method. One key pillar of it is a 'policy mix' – a combined application of behavioural and non-behavioural policy tools. Little is known, however, about 'policy mixes' in practice. This paper conducts a scoping non-exhaustive review of the academic and policy literature published between 2008 and 2020 that discusses policy mixes of behavioural policy tools (defined in this paper as 'nudges' and 'frames') and reflective policy tools (defined in this paper as 'deliberative' events and incentives for individuals to 'think') employed within environmental policy. Two questions guide this review: (a) what are the characteristics of policy mixes in terms of their types, geography, sectors of application, and empirical detail of exposition?; (b) to what extent do existing policy mixes include broader governance aspects of politics, awareness of contextuality and flexibility? By taking stock of experiences of empirical place-based policy mixes of behavioural and reflective tools, we provide insights into a fast-developing body of scholarship and point to ways forward with policy mixes. The paper is also relevant to policy studies beyond the domain of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological civilization construction is an important dimension to achieve high-quality economic development. This paper evaluates the eco-efficiency improvement effect of China's ecological civilization pilot zone policy utilizing the synthetic control method (SCM) differences-in-differences method (DID) and examines the influence mechanism of ecological civilization pilot zones on eco-efficiency in the light of the environmental pollution penalty, green technological innovation, and environmental publicity and education. The study results indicate that the construction of the ecological civilization pilot zone policy has substantially boosted eco-efficiency in the pilot areas, with the strongest boosting effect on eco-efficiency in Fujian province, followed by Guizhou province, and not significantly on eco-efficiency in Jiangxi province. Further, this paper also reveals that the construction of ecological civilization pilot zones has effectively contributed to eco-efficiency through channels such as strengthening the environmental pollution penalty, stimulating green technological innovation, and broadening environmental publicity and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of urban populations sensitive to extreme heat is under increasing threat. Few studies examine the potential benefits of deploying IoT environmental sensors in the urban context and their integration with large-scale human activity data. This paper examines the deployment of IoT sensors in high-resolution extreme heat risk assessment in the case of Seoul, South Korea. This study conducted spatiotemporal analysis on heat exposure with IoT sensors, compared it with an existing land surface temperature map for validation, combined it with human activity data for risk assessment, and finally discussed the benefits of IoTs in detecting abnormal weather events. The results show that extreme heat risks and characteristics vary by age group, and socio-demographic nature overlaps with contextual factors concerning climate risk. This paper discussed possible policy implications to better deal with recurring climate hazards using IoT sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public Inquiry is an established process for effective testing and scrutiny of plans in terrestrial planning and is regarded as a means of providing credibility and accountability. Independent Investigation is its marine equivalent and was included as a provision in the UK marine planning regime and subsequent legislation since its inception. However, it has been noticeably absent in practice. This paper investigates the reasons behind this situation within the context of the proposed and actual role of II in the marine planning process in the UK. It additionally considers the future use of II in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the marine planning system. This paper concludes that as the use of the marine resource of the UK becomes increasingly contested and controversial, II could be utilized to enhance marine plans and marine planning decisions and thus warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether green credit policy can mitigate firms' financialization. Using data from Chinese non-financial public listed firms during 2008 to 2019, we take the green credit policy promulgated in 2012 as a quasi-natural experiment and find that: (1) the green credit policy can reduce firms' entrusted loans, especially affiliated entrusted loans. Moreover, the governance effect exerted by banks' green credit policy reduces free cash flow and excess cash in heavily polluting firms, as shown in mechanism analysis. (2) The profit-seeking incentive dominates shadow banking activities in heavily polluting enterprises. (3) The 2012 green credit guidelines reduce entrusted loans maturity but increase the interest rate. The findings of this paper provide market-oriented insights into the regulation of shadow banking activities. This research also contributes to the literature on the effects of green credit policy by exploring their impact on firm shadow banking activities, and takes one step further to investigate the effect of green credit policy on firms' entrusted loans. This paper also sheds light on how green credit policy can alleviate the imperfections and distortions of financial markets in the emerging market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how spatial judgments impacted planning and policy-making by studying how stakeholders on Cape Cod, Massachusetts considered cross-scale relationships between local, regional, and state jurisdictions and hydro-geologically defined watersheds. Analysis of video data from participatory planning workshops illustrates how these judgments were made as stakeholders developed a regional wastewater management plan. Detailed analysis of their deliberations illustrates the complex and dynamic nature of their scalar judgements as they addressed mismatches between watersheds and towns. Findings illustrate how their judgments were part of the process that led to the development of innovative policy tools for collective action that embraced, rather than erased, mismatches. This paper also demonstrates the application of spatial judgments of non-expert stakeholders as they made plans and proposed actions for a complex social-ecological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The System of Environmental and Economic Accounting aims at the integration of national accounts with the contributions of the environment. After three decades of development, though, only a portion of it has become an international standard for national accounting. Its uncertain, experimental status reflects the complexities faced by a project that requires a clear and implementable concept of valuation to be applied to non-market goods. In this paper, we review the debate between competing theories of value that had a role in the early development of the System and we follow the discussion that first accompanied the drafting of its current version and is now informing a revision process that will lead to a new edition of the Experimental Ecosystem Accounting module by 2021. The next developments and every step made toward integration will affect not just the content of the national accounts but also how it can be collected and used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) is an empowering tool for the enhancement of local communities' participation in the planning and management of natural resources. The inadequate involvement of local stakeholders in rangeland planning and management has been of great concern. Discussions on the role of PGIS and collaborative management approaches in promoting local involvement in rangeland management has not been clearly understood due to the scarcity of literature. This paper assessed how local participation in rangeland management can be enhanced using a combined collaborative management framework and PGIS approach. The objective was achieved through a focus group discussion, local ecological knowledge mapping and key informant interviews. The combined PGIS and collaborative management approach enabled the empowerment of local actors through knowledge enhancement, encouraged the practice of rangeland governance and the transfer of responsibility to local actors. This study provides a conceptual contribution toward the improvement of local actors' participation in rangeland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper explores theoretical linkages between community well-being and key dimensions of public spaces (i.e., physical characteristics, technical experts, and communities). It draws on environmental justice literature and the Tripartite Framework to contextualize the concept of access to public spaces. The nexus between the key dimensions of public spaces and community well-being are explored by drawing on the Network Theory of Wellbeing. The main contribution of this paper is its merging of the aforementioned seminal work (i.e., Tripartite Framework and Network Theory of Wellbeing), two important bodies of scholarship that have yet to intersect but which offer a formidable platform to advance knowledge on how technical (e.g. planners), social (i.e. communities) and physical (e.g. built spaces like parks) dimensions of public space production can contribute to communal benefits derived from a public resource and community well-being. The applicability of the conceptual synthesis is illustrated through the discussion of specific examples in Maryvale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing need for infrastructure development, governments have invested heavily in constructing large infrastructure projects in the form of megaprojects. However, implementing such projects requires lots of resources, and they have formidable environmental, social and financial impacts. Despite facing several sustainability issues, megaprojects proliferate. There is a lack of holistic examination of key sustainability issues and influence factors in the existing literature on megaprojects. This paper, therefore, aims to systematically answer: "what" are the key sustainability issues in megaproject management and "how" can these issues be tackled (influence factors), using 87 peer-reviewed articles obtained from three databases. Moreover, the paper proposes an integrated conceptual model by linking the issues and incorporating the influence factors. Finally, the paper presents some future research areas. This study's findings may be of significant value to the practitioners and policy-makers in incorporating sustainability dimensions in the management of megaprojects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution has caused many risks to people, but little research has been done on the effect of residents' air pollution risk perception on their subjective well-being. In order to reveal their relationship, this paper divides air pollution risk perception into four dimensions: risk controllability, risk trust, risk acceptability and risk effect, and explores the effects of different dimensions of air pollution risk perception on subjective well-being based on the structural equation model. The results show that risk controllability, risk trust and risk acceptability can improve well-being, while risk effect can reduce well-being, and air quality satisfaction plays a mediating role. There are also internal influencing mechanisms among different air pollution risk perceptions. Particularly, in areas with poor air quality, risk controllability had a negative association with air quality satisfaction, and higher risk effect corresponded to a higher degree of risk controllability. This paper provides some suggestions for environmental management from the perspective of risk perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a growing recognition of the Internet’s role in promoting environmental sustainability, the impact of social media use on low-carbon behavioral intentions remains poorly understood. Based on the survey data for 1,056 contemporary college students from 9 universities in China, this paper examines how social media use affects their intentions regarding low-carbon behaviors. An IV-Ordered Probit model is employed to account for the endogeneity issue and generate accurate estimates. The results indicate that, overall, the frequency of social media use has a significantly positive impact on college students’ intentions to adopt low-carbon behaviors, mainly by improving their subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Additionally, considerable heterogeneities are observed among students of different genders and grades. Knowledge, concern, and belief regarding climate change also have a significant effect on behavioral intentions. Finally, this paper proposes several policy recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of social media in promoting low-carbon behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green credit is an innovative financial instrument that aims to promote environmentally friendly innovations. However, financial institutions, as carriers of green credit, exhibit noticeable regional differences in the effects of implementation, leading to disparities in the distribution of green credit across regions, which will have a differentiated impact on inter-regional innovation. Unfortunately, the existing literature overlooks the impact of inter-regional differences in green credit distribution on technological innovation. Therefore, this study utilized panel data from 30 provinces and cities in China from 2012 to 2021, and adopted the spatial Durbin model to study the impact of regional differences in green credit development on green technology innovation. Additionally, this paper explores the moderating effect of green credit on the spatial impact of green innovation from the perspectives of environmental regulation and digital finance. The results of this paper indicate that the development of green credit promotes green technology innovation at the local level but has a negative impact on neighboring regions. And the negative spatial spillover effect is more significant in the central and western regions and polluting industries. Through mechanism testing, this study finds that the negative spatial spillover effect on green technology innovation is primarily driven by the migration of polluting industries across regions and the turnover of green technology R&D staff in response to the pressure of green credit. Furthermore, this paper finds that marketization and public participation in environmental regulation, as well as the presence of digital finance, significantly enhance the promotion of local green technology innovation and mitigate the negative spatial spillover effect. This study provides valuable insights for the Chinese government in implementing a regional linkage strategy for green credit within the context of the green economy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have witnessed a shift to spatial perspectives in flood risk management. It is recognized that flood protection has substantial implications for land-use plans and requires attention to the functional geographies of river basins, catchments and floodplains. It is against this background that managed retreat is increasingly identified as a viable cost-effective response to flood risk. Yet managed retreat is also a political act, involving the displacement of coastal and riverine communities. In this paper, we examine the spatial imaginaries underlying managed retreat and flood risk management through an in-depth case study of a displaced village on the Danube in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The paper provides insights into the challenges posed by diverging functional, administrative and political spatial imaginaries and how this divergence contributes to perceptions of injustice. We suggest that a shift to a more relational form of communicative planning may help to address this dilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse climate impacts present a significant challenge for the majority of the world's population. It is especially true for smallholder farmers in coastal Bangladesh, where some adaptation initiatives appeared to be short-sighted and reproduced further inequity, poverty, and food insecurity. Based on empirical insights, this paper shows how short-sighted climate responses can adversely affect gender equity, illustrated through three adaptation strategies. First, agricultural institutions have traditionally and historically linked with gender roles. Outmigration from the region is gendered as males leave first. This forces increased household and farm responsibilities onto female household members and increased vulnerability. This gendered vulnerability becomes compounded by the ways critical weather information flows at the local level. Taking this gendered lens, this paper illustrates how shrimp farming has caused long-term woes for society. These insights help in understanding the complexity of climate–society interactions and the importance of long-term planning on any climate adaptation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effectiveness of traditional water governance in Flood-based Livelihood Systems (FBLS), which harness floods that could have caused environmental degradation. Ostrom's Governing the Commons Principles, widely recognized for the effective management of shared resources, is used as a framework. The paper draws from discussions with 300 farmers and pastoralists in Tana River FBLS, the oldest traditional system in Kenya. The traditional floodwater governance does not satisfy Ostrom's Principles and livelihood needs. Small-scale farmers and pastoralists frequently experience floodwater scarcity while large-scale farmers use excessive floods often causing waterlogging. This floodwater sharing disparity generates conflicts and threatens small-scale farmers' and pastoralists' livelihoods. Large-scale farmers are primarily concerned with inadequate floodwater management infrastructure that hampers maximizing their harvest. For increased sustainability and equity, fairer floodwater sharing systems and enforcing institutions should be introduced before infrastructural development. These lessons from Tana River can contribute to a larger livelihood potential for flood-based agriculture globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses trends in recent academic literature on cumulative effects assessment (CEA) in the field of environmental impact assessment (IA). We performed an inductive, thematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature published between 2008 and 2018. We find that most academic research on CEA originates in North America, and much of it is situated in periodicals other than the leading IA journals. There is agreement that CEA is still not well understood conceptually and there remains a need for procedural guidance as support for practitioners. Support for regional and strategic approaches to CEA remains strong. Our review of the literature also shows that, increasingly, researchers advocate estimating relative ecosystem vulnerability to anthropogenic activities by aggregating stressors and differentiating the most heavily disturbed valued components and impact zones. The paper concludes with our suggestions to strengthen CEA scholarship globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) originally aimed to promote nature conservation through community empowerment, but this aim is not easy to achieve. To analyze the reasons and propose responses, this paper constructed an analytical framework for CBNRM based on the theory of socio-ecological system synergies. A mixed-method (questionnaires, interviews, and observations) explanatory case study of Feicui village within the Mount Huangshan World Natural Heritage Site in Eastern China was conducted. The research illuminates the complexity of the CBNRM initiative in Feicui village, which neglects socio-ecological system synergies, leading to a lack of connection between the benefits from and attitudes toward natural conservation and a loss of integrated resource management. This study responds to the incomprehensibility of CBNRM and provides important theoretical contributions to international debates on CBNRM by highlighting the essence of recognizing system synergies to avoid deviating from the original intent of CBNRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corruption and market segmentation generally result from inter-regional resource allocation mechanism at the level of government and market, and it is of great significance to clarify their effects on haze pollution for the healthy development of the regional economy. With theoretical analysis, this paper applies systematic GMM to examine the impact of corruption on haze pollution. The mediatory effect model is used to further evaluate the mediatory effect of market segmentation by using panel data for 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2018. The evaluations reveal that corruption positively affects haze pollution at the 1% significance level and has a prominent "time inertia". After alleviation of the endogenous problem and a series of robustness tests, this conclusion remains valid. Based on national samples, corruption, especially environmental corruption, not only directly provokes an increase in haze pollution, but also aggravates it through market segmentation, and, the impact of corruption on haze pollution in different regions and at different periods has significant heterogeneity. Therefore, policymakers should start from the institutional mechanism to curb haze pollution by improving the performance appraisal system. Moreover, the synergistic effect between anti-corruption and governance on the environment should be enhanced by improving the anti-corruption management system. Local protectionism should be eliminated to promote the integration of regional markets. A unified, open and organized market system should be established to form the synergy of governance on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the living environment through household efforts remains a challenge for many developing countries. Little attention has been given to the role of Internet use in previous studies. Based on the Attitude Behavior Context (A-B-C) theory, this paper builds a theoretical framework where Internet use affects residents' adoption of living environment improvement practices (LEIPs). Using large-scale household survey data from China, this paper adopts the recursive bivariate probit model to overcome the endogeneity biases and investigate the treatment effects of Internet use on residents' adoption of integrated flushing toilets (IFT) and centralized disposal of domestic waste (CDDW). The results indicate that Internet use increases the likelihood of adopting IFT and CDDW by 24.5% and 19.0% respectively for Internet users. Besides, the counterfactual results show that the possibility of adopting IFT and CDDW will increase by 28.8% and 26.4% respectively if they use the Internet. Moreover, residents who are female, the CPC members, having more years of education and higher household income are more likely to adopt LEIPs. Additionally, the results show evidence of regional heterogeneity. Overall, the impact of Internet use on LEIPs adoption is larger for residents in less-developed and urban areas. The findings suggest that policies embedded with expanding Internet access shall help to promote the sustainable improvement of residents' living environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new energy demonstration city policy (NEDC), an essential economic system aiming to implement innovative development strategies and energy structure transformations in China, is crucial for solving the current plight of resource-based cities. This paper studies the effect of the implementation of the NEDC on the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of resource-based cities in China; understanding this relation is of great significance for the further promotion of the NEDC. For this purpose, the SBM-undesirable model is employed to measure GTFP. The propensity score matching and difference-in-difference (PSM-DID) model and the mediation effect model are also utilized to empirically examine the impact of the NEDC on GTFP across a dataset of 106 resource-based cities between 2005 and 2016. The empirical results indicate that the NEDC can significantly improve the GTFP of resource-based cities. After both counterfactual and common trend tests are performed, the research conclusion of this paper is still robust. Moreover, the NEDC promotes the GTFP of resource-based cities through structural effects, technological innovation effects, and fiscal support effects. Furthermore, the effect of the NEDC on GTFP is also affected by the regions, sizes, and types of the different resource-based cities. This research provides evidence for the ability of the NEDC to improve GTFP and optimize the spatial layout of new energy demonstration cities in resource-based cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, the Norwegian Ministry of Environment initiated an unprecedented project of environmental conservation through land use planning, introducing buffer zones as measures to integrate local development with conservation of wild reindeer. Through studies of national policy developments and a case study of a planning processes and spatial zoning, using institutional theory, the paper investigates how competing policies and understandings of appropriate activities in the edge areas are reflected in zoning regulations and planning practice, and whether the buffer zone contributes to resolving conflicts in the edge areas. Competing national policies for the edge areas, a legal development favoring ecological buffering and a history of top-down management and local socio-economic marginalization results in removal of large parts of an existing ecological buffer zone and the creation of a new development zone. The integrated conservation and development approach has no advocates and while bearing much promise amounts to little. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of China's rapid urbanization for decades and its environmental effects, this paper focused on the impact of urbanization on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration, and estimated the definitive urbanized population whose PM2.5 concentration reached the peak according to the comparison of classical static/dynamic spatial econometric models. The estimation results of 227 prefecture-level cities and municipalities directly under the central government covering the period 1998–2016 show that the spatial spillover effect is statistically significant, while the exogenous effect stands out in the dynamic spatial Durbin model. In terms of the relationship between urbanized population and PM2.5 concentration, the cities themselves and the exogenous influences from other neighboring cities are U-shaped and inverted U-shaped with urbanized population at the inflection point that 3.77 million and 1.77 million, respectively. Moreover, the exogenous effects occupy the mainstream position, indicating that the PM2.5 concentration of prefecture-level cities mostly comes from the input of surrounding cities. It is proven in this paper that a moderate scale of population urbanization is an important factor in haze control, which should be accompanied by joint governance and coordination of urban agglomeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2030 Agenda and its SDGs call for cross-sectoral collaboration and societal transformation. Translating these indivisible goals to the local level is an important undertaking for municipalities given their wide range of responsibilities. This paper explores SDG localization in a Swedish municipal organization, providing analyses on management practice, having an integrated approach to sustainability. Based on document studies and interviews, it reflects experiences from an early phase of SDG localization. Having an integrated approach to SDG localization was shown to be dependent on aspects such as structure, leadership and coordination, yet simultaneously flexibility, organizational learning as well as time and timing. Such an integrated approach also comes with the challenge of operationalizing the SDGs into management systems, budgets and motivating employees across organizational silos and levels. The paper concludes that the SDG framework presents an opportunity for municipalities to understand and review their organizations through a broad systems perspective on sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to drive environmental innovation is the focus of numerous research areas. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study constructed a driving factor model for environmental innovation. The 2019 annual reports of 116 firms in the steel, coal, chemical, petroleum, building materials and pulp and paper industries were selected as the samples, and the study was conducted using grounded theory. The results showed that firm's environmental innovation behavior is mainly driven by expected economic benefits, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Expected economic benefits are composed of market development and cost savings. Subjective norms include self-regulation reflecting the green culture of firms, descriptive norms formed by industry competition and environmental protection trends, and injunctive norms formed by government regulations and consumer demand for green products. Perceived behavioral control includes internal resource advantages, constituted by material resources, human resources and financial resources, as well as the external advantages, constituted by social network relationships. This study provides a theoretical basis for how to drive environmental innovation, and also provides a useful reference for the Chinese government to formulate policies to promote environmental innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a meta-synthesis review of land conflict management measures in peri-urban areas and categorizes them into: (a) containment measures; (b) controller measures; (c) moderator measures and (d) intensifier measures. This paper argues that, despite these measures, the peri-urban areas are still plagued by complex land conflicts from different aspects. Such a process requires effective management measures to deal with these conflicts which are at the heart of strategic measures. These measures emphasize the productive potential of development, institutional governance, cooperative approaches, and the self-sufficiency of peri-urban areas, and outline the future outlook for peri-urban areas in the form of productive, democratic, self-sufficient and accountable areas. Certainly, such a view can improve the performance and ability of peri-urban areas and create desirable socio-economic development and environmental quality, by modifying land conflict-generating forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulations and financial support for agriculture have been respectively proved as important means to break through the dilemma of agricultural green development in China. While their interactive influences on agricultural green development are rarely focused, as well as the mediation mechanism. This paper provides an interactive perspective by exploring the direct and indirect mechanisms affecting the relationship between environmental regulations, financial support for agriculture, and agricultural green development, among which the mediating effects of agricultural infrastructure, are further discussed. Based on the provincial panel data for China from the year 2000 to 2021, this paper constructs a fixed effect model, mediating effects model, and threshold panel model to empirically test the direct and indirect effects of environmental regulations and financial support for agriculture on agricultural green development. The results show that: (1) The full sample of agricultural green development in China shows an M-shaped trend, environmental regulations and financial support for agriculture show spatial and temporal heterogeneity among regions. (2) Environmental regulations, financial support for agriculture, and their interaction all have positive effects on agricultural green development, while their interactive effect is greater. (3) Agricultural power facilities not only significantly mediate the relationship between financial support for agriculture and agricultural green development, but also play a mediating role in the positive effect of the interaction between environmental regulations and financial support on agricultural green development. While rural transportation facilities only significantly mediate the positive effect of the interaction between environmental regulations and financial support for agriculture on agricultural green development. (4) Heterogeneity analysis results show that the effect of the interaction between environmental regulations and financial support for agriculture on agricultural green development is greatest in agricultural optimized developing areas; however moderate developing areas are insignificant. This research contributes to understanding how environmental regulations and financial support for agriculture affect agricultural green development and extends the mediating role of agricultural infrastructure in their relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With immensely growing pressure on land and its scarcity, conflicting societal expectations concerning land use increasingly result in land use conflicts (LUCs). In this paper, we explore local LUCs, which we define as the complex situations, where fragmented planning policies encounter place-based societal conceptions and perceptions of site-specific developmental priorities. The paper adopts a dynamic approach and introduces a theory-driven typology of potentially conflicting planning decisions. The typology is employed as an analytic framework to reveal the open-ended successive planning decisions that lead to complex local LUCs. Two case studies from Central Europe are explored to narrate the evolutionary complexity of LUCs. Our results show that local LUCs emerged as the past planning decisions lined-up into a sequence creating lock-in situations, where different planning policies can be hardly reconciled. Finally, we discuss applicability, transferability and limits of the proposed typology as an analytic framework advancing management of planning conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current explosive growth of global consumption has caused many environmental problems, so guiding and regulating the public's green consumption intention and behavior is an important issue. By constructing the tourist green consumption model of urban and rural tourism destinations (TAM-TPB), this paper uses the PLS-SEM method to expound the realization path and mechanism of tourists' green consumption intention in urban and rural destinations. The TAM-TPB model provides better explanatory and predictive power for urban destinations than for rural destinations. In addition, the perceived usefulness plays a significant mediating effect, especially in urban destinations, and the green consumption attitude will not mediate or directly affect consumption intention. Finally, there is a certain gap in tourists' green consumption intention between urban and rural destinations, but it is limited to the paths from perceived ease of use to consumption attitude and from subjective norm to consumption intention. The paper studies the realization path and mechanism of tourists' green consumption intention in urban and rural tourism destinations. The paper first applies TAM to tourism green consumption field, constructing the model of TAM-TPB by PLS-SEM. The TAM-TPB model provides better explanatory and predictive power for urban destinations than for rural destinations. The green consumption attitude does not mediate or directly impact consumption intention. The findings will contribute to enrich the theoretical system of tourism green consumption research and provide practical references for the guidance of public green consumption behavior and the transformation of green consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing volumes of solid waste, implicated in environmental pollution and health problems, are central to the current environmental crisis. In two randomized field experiments, we demonstrate that convenience dramatically boosts recycling and composting rates in multi-family dwellings and university residences. When compost bins were placed on each floor in a multi-family residence, instead of on the ground floor, composting rates increased by 70%, diverting 27 kilograms of compost from the landfill per unit per year. When recycling stations were placed just meters from suites in student residences, instead of in the basement, recycling increased by 147% (container), and 137% (paper), and composting increased by 139%, diverting 23, 22, and 14 kilograms of containers, paper, and compost, respectively, from the landfill per person per year. Simply making recycling and composting convenient can significantly increase waste diversion, and as such this single intervention has important implications for waste management and environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an empirically grounded understanding of the historical processes by which economic and institutional actors, particularly industry networks operating over time, influenced regional-scale land use policies at critical junctures involving land conflicts. The research addresses understudied discourses, practices and relationships associated with changes in land use policy. The paper draws on theories of land conflicts and industry networks to examine multi-actor contestations over land use and growth. It highlights the role of industry networks of the property development and aggregate industries in influencing provincial land use policies. Using a multi-method approach, we examine a case of Ontario provincial government brokerage of conflicting proposals for the development of regional-scale lands on Toronto's urban periphery. A key finding is that fundamental differences in the organization and bargaining power of the two industries translate into differential effectiveness in multi-stakeholder negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is implemented in most countries as an administrative procedure. In this context, it is subject to the principles of administrative justice. However, to date, no empirical research has been conducted to determine the extent to which EIA decisions comply with the principles of administrative justice. In this paper, empirical data from 42 EIA cases in South Africa are used to establish EIA compliance with the administrative justice principles of lawfulness, procedural fairness and reasonableness. This is achieved by measuring EIA decisions against specially developed key performance indicators (KPIs). Overall, decisions were found to mostly comply with the principles of administrative justice. However, questions arise with regards to the quality and substance of the information feeding into the decision-making process and on which decisions are ultimately based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become a new trend for the future development of Chinese agriculture to accelerate the transformation from increasing production to improving quality and realizing green growth. This paper uses the sequential DEA to measure the agricultural green total factor productivity (GTFP) of 306 Chinese cities from 1996 to 2017, then tests its convergence. The results show that the average growth rate of Chinese agricultural GTFP is 0.58%; the main driving force coming from technical progress. The convergence of agricultural GTFP has dual characteristics of stages and regions, and the significant σ convergence only exists in the central region during 1996–2003. There is significant β convergence at the national level, in the eastern and central regions, and neither convergence nor divergence in the western region. However, during 2004–2017, only the eastern region had β convergence. Finally, the conditional convergence speed is higher than the absolute convergence, and the eastern region is higher than the central. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 made researchers notice some new points and change their focus, such as the economies of scale for residential energy use, energy dependency of societies, etc. This paper provides a bibliometric analysis of 497 articles by VOSviewer, finding that existing studies on building energy use during COVID-19 could be summarized into four keywords, i.e., building occupants, coronavirus, sustainability and monitoring and management. Significant increases in residential energy consumption are found with the increased duration of in-home-activity, while the growth rate varies between different neighborhoods, different times of day and different usage of energy. Attitudes vary toward the changing trend in the post-pandemic period, and the impacts of lockdown, new confirmed cases, social distancing, etc. on residential energy consumption have been given special attention in recent studies. Policy implications are concluded for maintaining normal operation of residential energy systems under the shock of public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an assessment framework tool to analyze the performance of nature-based solutions (NBS) for hydro-meteorological risk management. The tool is based on multi-criteria decision analysis within the context of NBSs, an umbrella concept currently in focus that promotes nature and provides ecological and socio-economic benefits. The proposed tool includes the selection and application of key performance indicators (KPIs) for the co-benefits and costs associated with the implementation of NBSs. To ensure high societal impact, the tool relies on a participatory approach. Stakeholder preferences are taken into account within the assessment process. As such, the assessment framework can be used as a design and selection tool for NBSs and other alternative measures, including grey and hybrid solutions. The proposed procedure can be adapted to the specific socio-environmental context and hydro-meteorological risk by tailoring the set of relevant KPIs. The assessment framework is useful for monitoring the implemented measures and to document their effectiveness. The methodology provides quantitative and transparent documentation of hydro-meteorological risk management processes, useful for decision- and policy-makers, and stakeholders dealing with NBS measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new pattern of urbanization, smart cities offer a set of initiatives to achieve a win-win situation for both environmental protection and economic development. This paper aims to explore the influence of smart city policy (SCP) on green technology innovation (GTI) by Chinese listed enterprises. Employing the difference-in-differences (DID) approach, the results show that SCP promotes enterprises' GTI. This finding remains valid after various robustness tests, which include the parallel trend test, PSM-DID, placebo test, the substitution of estimation model, replacement of dependent variable, and the exclusion of the impacts of other policies. Additional tests reveal that SCP improves GTI through government environmental subsidy, corporate environmental awareness, and research and development investments. Furthermore, the heterogeneity analysis suggests that our findings are more prominent in subsamples during the growth stage, in high-tech industries, and in eastern regions. Our research is vital to the urban ecological environment and high-quality economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, British Columbia (BC) adopted Bill 41: The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). DRIPA committed BC to developing a new planning process, modernized land use planning, that involves ethical collaboration with Indigenous Peoples. Although ethical decision-making in planning theory has emerged in academic discourse, planning practitioners are missing clear frameworks to implement theory in practice. Ethical Space, a conceptual approach used to balance power between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, may prove to be a promising implementation framework. This paper offers an exploratory application of Ethical Space for land use planning in Upper Columbia, a region in expressed need of modernized land use planning efforts. Research methods include semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Findings present recommendations for Upper Columbia governments to begin Ethical Space in land use planning. Key insights are transferable to planners with an interest in ethical collaborations between multiple governance structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the effect of natural hazards on migration in the United States (US) and the importance of spatial dependence in such assessments. We use two measures of migration: migration rates and flows. The model for migration flows is estimated using the gravity model, whereas out- and in-migration rates are analyzed using the spatial Durbin model. Our results indicate there is a major and significant impact of economic damage caused by natural hazards on out-migration rates and outward migration flows. In the spatial Durbin model and in the gravity model, a $1,000 dollar damage per capita is associated with an increase in out-migration of 16.0% and 9.1%, respectively. However, when spatial dependence is not accounted for, the effect of natural hazards on migration is substantially overestimated: the coefficients are 1.5–2 times larger when spatial dependence is not considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various proposed models for practically developing a circular economy system, industrial symbiosis (IS) is one of the most promising. This paper aims at better understanding the extent to which regional industrial symbiosis practices have been internalized in companies and, second, at identifying the most important barriers that impede a company from the adoption of such practices at regional level. The research is grounded on original data collected using a questionnaire. The results allowed the division of firms into four clusters corresponding to different levels of adoption: (i) the perfectly symbiont companies that undertake all the proposed industrial symbiosis practices; (ii) the non-adopters that are low in terms of IS activities; (iii) the resource savers that focus on the use of by-products or waste from other companies; and the (iv) outbound activity optimizers that concentrate on the sale of their by-products and waste to other companies. Moreover, the results contributed to the identification of regulatory constraints and high investment costs and difficulties in finding financing as significant causes that hinder companies in the adoption of regional industrial symbiosis practices, while networking and logistic barriers appear not to be relevant. To overcome these barriers and to promote the adoption of IS at regional level, supporting the transition towards the circular paradigm, several political and managerial suggestions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]