Search

This paper constructs a unique dataset of clean energy and adopts static panel models and dynamic panel specifications to explore the correlation between clean energy and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, this paper employs the interaction term of pilot areas and pilot time as the proxy of emission trading policy to examine the effect of China's emission trading pilot on clean energy. Then, this paper conducts quasi-natural experiments on CO2 emissions. Our findings show a negative correlation between CO2 emissions and clean energy. We also find that China's emission trading pilot has a significant impact on promoting clean energy. In addition, empirical results affirm that emission trading market pilots can help decrease CO2 emissions. Finally, we put forwards relevant policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to explore the influential factors that promote and impede Chinese customers' adoption intention of electric vehicles (EVs). An extended version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was developed to gauge customers' willingness to adopt EVs. 348 responses and structural equation modelling were employed for analysis. This paper contributes to this research area mainly through two aspects: First of all, it provides more robust evidence of the positive moderating effects on price value since few research studies on it. Secondly, the positive moderating effects of facilitating conditions between perceived risk and adoption intention of EVs were found for the first time, which fills the gap in this research area. Except these, the results also showed that performance expectations, social influence, and price value positively influence EV adoption intention, while perceived risk has a negative impact. Additionally, age and gender were found to significantly moderate adoption intention. These findings offer insights for policymakers to craft more effective policies, ultimately advancing sustainability and accelerating the achievement of long-term carbon neutrality goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the secrets for China's economic growth miracle is continuous investment in infrastructure, and the role of power infrastructure is irreplaceable. However, previous studies mostly focused on generation-side indicators rather than grid-side indicators, ignoring the importance of the mega-grid established in China. As a result, this paper is committed to exploring the economic growth pulling effect of power grids with different voltage levels in the nonlinear framework. On the premise of determining the robustness of estimation parameters by instrumental variable method, the panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model is used to capture panel heterogeneity. To be exact, the regional economic growth driven by extra-high voltage (EHV) and ultra-high voltage (UHV) power grids presents a regime transition accompanied by the growth of regional power generation and electricity consumption per capita. This means that the mega-grid is more conducive to the economic growth of energy bases and load centers. To further build and improve the state-leveled mega-grid into a nationwide basic platform for trans-regional renewable energy transmission and distribution is a key measure to enhance China's sustainable economic growth under the constraints of carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016, countries began to explore new economic models to get rid of the high emissions and high pollution caused by the traditional extensive economic model. Circular economy (CE) is regarded as an important way to achieve carbon neutrality, yet there is little literature has explored the relationship between the two. This paper aims to provide evidence and suggestions for developing circular economy strategies in emerging developing countries such as China by exploring the relationship between circular economy and carbon emissions. In this study, urban carbon emissions were measured by using high-resolution carbon emission data and the circular economy of 285 cities in China from 2009 to 2018 was estimated using a data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) model based on a super effective slackness measure. Then, the spatial impact of the circular economy was analyzed based on the spatial Durbin model. The empirical results are as follows: first, carbon intensity shows a positive spatial correlation, with most cities clustered in high-high (H-H) and low-low (L-L) types. Second, it was found that CE has a significant negative impact on the carbon intensity of local cities and neighboring cities. Third, based on regional heterogeneity, CE has significant negative direct and indirect effects in central and western cities. In contrast, CE has only significant direct effects (negative values) in eastern cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green port construction has a profound impact on China's international climate commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. To examine the carbon emission reduction potential of 20 major ports in the Yangtze River Delta port cluster of China, this study takes the perspective of environmental efficiency and employs dynamic exogenous variable DEA in efficiency evaluation. The results show the increasing environmental efficiency of the ports in the Yangtze River Delta, rising from 0.5116 in 2013 to 0.7276 in 2019. Also, there are significant spatial differences in efficiency. After considering exogenous variable, the average efficiency has increased from 0.5537 to 0.6276, indicating that regional green development is a critical factor in port environmental efficiency evaluation. Finally, the overall efficiency of input and output have risen, the slackness of carbon emission shows a trend of decreasing, and there is great potential for reducing carbon emissions from the perspective of port environmental efficiency. The previous studies paid less attention to dynamic efficiency, exogenous variables, and carbon emission. Therefore, this paper is the first comprehensive examination on the carbon emission reduction potential of China's Yangtze River Delta port cluster from the perspective of dynamic environmental efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has proposed ambitious goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and will pay more attention to the relationship between economic development and carbon emissions. It's significant to assess the current environmental decoupling and prospect the future conditions in China. This article studies the decoupling status and influencing factors in Chinese provinces from 1996 to 2018 through Tapio decoupling index and decomposition model. The results show that most provinces are currently in a weak decoupling state. The growth of per capita GDP and population will affect the process of strong decoupling, while the optimization of energy intensity, energy structure and industrial structure will promote the realization of strong decoupling. Moreover, this paper prospects the decoupling scenarios of Chinese provinces from 2019 to 2035 and finds that all provinces will achieve strong decoupling before 2040, 2035 and 2030 under different carbon emissions scenarios respectively. To achieve the strong decoupling of economic output and carbon emissions as soon as possible, the government must improve energy efficiency, use renewable energy in large quantities, and promote the industrial transformation and upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consolidating the results of poverty alleviation and achieving carbon neutrality are serious challenges for global sustainable development, and it is essential to explore the relationship between these goals, and then offer scientific responses. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019, this paper conducted the 2SLS model by compromising the merits of the Regression Discontinuity principle with the STIRPAT model to study the interaction between poverty alleviation and carbon reduction. The study found that: (1) the implementation of poverty alleviation aggravates the problem of carbon emissions, and the main mechanism is that poverty alleviation promotes consumption and production by increasing the wealth of farmers, thereby increasing carbon emissions. (2) Carbon reduction weakens the achievement of poverty alleviation significantly, but the mitigation effect presents an "inverted U"-shaped curve, which first increases and then wanes. (3) Farmers' income and the development of rural transportation play a role in acting on the negative effects of carbon reduction. By integrating poverty theory and energy management, this article reveals the complex relationship between two important policies in China and offers relevant policy recommendations, which will not only promote the advancement of rural revitalization but also promote global sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon neutrality is an important policy in the current global response to climate change and has been widely recognized by various industries. In the process of promoting carbon neutrality, new energy plays a pivotal role. In this study, the definition and connotation of new energy and its role and specific operation in the energy transition of carbon neutrality are firstly explained. Promoting new energy development requires significant green and low-carbon investments. Taking China as an example, this paper analyzes the opportunities brought by the carbon neutral process to the field of green finance and analyzes the main features and development trends of green finance in China at present. Then this paper proposes policy recommendations to strengthen the development of green finance in China in terms of improving the green financial policy system, enhancing the supply capacity of green financial services, and optimizing the supporting environment for green financial development. Finally, this paper analyzes the measures and experiences of the United States in promoting low-carbon development and proposes countermeasures for China's low-carbon development on the basis of the five major relationships that need attention in China's carbon-neutral process. That is, strengthen the top-level design and improve the regulatory policy system; optimize the energy structure and increase the proportion of clean energy; optimize the industrial structure and reduce energy consumption in key industries; build a complete low-carbon technology system and promote low-carbon technology research and development and demonstration applications, and encourage local conditions to explore low-carbon development paths. The development of green finance can contribute to the advancement of new energy technologies, thus contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 20 years, China's steel production has proliferated, leading to increased environmental damage by releasing 574,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), 1,114,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 897,000 tons of particulate matter (PM) in 2020; therefore, the country is now struggling to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change because of the conflicting demands of economic growth and environmental protection. Given the global emphasis on decarbonization and sustainable production, China has prioritized achieving peak carbon emissions of 30% by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Likewise, China's steel industry is progressing toward attaining the maximum carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2025. This study reveals that despite a 321 Mt increase in global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022, CO2 emissions in China experienced a decline of 230 Mt during the same period. Notwithstanding enacting several pertinent statutes and directives, China's iron and steel sector has not advanced substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the differentiated effects of different environmental regulations is the basis for promoting China's zero carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. We used Chinese provincial panel data from 2003 to 2017 to empirically test the impact of different environmental regulations on carbon neutrality through spatial measurement models. The highlights of the study are as follows: (1) Environmental regulations exert significant impact on carbon emissions, but different types of environmental regulations exert significantly different effect on carbon emissions. Public participation environmental regulation has a control effect on regional carbon emissions, while command-based and market-based environmental regulations had no significant effect on regional carbon neutrality. (2) The heterogeneity of the impact of different types of environmental regulations on carbon emissions can also be identified from the regional impacts heterogeneity and lags impact heterogeneity. (3) The combined mandatory and market-based environmental regulations and the combined mandatory and public-participatory environmental regulations significantly inhibited regional carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scientific assessment of the synergistic effect of the low-carbon city pilot policy in reducing air pollution and carbon emissions is needed to promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality. This study applied the Spatial Durbin Model-Difference in Difference technique to investigate the synergistic effect of air pollution and carbon emission reduction through the implementation of the low-carbon city pilot policy. The main results are as follows. (1) A spatial phenomenon was observed, in which there was a coexistence of urban carbon emissions and air pollution agglomerations. The spatial characteristics of the "symbiotic" carbon emissions and air pollution agglomerations were revealed. (2) The low-carbon city policy significantly reduced CO2, SO2, and PM2.5 concentrations, and the effect of the "co-governance" of air pollution and carbon emission reduction was obvious. (3) There was a clear regional heterogeneity in the synergistic effect of air pollution and carbon emission reduction in low-carbon cities. A stronger incentive effect was apparent in central and western cities, resource-based cities, and key environmental protection cities. (4) To achieve a synergistic governance "sharing" situation, the transmission mechanism of the low-carbon city pilot policy was the reduction of total energy consumption, the promotion of industrial restructuring, the optimization of the factor endowment structure, and the continuous improvement of the urban transport structure and green innovation. Our results not only help advance the research on synergistic reduction of air pollution and carbon emissions, but also can be of interest to low-carbon city policy makers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ambitious targets of peaking CO2 emissions before 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality before 2060 (Goal 3060) have emerged as the driving force in the development of China's low-carbon energy policy. Adopting a systematic review approach, this article provides a timely analysis of key Chinese renewable energy and energy efficiency policies under Goal 3060 across five sectors: electricity, industry, transportation, buildings, and local governments. In addition, the review identifies challenges to be addressed and offers policy recommendations. There are five main conclusions: (1) expedite the development of market-based and network-based governance systems; (2) pursue the harmonization of policies by avoiding contradiction and fragmentation; (3) develop new policies, especially in the building and transportation sectors; (4) embrace surveillance technologies to improve implementation and compliance; and (5) ensure just transition by implementing policy to reduce the negative socioeconomic impacts on fossil fuels-based communities and workers. This review serves as a useful guide for scholars interested in China's clean and low-carbon energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]