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Nowadays the improvement of environmental performances is one of aims of innovation in factories, to implement the sustainable development. For the achievement of the environmental goals, a firm can follow Green Innovation, namely developing environmentally friendly products and processes. In spite of the interest on Green Innovation, the progress towards the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, at halfway, is insufficient. In searching for solutions probably the complexity of introducing Green Innovation in factories is an issue. The aim of the paper is to show the complexity of innovation management by a real case: the pretests of new inorganic binders in a ferrous foundry. After a brief description of the Green Casting project case is considered by showing all the activities and entities involved. Finally, the results are discussed, and possible future developments are drawn. Results will show that development of project management tools and new technologies for training could be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The company's innovativeness is largely influenced by external factors, which is influenced by the increasing demand for new products, pressure from competition, or accelerating the processes of europeanization and globalization. An enterprise described as innovative is considered to be better and more desirable. Businesses recognize that they need to understand where the market is heading and create products and services that fit with it. The entrepreneurs understand that they need to innovate so as not to be left behind. The aim of the paper was to show the importance of the issues of sustainable development in relation to the innovativeness of Polish enterprises. The paper presents the idea of sustainable development, the concept of innovation and sustainable innovation in business. The theoretical considerations have been extended to the presentation of selected projects for sustainable innovations in enterprises in Poland and around the world. The considerations were also enriched with the results of research conducted among the managerial staff of selected Polish enterprises located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The research was conducted in the period November 2021 - March 2022 among companies that were known to have experience in activities related to sustainable development. The aim of the research was to get to know the awareness of management staff about sustainable development and to find out what importance is given in companies to issues related to sustainable development and sustainable innovation, how it affects their company and what actions are taken to further take into account the principles of sustainable development in their activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established in 2015, scientists have attempted to utilize them for sustainability assessments. This paper aims to synthesize the existing approaches in order to make recommendations for future utilization. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on innovations as the assessment object and including scientific papers as well as gray literature. Of the initially identified 603 documents, 30 articles contained precise descriptions of approaches utilizing the SDGs for the sustainability assessment of innovations. These approaches were analyzed in three sequential steps: categorization of the operational choices of SDG-based sustainability assessments, discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these operational choices, and finally deriving recommendations for future utilization. We identified two main approaches: (1) integrating the SDGs into the sustainability assessment methodology or (2) subsequently assigning the assessment results to the SDGs. For the first approach, the SDGs were most frequently used as assessment criteria, but were also used to derive benchmarks or select indicators. In the second approach, assessment results were linked to goals, targets or indicators. The majority but not all articles clearly stated that all 17 SDGs were considered. The most frequently mentioned motivation for SDG utilization was to provide a holistic definition of sustainable development, followed by providing a precise description of sustainable development and international recognition. Only the integration of all 17 SDGs into the sustainability assessment conveys all three of these motivations. Hence, this approach is recommended for maximizing the utilization of SDGs when assessing the sustainability of an innovation. Subsequently assigning the assessment results to the SDGs is suggested as an alternative approach if the scientist's time and resources are limited. Since this approach predefines the SDGs that can be linked through the sustainability assessment methodology utilized, the holistic character of the SDGs is forfeited. More generally, the diversity of approaches found in the literature can be explained by several individual limitations and prerequisites. It is therefore recommended that authors document their research motivation transparently and justify the operational choices they made to fulfil it. This study contributes to the scientific community by (a) providing an overview of possible approaches for utilizing the SDGs in sustainability assessments of innovations and (b) providing recommendations for utilization based on a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages. [Display omitted] • Sustainability assessments of innovations utilizing SDGs were systematically reviewed. • Operational choices in SDG utilization were categorized. • More than 10 (sub-)categories of SDG utilization were identified. • Most frequent reason for utilizing SDGs is their holistic nature. • Holistic nature is transferred only by integrating all 17 SDGs into the assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the concept of Regional Innovation Systems (RIS) in the context of the tourism industry. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration and competition among companies within regional systems to foster innovation. It also discusses the role of social capital, relational assets, and social relationships in driving innovation within RIS. The Campania Region recognizes the importance of tourism for its development and supports the digital transition, modernization of public administration, communication infrastructure, and production system. In this vein, the paper proposes a theoretical framework that combines dynamic capabilities, relational view, and resource-based theory to explain the mechanisms and dynamics of RIS. The co-creation of innovation and strategic plans within a system of regional assets is highlighted as a key aspect of RIS. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for collaboration, innovation, and the integration of various stakeholders' interests in the development of sustainable and innovative regional systems. [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]

In the digital era, digitalization brings great opportunities and challenges for cities' environmental governance and economic growth. However, it is worth noting that the impact of digitalization on cities' green transition has not been studied from the perspective of Metcalfe's Law. This paper uses the principal component method and non-radial directional distance function (NDDF) to calculate the digital development level and the green economic performance of 269 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019. (1) The empirical findings demonstrate that digitalization has become a strong driver for cities' green economic transformation. (2) Digitalization indirectly promotes green transition through industrial structure optimization and green technological innovation. (3) The heterogeneity results show that the positive effect of digitalization on green development is more obvious in eastern and economically developed cities. (4) Using the partially linear functional-coefficient model (PLFC), this paper studies the non-linear nexus between digitalization and green economic transition from the perspective of Metcalfe's Law. Thus, Metcalfe's law is confirmed in the green transition of Chinese cities. Some policy recommendations are offered for realizing the coordinated development of digitalization and greening of the urban economy. [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]

Food, energy, and water, as the basic resources supporting human survival, are fundamental to the sustainable development of humanity. Urban space plays an influential role in promoting the sustainable development of the three resources. As environmental problems such as global warming, ecological destruction, and resource shortages become increasingly severe, there is also a growing recognition of the importance of community as the fundamental component of urban space in sustainable development. In order to systematically understand the impact between food–energy–water nexus and community spatial planning, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review to bridge the current gaps in this area. This paper uses the nexus approach to summarize the trends and results of the food–energy–water nexus research in the community space field from the following five aspects: spatial scale, spatial interface, interactions, synergistic effects, and research methods. The results show that food–energy–water systems in community space are closely related to each other. However, the existing studies mostly focus on resource interaction and environmental impact, and lack of discussion on how food–energy–water nexus affects community spatial planning and its optimization. Finally, based on the current results, this paper proposes a conceptual research framework of the food–energy–water nexus in community space including influential mechanisms, space utilization, disciplinary integration, new technology application, data and methods. Therefore, the major findings of this review highlight the importance of the impact between food–energy–water nexus and community spatial planning and develop a conceptual framework for research. • This paper reviewed the FEW nexus research in the community space field. • It shows that FEW systems in community space are closely related to each other. • Researchers mainly focus on interactions of the FEW but rarely on other constraints. • It summarized new FEW system integration approaches to promote synergistic effects. • A conceptual research framework for the FEW nexus in community space is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial internet is an effective means to realize the green development of manufacturing industry. Whether the industrial Internet platform can improve the green innovation performance of enterprises is a very significant issue. Based on the Internet platform empowerment theory, this paper takes the industrial internet pilot demonstration project released annually by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2018–2021 as a quasi-natural experiment. By selecting the data of listed companies from 2011 to 2021 as research samples, this paper explores the impact of industrial Internet platforms on enterprises' green innovation performance. The findings indicate that the industrial internet platform dramatically improves enterprises' green innovation performance. And we also find that the impact of industrial internet platforms has greatly boosted the green innovation performance the enterprises with medium-and large-scale and situated in the first tier and new first tier cities. • Chinese industrial Internet pilot demonstration project is taken as a quasi-natural experiment. • The PSM-DID method is used in this paper. • Industrial internet platform can improve green innovation performance in enterprises. • Innovative capability plays an intermediary role between industrial internet platform and green innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative networks (CNs) are joint entities of autonomous partners that work towards a common goal with shared resources and roles. In 2016, the United Nations announced 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 agenda. SDG 17 is "Partnerships for the goals" highlighting the importance of cross-country and cross-company collaborative action. Although the link between CNs and sustainable development is frequently declared, no study in the literature investigates the connection between CNs and the SDGs. This systematic literature review (SLR) follows the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Based on the SLR results, a context-interventions-mechanisms-outcomes (CIMO) framework for CNs is proposed, serving as a tool to comprehend the types of CNs to achieve the SDGs. Only 10 out of 77 articles mentioned the SDGs they address. The norm is to focus on a single SDG per study and not assess the dimension of the impact on the SDGs or the trade-offs that can be established between them. The most frequently mentioned SDGs in the text are SDG 9 and SDG 12, with only 2 articles focusing on the social dimension. SDG 10 and SDG 16 were not mentioned in any of the articles. The majority of articles are case studies and technical papers, developing scale-up solutions and creating value from waste. The identified gaps lead to the proposition of several potential research areas: 1) the need for developing mechanisms that allow CNs to effectively implement interventions that achieve specific SDGs; 2) the lack of studies incorporating the social dimension given the social nature of the SDGs; 3) few SDGs are addressed by CNs (particularly SDG 9 and SDG 12) and majority of SDGs are ignored; 4) there is a scarcity of studies targeting the tertiary sector; 5) the need for alignment of CNs' business models with the SDGs; 6) a lack of studies addressing specific SDGs (6, 10, and 16); and 7) the necessity of studies demonstrating collaboration between industry and academia for systemic change. The study aids decision-makers in identifying policies that facilitate the formation of CNs aligned with the SDGs. • This review of the state-of-the-art of CNs research within SDGs establishes a foundation for future research. • A conceptual framework for research on CNs within SDGs is designed. • A research agenda was presented based on what is emerging and what is missing from the literature. • Using the CIMO framework, prescription rules are established to guide actions or decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pilot Free Trade Zones (PFTZ) can promote green technology innovation efficiency. • Providing reference for developing countries to develop green economy. • Proposing a more holistic index system of green technology innovation efficiency. • The impact of PFTZ exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity. • Market potential affects the green effect of PFTZ. The Pilot Free Trade Zone (PFTZ) policy represents a significant step in China's institutional innovation and broader opening-up, crucial for fostering green and high-quality economic growth. The existing literature has conducted in-depth studies on the economic effects, energy conservation, emission reduction and green innovation of PFTZs, but the effect on green technology innovation efficiency (GTIE) remains underexplored. Institutional innovation in the PFTZs will profoundly affect regional green development, and green innovation, and will certainly affect the regional GTIE. Based on this, this paper uses the city-level data of prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2020 to empirically test the impact of PFTZ establishment on GTIE. First, the Super-SBM model was applied to evaluate the GTIE across 281 Chinese cities. Then, taking the establishment of PFTZs as a quasi-natural experiment, the multi-stage differentially differential model is constructed to empirically assess PFTZ policy's impact on GTIE. The findings indicate that PFTZs can significantly enhance the GTIE. This improvement is facilitated through four pathways: the digital economy, the high-tech industries agglomeration, innovation agglomeration, and talent agglomeration. The results offer strategies for balancing external openness with environmental protection in developing countries and furnish empirical support for creating high-quality development frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing urgency of environmental problems, such as climate change, pollution, and waste management, has highlighted the importance of eco-innovation. It includes the development of sustainable solutions for goods and services. As corporations adopt sustainability practices, governments are increasingly essential in propelling eco-innovation. Innovation and economic growth are inextricably linked since innovation helps reduce costs, increases productivity, and builds knowledge. Eco-innovation, requiring stakeholders' collaboration and knowledge sharing where public policy plays a critical role in fostering eco-innovation, is frequently catalyzed by climate change and environmental issues. This paper provides an assessment of the public policy of several countries and its part in promoting eco-innovation. It explores how policy tools such as research and development investments, regulations, incentives, and infrastructure can be used successfully. It also explores how such instruments influence small and medium enterprises due to their importance in environmental sustainability policy. This research contributes to knowledge and adds to the literature by offering a global approach to the subject, complementing previous regional/single-country studies. It demonstrates the worldwide consequences of policy actions on eco-innovation and provides recommendations for policymakers, businesses, academics, and environmental stakeholders. The results highlight how governmental support is integral to ensuring the sustainability of a green future with economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propulsion of economic growth is a multifaceted construct, influenced by technology, capital, and resource management, with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) being a significant contributors to innovation and employment. This study examines the growth of Scottish SMEs across four sectors over a 14-year period (2008–2021) by employing a novel statistical approach to understand their development trajectories within the framework of open innovation. The paper engaged in a longitudinal analysis to assess trends and inform policy for sustainable growth by the utilization of open-access data. Theoretical metrics such as the Average Growth Rate, Compound Average Growth Rate (CAGR), and Year-Over-Year (YoY) Growth were applied to evaluate sectoral performance. The findings revealed varied growth patterns; the information technology sector exhibited a robust increase, while the telecommunications sector showed significant percentage growth. Conversely, the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector experienced a decline that suggests a potential market gap. An affirmative trajectory in CAGR was observed in most sectors except ICT, which corroborates a shift in technological evolution and market needs. The study illuminates the dynamic economic landscape of Scottish SMEs, with telecoms emerging as the most prosperous sector in terms of growth rates, thus indicates a shifting economic focus. The study's limitations are briefly discussed, in addition to the need for updated databases and further research employing predictive modeling with machine learning to enhance forecasting capabilities and foster open innovation for sustainable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of sustainable development and eco-innovation in modern economies has been rising in recent years. The idea of eco-innovation is to introduce new solutions and thus gain a competitive advantage, but without or with minimal detriment to the quality of the natural environment. This aim of this paper is to explore the eco-innovations in rail transport by presenting the case study of modified coal wagons. Therefore the main research question is: how the modifications in the coal wagon design can impact the effectiveness of cargo transport and contribute to reducing the damage to the quality of the natural environment? The presented case study shows that the introduction of some seemingly minor design changes to the wagons, taking into account the application of legal restrictions of rail transport, are of great importance in the case of handling large flows of cargo over long distances, and thus contribute to the reduction of a carbon footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Living Lab Triangle implemented in the KTH Live-In Lab building innovation platform. • A SWOT analysis underpins current strengths and weaknesses of the KTH Live-In Lab. • Empirical data shows that smart building living labs can be financially sustainable. • Identification of critical conditions to enact smart building demonstrators. • Thorough analysis, measurable results and transparent evaluation of a Living Lab. The adoption of innovation in the building sector is currently too slow for the ambitious sustainability goals that our societies have agreed upon. Living labs are open innovation ecosystems in real-life environments using iterative feedback processes throughout a lifecycle approach of an innovation to create sustainable impact. In the context of the built environment, such co-creative innovation and demonstration platforms are needed to facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies and concepts for more energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. However, their feasibility is not extensively proven. This paper illustrates the implementation and demonstrates the feasibility of the Living Labs Triangle Framework for buildings living labs. This conceptual framework has been used to conceive the KTH Live-In Lab, a living lab for buildings. The goal of the Live-In Lab was to create a co-creative open platform for research and education bridging the gap between industry and academia, featuring smart building demonstrators. The Living Lab Triangle Framework has been deployed to meet the goals of the Live-in Lab, and the resulting concept is described. This paper then analyses the methodological and operational results introducing performance metrics to measure the economic sustainability, the promotion of multidisciplinary research and development projects, dissemination and impact. The results are completed with a SWOT analysis identifying its current strengths and weaknesses. The results collected in this work fill a missing gap in the scientific literature on the performance of living labs and provide empirical evidence on the sustainability and impact of living labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shared mobility services market is growing and changing very rapidly. Many novelties are introduced to the systems, ranging from improvements to the services already offered to services referred to as innovative. Since the following years are to bring significant development of mobility as a service (MaaS) systems, data sharing, and cooperation on the mobility market, the article is dedicated to check whether the current business models of the industry are ready for the open innovations implementations. The article aimed to analyze the business models of shared mobility systems along with their presentation in the form of CANVAS models and to investigate whether the models contain aspects of open innovation. Moreover, the article presents its own value-added open business model prepared for the whole shared mobility market. The paper also identifies a set of open innovations that can be implemented by all types of shared mobility operators. It proposed the basis that operators can use when developing their own open business models. The developed research is an original contribution to filling the research gap concerning the approach to open innovation by operators of all types of shared mobility services available on the market. The results show that car-sharing service providers are the biggest opponents of open innovation. On the other hand, the most 'open' systems are bike-sharing services. The conducted research may support operators in the process of transforming their businesses into more accessible for users. It also helps to develop the open innovation concept to create more sustainable shared mobility systems along the lines of collaborative economy assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular actions cannot be considered sustainable if their financial benefits are not demonstrated. While the environmental benefits of the circular economy have been widely studied, sustainable development from a financial point of view has been much less studied. In this paper we assess the financial benefits of circular innovations applied in the fashion industry that have been previously assessed as sustainable using the Life Cycle Assessment. The focus is on two innovative processes such as salt recovery and tannin baths reuse that reuse water, chemicals and raw materials in an Italian small company operating in the tanning industry. A cost benefit analysis was carried to evaluate the net contribution of these actions to the operating margin. Then we model a forward-looking cash flow projection in order to determine the fundamental value of circular investments. Through these practices, the company achieved an increase in operating profitability above 30% and the 10-year value of the salt recovery is 159,061.40 euros, while the reused tanning water equals just over one million euros. The results show unexpected and strong financial benefits that can leverage similar initiatives that would advance resource equity and finally promote a real and convenient industrial dedication to environmental guardianship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the emerging landscape of Industry 5.0, the integration of innovative technologies such as Cognitive Digital Twins (CDTs) is pivotal for steering industrial processes towards sustainability and inclusivity, particularly in developing nations striving to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study explores the transformative capabilities of CDTs in Industry 5.0, concentrating on India's quest for inclusive and sustainable industrialization in alignment with SDGs. The inclusion of the TOE-HOT framework enriches the research's analytical foundation, providing a nuanced perspective to investigate the multifaceted dynamics of technology, organization, environment, and human aspects within the sphere of industrial evolution. By employing the Best-Worst Method (BWM), Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM), and MICMAC analysis, the study delves deep into the synergies between industrial strategies, technology, and sustainable development. The findings reveal the paramountcy of the Technological Dimension, emphasizing CDTs strategies like real-time optimization and data analytics, which are instrumental in dynamically adjusting manufacturing processes and fostering alignment with market demands. The research also stresses the roles of various CDTs strategies like strategic alignment, change management, job security, skill augmentation, and environmental compliance in industrial sustainability and inclusivity. The paper concludes with invaluable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers, emphasizing the necessity for a holistic, interconnected approach to fully harness the potential of CDTs in realizing the aspirations of Industry 5.0 and contributing to India's sustainable industrial advancement by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the inaugural attempt to investigate the herding behavior of firms in the context of environmental orientation to achieve the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in the ASEAN region. Insights from the previous literature infer that peer effect is visibly seen in firms across various fields, especially amongst their CSR and ESG performance. Using data from the Thai listed firms, we document strong evidence of peer effects concerning environmental performance and its dimensions (emission reduction, product innovation, and resource reduction). The targeted time frame for the current study is from 2009 to 2019 for which we analyze the firms listed on the Thailand Stock Exchange (SET). Moreover, the results of our study support the fact that mimicking behavior is one of the common behaviors that is followed by the majority of the firms keeping in view their varied purposes which include enhancing their market reputation, increasing profits, attracting shareholders and investors and most importantly raising their sustainability standing. Thus, overall our study highlights the main perspective that peer effects and herding behavior a common practices amongst firms concerning their environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ambitious indicators in the EU Green Deal requires adopting a more networked, collaborative and integrative approach across the ecosystem. To pave the way for sustainable development and meet growing societal needs, an integrated approach that integrates social, environmental, industry and societal interests must be used, particularly with regard to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment (VUCA). Creative and Culture Industries (CCIs) by their nature are digitally oriented. All CCIs include both physical and digital products and services. The vast majority of all growth generated by CCIs today is digital - the non-digital portion of the business is generally stagnant or even shrinking (However, research on to what extent and how digitization has positive and/or negative effects on economic, social, environmental and cultural outcomes is still premature. World Economic Forum, under the combination of desired economic efficiency, social justice, environmental responsibility, and institutional stability, CCIs and digitization become key enablers of sustainable ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to explore how CCIs as primary drivers can influence the of sustainable social progress and meet opposing growing societal needs. Using a research niche, the authors of this paper conducted a study between September and December 2020, selecting entities in the research pool that have worked with CCIs to deliver innovative product, service, business model, or process solutions in the past two years. The research objective was to investigate the process of cooperation between the traditional and creative sectors in five areas of Social, Process, Financial, Corporate and Socio-Environment Level. Due to the lack of methodological tools to study such a process, the following article presents the results of the question selection and correctly constructed scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of digital finance has profoundly changed the pattern of economic and social development, which is of great significance for the realization of the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and for the promotion of sustainable development. This study measures the state of China's provincial ecological footprint from 2011 to 2019, combines the characteristics of digital financial development, and explores whether such development can promote sustainable development from an ecological footprint perspective. The results show that (1) China's provincial ecological footprint per capita, which was continuously aggravated, increased by an average of 29.15% during the sample period. Digital financial development is shown to be able to effectively suppress the ecological footprint, and an environmental inclusion effect is also observed, which helps achieve a win‒win solution for economic development and ecological conservation while promoting environmental equality. Endogeneity tests and other robustness tests indicate that causality holds. (2) Bridging the digital divide, the improvement of environmental constraints and government digital governance capacity can help amplify the marginal effects of digital finance and mitigate the ecological footprint. (3) Green technological innovation and green finance are critical paths to achieve sustainable development. Digital financial development can facilitate green-biased technological innovation and increase the scale of green credit effectiveness, thereby reducing the ecological footprint. In the future, digital technology should be used to achieve the precise sinking of financial resources, while the government's role in guiding sustainable development should be enhanced, the digital divide should be narrowed, and the role of digital finance in supporting sustainable development should be strengthened. • Using the latest improved methodology, this paper measures the provincial ecological footprint in China. • This paper investigates the impact of digital finance development on the ecological footprint. • Digital finance development can effectively mitigate the ecological footprint and has an environmentally inclusive effect. • The reasons for this are the green bias push of digital finance towards technological innovation and the increase in the scale of green credit effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, green innovation has become an important means of achieving sustainable development, but the impact of peer firms on green innovation is less discussed. To fill this research gap, this paper explores the effect of peer firms on the green innovation activities of the Chinese A-share listed firms in the manufacturing industry from 2011 to 2020 and investigates influencing factors of peer effect. The main findings are as follows. First, there is a peer effect in making green innovation decisions. Second, industry competition has a positive moderating effect on the peer effect of green innovation. Third, digital financial inclusion and government intervention both promote the peer effect of green innovation. The peer effect is more significant with a high degree of digital financial inclusion. But the peer effect has no significant difference between different degrees of government intervention. This paper aims to explore the influencing factors of a firm's green innovation from the perspective of peer effect. The research results can provide a guide for the government to better promote green innovation activities of firms and benign competition in the industry. • A firm's green innovation activities are positively affected by industry peers. • Industry competition has a positive moderating effect on green innovation peer effect. • Digital financial inclusion and government intervention both promote the peer effect. • The peer effect is more significant with a high degree of digital financial inclusion. • The peer effect has no significant difference between different degrees of government intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the interaction among innovation, tourism, and climate change has become a point of focus recently. This study examines the impact of innovation and tourism development on the sustainable development of the G7 economies. Panel data from 2000 to 2019 was analyzed for cross-sectional dependency, and a series of panel unit root tests were used to confirm the variables' unit root properties. Pedroni and Kao's tests confirm the cointegration relationship among the variables. The fully modified OLS and dynamic OLS results show that higher economic prosperity and lower environmental pollution are associated with innovation as measured in scientific publications and patents, highlighting the importance of innovation. The results highlight the positive significant impact of tourism arrivals on pollution reduction and economic expansion, which mark the steps for sustainable development. The study finds further evidence that asylum refugees did not positively contribute to economic prosperity, nor were they active in the environmental correction plans of the countries. The level of education provides strong evidence supporting sustainable development by encouraging economic growth and discouraging environmental degradation. Overall, the results recommend raising the level of innovation, tourism development, and higher technical education for the sustainable development of the G7 economies. These findings offer important contributions to firms, policymakers, and UN sustainable development agendas. [Display omitted] • The paper assesses the impact of innovation and tourism on sustainability. • The results show that innovation helps improve environmental quality. • The results reveal that innovation helps foster economic prosperity. • The paper finds that tourism helps in pollution reduction and economic expansion. • The results show that the level of education is important for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a systematic literature review of how market-based instruments can influence the development of sustainable innovation. Our analysis of empirical papers published in selected peer-reviewed journals from 1992 to 2021 shows that contextual factors such as geography and industrial sector impact whether market-based instruments successfully stimulate firms to adopt sustainable innovation. Interestingly, while most of our selected papers on East Asia report positive effects of market-based instruments, about half of the papers on Europe report negative or non-significant effects. Moreover, we appear to uncover a link between the research method they use for analysis and the observed effectiveness of market-based instruments. We reflect on the limitations and bias in current methodological approaches and discuss explanations for our findings, implications for policymakers, and avenues for future research. • We review the effect of market-based instruments on sustainable innovation. • Results from 76 empirical papers show mixed effects. • The observed effect appears to depend on geography and the research method applied. • Instruments appear more effective in East Asia than in Europe. • Reported effectiveness is higher in studies using patent data versus surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frugal innovation can help to foster sustainability and address global challenges, like building economic growth, addressing various social needs, and protecting the environment. However, if one wants to measure the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation or enable companies to make empirically informed decisions between frugal and alternative innovation, the question of how to assess these empirical impacts arises. The main objectives of this paper are the identification of approaches and indicators for assessing the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation and the analysis of empirical findings relating to prior assessments. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted, which identified 15 texts, and a qualitative content analysis was employed to evaluate their contents. From these analyses two main approaches for assessment emerged. First, the assessment based on the triple bottom line or the dimensions of sustainability (ecological, social, and economic). Second, assessment against the Sustainability Development Goals. In the identified texts, the sustainability dimensions are preferred over the Sustainable Development Goals for assessing the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation. From the 15 identified texts, 13 use qualitative indicators and two quantitative (conceptual) indicators. To answer the research question of the paper, a set of 47 qualitative indicators relating to integrated dimensions of sustainability for the assessment of the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation is proposed. In addition, this paper presents new insights relating to the empirical evidence of sustainability impacts of frugal innovation. Approximately 60% of 334 empirical findings from 70 different cases related to the Sustainable Development Goals contribute to the five (socially and economically focused) SDGs 8, 3, 10, 12, and 9. After a transformation to the Triple Bottom Line, these findings contribute predominantly to the economic and social dimensions (in each case 45%), and only slightly to the ecological dimension (the remaining 10%). In turn, 164 empirical results from 77 different cases related to the Triple Bottom Line show an almost similar contribution to all three sustainability dimensions with a small lead of the economic dimension. Nonetheless, in the opinion of the author, these findings confirm other studies, that from an empirical perspective, frugal innovation can be described as inherently socially and economically sustainable and ecological sustainability is mostly not the primary focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An innovative bioinspired CO 2 sorbent was synthesized by pyrocatechol and HMDA; • Outstanding CO 2 capture of 7.28 mmol/g was achieved under 4% humidified CO 2 at RT; • Easy functionalization for higher CO 2 capture and lower energy penalty regeneration. • Mussel-inspired coatings were completely stable over 50 adsorption/desorption cycles; • Our coating approach can be potentially applied to a plethora of surfaces. Nowadays, finding innovative technologies to efficiently adsorb/desorb CO 2 over several cycles with low energy consumption is a pressing environmental concern. In this work, a new bioionspired coating based on the copolymerization of benzene-1,2-diol and hexamethylenediamine, with a CO 2 uptake of 7.28 mmol/g under humidified conditions with an outstanding chemical stability and regenerability process is reported. Further functionalization with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride increases the uptake capacity up to 9.96 mmol/g while lowering the desorption temperature down to 50 °C for 20 min. Moreover, the coating shows strong adhesion on cotton and paper, without modifying their intrinsic permeability and mechanical properties, allowing for the recycling of fully available and environmentally friendly biomass. These results demonstrate the competitive advantages of this bioinspired coating compared with current technologies to capture CO 2 while accomplishing the resource efficiency of bioeconomy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid population growth and urbanisation have accelerated waste generation, and effective waste management has become a major challenge worldwide. With advances in technology and management methods, waste management strategies have begun embracing digitalisation, leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, cloud/edge computing, machine learning, 5G communication, and blockchain technologies. Amongst them, the blockchain technology has the structural features of achieving information security and integrity without central guarantees. Blockchain also meets the data record/storage needs of waste management and the design of new mechanisms for effective waste management. These benefits make blockchain an attractive technology in the field of waste management, with researchers and practitioners alike investigating its broad applications to support sustainable waste management. However, this emerging technology has not yet been widely accepted by potential users. To further champion the application of blockchain technology, this review paper provides a systematic overview of the various pathways in which the technology has been applied in the waste management industry and further discusses its related challenges and opportunities via considering the promising prospect of combining blockchain technology with IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and life cycle assessment (LCA). This review also provides insights for interpreting some emerging applications of blockchain in the field of waste management and clarifying the research paths in the context of blockchain, digitalised waste management, and circular economy. [Display omitted] • Impacts of blockchain technology on waste management have been substantial. • Recent development from blockchain's functional perspectives was surveyed. • There is a long way towards blockchain-based sustainable waste management. • Relevant challenges and opportunities in blockchain applications were discussed. • Outlooks in digitalised waste management and circular economy were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments around the world have enacted many policies to reduce environmental pollution and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. This study aimed to determine and understand the relationship between innovation, renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment inflows, economic growth and CO2 emission in Vietnam. Information was collected annually based on the annual data of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and World Bank from 2000 to 2022. The authors use the unrestricted fixed effects to resolve the study problems and using panel data method. The results indicate that innovation positively affects environmental pollution in Vietnam. However, renewable energy consumption has a negative effect on environmental pollution in Vietnam. In addition, FDI inflows and economic growth have strongly positive effects on environmental pollution. This paper also provides some recommendations that can assist Vietnam in developing a green and sustainable economy in the technology revolution 5.0 to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over a long-term period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analysed the influencing factors of urban eco-efficiency in Western China. • The US-SBM model and spatial econometric models were used for 84 cities' data. • Urban eco-efficiency showed a fluctuating upward trend during 2004–2017. • Economic development and urbanization had U-shaped impact on urban eco-efficiency. • Four explanatory variables showed a positive impact on urban eco-efficiency. Improving eco-efficiency can promote sustainable development. This study first evaluated the urban eco-efficiency of 84 cities in Western China from 2004 to 2017 by the undesirable-super-slack-based measure (US-SBM) and analysed their spatiotemporal characteristics, and then investigated its influencing factors using spatial econometric models. The results indicated that the urban eco-efficiency in Western China was at a relatively low level and showed a fluctuating upward trend with the highest average value of 0.65; however, capital cities of Western China have improved their eco-efficiency rapidly. Furthermore, there were obvious spatial spill-over impacts of the urban eco-efficiency in Western China. This paper also found that both the economic development level and urbanization level have "U" shaped impacts on Western China's urban eco-efficiency, which decreases at first and then rises. Similarly, increasing the proportion of secondary industry promotes urban eco-efficiency, and FDI, trade activities, improved environmental regulations as well as technological innovation capabilities have a positive impact on urban eco-efficiency in Western China. This paper also put forward corresponding policy suggestions to promote Western China's urban eco-efficiency. The present study may be helpful for policy-makers to balance economic development and environmental protection in Western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trying to break out of the stereotypical thinking of inherent study areas. • Use of a three-stage DEA model to make efficiency results more scientific. • Multidimensional identification of differences between strategic areas. • Valuable regionally targeted policy recommendations are made. The Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin are important economic regions and ecological barriers in China. Promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin are major regional strategies implemented by the Chinese government, and the green growth of the two regions is important for the high-quality sustainable development of the whole China. To investigate the regional differences in green growth efficiency of the same type of geographical units, this paper measures the green growth efficiency and decomposition indicators of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2020 using a three-stage DEA model and the Malmquist index method and establishes a panel Tobit model to identify the influencing factors of green growth efficiency. The results show that: ①After using the three-stage DEA model to remove the influence of external environment and stochastic factors, the mean values of green growth efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Zone and Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2020 are 0.996 and 1.089, respectively. The change of green growth efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Zone is slightly higher than that of Yellow River Basin. ②The Malmquist indexes of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin have generally increased, with the Technological Progress Index, which characterizes technological innovation, being the main endogenous driver of green growth efficiency in the Yellow River Basin, while the technical efficiency index, which characterizes factor mix and management level, is more significant in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. ③The Tobit model regression results show that the factors influencing green growth efficiency are also different in the two regions. Among them, the urbanization rate has a significantly positive effect on the two regions, while the effects of environmental regulation and research intensity are not significant. External openness has a suppressive effect on green growth efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, while the level of financial development and human capital negatively affect green growth efficiency in the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, green development in the new era should pay attention to the differences between different regions, and make appropriate development policies according to the local conditions of the development status of different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether financial agglomeration is conducive to eco-efficiency is of great importance for countries to better pursue cleaner production, low carbon emission reduction, and sustainable development paths. This paper focuses on 38 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members. Based on the scientific accounting of green eco-efficiency by the super-efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) model, the relationship between financial agglomeration and eco-efficiency is thoroughly investigated by combining the spatial Durbin model (SDM), the mediating effects model, and the panel threshold regression (PTR) model, bridging the knowledge gap. Empirical results reveal that (1) Financial agglomeration has strong positive externalities for eco-efficiency in the home country and its neighbors, with the trickle-down effect playing a key role. (2) Financial agglomeration can indirectly promote cleaner production and eco-efficiency by strengthening technological innovation and upgrading industrial structure, with the latter being more strongly mediated. (3) The effect of financial agglomeration in enhancing eco-efficiency has clear stage differences. The low-level financial agglomeration will impede the improvement of green eco-efficiency while the high-level will support it, which is in line with the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory and the law of economic development. The research broadens the theoretical underpinnings of financial agglomeration and eco-efficiency and provides guidance and implications for OECD members and other emerging economies on how to optimize the spatial allocation of financial resources, promote eco-efficiency, and advance green sustainable development. [Display omitted] • The eco-efficiency of 38 OECD members was estimated. • The impact of financial agglomeration on eco-efficiency was examined quantitatively. • The spatial Durbin model considering potential spatial spillover effects was employed. • Technology innovation, industrial upgrading, and urbanization may affect eco-efficiency. • Financial agglomeration can greatly boost eco-efficiency, but the relation is non-linear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and high-quality development has become an important development path for the global response to climate change. Eco-efficiency and innovation, as important indicator and core driver of green and high-quality development respectively, have attracted wide attention. However, the research on the relationship between innovation and eco-efficiency is mostly qualitative research, and the index selection of technological innovation and eco-efficiency is single. Therefore, this paper from the perspective of quantitative research based on the industrial enterprise data of 30 provinces from 2006 to 2019 to explore the mechanism between innovation network and eco-efficiency by constructing a three-stage evaluation model. The first step is to build the network SBM model to measure the innovation network efficiency, and decomposing it to explore the internal development and change rules of the innovation. And the SBM with undesirable output model is employed to evaluate the eco-efficiency and analyze the regional heterogeneity. Second, the coupling coordination model is constructed to quantitatively study the coupling coordination degree between innovation network efficiency and eco-efficiency. Finally, the influencing factors of coupling coordinated degree are discussed. The result shows that the innovation network comprehensive efficiency is lower than that of scientific and technological innovation efficiency and transformation of scientific and technological achievement efficiency, and the eco-efficiency of eastern China develops stably and is higher than that of the other three economic zones. Scientific technological innovation and the eco-efficiency of coupling coordination degree is higher than the transformation technological achievement and eco-efficiency of coupling coordination degree. Information and communication technology plays an important role in promoting innovation network comprehensive efficiency and eco-efficiency at different systems. • Decompose the efficiency of innovation network, and make the internal evolution law of innovation "white box" • Coupling coordination model is introduced to explore the dynamic interaction mechanism between innovation and eco-efficiency • To explore the ICT impact on innovation and ecological efficiency coupling coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil amendment is a viable alternative to chemical fumigants thanks its benefits on soil quality, microbial biodiversity, and plant health being valorized underused biomass. Nonetheless, the concepts of durability and stability for disease suppressive soils are became a critical issue in the advanced organic cropping systems. Although a comprehensive and critical literature is available, this paper briefly analyzes the governance of the soil organic amendments as an external source of organic matter and beneficial microbiota in view of new opportunities and technological advancements. Particularly, it discusses some possible solutions for developing the suppressive properties of the amended-soils by helping grower to well understand the complex processes/interactions that lead to soil suppressiveness from the most practical viewpoints according to the principles of green economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, cleaner production (CP) has attracted more attention from developing countries because of its various advantages. However, due to the lack of management constraints, CP activities often cannot keep efficient for long. To alleviate this problem, we put forward the cleaner production management (CPM) system and applied it in China. Based on our previous research, this paper constructed a comprehensive performance evaluation system to effectively supervise the implementation effect of CPM system. By analysing the flows of material, energy and information, a multi-level index system integrating the CPM requirements and sustainable development needs was established. And the quantification of performance was realized by combining the analytic hierarchy process and grey relational degree operation, which reliability was confirmed by sensitivity analysis. The case study in Chinese steel enterprise showed that after implementing CPM system for three years, the overall performance level increased by about 25%. It has confirmed that the application of CPM mode could obviously promote the sustainable green development of the steel enterprise and provide the directions for carrying out CP plans in the next step, such as strengthening innovation of management system and improving employees' awareness of CP activities. In the context of enterprises seeking sustainable development, CPM system and performance evaluation possess broad application value. [Display omitted] • Quantitative evaluation of a new management system integrating cleaner production. • Case study of the cleaner production management system applied in steel enterprise. • An index system focused on the green sustainable development benefits. • A performance evaluation method combining AHP and grey relational analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars, governments, and society are interested in how entrepreneurship and innovation can help overcome the challenges that humanity is facing. Investment has been done to search new business models for sustainable development. But theory still needs progress to examine and support practice. This paper poses a taxonomy based on the social entrepreneurial theory to offer a classifications structure, helping theoretical consolidation. It also enlarges the research focus by describing changes in the Portuguese social economy, highlighting the relationship between incumbent and new SEIs. The research design relies on several statistical steps to comply with topic complexity and delivery a structure that allows further replication. Exploratory factor and cluster analyses provided the information structure, confirmed by MANOVA and post-hoc tests. A social entrepreneurial initiative (SEI) can be Persistent, Innovative or stuck in the middle., Persistent SEI are the best when the innovation regards risk and cost reduction. If the main goal is to solve a critical social problem or sustain effective social change, the solution will be riskier and more expensive. In that case, Innovative SEIs are the best. It is hard to cut cost and go for innovations simultaneously, so SEIs stuck in the middle tend toward underperformance. • We pose a taxonomy to classify business models as Persistent, Innovative, or stuck. • Exploratory factor analyses and cluster analyses provide the taxonomy structure. • MANOVA and post-hoc tests confirm the taxonomy. • It highlights incumbent and new initiatives relationship (31.3% increased). • The results favor sustainable development to help in solving social problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy is becoming increasingly important in the field of carbon governance. However, there is little literature examining the relationship between the digital economy and clean energy development. This paper aims to fill this gap by exploring the relationship between the digital economy and clean energy and its spatial effects. We explored the effects of the digital economy using adouble fixed effects model and a spatial econometric model using 276 cities in China from 2011 to 2019 as the original data. We find that the digital economy can drive clean energy development. Technological innovation and city bank loans play an important mediating role in this. Second, we find that market-driven amplifies the positive effects of the digital economy compared with government intervention, and the effects of the digital economy are different under different regions. Finally, we find that the digital economy can drive clean energy not only in local cities, but also indirectly in neighboring cities. These facts suggest that the digital economy is an important way to drive clean energy development and thus effectively achieve sustainable development. Our study provides new ideas for building digital economy and clean energy development in emerging developing countries such as China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling carbon emissions and sustaining growth constitute essential concerns in the post-financial crisis era combined with low-carbon sustainable development. However, the impact of financial development on carbon emissions remains controversial and lacks mechanisms investigation covering finance spatial attributes. Relying on China province's data during 2005–2019, this paper contributes to the literature by constructing multi-spatial models to investigate how financial geo-density mitigates carbon emission intensity and explore the spatial transmission mechanisms. The results reveal that there is a balance between financial geo-density and carbon emission intensity. The intrinsic mechanisms include: (1) raising financial geo-density is accompanied by the law of marginal diminishing carbon emission intensity tendency; (2) high financial geo-density accelerates technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading, thereby decreasing carbon emission intensity, but drives industrial-scale expansion, thereby increasing carbon emission intensity; and (3) financial institution competition and inter-industry linkage notably influence the relationship between financial geo-density and carbon emission intensity, promoting the emission reduction effect of financial geo-density in accelerating technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading, and suppressing the emission increase effect of financial geo-density in driving industrial expansion. Our findings provide new insights for developing systemic emission reduction policies for employing financial sectors as catch-all and integrating industries and competition. • Mechanism analysis of financial geo-density affects carbon emission intensity (IC). • Propose an integrated spatial model including spatial mediated moderating effects. • Financial geo-density drives IC by industrial-scale expansion. • Reduce IC by technological innovation and industrial upgrading. • Financial institution rivalry and inter-industry link mitigate total driven effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of green finance on green innovation, focusing on their spatial and non-linear relationships. Using panel data of 30 provinces of China during the period of 2009–2017, a green finance index is constructed, and the spatial Durbin model and panel threshold model are used. The results reveal that: (1) Green finance and green innovation had significant positive autocorrelation, and the development of green finance in provinces of central and western China were still in the lower-level range. (2) The coefficients of the direct effect and indirect effect of green finance on green innovation were significantly positive, which indicated that green finance was conducive to enhancing green innovation in local and adjacent provinces during the research period. (3) Double threshold effects of green finance on green innovation were observed, which demonstrated that the driving effect of green finance was decreased with the raising of intensity of environmental regulation. The implication of these results is that government should make full use of the radiation and trickle-down functions of green finance and green innovation to narrow regional gaps in sustainable development while maintaining a moderate intensity of environmental regulation. • A green finance index of 30 provinces of China during the period of 2009 to 2017 was constructed on the basis of green credit, green securities, green insurance, and green investment. • The heterogeneity of region and time for green finance were analyzed employing the spatial exploratory analysis, which manifested that the spatial evolution of green finance in China presents a gradient decreasing pattern from east to west. • The impact of green finance on green innovation was explored by the spatial Durbin model, which proved that the direct effect and the spatial spillover effect were significantly positive. • Moderate intensity of environmental regulation helps green finance promote green innovation and this value should not exceed a maximum of 0.935. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major technological innovation, high-speed railway (HSR) has profoundly influenced the regional sustainable development (i.e., economy, society, and ecology). Meanwhile, green innovation is a critical catalyst for sustainable development. However, the impact of HSR on regional green innovation has received little attention. To fill the research gap, this paper reveals the driving effects of HSR on regional green innovation spillover by employing the three heat transfer methods in physics. Specifically, Stackelberg game models are constructed to imitate the production and sales distribution strategies of two competitive firms in the conduction path and the convection path. Furthermore, the regional green innovation spillover model under the radiation path is constructed. The main findings are as follows: (1) HSR has a significant positive impact on regional green innovation spillover. (2) After the HSR opening, apart from production cost and spillover elasticity, production distribution and carbon emission may affect the choice of regional green innovation in the conduction path. Sales distribution and price elasticity may have significant effects on the choice of regional green innovation in the convection path. (3) The size of regional green innovation spillover from HSR depends on changes in the accessibility of central and peripheral areas. (4) The regional green innovation spillover is negatively correlated with distance to HSR stations in the radiation path. This research provides a theoretical basis for improving the HSR network. Suggestions are put forward on how to carry out green innovation activities effectively. Innovation-driven strategies are suggested to be prioritized. • HSR has a significant positive impact on regional green innovation spillover. • The effect of HSR varies under conduction, convection, and radiation paths. • Changes in accessibility determine the size of regional green innovation spillover from HSR. • The regional green innovation spillover is negatively correlated with distance to HSR stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has incorporated green technology innovation into its national development strategy based on its national conditions and development needs. The emission permit system is a typical environmental regulation, and one of the driving forces of green technology innovation. Research into the pollution discharge permits system is a key for improving environmental regulations. This study seeks to investigate the impact of pollution permits system on green innovation in China. Using econometric methods, we constructed and tested the model of green technology innovation incentives based on the emission permits system, and applied it to several Chinese counties and districts. The results revealed shortcomings in implementation of the emission permits system in various counties and districts. From a governmental perspective, this was due to poor standardization of management processes and insufficiently innovative supervisory methods. On the corporate side, problems included poor auditing of law enforcement plans, poor implementation of the ledger system, and a lack of disclosure of pollution data. We propose comprehensive strategies to address these issues. This paper explores the emission reduction potential of the pollution discharge permits system at the county level, in accordance with the Porter hypothesis, and provides reference data for the formulation and optimization of energy conservation and emission reduction policies. This will promote green development of the chemical and other industries, and green technology innovation in China. • We explore the pollution discharge permits system at the county level. • We construct a model of the impact of pollution discharge permits system. • We put forward some strategies for promoting green technology innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Construct index system to evaluate coupling coordination degree of socioeconomic and ecological environment in the Loess Plateau, China. • The coupling coordination degree in the Loess Plateau has been improved during 2013–2018 but not ideal. • Provide an excellent comprehensive evaluation method for the regional sustainable development. • Coupling coordination degree in the Loess Plateau show distinct spatial characteristics. The underdeveloped areas are facing many challenges in ecological environment and social transformation. The benign interaction relationship between socioeconomic development and ecological environment is essential to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) for underdeveloped areas. This paper selected the prefecture-level cities on the Loess Plateau as the study case, by evaluating the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between socioeconomic (SE) and ecological environment (EE), the temporal and spatial variations of the Loess Plateau was discussed. Based on the evaluation index system constructed, the dynamic deviation maximization method and coupling coordination degree method were adopted to evaluate the CCD from 2013 to 2018. The evaluation results showed that the coupling coordination degree of the Loess Plateau is not ideal, and most prefecture-level cities have low CCD score. More than 70% of the cities showed primary coordination and tiny coordination, and no city located to good coordination. There are 17 cities (70.83%) with CCD growth rates below 2%, and four cities showed a decreasing trend of CCD. To achieve sustainable cities and society, the government should increase financial support and reduce tax for green industries, and increase the income level of employees to avoid the loss of labor force. In addition, by increasing the intensity of environmental regulation and policy support for scientific and technological innovation, which can promote the transformation of resource-based cities and high-polluting enterprises, and reduce the damage to the ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although green growth has become the economic development strategy of many countries in the world, and studies have analyzed the influencing factors of green growth from multiple angles, there are few literatures devoted to the impact of fintech and green finance on green growth. From the perspective of fintech development, this paper tries to construct a comprehensive index to evaluate the green growth of regional economy based on the in-depth analysis of the influence mechanism of green finance on green growth. At the same time, China's provincial panel data from 2011 to 2018 are selected to test the impact of fintech innovation and green finance on green growth, and its mechanism. It turns out that fintech and green finance significantly promotes green economic growth. At the same time, the impact of fintech and green finance on green growth has obvious regional heterogeneity, that is, the impact in eastern China is significantly stronger than that in central and western China. Further research shows that fintech innovation mainly promotes green economic growth through green credit and green investment. Therefore, fintech innovation can promote green economic growth by improving the development level of green finance, which has great reference significance for most countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world second largest economy, China aims at achieving high-quality and innovation-driven development. This paper investigates the effects of different technological innovations on green productivity in 261 Chinese cities from 2004 to 2017. We employ the super-efficiency Epsilon-based measure (EBM) model with undesirable outputs under meta frontier and a global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index. We decompose the GML index into efficiency change (GEC) index and technology change (GTC) index to measure the dynamic changes of China's urban green development. Results showed that the average GML index is 0.924 thereby, indicating China's urban green development is at a decreasing trend. The eastern region had the highest GML index among three regions followed by the western region. Moreover, we explored the determinants of urban green productivity through panel quantile regression and found the heterogeneous impacts of different technological innovations on green productivity. Invention patents and design patents positively affected the urban green productivity while utility patents exerted a significantly negative influence. Invention patents promoted the GTC and GEC index while utility patents impeded at some quantiles. FDI yielded both "Pollution Halo Hypothesis" and "Pollution Heaven Hypothesis" effects. Invention, utility and design patents all have threshold effects on China's green productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at distinguishing the effects of different types of environmental regulations on different ways of green technology innovation behaviors and whether industrial agglomeration has a moderating effect. In this study, the theoretical framework of "Environmental regulation stimulates green innovation intention, while green innovation intention promotes green innovation behavior" is constructed, the mediating effect of green technology innovation intention is studied, and moderating effect based on industrial agglomeration is also analyzed. The empirical results show that controlling environmental regulation has a more significant influence on the green innovation intention compared to incentive regulation. The green innovation intention plays a mediating role in the logic chain of environmental regulation and green innovation behavior, which verifies the hypothesis of "incomplete environmental regulation" to some extent. Industrial agglomeration plays a positive moderating role in the logic chain of "environmental regulation—green innovation intention—green innovation behavior". It is proven that in the face of strict environmental regulations, the geographical proximity accelerates the diffusion of green knowledge and technology and stimulates intention and enthusiasm of enterprises towards green innovation. Our research lays a solid foundation for enterprises to realize cleaner production and government to formulate policies to realize circular economy and sustainable development. [Display omitted] • Innovation intention plays a mediating role between regulation and behavior. • Controlling regulation has a more significant influence on innovation intention. • Industrial agglomeration plays a positive moderating effect in logical chain. • Agglomeration has a greater moderating effect on green product innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial technology-based firms (FinTech) are crucial to promoting new technologies and advances in innovations related to the financial field, sustainable development, and financial inclusion. This paper aims to assess the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and open innovation integrated within the public discourse in the social media of FinTech firms, using machine-learning-based social media analysis (SMA). Accordingly, we tracked the behavior of 21 firms based on the empirical material of 32,716 posts on Twitter. The outcomes showed dissimilar discourses based on FinTech firms' activities. However, it was found that only financial infrastructure, lending, and personal finance fields have a discourse related to innovation and, to a lesser extent, related to the SDGs thematic. Thus, awareness of sustainable objectives is still far from being a relevant issue for FinTech, which, in general, has neglected to significantly mention SDGs; nonetheless, innovation and related terms are a consistent topic in this area. Furthermore, hints of the implementation of the open innovation paradigm and interest in novel technologies are demonstrated, in addition to the promotion of different actors and events on social media that serve as a showcase for firms that have a presence on Twitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now evidence of a growing demand for green product innovation (GPI), leading to reduced negative environmental effects. This context is an opportunity for the organizational reconfiguration of companies in the manufacturing sector to accommodate these new product attributes and characteristics. Although the identification of the determinants of GPI has improved, its characterization is still fragmented and there is limited coherence in terms of the administrative approach leading to GPI development. The main purpose of this paper is the selection and configuration of the determinants of GPI and their organization into an innovation management model. This is achieved by identifying and categorizing the determinants of GPI in association with green innovation capabilities (GIC) and organizational dimensions (OD). The results provide a set of determinants of GPI, paving the way for organizational challenges, the adaptation and definition of new GIC, and the selection of green-oriented OD. All the above is represented in a framework showing the structural relationships and operationalized in a matrix product of the taxonomy referring to how the determinants of GPI affect GIC and OD, thus facilitating the definition of the variables that assess the progress of the company in pursuit of GPI. This research contributes in the field of management and organizational theories for the managerial transition to sustainable development from the dynamics typical of innovation. It also widens the scope of study for researchers, manufacturing company managers, and governmental bodies responsible for environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve sustainable economic development, many developing countries have continuously tightened their environmental regulations; for example, the Chinese government revised some policies to protect the environment, such as the Environmental Protection Law, and levied environmental taxes. Will these regulatory tools affect the growth of the industrial economy? What are the differences in the influence of various types of environmental regulations? Based on city-level panel data from China, this paper applied a difference-in-difference (DID) model and a bootstrap panel Granger causality test to investigate the relationship between two types of environmental regulations (command-and-control environmental regulation and market-Based incentive environmental regulation) and industrial growth. The results show that (1) Command-and-control environmental regulation (CAC) has a significant inhibitory effect on industrial growth. (2) In most regions, there is no significant Granger causality between market-based incentive environmental regulation (MBI) and industrial growth. (3) Compared with command-and-control environmental regulation, market-based incentive environmental regulation allows more flexibility for enterprises, which is more beneficial for technological innovation. Meanwhile, market-based incentive environmental regulation does little to suppress industrial growth. • Environmental regulation are subdivided into the MBI(Market-Based Incentive) and the CAC(Command and Control). • We reflect the influence of the CAC environmental regulation on overall industrial performance to the industrial growth. • It investigates the relationship between the two types of environmental regulations and industrial growth respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]