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Maintaining crop outputs to feed its large population with limited resources while simultaneously mitigating carbon emissions are great challenges for China. Improving the efficiency of resource use in crop production is important in reducing carbon emissions. This paper constructs a methodological framework combining emergy-based indicator accounting and a nonseparable undesirable output slack-based measurement (SBM) data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. This framework is used to explore the efficiency of inputs and outputs and the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction potential for crop production systems, using Zhejiang province, China, as a case study. It is found that an emergy synthesis and a nonseparable undesirable output SBM-DEA framework is compatible with the case study. Crop production in Zhejiang province has relied heavily on an increase in agrochemical inputs to maintain agricultural output. Energy and chemical fertilizer use are determined as the province’s major carbon emissions sources. Although carbon emissions per unit of monetary output has decreased sharply, the carbon emissions per unit emergy output has increased, demonstrating a high carbon intensity reality. The DEA highlighted the differences in crop production efficiency, resource factor redundancy and carbon mitigation potential in the different prefectures of the province. To conclude this research, policies to support low carbon agriculture development, including subsidizing low carbon agriculture technology development and expansion and the cancellation of subsidies to high carbon production factors, such as chemical fertilizer production and sales, are discussed to conclude the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable urban water infrastructure planning is vital for all cities in developing countries, where rapid urbanization has exacerbated the increasingly burdened environment. Water sustainability is a prerequisite for economic growth, social equity, and living quality in urban areas. This paper documents the current challenges and summarizes the solutions adopted in water infrastructure planning and management. Then, case studies of how multilateral financial institutions have promoted sustainable water infrastructure planning through economic appraisal and the novel approaches adopted for sustainable water infrastructure planning and asset management, are presented for the three cities of Jiaozhou, Cixi, and Fangchenggang. Conclusions are made based on the comparison and analysis of the experiences drawn from the case studies of how economic analysis could help promote sustainable water infrastructure planning and management. It is illustrated that economic analysis that considers ecosystem services supply should be employed more in water infrastructure planning, operation, and management in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) is regarded as one of the most promising technical paths towards transportation sector's carbon neutrality in China, to assess the environmental and economic performances of HFCV is of great significance for emission reduction policies construction. This study carries out a fuel-cycle analysis of HFCV in 2020 and 2030 using the GREET model. 19 fuel paths are generated by combining mainstream patterns of HFCV's hydrogen production, storage and transportation, and filling processes. The results show a contradiction at present that, hydrogen production from electrolytic water with renewable energy has the lowest air pollutants and carbon emissions, while the traditional hydrogen production from natural gas, coke oven gas and coal, etc., have better economic performances. However, the decreasing trends of both pollution emissions and costs of HFCVs are expected towards 2030. Specifically, the CO 2 , VOC, NO x , PM 2.5 and SO 2 emissions would decrease by 21.58%, 16.55%, 22.35%, 22.49%, and 18.76%, respectively. The total cost of fuel path with the participation of renewable energy decreases rapidly, which is mainly benefit from its lower environmental externality costs. This study puts forward policy suggestion of improving the hydrogenation infrastructure construction, accelerating the large-scale and low-cost renewable energy hydrogen production. • Fuel-cycle analysis of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle using localized GREET model. • Environmental and economic assessment of 19 fuel paths in 2020 and 2030. • Electrolytic water with renewable energy paths show great pollution reduction effect. • Material and environmental cost of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle drop significantly in 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and Carbon Emission Trading (CET) are the policy instrument for China to achieve the low-carbon energy transition. Changes in policy combinations will affect the equilibrium state of the interactive system and bring uncertain risks to the expected effects of policy implementation. Given the assumption that the power users undertake RPS assessment and the CET market is extended to industries in addition to the power generation industry, this paper first constructs a game model in the context of RPS and CET where groups of power users and thermal power manufacturers jointly participate. Then, with China's provincial market data, it analyzed the evolution process of group strategy under different policy parameters and described the characteristics of the transition between the stable and unstable states of the system. Finally, a dynamic and differentiated mechanism design for policy parameters is proposed to restrain system oscillations. The simulation results reveal the interaction between market players' strategies, and a quantitative framework for analyzing system stability under different policy parameter combinations is proposed, which can provide an analysis framework for China to implement RPS and CET and deliver a relevant analysis basis for setting policy parameters. • Analyzing the interactive impact of RPS and CET markets on power users. • Construct an evolutionary game framework. • The process between stable and unstable states is characterized. • Dynamic penalty mechanisms can make the system stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]