Search

With the challenge posed by global warming, accurately estimating and managing carbon emissions becomes a key step for businesses, especially power generation companies, to reduce their environmental impact. Optuna–LightGBM–XGBoost, a novel power and carbon emission relationship model that aims to improve the efficiency of carbon emission monitoring and estimation for power generation companies, is proposed in this paper. Deeply exploring the intrinsic link between power production data and carbon emissions, this model paves a new path for "measuring carbon through electricity", in contrast to the emission factor method commonly used in China. Unit data from power generation companies are processed into structured tabular data, and a parallel processing framework is constructed with LightGBM and XGBoost, and optimized with the Optuna algorithm. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) is used to fuse features to enhance prediction accuracy by capturing characters that the individual models cannot detect. Simulation results show that Optuna–LightGBM–XGBoost can achieve better performance compared to existing methods. The mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and coefficient of determination (R2) of the model are 0.652, 0.939, 0.136, and 0.994, respectively. This not only helps governments and enterprises to develop more scientific and reasonable emission reduction strategies and policies, but also lays a solid foundation for achieving global carbon neutrality goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays environmental issues have been of great concern to the world, among which the problem of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is particularly prominent. All countries in the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement have committed to control greenhouse gas emissions, and China, as the largest carbon emitter, has assumed a heavier burden. China has been striving to develop low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen, nuclear, wind, and solar energy, but the most attention should be paid to CCUS, which many scholars have high expectations that CCUS can help China reduce emissions to some extent. Therefore, this paper presents a prediction that CCUS can reduce 3.8% of carbon emissions for China in 2040 when CCUS emission reductions increase at a rate of 30%. The power and chemical industries could reduce carbon emissions by 2.3% and 17.3%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving carbon neutrality is an important initiative to cope with global warming. Most studies on the role of tourism towards carbon neutrality were based on the carbon emission reduction (CER) perspective while the carbon sink (CS) perspective was lacking. Based on the quasi-natural experiment of high-standard scenic spots, this paper aimed to examine the effect of tourism resources development on regional CS with high-precision multi-source datasets of 2601 Chinese county units. According to the results of the time-varying difference-in-difference (DID) model regression, CNSA significantly deteriorated CS, but the findings of the rolling regression test confirmed that the adverse effect diminished over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research at the biophysical level constitutes the main approach to study the path through which climate influences infectious diseases, but the influence of socioeconomic factors on climate change and the spread of infectious diseases also cannot be ignored. In the current context, with its emphasis on carbon emission reduction, countries have begun to adopt "total control and trading" methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper is based on the monthly relevant data of various provinces and cities from 2015 to 2019, adds the moderating variable of "carbon emission trading volume" based on current research results, establishes a static model of unbalanced panel fixed effects and a dynamic panel model, and deeply analyzes the impact of climate change on infectious disease popularity and the moderating effect of the carbon trading market. The study found that climate warming, frequent precipitation, and shortened sunshine duration will lead to an increase in the number of infectious disease cases and that the "carbon emission trading volume" variable plays a negative role in the positive correlation between climate change (temperature/precipitation) and the number of infectious disease cases. There are seasonal differences, and the moderating effect in summer/autumn is more obvious than that in winter/spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate warming on world agricultural production and food security has become increasingly obvious. As an important source of carbon emissions and the carbon sink system, the green development of agriculture is one of the important ways to alleviate the crisis and achieve China' s goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. Exploiting the potential of agricultural carbon sinks and accurately calculating agricultural net carbon emissions are of great significance to promoting the green development of agriculture meeting the ' dual carbon' goals. Based on the dual characteristics of the agricultural carbon cycle, this paper sorted out the logical relationship between agricultural green development and the agricultural carbon cycle, incorporated the role of agricultural carbon sinks into the calculation framework of agricultural carbon emissions, and measured China' s agricultural net carbon emissions from 2000 to 2019 by time and region. The decoupling model of agricultural net carbon emissions from agricultural economic growth was constructed. The results of the study found that the total amount of carbon emissions from agricultural sources increased from 277.899 million t in 2000 to 308.383 1 million t in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 0.52%, but the agricultural carbon emission intensity showed a trend of continuous decline; the agricultural carbon sink increased from 99.539 9 million t in 2000 to 133.039 million t in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 1.46%, and the agricultural carbon sink resources were considerable. The intensity of agricultural carbon source emissions was higher in the west than in other regions and there was a clear gap with the eastern region. The total amount of agricultural carbon source emissions, carbon sinks, and net carbon emissions all showed a medium-high pattern. The decoupling relationship between agricultural economic growth and agricultural net carbon emissions was mainly manifested in two decoupling states: strong decoupling and weak decoupling. Nearly 50% of the provinces achieved the ideal strong decoupling state in terms of agricultural green development, while the remaining provinces were in a weak decoupling state, and the decoupling state was generally ideal. Finally, this paper puts forward targeted countermeasures and suggestions to promote the green development of agriculture and help achieve the ' dual carbon' goals: we should accurately locate the carbon source; ensure the ' double bottom line' of food security and pig production capacity under low-carbon agriculture; resolve the resource endowment differences between regions; explore the potential of the agricultural carbon trading market; create a new path for farmers to increase their income, maintain the strong and improve the weak; and strive to achieve the ' package' of strong decoupling in agriculture to help achieve the ' dual carbon' goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of carbon emissions accelerates global warming and causes environmental problems. Therefore, research on emission peak and carbon neutrality is of broad interest. In this paper, based on the relationships among carbon emissions, carbon absorption and urban population growth, a delayed differential equations model is established. Then, we analyze the existence and stability of a positive equilibrium point of the system and substitute the data for simulations. Eventually, according to theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, some suggestions for China to achieve the goal of emission peak and carbon neutrality are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of political uncertainty on sustainable urban development by examining carbon emission trading systems (ETS) in four major markets in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Hubei) from 2014 to 2022. As an alternative to carbon taxes, carbon ETS markets have become increasingly popular due to their success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, their effectiveness is often hindered by political instability and uncertainty. Utilising logistic regression and AR(1)-GARCH estimations, we identify a negative relationship between political uncertainty and carbon trading volume. Our study also reveals significant variations in the responses of these markets to political uncertainty. The paper contributes to the understanding of how ETS markets operate in a complex and constantly changing political environment. We suggest that policymakers need to consider the impact of political uncertainty on carbon trading when designing and implementing urban policies that promote sustainable development. Additionally, our research contributes to the development of urban policies that can be effectively implemented in both developed and developing regions. • Local government official turnovers are used as the measurement of political uncertainty. • Daily transaction data from four carbon ETS markets (Beijing, Shanghai, Hubei and Guangdong) in China • Considered the probability and proportion of zero transaction day • Logistic regression and AR(1)-GARCH estimations • A negative relationship between political uncertainty and carbon transaction volume [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has set an ambitious national determined contributions target to peak CO 2 emissions by 2030 and aims to be carbon neutral by 2060. One of China's top energy consumers and CO 2 contributors, the steel industry accounts for 13% of the country's total consumption and 15% of CO 2 emissions. In response to the present global warming trend, there is an urgent need to cut energy consumption and CO 2 emissions to promote low-carbon growth. This paper attempts to provide a detailed analysis of the steel industry's CO 2 emission reduction path to carbon neutrality. Further efforts in terms of industrial structure, material efficiency, energy efficiency, and low- or zero-carbon technologies are required to achieve a low-carbon transition. Given that decarbonization is a significant priority in the steel industry in many countries, this study focuses on the goals and technological paths of low-carbon emissions projects to optimize existing technology priorities and propose development directions. Deep decarbonization is also projected to be achieved by combining CCUS and hydrogen metallurgy technologies. The steel industry requires collaborative efforts to standardize CO 2 emission accounting methodologies and establish a carbon trading system to strengthen carbon emission management. • The steel industry is one of the key contributors to carbon neutrality which needs to accelerate decarbonization. • Reducing energy consumption and CO 2 emissions to keep up with the current global warming trend are reviewed. • This paper selects low-carbon emission projects to optimize current technology priorities and provide development directions. • Policy recommendations and next steps for low-carbon transition are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming caused by the excessive combustion of fossil fuels has become the focus of the international community. China's carbon emission reduction policy plays a vital role in international climate change, carbon emission neutrality and domestic environmental pollution control. This paper summarises the progress of China's Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) pilots from 2011 to 2021, including trading volume, carbon emissions price, and the effect of carbon emission abatement. By calculating the carbon emissions intensity decrease rate of China's ETS pilot and non-pilot regions, the ETS and carbon emissions tax are compared in terms of emission reduction effectiveness, emission reduction cost and implementation resistance to provide theoretical support for the Chinese government to select and develop carbon emission reduction tools. The development of the Clean Development Mechanism in China is also compared with China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER), and the offsetting rules of CCER are summarised. After the whole analysis and assessment, the results show that from 2013 to 2018, the average carbon emissions intensity decline rate in the ETS pilots was 7.3% and that in non-pilots was 4.29%. Some problems of China's carbon emissions trading market are also concluded. The trading volume is small (only 43.4 × 106 t in 2020) and is discrepant greatly in the different ETS pilots. The carbon emissions price is low (only 33.45 Yuan/t in 2020), with high volatility and large price differences among the ETS pilots. Based on the existing problems, this paper proposes some suggestions for improving China's emission trading market and provides theoretical and decision-making support for promoting carbon emission reduction and neutralisation for China. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon trading market is an effective way to mitigate the threat of climate warming. In the context of carbon neutrality, what is the carbon emission trading scheme's carbon reduction effect? This paper answers the question by examining the carbon efficiency of China's iron and steel industry. This study first constructs CO 2 emission efficiency by employing the data envelopment approach. It then uses the synthetic control method to identify the impact of the carbon emission trading scheme on the CO 2 efficiency of the iron and steel industry. The results show that CO 2 emission efficiency in pilot provinces increased at a 5% significance level compared with the counterfactual scenario. The carbon trading market plays a vital role in industrial CO 2 emission efficiency improvement in Guangdong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hubei, and Chongqing. From a dynamic perspective, the policy effect of enhancing CO 2 efficiency becomes more prominent over time. Moreover, the effectiveness degree of the carbon emission trading scheme varies across pilot provinces, caused of regional policy differences. Based on the findings, we put forward targeted suggestions for improving the newly-established national carbon trading market. • The DEA model and the synthetic control method are employed in the study. • Impact of carbon market on CO 2 efficiency of iron and steel industry is verified. • The heterogeneity of carbon market effects is explored from regional perspective. • Carbon market significantly promotes industrial CO 2 efficiency in pilot provinces. • China should develop the national carbon market to achieve carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming can be solved with carbon trading. When carbon emissions become a commodity, it can be a powerful motivator for companies to optimize production capacity and innovate technologically. The goal of this paper is to examine the way in which China's carbon emissions trading policy (CET) influences firm technological innovation in seven pilot regions, using a sample of firms in eight high-carbon industries. We employ difference-in-difference (DID) as well as DID-based propensity score matching (PSM-DID) models to investigate the influence of China's carbon emission policy on firms' technological innovation by using 4745 observations of 749 A-share listed firms in eight high-carbon industries in mainland China from 2007 to 2021. According to the findings, China's CET policy significantly boosts firms' technological innovation, and this beneficial effect persists even after a series of robustness tests that change the policy's implementation year and the technological innovation measure. Further analysis shows that this positive effect is heterogeneous across high-carbon industries and firms with different ownership. In addition, based on the external governance perspective, we find that CET policy performs better in firms in high-carbon industries with a sizable portion of ownership held by institutional investors. This study suggests the effectiveness of CET policy in promoting firms' technological innovation, confirms empirical evidence for Porter's hypothesis, and provides a basis for Chinese firms to achieve their emission reduction targets by improving technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of the global economy, the rapid deterioration of the global ecological environment has caused a huge impact on the future development of the world. In order to solve the problem of global warming and enhance the self-development capacity of all countries, based on the concept of sustainable development, China has set the ambitious goal of dual carbon. To this end, China is actively promoting the establishment of a national carbon emissions trading system. In response to low price competitiveness, such as nonstandard trading system, the influence of the development of the carbon emissions trading system in the future, should not only attach importance to enrich and strengthen the basic function of the carbon market, also continue to carbon pricing system and in-depth reform of the fiscal and taxation system, clear up the thoughts to the carbon market trading rules, is on its relevant rights and obligations, firmly adhere to steadily promote carbon market links between countries. Currently, China’s carbon emission trading is still in its infancy, and its effect is still limited in specific practice. Meanwhile, carbon emission trading markets in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have begun to implement carbon tariffs and other means to maintain their carbon borders. Therefore, the construction of carbon emission trading is necessary for development, but also for the sustainable development of the country. The lag of China’s carbon emission market leads to the worsening of the problem of carbon excess emissions of industries in the regions not covered, and the increased economic burden caused by the carbon barriers of other countries in foreign trade. Of course, this requires China take the path of sustainable development to continue to strengthen the system construction of carbon emission rights and promote the further optimization of their functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unflinching surge in global warming has left the world in ecological chaos. Consequently, governments across the globe are committing to achieving decarbonizing the environment with a target aimed at 2050, of which China is a key player. In effect, this study seeks to contribute to the strides by querying the extent to which shocks in technological innovation make or mar the sustainability of the Chinese environment from 1990 to 2019. The other impacts of foreign direct investment, renewable and nonrenewable energy, and economic growth are considered in the model estimated through nonlinear ARDL robust for ascertaining instantaneous positive and negative effects. The results reveal that technological innovation promotes and hinders environmental sustainability based on the positive and negative shocks, respectively, whereas the adverse shocks impede it. Besides, economic growth and nonrenewable energy turn out to be negative predictors of environmental sustainability while renewable energy and FDI facilitate it. The results of the Fourier Toda Yamamoto corroborate the NARDL results. The EKC hypothesis is not validated for China based on estimates from the novel Itkonen (2012) approach. Following the empirical results, practicable policy insights toward sustaining the environment in China and beyond are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]