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China's coastal region is the major geographical unit for the future development of China's industrial sector. The transformation of basic structure to high-class development in China's coastal places is a significant tool for promoting the changes related to quality, power and efficiency in regional economic development. In the 21st century, environmental and energy issues have increased worldwide, and challenges related to environmental pollution, energy crises, and ecological imbalances have emerged. To climate change and energy utilization, the sustainable progress of clean energy is the new route of future energy development. Based on China's non-polluting energy growth process in the last ten years, this article explores China's clean/green energy policies and economic growth development plans. Clean energy utilization is crucial for sustainable development in the context of high-quality economic growth and climate change. However, the monetary evolution and carbon emission are not investigated whole from the clean energy aspects. Using Wind energy sources as the acceptable variable, this paper employs threshold regression and impulse functions to assess the energy consumption and economic growth on carbon emission in 30 Chinese provinces over the 2000 to 2020 period. The Deep Belief Network (DBN) model predicts wind energy utilization and efficiency. The results show that economic development and carbon emissions are connected. Further, growth influences promote the offset of carbon emissions. Green innovation alters the nexus of carbon emissions, and China's economy reduces carbon usage. It provides the decision-making policies for clean energy development. • China's Coastal region is the major geographical unit for the future development of China's industrial. • In high-quality economic growth and climate change, clean energy use is vital for sustainable development. • The utilization of wind energy and it's efficiency is predicted using Deep Belief Network (DBN) model. • Empirical results link economic growth with carbon emissions, showing growth promotes emissions offset. • Green innovation changes the economic growth-carbon link, aiding China's carbon reduction efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint participation of multiple subjects is crucial for environmental governance. Using panel data for 273 Chinese cities during 2013–2019, this study investigates the impact and mechanism of public demands on environmental pollution. The results demonstrate that public demands measured by the number of environmental complaints placed on government leaders significantly reduce environmental pollution. Furthermore, increases in the rate and speed of government responses improve the effect of public demands on environmental governance. Public demands placed on provincial leaders reduce local environmental pollution to a greater extent than public demands placed on prefectural and county leaders. Province-level governments are more willing to consider public opinions and attach more importance to environmental governance; Prefecture-level governments prioritize province-level governments' attention to the environment when implementing environmental governance. Moreover, strong political ties between provincial and prefectural leaders and long tenures among prefectural leaders strengthen the pollution reduction effect of public demands placed on provincial leaders. The reduction effect of environmental complaints on pollution emission is more significant in cities with high level of Internet construction and environmental disclosure. Our results illustrate the role of public demands in environmental governance, offering a reference for developing effective environmental policies. • Public demands placed on government leaders reduce environmental pollution. • Effects are strengthened under effective government response. • Demands to provincial leaders are more effective than those to prefectural leaders. • Strong political ties and long tenures of prefectural leaders enhance the effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although our knowledge of national carbon emission trading system and green certificate trading system are powerful incentive instruments that can deliver on increasingly ambitious climate targets in China, there remains an uncertainty of systems' structural reforms. This study builds on and extends a well-established dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to incorporate carbon trading system and green certificate trading system into the modeling framework, simulating a diverse of system development pathways further allows an exploration of the many possible policy effect. Then, using total factor productivity as a comprehensive indicator to asses policy effectiveness, the evolutionary trend of comprehensive effects under different paths are separately evaluated to discover the reforms' optimal range. Our work offers main results: First, these instruments provide a price signal. The introduction of a carbon allowance auction drive up carbon prices, while the implementation of a green certificate punishment and the expansion of the trading scope promote an increase in green certificate prices. Second, all policy scenarios that help reduce carbon emission intensity and optimize the power supply structure. However, in achieving the net-zero goal, the green certificate policy incurs more economic costs than the carbon trading policy. Indeed, the combination of multiple policy tools alleviates the decline of social welfare levels. Third, synergism design among policy tools: the focus should be on carbon trading policy from 2021 to 2030, green certificate trading policy from 2030 to 2050, and strengthened policy from 2050 to 2060. Reform measures within policies may need to be introduced in a timely manner. This study offers specific insights and tailored policy proposals to support policymakers in balancing environmental goals with economic and social needs in light of the aforementioned findings. Fig. 1. Introduction of the research questions Fig. 2. Framework of this paper. [Display omitted] • Carbon emission trading and green certificate trading policies were introduced into a dynamic CGE model. • The comprehensive performance of different scenarios were measured using total factor productivity index. • The policy effects of different scenarios were explored from 2020 to 2060. • The even more effective reform measures were adopt, within a single policy. • A sensible mix were proposed, within different policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trading of carbon emissions is a crucial regulatory method to address environmental pollution issues. This study takes China's carbon emission trading pilot policy established in 2013 as a quasi-natural experiment and uses the DID model to empirically test the urban panel data from 2006 to 2019. The results show that the carbon emission trading pilot policy can effectively reduce urban environmental pollution, and this effect is more noticeable in mid-western cities, northern cities, cities with fewer resources, and large-scale cities. In addition, to address the urban environmental pollution problem through this policy, the government is encouraged to raise its environmental protection awareness and put more effort into the innovation of technology. In general, this study uses carbon emission trading policies from China to confirm that market-based incentive environmental regulation tools can effectively reduce environmental pollution in urban areas. These findings can provide more theoretical support and empirical evidence for the government to use mechanisms of the market to effectively solve pollution problems, improve ecological environment quality, and accelerate the realization of green economy. • The DID model is used to track pilot policy impact on urban environmental pollution. • Carbon emission trading pilot policy can reduce urban environmental pollution. • The government's environmental awareness is the channel of action. • The government's technological innovation efforts are the channel of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In decentralized environmental governance, local governments are likely to adopt the "beggar-thy-neighbor" strategy to relax regulations at boundaries. This study investigates the impact of China's Joint Atmospheric Prevention and Control Policy (JAPCP) in "2 + 26" cities enforced by the central government on pollution at provincial boundaries. The theoretical model suggests that dual incentives for environmental protection and economic growth may prompt local governments to reduce boundary pollution within the JAPCP-covered area while relocating pollution to uncovered boundaries. Based on Shandong Province data using the difference-in-differences approach, our analysis reveals a 9.6% decline in the air quality at JAPCP-covered boundaries compared to non-boundary areas and a 5.3% increase at JAPCP-uncovered boundaries, which is associated with migration of key regulated industries. Through examining annual work reports, we provide evidence that local governments modify regulatory intensity at various boundaries. These findings indicate that, while regional environmental policies are intended to promote inter-jurisdictional cooperation, the local government responses lead to unintended costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accompanying China's accession to the World Trade Organization, the rapid development of the Chinese economy has led to increasingly serious environmental issues. However, the inherent mechanisms underlying the impact of Environmental Information Disclosure (EID) policy and trade on the environmental effects of Chinese paper enterprises remain unclear in the context of the era's requirement for a resource-conserving and environmentally-friendly society. The pollution problem in the papermaking industry has received attention worldwide, and how to balance the environmental and development issues of papermaking enterprises is an urgent issue that needs to be solved in the academic community. This study explores the impact mechanisms of EID policy and trade on the environmental effects of enterprises from the perspective of financial constraints. Utilizing the PSM-DID model, the study investigates the moderating effects of financial constraints on the EID policy and import-export trade. The findings reveal that both external and internal financial constraints have negative, detrimental effects on the environmental effects of the EID policy and trade. These constraints impede research and development investment and technological upgrades, hinder productivity improvement, and hamper the realization of "regulatory and trade innovation effects". This study enriches our understanding of the mechanisms by which trade affects the environmental effects of Chinese paper enterprises and further identifies the impacts of Chinese EID policy and trade on pollution emissions by enterprises, providing a theoretical basis and practical foundation for the government in formulating financial, environmental, and trade policies. • Analyzing the environmental effects of Chinese paper enterprises from the perspective of financing constraints. • This study validated the research hypothesis using three micro databases. • This study decomposes the impact mechanism into three aspects: scale effects, technical effects, and structural effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental pollution and social well-being issue caused by the huge energy consumption in cities reflect the urgency of improving urban energy performance from multiple dimensions of economy, environment, and well-being. As a result, various countries and cities have promulgated a series of policies. However, the complexity of the policies makes the categories and utilities need to be further clarified, and the diseconomy caused by the lag of policy effect evaluation makes the focus of policy implementation need to be clear in advance. Therefore, based on public choice theory, this research follows the idea of "prior analysis" and takes Chinese cities as the research object. Firstly, the collected energy performance improvement policies of Chinese cities were analyzed and classified by the content analysis method, and the main utilities of all policies and the specific utilities of each category were summarized. Based on the multiple dimensions of urban energy performance research (namely, economy, environment and well-being dimensions), this research summarized the policy utilities that help to improve the urban energy performance of each dimension, and also preset the policy utility values. Secondly, the effect prediction model for urban energy performance improvement policies in each dimension was constructed by Back-propagation (BP) neural network. Thirdly, the energy performance of Chinese cities in 2020 measured by Data Envelopment Analysis method was taken as the benchmark value, and the energy performance of Chinese cities in 2025 measured by the policy effect prediction model was taken as the comparison value. According to the results of performance improvement, the energy performance improvement policies of Chinese cities were selected respectively from the dimensions of economy, environment and well-being. This research shows that: the energy performance improvement policies of Chinese cities mainly include six categories, namely energy conservation and emission reduction policies, energy development policies, ecological environmental policies, fiscal and tax policies, industrial policies and economic and social policies. It is needed to focus on ecological environmental policies, fiscal and tax policies and industrial policies to improve urban energy performance from the economic dimension. For the environmental dimension, the key and priority policies are ecological environmental policies. Compared with the economic dimension, the focus of implementing policies adds economic and social policies in the well-being dimension. In the implementation of policies, the differences of energy performance among cities can be reduced through multi-feature analysis of cities or regions, appropriate adjustment of specific measures and targets, and improvement of digital information management of urban energy performance. This research can effectively help cities clarify which policies require higher implementation intensity and attention before and during policy implementation, thereby maximizing multi-dimensional urban energy performance. • The types of urban energy performance improvement policies in China were proposed. • Policy utilities for improving performance in different dimensions were clarified. • Predictive models for policy effects in different dimensions were constructed. • Key policies have been selected before and during policy implementation. • The study considers multiple policies and cities, and three performance dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we assess the effectiveness of early climate policy in emerging economies by causally evaluating the impact of China's Low-carbon City Pilot (LCCP) on city-level per-capita CO 2 emissions and CO 2 intensity of GDP over the period 2003–2017. The idiosyncrasies of the policy design pose significant challenges for causal identification, which we overcome within a synthetic control framework. Contrary to previous contributions, our results suggest that the LCCP had no significant impact on either carbon emissions or intensity. The main takeaway of our empirical investigation is that even in emerging economies, effective environmental policy requires transparent, quantifiable targets, and credible enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting green and low-carbon development has become the consensus of the policymakers and the academic, with green transformation of enterprises being the top priority. This paper adopts the difference-in-difference model to investigate the effect of green credit policy on green transition in China, by utilizing the "Green Credit Guidelines" (2012 Guidelines) policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Using panel data from publicly listed companies in China, an empirical investigation is conducted, we explain the dependent variable from two dimensions: economic performance and environmental performance, leading to the following results. First, the green credit policy affects the economic performance and environmental performance of treated firms positively, and the robust tests confirm the reliability of this primary conclusion. Second, the indirect impact of green credit policy on green transition can be explained through two mediating mechanism channels including internal capacity building and external market attention. In addition, the proposal of "Dual Carbon Targets" makes the impact a slight change. Finally, heterogeneous test also shows that the implementation effect of green credit policy is better in non-state-owned enterprises with high political relevance. These findings are providing valuable insights to promote green transition by designing more effective green credit policies. • We identify the effect of green credit policy on green transition. • We employ multiple econometric models to ensure the robustness. • We provide the empirical evidence for heterogeneity. • We investigate the intermediary channels from two ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid developments in environmental infrastructure have contributed to significant improvements in green total factor productivity, but further investigation is required to provide a detailed assessment to understand the policy mechanisms involved. This paper analyzes environmental progress in China through MMQR, CCEMG, and AMG as empirical strategies for 30 provinces in China. Our empirical results reveal that energy optimization through renewable energy is the most effective channel to improve green total factor productivity, though it is not the only available option. Since environmental regulations, infrastructure development, and green technology innovation also directly impact energy efficiency, adopting these within policy channels will positively impact environmental sustainability. Our empirical approach helps suggest novel environmental policy suggestions. In particular, policymakers must introduce structural changes within energy developments to foster renewable energy. Furthermore, China must increase environmental spending to upgrade its energy infrastructure further and solve ecological issues. These insights offer valuable policy guidance for decision-makers in China and globally, aiming to foster economic and environmental sustainability and achieve zero-carbon transition goals. • The current study analyses the role of green factor productivity in zero carbon transition. • We use 30 chinese provincial datasets from 2005 to 2020. • Energy transition is the most effective channel to improve green total factor productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging enterprises to engage in green innovation is a potent strategy for reducing carbon emissions from production. As one of the largest carbon emitters, China has launched a series of policies to achieve carbon peaking and neutrality collectively referred to as China's dual carbon policy. However, existing research on the impact of China's dual carbon policy on green innovation by heavy-polluting enterprises is insufficient. To fill this gap, this study constructed a theoretical model to draw hypotheses about the impact of the dual carbon policy on enterprises' green innovation and verified this impact using a difference-in-differences model to conduct a quasi-natural experiment based on data from 2010 to 2022 from Chinese A-share-listed enterprises. The results indicate that the dual carbon policy had a significantly positive influence on green innovation in heavy-polluting enterprises. Moreover, environmental tax mediated this effect, while enterprises' total costs and subsidies positively moderated it. Additionally, the impact exhibited variations based on several key factors, including green patent type, carbon emissions, enterprise ownership structure, and Environmental, Social, and Governance ratings. This study supplements related research on the effects of environmental policy on green innovation and provides both theoretical and empirical support for adapting subsequent environmental policies. • This study explores the impact of China's dual carbon policies on green innovation by firms. • We create a theoretical model and validate it using data from listed Chinese firms. • The dual carbon policies significantly increase green innovation by firms. • This relationship is mediated by environmental tax and moderated by firm costs and subsidies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since especially the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011–2015), China has made great efforts to reverse the increasing trend of NO x emissions through end-of-pipe measures. With the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) level 2 swath product of tropospheric NO 2, this study explores the temporal-spatial patterns of NO x concentrations over China's coal-fired power plants from 2005 to 2020 and investigates the evolution of its control strategy. The nationwide deployment of flue-gas denitration facilities was a critical measure to mitigate NO x emissions from coal-fired power plants, while this study externally assesses the implementation gap of their operation. Our results illustrate that, besides the impacts of economic cycles, China's control strategy experienced a dramatic transformation from an ad hoc campaign style for meeting short-term temporary targets to more sustainable, technology- and governance-centered institutional arrangements for ensuring long-term fundamental solutions. Furthermore, the satellite-based assessment may provide not only ex post evaluation, but also in-time and independent data for more effective and efficient environmental compliance monitoring. • We use satellite data to investigate the evolution of China's NOx control strategy. • We found that ad hoc campaigns were launched in 2000s for temporary targets. • In 2010s, technology & governance-centered strategy ensured sustainable solutions. • Temporal-spatial analysis shows varied policy implementation paces across regions. • Satellite-based assessment can strengthen environmental policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the unique perspective of local environmental regulations promulgated in Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2000 to 2018, this paper examines the impact of urban environmental legislation on green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE). The results show that implementing environmental legislation significantly improves local GTFEE , with comprehensive protection regulations contributing to local energy efficiency improvements, while the impact of pollution prevention regulations is insignificant. This conclusion remains robust to multiple scenarios. Potential mechanisms through which environmental legislation can guide urban green transition include the industrial upgrading effect represented by "clean industry development" and "polluting industry exit", as well as the technical innovation effect achieved through "new technology generation" and "old technology upgrading". Furthermore, environmental legislation with a higher degree of regulatory effectiveness has a greater potential for energy saving. Environmental legislation has a more significant impact on improving GTFEE in cities in non-old industrial bases, with less frequent turnover of officials, and in central and western regions in China. This study evaluates the positive impact of urban environmental legislation on GTFEE , aiming to advancing the rule of law in local environmental pollution governance and thereby promote urban green transition. • Use a Difference-in-Differences model to explore the effect of urban environmental legislation. • Environmental legislation guides urban green transition development. • The impact of heterogeneous urban environmental regulations on green transition development. • Industrial upgrading and Technical innovation have positive mediating roles. • Environmental legislation policy has city attributes, official turnover and location heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) contributing to smog formation, have been an important indicator of atmospheric governance during China's "14th Five-Year Plan". VOC would be possibly incorporated into the scope of environmental protection tax, but previous studies have seldom explored impacts of VOC control policies at national and regional levels. Here, we design a national uniform VOC control policy, as well as two regionally differentiated policies based on regional disparities in PM 2.5 concentrations and energy intensity by using a cross-scale dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Our analysis is to assess the impacts of these policies on VOC, CO 2 , sulfur dioxide (SO 2), nitrogen oxides (NO X), and PM 2.5 emissions, air quality and environmental equity, and to estimate health benefits, policy costs and net benefits. We find that national and regionally differentiated VOC control policies generally lead to VOC emission reductions and generate co-benefits on emission reductions in CO 2 , SO 2 , NO X and PM 2.5 at national and provincial levels. However, regional emission leakage exists due to differences in the provincial costs of VOC mitigation. The regionally differentiated VOC pricing policies are found to be more effective to enhance environmental equity than the uniform policy. In particular, the regionally differentiated VOC control policy based on provincial energy efficiency is found to be superior to other policies in terms of improve air quality. Furthermore, the human health benefits associated with VOC pricing policies would partially offset policy costs at both the national and regional levels. Our results suggest that policymakers would pay attention to developing regions with low energy efficiency which have the great emission reduction potential. Advanced producing technology and further end-of-pipe control measures to reduce non-combustion PM 2.5 emissions are needed. VOC policy designed based on provincial energy efficiency provides great insights for environmental policy making to accomplish 2035 goal of building a Beautiful China. • National and regionally differentiated VOC tax policies are designed. • VOC tax generates climate co-benefits. • Regional emission leakage exists associated with regionally differentiated policies. • Regionally differentiated VOC tax are effective to enhance environmental equity. • Human health benefits associated with VOC tax partially offset policy costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution control effect of seasonal environmental regulation policies in developing countries still lacks empirical evidence. In 2017, China implemented its first Atmospheric Environmental Policy in Autumn and Winter (AEPAW) to coordinate efforts among cities in reducing air pollutant emissions. Taking the daily panel data of 174 cities in northern China from July 2017 to July 2020 as samples, this paper empirically examines the pollution control effect of the AEPAW using a difference-in-differences model, a difference-in-difference-in-differences model, and a regression discontinuity design. The results show that the AEPAW significantly improves air quality in autumn and winter, with the air quality index decreasing by 5.6% on average by reducing PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , and O 3 emissions. However, the AEPAW only creates a short-term "policy-induced blue sky", and there exists a phenomenon of "retaliatory pollution" after the AEPAW ends. Besides, the pollution control effect of the AEPAW is moderated by the heterogeneity of the national "Two Sessions" and the Central Environmental Protection Inspection. The implementation of the AEPAW also has a significant spillover effect on air pollution control in surrounding areas. The net benefit from the AEPAW is estimated to be approximately US$ 670 million per year. These findings not only have practical significance for strengthening the comprehensive control of air pollution in China, but also give some important references for other developing countries. • We examine the pollution control effect of the Atmospheric Environmental Policy in Autumn and Winter (AEPAW). • We take the daily panel data of 174 cities in northern China as samples. • We find that the AEPAW significantly improves air quality in autumn and winter. • The AEPAW only creates a short-term "policy-induced blue sky". • The AEPAW has a significant spillover effect on air pollution control in surrounding areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Border pollution is usually a difficult problem in environmental governance. Based on the data at the county level in China from 2005 to 2019, this study takes the 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP) for atmospheric pollution as a policy shock, and uses the difference-in-differences (DID) method to explore the impact of regional joint prevention and control (JPC) of atmospheric pollution policy on air pollution of the border regions. Empirical results show that: (1) After implementing the JPC of atmospheric pollution policy, the PM 2.5 concentration in the border regions is reduced by 3.5%. (2) The mechanism analysis shows that there is a spillover effect in the governing behaviors of local governments. In the border areas under low economic growth pressure and high environmental protection pressure, the reduction effect of the JPC of atmospheric pollution policy is more significant on the PM 2.5 concentration of the border regions. The research conclusions have new insights into the role and effect of macro-regional environmental JPC policy and border pollution control, and provide practical guidance for social green governance. • JPC of atmospheric pollution policy can reduce air pollution in border regions. • After implementing the JPC, PM 2.5 is reduced by 3.5% in border regions. • Under low economic growth pressure, PM 2.5 can be better reduced in border regions. • Under high environmental pressure, PM 2.5 can be better reduced in border regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Networks are increasingly popular in dealing with dynamic and complex environmental policy issues, including pollution control and abatement, which require solutions for collaborative and innovative actions involving multiple institutions or entities. Effective network implementation produces better environmental policy outcomes, but little is known about how to improve network implementation. Framed in the network implementation capacity-building approach, this study examines what strategies are adopted by network administrators to improve implementation, and how these strategies work. Evidence from two environmental financing networks in China shows that strategies designed to mobilize resources and maintain network long-term stability improve network implementation. We call for a research agenda that emphasizes network implementation capacity-building in emerging economies where collaborative activities are desired to pool resources and expertise in face of resource shortage and daunting environmental challenges. Highlights • Networks are increasingly popular in environmental governance of emerging economies. • Success of network implementation depends on strategies adopted by network management. • The strategy designed to mobilize resources improves network implementation. • The strategy designed to maintain long-term stability improves network implementation. • Network capacity building is a key in improving network implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With marine pollution issues becoming serious and widespread, a series of coastal environmental managemental policies are being carried out worldwide, the effectiveness of which requires comprehensive evaluation. Taking the Bohai Sea (BS) of China as an example, which has been plagued by serious ecological and environmental issues for decades due to terrestrial pollution discharge, this study explored and quantified, for the first time to our best knowledge, the variability of water quality after initiating a dedicated 3-year pollution control action (Uphill Battle for Integrated Bohai Sea Management, UBIBM, 2018–2020) implemented by China's central government, with two water quality indexes of water color (Forel-Ule index, FUI) and transparency (Secchi disk depth, Z SD , m) from satellite observations. During the UBIBM, a significant improvement in water quality was detected, characterized by a clearer and bluer BS, with Z SD and FUI improved by 14.1% and 3.2%, respectively, compared with the baseline period (2011–2017). In addition, an abrupt drop in the long-term record (2011–2022) of the coverage area of highly turbid waters (Z SD ≤2 m or FUI ≥8) was found in 2018, which coincided with the start of the UBIBM, indicating that the water quality improvement may be attributed to the pollution alleviation of the UBIBM. Independent data of land-based pollution statistics also supported this deduction. (3) Compared with the previous two pollution control actions in the first decade of 21st century, UBIBM was proved to be the most successful one in terms of the achieved highest transparency and lowest FUI during the past two decades. Reasons for the achievement and implications to future pollution control are discussed for a more sustainable and balanced improvement in the coastal environment. This research provides a valuable example that satellite remote sensing can play a vital role in the management of coastal ecosystems by providing effective evaluation of pollution control actions. [Display omitted] • Nation-led coastal pollution control was evaluated by satellite remote sensing. • The BS turned clearer and bluer during the pollution control period (2018–2020). • The FUI and Z SD of the BS have improved to the status of the early 2000s. • The UBIBM is the most successful pollution control action over the past 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce carbon emissions and pursue sustainable economic development, China's central government formulated the low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy. Current studies focus primarily on the impact of the policy at the macro level (provinces and cities). So far, no study has looked at the impact of the LCCP policy on companies' environmental expenditures. Besides, as the LCCP policy is a weak-constraining central policy, it is interesting to see how it works at the company level. We employ company-level empirical data and the Propensity Score Matching – Difference in Differences (PSM-DID) method, which outperforms the traditional DID model in avoiding sample selection bias, to address the above issues. We concentrate on the second phase of the LCCP policy from 2010 to 2016, encompassing 197 listed companies in China's secondary and transportation industries. Our statistical results show that if the listed company's host city has piloted the LCCP policy, the company's environmental expenditures are reduced by 0.91 points at the 1% significance level. The above finding calls attention to the policy-implementation gap between the central and the local governments in China, which may make those weak-constraining central policies like the LCCP policy have purpose-defeating outcomes at the company level. • Company-level analysis of the low-carbon pilot city (LCCP) policy in China is limited. • This study encompasses 197 listed companies in China's secondary and transportation industries. • This is the first study measuring the impact of the LCCP policy on the environmental expenditures of listed companies. • Statistical results show that the LCCP policy significantly dampens listed companies' environmental expenditures in China. • Weak-constraining central policies like the LCCP policy may have purpose-defeating outcomes at the company level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although market-based CO 2 emission control measures (e.g., carbon tax and carbon trading market) have been deeply discussed, government-based measures have received limited attention. This has led to increased uncertainty regarding the formulation of targeted emission reduction policies. Using a unique dataset, the non-radial directional distance function, a proposed spatial meta-frontier analysis method, and the log t convergence model, this study comprehensively investigates the spatio-temporal trends in fiscal environmental expenditure efficiency (FE) and corresponding causes for in a case study for 106 Chinese cities over 2007–2019. The results show that city-level FE presented a slow upward trend at a relatively low level, with a clearly skewed distribution. The technology gap effect between city groups and the overall best production technology, and the efficiency gap effect within city groups were the main drivers widening the overall FE gap. Convergence analysis indicated that three convergence clubs of FE were found, which were distributed across the country. This study highlights that, when constructing fiscal environmental expenditure policies, the government should focus on balancing the regional gap of FE while comprehensively improving FE. • Fiscal environment expenditure efficiency has effects on reducing emissions. • Spatial meta-frontier analysis method for decomposing changes in FE was proposed. • City-level energy consumption data for China were estimated. • FE had a slow upward trend with a skewed distribution from 2007 to 2019. • Three convergence clubs of FE were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining time variations, cross-province variations in policy intensity, and variations in pollution intensity across industries, we estimate the impact of environmental regulation on firm exports. We find that in more pollution-intensive industries, stricter environmental regulation reduces both the probability that a firm will export and the volume of exports. Heterogeneous tests show that the impact is smaller for SOE firms and for firms located in the central and western part of China. We also find that the reduced probability that a firm will export is driven by a decline in non-exporters entering the export market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary air pollution is a global environmental and public health problem including in the U.S., where pollution emissions from China, the largest emitter of anthropogenic air pollution in the world, can travel across the Pacific Ocean and reach places like California and Oregon. We examine the effects of transboundary air pollution following major events in China, specifically sandstorms, a natural-occurring source of air pollution, and Chinese New Year, a major 7-day holiday, on background air quality in the U.S. We focus on high elevation sites on the west coast between 2000 and 2013. We use regression analysis and a natural experiment to exploit the variation in the timing of these events in China, which are plausibly uncorrelated to other factors that affect air quality in China and the U.S. We find that sandstorms are associated with statistically significant increases in background coarse and fine particulate matter (PM) in the U.S., representing between 16 and 39% of average weekly PM levels. We also find Chinese New Year is associated with modest reductions in background air quality in the U.S., representing between 0.4 and 2.5% of PM levels. Findings are robust to different models and falsification tests. These results suggest that regression analysis could be a powerful tool to complement other, more widely used techniques in the environmental sciences that study this problem. This also has important implications for policymakers, who could track major sandstorms in China and prepare for possible increased foreign pollution emissions in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government has made great efforts in air pollutant reduction and carried out strict regulation policies. Since numerous air pollutants and CO 2 tend to have the same root, source, and process, recent studies argue that environmental regulation may also contribute to reducing carbon emissions. To investigate how various types of environmental regulations affect carbon emissions reduction, this paper constructs the spatial Durbin model and panel threshold model based on provincial panel data in China during 2003–2019. The main findings are as follows: First, China's net carbon emissions show a decreasing trend from east to west, displaying significant spatial agglomeration characteristics. Then, formal and informal environmental regulations have inverted U-shaped impacts on net carbon emissions. The "green paradox" and "reverse emission reduction" effects come into play at different stages. Finally, the threshold model reveals that with the improvement of regional technological innovation levels, the carbon-reducing effect of environmental regulation will increasingly come to the fore. These research findings are conducive to providing theoretical guidance for government to formulate and implement environmental regulation policies rationally. • Carbon sink effect is considered in the carbon emissions assessment framework. • The spatial spillover and threshold effects of environmental regulation is studied. • Environmental regulation has an inverted U-shaped impact on net carbon emissions. • Technological innovation level exerts a threshold effect between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicated an association between PM 2.5 exposure and cognitive function, but the causal effect and the cognitive effect of prenatal PM 2.5 exposure remain elusive. We obtained 15,099 subjects from a nationally representative sample of China and measured their cognitive performance. We ascertained subjects' prenatal PM 2.5 exposure and chronic PM 2.5 exposure of the recent two years. Using this national sample, we found that PM 2.5 exposure during the mid- to late-pregnancy was significantly associated with declined cognition and income; chronic PM 2.5 exposure was also independently associated with cognition and income measured at adulthood with greater magnitude. Negative effect modification was observed between prenatal and chronic PM 2.5 exposure. Instrumental variable approach and difference-in-difference study verified causal effects: every 1 μg/m3 increase in prenatal and chronic PM 2.5 exposures were causally associated with −0.22% (−0.38%, −0.06%) and −0.17% (−0.31%, −0.03%) changes in cognitive function, respectively. People with low cognition and low income were more vulnerable to PM 2.5 exposure with greater cognitive and income decline. In the future, although China's improved air quality continues to benefit people and reduce cognitive decline induced by chronic PM 2.5 exposure, high prenatal PM 2.5 exposure will continue to hurt the overall cognition of Chinese population, since in total 360 million people were born during the 2000–2020 polluted era. Prenatal PM 2.5 -induced cognitive decline would remain largely unchanged before 2050 and gradually reduce after 2065, regardless of environmental policy scenarios. The long-lasting cognitive impact of PM 2.5 is worth considering while enacting environmental policies. • Prenatal PM 2.5 exposure adversely impacted adulthood cognition and income. • Chronic PM 2.5 exposure impacted adulthood cognition and income with greater magnitude. • People with low cognition and low income were more vulnerable to PM 2.5 exposure. • Prenatal PM 2.5 -induced cognitive decline would remain unchanged before 2050. • Prenatal PM 2.5 -induced cognitive decline would gradually reduce after 2065. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to conduct a performance evaluation of three food waste/biowaste-to-biogas pilot projects across 7 scenarios in China based on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology. The projects ranked included a food waste-biogas project in Beijing, a food waste-biogas project in Suzhou and a co-digestion project producing biomethane in Hainan. The projects were ranked from best to worst based on technical, economic and environmental criteria under the MCDA framework. The results demonstrated that some projects are encountering operational problems. Based on these findings, six national policy recommendations were provided: (1) shift away from capital investment subsidies to performance-based subsidies; (2) re-design feed in tariffs; (3) promote bio-methane and project clustering; (4) improve collection efficiency by incentivizing FW producers to direct waste to biogas projects; (5) incentivize biogas projects to produce multiple outputs; (6) incentivize food waste-based projects to co-digest food waste with other substrates for higher gas output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the drivers of distribution of pollution-intensive enterprises (PIEs) at the intraurban level that are less studied. Employing the complete spatial database of PIEs obtained from the National Economic Census of 2004, 2008, and 2013, the paper analyses the spatial restructuring of PIEs within Foshan, China, a typical manufacturing city in transition. We find that the changing role of environmental regulation induced by the environmental policy regime transformation has resulted in the siting strategy shift of PIEs, and both the 'Pollution Haven Hypothesis' and the 'Porter Hypothesis' have been overly simplified in the research conducted at the regional or global level. Based on the Foshan case, we further conceptualize the pattern of spatial restructuring of PIEs that would help to understand the fast green economy transition taking place in Chinese cities, followed by some policy and research implications. • The relocation and drivers of polluting firms at a local level are studied. • The environmental policy regime shift leads to the siting strategy shift of firms. • Polluting firms initially seek a pollution haven before 2008. • New firms after 2008 site in areas with strict environmental regulation. • The local government motivation is more important in the Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is a global environmental problem that jeopardizes human safety and socioeconomic development. To alleviate severe soil erosion and desertification due to deforestation and overgrazing, China has implemented historically unprecedented large-scale afforestation. However, few studies have accounted for the resulting imbalance between water supply (primarily precipitation) and water consumption (evapotranspiration), which will affect ecosystem health and socioeconomic development. We compared the water balance results between restoration by means of afforestation and restoration using the potential natural vegetation to guide future ecological restoration planning and environmental policy development. Based on estimates of water consumption from seven evapotranspiration models, we discuss the consequences for water security using data obtained since 1952 under China's large-scale afforestation program. The models estimated that afforestation will increase water consumption by 559–2354 m 3 /ha annually compared with natural vegetation. Although afforestation is a potentially important approach for environmental restoration, China's current policy has not been tailored to local precipitation conditions, and will have therefore exacerbated water shortages and decrease the ability to achieve environmental policy goals. Our analysis shows how, both in China and around the world, future ecological restoration planning must account for the water balance to ensure effective and sustainable environmental restoration policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the downscaling and integration of zonal management and control of various environmental pollution sources is an effective way to systematically deal with the current high-intensity and complex environmental problems. Through single-factor and comprehensive pollutant emission intensity evaluation and cluster analysis, we built a full-coverage and cross-scale environmental spatial management and control system for pollution sources, then proposed environmental zoning patterns and pollution control strategies at three scales in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. At the grid scale, the reclassified 7 types of pollution source spaces can be divided into 5 levels based on pollution emission intensity, and the most urgent environmental control subjects can be determined accordingly. Up to the county scale, combined with emission intensity and regional functions, 305 counties can be divided into 5 control intensity zones, which directly correspond to different environmental control intensity, requirements and policies. Finally, at the city scale, 41 cities can be clustered into 7 pollution control zones, which are classified and named as the three-level form of geographic location, development orientation and pollution source characteristics. Fully using the zoning units at different scales of cities, counties and grids can break the limitation of inherent administrative boundaries and allow environmental integration policies to be implemented across departments and regions, also let differentiated policies be more accurately implemented to different administrative levels and pollution source, and then truly improve the efficiency of environmental management. • Geographical spatial structure affects environmental function benefit. • Downscale control system improves environmental management efficiency. • Controlling pollution source spaces through multi-scale zoning. • Inter-city integration zoning breaks the limitation of administrative powers. • Differentiated zoning within county improves the matching of environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolving the negative externality of environmental pollution has always been a concern in both the theoretical and practical space. To stimulate enterprises to participate in environmental governance actively, China has implemented a series of environmental regulation policies. The Emission Trading Pilot Scheme (ETPS) is an example of such policies implemented to ensure the gradual transition toward marketization. From a micro-enterprise perspective, the study examines how this policy achieves the dual effects of reducing emissions and promoting energy efficiency. We further explore potential channels through which this policy influences the dual effects. We empirically find ETPS to reduce the pollution emissions of enterprises significantly. However, the pollution reduction effect is mainly achieved by encouraging enterprises to strengthen cleaner production rather than through end governance. In addition to bringing environmental dividends, we observe ETPS to improve fossil energy efficiency by about 7.5% indirectly. We conclude by urging policy makers and participants to optimize energy structures and adjust intermediate input as they serve as significant pathways through which ETPS can affect fossil energy efficiency. The ETPS can encourage enterprises to actively step out of their "comfort zone" of environmental governance to be viewed as an effective environmental regulation policy. • The micro impact of Emission Trading Pilot Scheme (ETPS) is assessed. • The ETPS achieves environmental dividends by promoting cleaner production. • The ETPS significantly improves fossil energy efficiency by about 7.5%. • Energy structure and intermediate input are channels to boost energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions is essential for the design and decision-making of the other policy combinations. In this paper, the panel data from 30 provinces in China during 2000–2019 are used as samples to investigate the heterogeneity of different policy combinations and compare the differences using a Bayesian non-parametric generalized additive quantile method. The research results imply that the environmental regulation policy synergy has a significant heterogeneous effect on carbon emissions on different levels. Specifically, the effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions has an inverted U-shape trend at the low quintiles, i.e., before the turning point, it shows a "green paradox" effect, and after the turning point, it shows an "emission reduction" effect. However, the effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions shows a significant N-shape trend at the high quintiles, i.e., before the second turning point, it shows an "emission reduction" effect, and after the second turning point, it shows a "green paradox" effect. Moreover, the effect of environmental regulation policy combinations on carbon emissions reduction has been found to vary significantly across regions. • Effect of environmental regulation policy synergy on carbon emissions is explored. • The mediating role of industrial structure is considered. • The effect of ERPS on CE has an inverted U-shape trend at the low quintiles, which shows a significant N-shape trend at the high quintiles. • Significant difference in the efficiency for implementation of ERPS in regions with different levels of CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's coastal wetlands have been under considerable stress and have been severely damaged as a result of continuing population growth, large-scale infrastructural developments, extensive land reclamation projects, and the ineffective control of various types of pollution. The restoration of coastal wetlands in China has consequently become urgent. In this study, we analyze the degradation status of coastal wetlands, also review progress made towards their restoration. We further discuss the weaknesses of policy and institutional frameworks in tackling environmental problems in coastal wetlands. These perspectives on comprehensive and integrated policy requirements for wetland restoration, management, and future development will help ensure better management of coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a content analysis of 533 Chinese listed companies, this study examines how corporate environmental performance affects not only the level of detail of a company's environmental disclosures, but also what information is disclosed. The results show that (1) both poor and good performers have more disclosure than the median (i.e., "mixed") performers, which provides empirical evidence to support a nonlinear relationship between corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure; (2) poor performers disclose more soft information on environmental performance than good performers, and good performers disclose more solid information; and (3) although poor performers increase disclosure after being exposed as environmental violators, they avoid disclosing negative environmental information, such as the violation and the associated penalties. This study provides additional evidence for a nonlinear relationship between environmental performance and disclosure in emerging markets, and suggests environmental disclosure may not be a valid signal to differentiate good performers from poor performers in contemporary China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's iron and steel sector is faced with increasing pressure to control both local air pollutants and CO2 simultaneously. Additional policy instruments are needed to co-control these emissions in this sector. This study quantitatively evaluates and compares two categories of emission reduction instruments, namely the economic-incentive (EI) instrument of a carbon tax, and the command-and-control (CAC) instrument of mandatory application of end-of-pipe emission control measures for CO2, SO2 and NOx. The comparative evaluation tool is an integrated assessment model, which combines a top-down computable general equilibrium sub-model and a bottom-up technology-based sub-model through a soft-linkage. The simulation results indicate that the carbon tax can co-control multiple pollutants, but the emission reduction rates are limited under the tax rates examined in this study. In comparison, the CAC instruments are found to have excellent effects on controlling different pollutants separately, but not jointly. Such results indicate that no single EI or CAC instrument is overwhelmingly superior. The environmental and economic effectiveness of an instrument highly depends on its specific attributes, and cannot be predicted by the general policy category. These findings highlight the necessity of clearer identification of policy target priorities, and detail-oriented and integrated policy-making among different governmental departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study environmental regulation and its role for trade in China. Specifically, we assess the effectiveness of an environmental policy in China that introduced stricter regulations on sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions in targeted cities. To identify the causal effect of this policy on exports, we use sectoral export data for a panel of Chinese cities and exploit variations in exports between cities and sectors, over time, and, in a second step, between firm types. We find a relative fall in sectoral exports in targeted cities after the implementation of the policy, which is sharper the more polluting the industry. Further, we find that the observed effect is mainly driven by privately owned firms, whereas exports of state-owned firms seem to be unaffected by the new policy. This finding is consistent with the preferential political treatment of state-owned firms in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of expressway construction projects (ECPs) poses overwhelming challenges to the physical environment around the world. The challenges are supposed to be addressed with the enforcement of environmental policies (EPs). In this regard, developed countries have gained rich experience in EP formulation while developing countries are making efforts to improve policy decision-making on environmental sustainability. This study compares ECP-related EPs (EREPs) between China and the US by conducting a historical analysis with materials from 1960 to 2018 and text mining-based evaluation with materials from 2009 to 2019. The comparison results indicate that (1) an EREP framework is composed of two systems, namely outer factors and inner EPs; (2) the upper-level EPs exhibit a periodic and plan-dominating trend in China and an explanatory tendency in the US; (3) Chinese EPs are focused on pollution mitigation, whereas US EPs highlight the impacts on human health; (4) Both attach less importance to environmental protection measures at the project-level EPs. This paper provides a longitudinal comparison and analysis of EREPs in two huge countries, implying that EREPs are a snapshot of national rules and backgrounds. The findings lay a foundation for future research to examine the innovation of environmental policies, especially for those countries with massive expressway construction projects and the related environmental issues. • Comparing environmental policies (EPs) for expressway projects in China and the US. • EPs exhibit a periodic trend and are committed to controlling pollution in China. • US EPs shows an explanatory tendency and highlight the impacts on human health. • There is a lack of diversity of environmental protection measures in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines issues existing in the southern collective forests in China, particularly prior to the implementation of new forest tenure reforms, such as continued illegal logging and timber theft, inadequate availability of finance and inconsistent forest-related policies. Such problems are believed to be hindering the adoption of sustainable forest management (SFM) and forest certification by forest farmers in China. Two strategies were introduced by the Chinese government with the purpose of addressing these issues, namely forest tenure reforms and their associated supporting mechanism, forestry property markets. Through two case studies in southern China, we investigated the effectiveness of the two strategies as well as their implications for the adoption of SFM and forest certification. The two cases were Yong'an in Fujian province and Tonggu in Jiangxi province. Personal interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with small-scale forest farmers who had already benefited from the two strategies as well as market officers working for the two selected forestry property markets. The study identified eight issues constraining the potential adoption of SFM and certification in China, including limited finance, poorly developed infrastructure and transport systems, insecure forest tenures, inconsistent forest policies, low levels of awareness, illegal forest management practices, lack of local cooperative organizations, and inadequate knowledge and technical transfer. We found that the new forest tenure reforms and forestry property markets had generally fulfilled their original objectives and had the capacity to assist in addressing many of the issues facing forests prior to the reforms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effect of environmental regulations on the nexus between financial development and biased technological innovation is a prerequisite for optimizing systems of environmental and financial policies to gain sustainable development goals (SDGs) in emerging markets. Drawing on China's city-level data from 2003 to 2018, we established econometric models and obtained the following empirical results. Financial development (FD) can promote energy- and environmental-biased technological progress, but, owing to the inverted U-shaped relationship, economic development, and resource endowment, the impact that FD has on biased technological progress is heterogeneous; unreasonable FD will also hinder green technological progress. Threshold model shows that with the improvement of environmental regulation, the impact of energy- and environmental-biased technological progress is also increasing. The development of green finance under SDGs is an important driving force in green technological progress. Finally, we offer suggestions to optimize environmental and financial policymaking and implementation from a government intervention perspective. [Display omitted] • It is important to optimize environmental and financial policies to gain SDGs. • Environmental policies are affected by technological and financial developments. • Financial development (FD) promotes energy- and environmental-technological growth. • Due to an inverted U-shaped relationship biased FD hinders green technology growth. • Green finance development under SDGs will drive green technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is significant interest among policymakers and academics about whether or not green credit, which is a market-oriented environmental policy tool, has achieved its intended effect in improving the environment in China. This paper addresses this question from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Using panel data from 30 provincial administrative regions of China from 2007 to 2016, we apply the fixed effect model and the gray correlation analysis method to examine the influence and its mechanism of green credit on China's environmental quality. The results show that green credit does improve China's environmental quality overall. Green credit can reduce environmental pollution through three mechanisms: improving enterprise performance, motivating enterprise innovation, and upgrading industrial structure. However, there are regional differences in the emission-reduction effect of green credit. Green credit improves the environmental quality in resource-based regions more than non-resource-based regions; the emission-reduction effect is significant in regions with developed financial markets, but not significant elsewhere. The results indicate that green credit policies should be regionally differentiated to more effectively achieve emission-reduction targets. • We examine the influence mechanism of green credit on China's environmental quality. • We use panel data from China's 30 provincial regions during 2007–2016. • We apply the fixed effect model and the gray correlation analysis method. • Green credit can reduce environmental pollution through three mechanisms. • There are some regional differences in the emission-reduction effect of green credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental and socioeconomic considerations of energy production have become crucial because of the increasingly complex relationship between energy and the environment. This study aims to develop possible mechanisms for perspectives on energy policy and the environment by exploring the mediating role of renewable energy patents. Non-radial data envelopment analysis and panel data models are applied using the panel data from 2010 to 2017 from 30 Chinese provinces. The results show an overall improvement in the environmental performance index (EPI) of China's provinces, but the average EPI is still relatively weak, with an average value between 0.44 and 0.52, which is far below the optimal value 1.. Furthermore, the econometric model offers evidence that provincial renewable energy and emission reduction policies positively impact the enhancement of EPI. The findings have several implications for energy and environmental policies. • We assess energy policy paradox on environmental performance. • We analyze renewable and emission reduction polices on different levels. • We investigate renewable energy patents impact on carbon emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem management is a complex process, and every stakeholder's cognition plays a crucial role in it. In order to manage the ecosystem better, it is significant for the coal-mining environmental managers to choose appropriate measures, in accord with the stakeholders'' interests. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess knowledge of and attitudes towards coal-mine ecosystems among stakeholders and then simulate policy options in a typical coal-mine region in China. The Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) method was used to develop a participatory ecosystem management model in research area. Combining the initial state of variables and the adjacency matrix getting from FCM, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used to conduct simulations. The results found that among stakeholder groups'' FCM model, ‘air pollution’ and ‘water pollution’ are the most frequently mentioned variables, while ‘health effects’ and ‘expansion of related industries’ are the core variables. However, different stakeholders expressed diverse perceptions on coal-mine ecosystem management. Mine workers paid more attention to occupational safety and their health impacts inducted by air and water pollution during coal-mine process. Local residents were concerned with local economic development and welfare facilities improvement; they also concerned their health impacts raised by coal-mine related problems such as air and water pollution, traffic and noises. Managers emphasized economic interests and environmental projects with immediate environmental effects other than long-term ecosystem improvement. Engineers mentioned more variables than other groups; they believed that air pollution, water pollution, soil erosion and biodiversity loss were important. Scenario analysis for policy simulation based on ANN suggested that the local governments and enterprises should place an emphasis on protecting farmland, increasing vegetation coverage, reducing solid contamination and improving energy efficiency to decrease air pollution. In addition, they should start from decreasing air pollution, protecting water environment, increasing vegetation coverage and paying attention to people's safety to improve health. National policy, public administration and enterprise countermeasures have positive influence to ecosystem management. The findings of this study could provide valuable information to researchers and administrators about stakeholders'' knowledge of and attitudes towards coal-mine ecosystem management. These, in turn, could be incorporated into the development of protective measures for a coal-mine ecosystem in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Understanding institutional changes is crucial for environmental management. Here we investigated how institutional changes influenced the process and result of desertification control in northern China between 1949 and 2004. Our analysis was based on a case study of 21 field sites and a meta-analysis of additional 29 sites reported in the literature. Our results show that imposed knowledge-driven institutional change was often perceived as a more progressive, scientific, and rational type of institutional change by entrepreneurs, scholars, experts, and technicians, while voluntary, knowledge-driven institutional change based on indigenous knowledge and experiences of local populations was discouraged. Our findings also demonstrate that eight working rules of imposed knowledge-driven institutional change can be applied to control desertification effectively. These rules address the issues of perception of potential gains, entrepreneurs'' appeals and support, coordination of multiple goals, collaboration among multiple organizations, interest distribution and conflict resolution, incremental institutional change, external intervention, and coordination among the myriad institutions involved. Imposed knowledge-driven institutional change tended to be more successful when these rules were thoroughly implemented. These findings provide an outline for implementing future institutional changes and policy making to combat desertification and other types of ecological and environmental management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Large quantities of e-waste are presently being generated in Macau, but since recycling facilities and laws on e-waste still need to be developed, most e-waste cannot currently be properly treated. Moreover, little is known about residents'' behaviors, attitudes, and their willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling e-waste. These issues are discussed in this study, based on a questionnaire survey on household electronic product usage. In 2010, “Life span completed” was the primary reason respondents abandoned their electronic products, accounting for about 37.97% of responses; the main disposal methods of e-waste in Macau were “Retailers retrieve from consumer” and “Sale to a recycling corporation.” While having little understanding of e-waste disposal issues, most residents were still willing to hand their e-waste into the government for centralized collection. In addition, the respondents gave “telephone reservation” as their preferred collection method. Finally, the residents'' WTP in Macau was estimated by the logistic regression method. It was found that education level, age and household income were the significant factors affecting residents'' WTP. The monthly mean WTP was 20.03MOP (2.50 US dollar) per household, and the annual WTP was approximately 40,185,067 MOP (5,023,133 US dollar) for all of Macau. The results of our study can help managers develop more effective environmental management policies for e-waste disposal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

By comparing three cases of environmental activism in China, our paper answers the following three questions about public participation in environment protection in China: (1) what are the drivers for public participation, (2) who are the agents leading the participation, and (3) do existing laws facilitate public participation? We find heightened public awareness of environmental degradation and increasing anxieties over health and property values drive people to fight for more political space to influence decisions that have an impact on the environment. Despite the promises one finds in the letter of Chinese laws, Chinese society lacks a meaningful institutional framework to allow public participation, even in the area of environmental protection. The Chinese government mainly passively responds to public demands on an ad hoc basis, with no institutional commitment for engaging the public on environmental issues. This is unfortunate, because public policies without adequate public input are doomed to be clouded by illegitimacy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study evaluates four policy options to secure the water supply needed for wetland conservation in Qixinghe—a national wetland nature reserve in China—using four criteria: cost effectiveness, probability of success in achieving the water-saving goal, political feasibility, and farmer acceptance. This multi-criteria analysis framework reveals the ecological, economic, and socio-political trade-offs for policymakers when choosing among the four policy options. Results suggest that upgrading irrigation infrastructure in the area surrounding the wetland (Option I) is the most politically feasible option, but it is the second best option in terms of cost effectiveness. Constructing a dam to store and control floodwater (Option II) is the most reliable for achieving the water-saving goal. It is also the farmers’ most favored strategy. But this option is the least cost effective and receives little support from local governments. Promoting farmers’ adoption of water-saving practices (Option III) is the most cost effective, but it is less reliable for achieving the water-saving goal than Options I or II. Converting paddy crops to dry-land crops (Option IV) is politically infeasible and least reliable for achieving the water-saving goal. The overall ranking of the four options is determined using the policymakers’ revealed weights on the four criteria. Option I is ranked first, followed by Options II, III, and IV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines how configurations of external support factors have evolved alongside governance reform in recent years and how these evolving configurations have affected regulatory enforcement in four counties in Guangdong Province in China. Based on in-depth interviews with leading officials in the local environmental protection bureaus (EPBs), we show that there have been increases in government and societal support for local EPBs in their regulatory work, thanks partly to a number of recent governance reform efforts, but many problems have remained. Based on a questionnaire survey of enforcement officials, we examine how the perceptions of government and societal support are related to EPB officials’ self-perception of effectiveness. It is found that both local government support and societal support have an influence on enforcement officials’ self-assessment of effectiveness, but the relationships varied considerably depending on various dimensions of effectiveness and the patterns of interactions between government and societal support. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The management of contaminated land is now assuming greater attention in Chinese debates on environmental governance. However, the existing management system appears ineffective as it lacks a clear policy framework and technical basis. In the United Kingdom (UK), contaminated land issues are dealt with through a risk-based approach. This approach emphasizes the application of risk approaches in both technical and integrated management systems. Conceptually, this paper outlines generic issues related to transferring programmes from one place to another. We argue that too much emphasis has been placed on the barriers to effective transfer, rather than focusing on methods of abstracting lessons for application in foreign settings. We then examine the Chinese system and its problems in managing contaminated land before turning to the UK risk-based approach to see what lessons can be learned from it. Four aspects are analyzed and compared: legislative and policy framework; administrative structure and capacity; technical approaches; and incentive strategy. Based on the experience of the UK in practice, some suggestions are then proposed for China in order to improve its management of contaminated land. We suggest that this should include: a focus on the problem sites; development of a risk-based technical approach and integrated management system; the introduction of financial incentives; and the use of planning control as a management strategy. It is believed that a risk-based integrated management approach may be helpful for China to achieve sustainable solutions for contaminated land. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With increasing environmental issues and depleting resources, the effective application of green government procurement (GGP) is urgently needed and potentially can have greater impacts in the developing world rather than in the developed world. Such an approach can help promote the general goal of sustainable development and address environmental issues through purchasing and facilitating the use of environmentally friendly services and products. This paper addresses this issue by employing a case study on China. We first trace the development of the GGP concept, its spread to Asian countries, and a number of approaches used to expand GGP adoption. We then review current practices in China on GGP, and analyze and identify some of the current barriers and problems in promoting green procurement in the Chinese governmental sector. We finally seek to identify possible appropriate capacity-building solutions, in order to facilitate the application of GGP in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using identical surveys a decade apart, we examine how attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for climate policies have changed in the United States, China, and Sweden. All three countries exhibit an increased willingness to pay for climate mitigation. Ten years ago, Sweden had a larger fraction of believers in anthropogenic climate change and a higher WTP for mitigation, but today the national averages are more similar. Although we find convergence in public support for climate policy across countries, there is considerable divergence in both WTP and climate attitudes within countries. Political polarization explains part of this divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese government adopted a new environmental program during "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" period. Whether this program can achieve its goal of pollution reduction and quality improvement for exports is of vital importance for China's sustainable development. This paper constructs a quasi-difference-in-difference (DID) framework to identify the effects of the new environmental policy on export product quality by using highly disaggregated trade transaction data at the product level. Empirical results show that the implementation of pollution reduction targets is negatively correlated with export product quality. This negative impact is more profound in western regions, capital-intensive industries, privately owned firms and firms exporting to countries which are not members of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development group. In addition, our extended analysis shows that the negative effects can be mitigated through product switching within the firms. The major policy implication is that local governments should take proper measures to strengthen the effects of innovation offsets caused by environmental regulation and effectively utilize the induced effects of environmental regulation on product switching. The goal is to achieve a win-win outcome for environmental protection and improvement in export product quality. • Pollution reduction enforcement significantly reduces export product quality. • Innovation can be an offsetting force for this negative impact. • The negative effects can be mitigated through product switching within the firms. • There are variations across regions, sectors and ownership. • Environmental regulation should accommodate these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in introducing ecosystem services (ESs) and landscape ecological risk (LER) into environmental policies and governance. Yet, we know little about how to integrate LER into real decision-making and ESs management. Using the ESs valuation method and the models of InVEST and LER, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal changes of cropland food production, carbon storage, water yield, biodiversity index and LER of Bailongjiang watershed (BLJW), China in 1990, 2002 and 2014, and the relationship between them. We found clear spatial differences in both ESs and LER levels in BLJW during the study period. The cropland food production service kept rising, and the areas of high yield mainly distributed in the loessal regions of BLJW with intensive human population. The carbon storage, water yield and biodiversity index first decreased and then increased. The LER was higher in the areas along the valleys with low elevation and intensive human activities. The regional ecological zoning based on overlay analysis of ESs with LER is effective for providing interactive spatial knowledge for adaptive landscape management. Our results illustrate the integrative approach on linking landscape ecological risk with ecosystem services is a comprehensive and helpful methodology for both regional risk reduction and ecosystem services enhancement at landscape scale. Image 1 • Watershed ecosystem services and landscape ecological risk were assessed and mapped. • Clear spatial changes in ecosystem services and landscape ecological risk were found. • A novel method proposed to link landscape ecological risk with ecosystem services. • Overlay zoning lays scientific foundation to implement adaptive landscape management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]