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As a traditional energy and carbon intensive sector, it becomes imperative for the global paper industry to realize green development. This paper aims to provide guidance for the green transformation of global paper industry by evaluating the global paper industry green development level in a systematic and dynamic way. This paper employs text-mining method to develop paper industry green development evaluation indicator system and adopts market-extended LCA model and entropy-TOPSIS method to calculate the paper industry green development level of 48 countries/regions. The results show that during 2000–2030 the paper industry green development level of developing countries improves faster than developed countries, where those of developing and developed countries increase from 0.3369 to 0.3938 and from 0.5120 to 0.5517 respectively and the gap between them narrows from 0.1751 to 0.1579. The comparative analysis reveals that the paper industries of developed and developing countries are in different green development stages. Developing countries, represented by China, improve greatly in economic and social dimensions, but decline seriously in ecological dimension due to enlarging resource consumption and environmental damages. On the contrary, developed countries tend to saturate in economic and social dimensions and have been improving fast in ecological dimension, gradually realizing the decoupling of industrial economic development and environmental damages. To further promote the global paper industry green development, developing countries should focus on promoting the coordinated development between economic growth and environment protection and developed countries should play a leading role in the global green transformation by promoting optimal allocation of resources and cross-regional communications of green technologies. • A paper industry green development indicator system is developed based on text mining. • A global paper industry green development model is built with market-extended LCA. • Complex interactions among the indicators are internalized in the evaluation. • A spatial-temporal analysis is performed on global paper industry green development level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper industry is one of the eight critical industries for controlling carbon emissions in China. As the paper productions increase, the pulp and paper industry may fail in achieving the emission reduction target due to the rapid growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The study uses life cycle assessment to evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions of China's papermaking industry chain in order to propose emission reduction targets and find ways to achieve the emission reduction targets for China's papermaking industry. Considering the net carbon absorption of plant raw materials and the extensive paper industrial chain, this study obtained that the greenhouse gas emission of major paper types under corresponding pathways ranges from 1.96 t CO 2 eq/t paper to 6.55 t CO 2 eq/t paper. Plant carbon sink can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14.3%–42.9% under virgin fiber-based pathways. This study found that the greenhouse gas emissions caused by terminal products of 814 papermaking enterprises counted in China were 282.23 Mt CO 2 eq in 2015, accounting for 10.23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of manufacturing industries and construction. To achieve the emission reduction target by 2050, emissions of the pulp and paper industry in China have been investigated from the perspective of three ideal energy structures. The research findings show that the emission reduction target of Intended Nationally Determined Contribution will be achieved in 30 years if the energy structure of the pulp and paper industry is adjusted only based on the optimal 450 scenario. In terms of other energy structures, the pulp and paper industry should assume afforestation areas ranged from 5900 km2 to 223,000 km2 at least to make up for the greenhouse gas emissions beyond allowance, which accounts for 0.85%–32.16% of the existing areas of plantation forestry in China. • Statistics in this work reveal the problem of excess capacity in China's pulp and paper industry. • GHG emission of paper products in different pathways range from 1.95 to 6.52 t CO 2 eq/t paper. • Energy supply mode transition is conductive to green development of pulp and paper industry. • Pulp and paper enterprises should assume afforestation areas to achieve emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of climate change, innovative financing solutions and the rapid development of financial technology (fintech) offer great potential for the growth of renewable energy. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China, this paper explores the impact of fintech on renewable energy growth by employing the instrumental variable-generalized method of moments (IV-GMM). We also pay attention to the nexus between fintech and renewable energy growth at different quantiles. This paper also explores the moderating role of the digital economy and the mediating role of green technological innovation. The main results indicate that (1) fintech positively affects renewable energy growth in China; (2) the positive effect between fintech and renewable energy is stronger in provinces with lower levels of renewable energy growth; (3) the digital economy, on the one hand, can significantly accelerate renewable energy growth; on the other hand, under the help of the digital economy, fintech can play a more effective role in increasing renewable energy growth; and (4) fintech indirectly promotes renewable energy growth by increasing the level of green technology innovation. The findings provide meaningful references for governments and policymakers and encourage the accelerated adoption of fintech in the sustainable energy sectors. • The role of financial technologies "fintech" on renewable energy growth is explored. • Fintech successfully stimulates the development of renewable energy. • The impact of fintech on renewable energy growth is asymmetric. • Digital economy facilitates the positive role of fintech in increasing renewable energy growth. • Green technology innovation is the path through which fintech affects renewable energy growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the role of green energy in realizing green transition and addressing environmental degradation needs to be brought into full play. To promote green energy development in China, this paper examines the relationship among green economic growth, green finance, and green energy (3G) between 2011 and 2019. The heterogeneous, asymmetric, and mediation impact relationship that exists in the 3G nexus is also explored in this study. Accordingly, the results suggest that: (1) Green economic growth and green finance are positively associated with green energy, and the impact is heterogeneous on different types of green energy and in different regions; (2) the impact of green economic growth on green energy are asymmetric, while that of green finance is consistent; and (3) green innovative technology is an effective mediator between green economic growth and green energy, while the investment effect is not significant. This paper contributes to formulating several reasonable policies for improving the green energy industry and achieving sustainable development. It is essential to give full play to the transformation of green achievements to enhance the role of green economic growth in promoting the green energy industry. • This study explores 3G nexus (green economic growth, finance, and energy (GRE)) in China. • The heterogeneity, asymmetry, and mediating mechanism are further analyzed. • Green economic growth and green finance can significantly promote GRE. • The impacts of green economic growth and green finance on GRE are heterogeneous. • Green technological innovation is an effective mediator in the 3G nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance can effectively support industrial upgrading and technology development, such as artificial intelligence (AI). In this paper, we attempt to pursue the possibility of a win-win situation for achieving an eco- and tech-friendly society. By asking where and how we could develop green finance and AI innovation simultaneously, this paper conducts an empirical investigation on the influence of green finance on the development of AI in China from 2011 to 2020. Based on the panel data from the 30 provinces, we introduce spatial measurement, policy effect, heterogeneity, and threshold analyses to present deeper insights into the impact of green finance on AI innovations. Indeed, green finance could promote the progress of AI innovation. China's green finance pilot policy is verified to promote the progress of local AI innovations. Furthermore, the spatial spillover effect and regional heterogeneity are observed as well. The promotion effect is most significant in the western area, where the green finance index is relatively low. Besides, the threshold analysis also considers how to increase the marginal effect of green finance in different areas. Finally, several policy recommendations are proposed, which contribute to providing specific directions for the policymakers to improve AI innovation and achieve sustainable development at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China's economy continues to grow rapidly, the importance of green and sustainable development is increasingly prominent. In this context, enterprises have undergone significant changes in all aspects of the value creation process. Based on the data of Chinese a-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021, this paper links the digital transformation of enterprises with the green technology innovation of enterprises. The focuses on the relationship between the enterprises' digital transformation and the enterprises' green innovation and its Local-neighborhood effect. Research shows that the digital transformation of enterprises will promote the enterprise green technology innovation, and this relationship will have a Local-neighborhood effect in different regions, and this spatial spillover effect is mainly achieved through the transfer of high-tech industries between regions. The results of heterogeneity test show that the effect of green technology innovation is the strongest in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic circle, and the weakest in Pearl River Delta economic circle. Based on the spatial econometric model, this paper provides empirical evidence for the government and the state to formulate the regional development strategy of enterprises' digital transformation and green innovation. • Spatial panel Durbin model reveals digital transformation's impact on green technology innovation and regional spillover. • The effect of digital transformation of enterprises on their own green technology innovation has a "local-neighborhood" effect. • The spatial spillover effect is mainly realized through the transfer of high-tech industries between regions. • The strongest green technology innovation effect is found in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic circle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses panel data on renewable energy in China. Thus, the current analysis fills the gaps by examining the relationship between green technology innovation and renewable energy and CO 2 emissions from 1990 to 2018. The current study examines all concerns connected to panel data analysis with advanced panel estimators, such as cross-sectional dependence, stationarity, variation in slope parameters, and structural break. Our findings show that test results reveal that green technology innovation and renewable energy have a negative and considerable influence on CO2 emissions in the long run. Moreover, the short-run relationship of green technology innovation, on the other hand, is not significant—as evidenced by the findings of robustness tests such as AMG and CCEMG. Other empirical results revealed that GTI, REN and NEN significantly reduced local CO 2 emission, while POP and PI had no obvious reduction effects on CO 2 emissions. Different GTIs had the same spatial "symbiotic effects" on CO 2 emission reduction in the short term, showing positive spatial spillover reduction effects. Lastly, we conclude that the use of green technology innovation has positive externalities. Some policies to assist green innovation technologies and renewable energy resources have been suggested for the Chinese government to enact. • This paper uses panel data on renewable energy in China. • The current study examines all concerns connected to panel data analysis with advanced panel estimators. • The short-run relationship of green technology innovation is not significant. • We conclude that the use of green technology innovation has positive externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper analyzes the impact of digital finance on green technology innovation. • Digital finance significantly promotes green technology innovation. • Manufacturing and non-state economic development help to better exploit the green technology innovation effect of digital finance. • As the level of environmental decentralization increases, digital finance strongly promotes green technology innovation. Financial development is an important driving force for promoting green technology innovation. However, traditional finance faces obstacles in supporting these innovations, and it is unclear how this dilemma can be solved. This paper seeks new solutions using digital finance to solve this dilemma. Using panel data on listed companies and cities in China, this paper analyzes the impact of digital finance on green technology innovation. The results show that (1) digital finance significantly promotes green technology innovation, and this finding holds even through serial robustness tests. The promotion effects are attributed to a reduction in corporate financing constraints, industrial structure upgrading and manufacturing development. (2) Digital financial development has a greater positive effect on green technology innovation in small-scale enterprises. Digital financial development can better promote green technology innovation in regions with higher pollutant emission intensity and where local government has stronger governance capacity. In addition, manufacturing and nonstate economic development help to better exploit the green technology innovation effect of digital finance. (3) With the improvement of environmental decentralization, digital finance strongly promotes green technology innovation, indicating that the downward trend of environmental responsibility will better alleviate the mismatch between the supply and demand of green innovation investments. In order to strengthen enterprises' green technology innovation capacity and solve serious environmental pollution problems, it is suggested that traditional financial institutions should actively embrace this digital trend. Meanwhile, government should develop differentiated innovation incentive policies to increase the technological innovation investment of manufacturing and private enterprises while also promoting the reform of the environmental decentralization system and strengthening supervision of central environmental protections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To attain China's target of carbon neutrality by 2060, the implementation of the Energy Consumption Trading (ECT) system serves as an effective approach to improve energy efficiency and mitigate CO 2 emissions. Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider not only the importance of carbon reduction effect caused by ECT system but also the associated cost. Therefore, this paper applies the spatial difference-in-differences (SDID) model to assess the direct and spillover impacts of the ECT policy on the carbon abatement cost, which is measured by shadow price of CO 2 emissions and calculated using SBM-DEA model. Panel data encompassing 279 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2019 are employed for analysis, with additional insights provided through heterogeneity and mechanism analyses. The results show that ECT policy increases the local carbon abatement cost in pilot cities but decreases the cost of surrounding cities. Meanwhile, such a declination effect in neighboring cities with a spatial attenuation boundary of 1000 km. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that the implementation of ECT policy leads to an increase in the carbon abatement cost in cities located in non-Eastern Coastal regions, cities with abundant natural resources and cities with small populations. The mechanism analysis indicates that the ECT policy implementation facilitates the improvement of green technology in the neighboring cities of the pilot project, consequently lowering the carbon abatement cost. Besides, this policy also results in a decrease in the carbon intensity of the pilot cities. Owing to the U-shaped association between carbon intensity and the carbon abatement cost, the policy implementation stimulates an increase in the cost within the pilot cities. • This paper estimates the carbon abatement cost (MAC) using SBM-DEA method. • The SDID model is used to investigate the impacts of ECT policy on carbon MAC. • We test whether green technology and carbon intensity are mediating variables. • ECT policy increases the carbon MAC in pilot cities through carbon intensity. • ECT policy lowers the carbon MAC of adjacent cities through the green technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evaluation for urban green land use efficiency (UGLUE) of resource-based cities. • The UGLUE has experienced a trend of first fluctuating and then improving. • Industrial upgrading, financial development and technological innovation are main factors. • Spatial-temporal heterogeneity in the impact of different factors on UGLUE. The green use of urban land has become a key for the sustainable transformation of resource-based cities. This paper selects 116 Chinese resource-based cities to construct an evaluation system for urban green land use and measure its efficiency. Secondly, it identifies driving factors affecting urban green land use efficiency (UGLUE) and comprehensively analyze the heterogeneity of these factors. The important findings of this paper include: (1) The UGLUE of resource-based cities in China has experienced a trend of first fluctuating and then improving. However, there are obvious regional differences. The UGLUE in the eastern and western regions are higher than those in the central and northeastern regions. (2) Industrial upgrading, financial development and technological innovation are key factors affecting UGLUE in resource-based cities. (3) There is significant heterogeneity in the impact of different factors in different city types, different regions and different time periods. The land use in resource-based cities should transform from blind expansion in pursuit of short-term economic benefits to a green development that pursues the coordination of economic, social, and ecological benefits based on the local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon lock-in has become a major obstacle to green development in all countries, and carbon unlocking (CUL) is of great significance in accelerating the process of carbon neutrality worldwide. Based on the panel data of 292 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2020, this paper constructs a PSM-DID model based on machine learning to empirically test the impact of LCCP policy on urban CUL. The regression result shows that the low carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy significantly increases the level of CUL by 1.25 % in the pilot cities, which is still valid after range of robustness tests, and the mechanism analysis shows that green innovation and green habits are important ways for the policy to affect CUL. Based on the generalized random forest (GRF) algorithm, we further find that the policy can increase the CUL level by 0.6 %, and the average treatment effect (ATE) of the sample is concentrated between 0.004 and 0.006, which exhibits obvious heterogeneity. This paper chooses population quality, openness level and industrial structure as heterogeneous factors, which are finally found to have a U-shaped or inverted U-shaped relationship with ATE. This study provides useful insights for China and other countries to break the carbon lock-in and realize green development. • Low-carbon city pilot policy can effectively promote urban carbon unlocking. • Causal forest model is used for causal inference based on generalized random forests algorithm. • The propensity score is calculated by machine learning. • Generalized random forest is used for heterogeneity analysis. • Low-carbon city pilot policy transmits policy effects through green innovation and green habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental protection and sustainable development are now profoundly ingrained in the public consciousness in the modern era of the global green revolution. First, this paper uses an evolutionary game model to theoretically analyse the impact of environmental regulation and green finance on enterprises by dissecting the game behaviour between local governments, banks and enterprises. Then, we incorporate entrepreneurial spirit into the model to determine whether entrepreneurial spirit accelerates the achievement of green sustainability objectives. Environmental regulation and green finance are found to contribute substantially to the innovation of green technologies by local enterprises, while entrepreneurial spirit accelerates this process. Finally, we empirically test the findings based on a prefecture-level panel dataset from 2007 to 2020. We find that green finance has a positive impact in Central and Western cities of China, while Eastern cities are in greater need for government environmental regulation controls. For entrepreneurial spirit, the incentive effect of entrepreneurial spirit on the level of green technology innovation is more significant in Central and Western regions of China. This paper enriches the field of research on entrepreneurial spirit and regional green sustainable development by providing empirical evidence for the evaluation of environmental regulatory and green financing policy impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of China's environmental regulations, with a focus on the green credit policy, on green innovation in pursuit of the "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" goal. Given the implementation of the 2012 Green Credit Guidelines, this paper employs the Difference-in-Difference Method (DID) and conducts a quasi-natural experiment to empirically examine the interactions among the central government, local governments, and high-pollution and high-emission enterprises by exploring the impact of green credit policies on green innovation of these enterprises. Relying on 4503 samples of 237 high-pollution and high-emission enterprises listed in the main board in China from 2003 to 2021, this study reveals that the green credit policy can improve green innovation of these enterprises. Specifically, this study explores the detailed mechanism through which the green credit policy enables these enterprises to increase their market concentration and then the monopoly profits, which in turn promotes their green innovative productivity. In addition, this paper also reveals how local governments' political and financial incentives may serve as positive and negative moderating factors, respectively, within the impact mechanism. This study has valuable implications for how to effectively formulate and implement environmental regulations by balancing the interests of the central government, local governments and enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shore power is a green technology used by the shipping industry to abate emissions from vessels berthing in ports. This paper aims to identify industry-related opinions on shore power based on a set of collected data by means of a questionnaire in China. A four-pronged approach is used for this investigation. First, a questionnaire based on more than 50 items of related literature was designed. Second, factor analysis, including exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, was carried out. Third, a structural equation model was used to test specified hypotheses and identify connections among varied factors, such as technology, application, etc. Finally, other related questions, such as development trends and the influence on shore power of new regulations on use of sulphur, were investigated. The results show that motivation, application, incentive, technology, and recognition all have positive influences on the promotion of shore power with 0.452, 0.398, 0.239, 0.216, and 0.194 standardised factor loadings, respectively. Meanwhile, a unified standard, subsidy/incentive, and implementation/enforcement are considered three urgent measures that can be employed to improve the uptake of shore power. Moreover, in upcoming years, digitalisation of application and payment and decarbonisation are predicted to be two major development trends in the industrial use of shore power. Three-quarters of the respondents thought that a new/lower limit of sulphur emission would boost the use of shore power. The findings from this investigation provide a decision-making tool for policymakers and the developed method can be used to promote the wide use of green technology. • Take a four-pronged method to identify industry-related opinions on shore power. • Use a structural equation model to explore connections among varied factors. • Unified standards, incentives, and enforcement are shown to be 3 urgent measures to broaden the uptake of shore power. • Digitalisation and decarbonisation are identified to be 2 major trends in the industrial use of shore power. • A lower limit of Sulphur emission would boost the use of shore power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry plays an important role in the economic development of coastal urban agglomerations. Examining the influence of tourism industrial agglomeration on green innovation efficiency is vital for promoting sustainable development in coastal urban agglomerations. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence regarding this influence and its mechanism in the context of China. Based on the panel data covering 48 cities in coastal urban agglomerations in China from 2001 to 2021, this paper investigates the threshold effect of tourism industrial agglomeration on the green innovation efficiency of the tourism industry and the mechanism of tourism industrial structure upgrading via a dynamic panel threshold model and mediating effect model. The findings reveal an inverted U-shaped threshold effect of tourism industrial agglomeration on the green innovation efficiency of the tourism industry, which changes from positive effect to negative effect. Furthermore, tourism industrial structure upgrading partially mediates the threshold effect. Theoretically, this paper expands the understanding of the green innovation efficiency of the tourism industry from the perspective of agglomeration. Practically, it provides policy recommendations for governments to promote green innovation development of the tourism industry in coastal urban agglomerations. • Improving green innovation efficiency is crucial to the sustainable development of the tourism industry. • The dynamic panel threshold model and mediating effect model are applied to explore the threshold effect and its mechanism. • There is a threshold effect of tourism industrial agglomeration on the green innovation efficiency of the tourism industry. • Tourism industrial structure upgrading partially mediates the threshold effect [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green total factor productivity is a vital measure of sustainable progress, holding immense implications for attaining both economic growth and environmental preservation in a mutually beneficial manner. Focusing on green total factor productivity, this paper examines its nexus with low-carbon energy technology using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments (IV-GMM) model, based on a panel dataset in China during 2005–2018. This paper also examines the asymmetric impact of low-carbon energy technology on green total factor productivity. In addition, the moderating and mediating effects are checked. The main findings are that (1) low-carbon energy technology is a promoting factor for green total factor productivity. (2) Low-carbon energy technology exerts a more prominent marginal impact on green total factor productivity when green total factor productivity is at higher quantile levels. (3) Renewable energy generation not only drives green total factor productivity directly, but also further increases the promotion effect of low-carbon energy technology on green total factor productivity, showing a positive moderating role. (4) Energy structure transition and industrial structure transition are two internal impact mechanisms between low-carbon energy technology and green total factor productivity. These findings suggest that the government can promote green total factor productivity development by developing policies related to low-carbon energy technology and fully releasing the effects of technology on sustainable development. • This paper assesses the level of low-carbon energy technology (LCET) in China. • This paper examines the effect of LCET on green total factor productivity (GTFP). • LCET plays a significant role in enhancing GTFP. • Renewable energy generation positively moderates the nexus between LCET and GTFP. • Energy structure transition and industrial structure transition are two mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has observed pivotal changes in innovative frameworks at the intersection of the digital revolution and sustainable initiatives. Within Industry 4.0, the fusion between intelligent manufacturing and green innovation has become a central driver for sustainability. Integrating these two pivotal forces to harness their collective efficiency is crucial. However, current literature offers limited insights into their combined impact, and the direction of their evolving trends still needs to be defined. Considering this, the research elucidates the core concepts and traits of digital-green fusion (DGF) within regional advanced manufacturing (RAMIDGF). Moreover, this research proposes a double-helix fusion mechanism model. Utilizing data from the advanced manufacturing sectors in six key Chinese urban clusters, this paper adopts a comprehensive analytical toolkit that includes the Coupling Modified Model, Kernel Density Estimation, Markov Chain algorithms, and the Dagum Gini Coefficient for trend analysis. The findings indicate that between 2009 and 2021, RAMIDGF exhibited a trend of initial growth followed by a decline, showing a strong correlation with per capita GDP (RGDP). The principal source of variation in RAMIDGF stems from differences between urban agglomerations, with the Yangtze River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei clusters exhibiting transitional behavior and a 'ladder-type trend' in RAMIDGF. As metropolitan clusters become more economically integrated, the probability of transitional behavior in RAMIDGF heightens. However, achieving elevated leapfrog development proves challenging, with an inherent risk of decline. Spatial spillover implications, agglomeration characteristics, and club convergence tendencies mark the RAMIDGF process. These findings expand upon new paradigms for regional sustainable development, offering novel avenues for realizing high-quality growth. [Display omitted] • The conceptual connotation and characteristics of RAMIDGF are proposed. • The double helix fusion model is constructed to analysis the fusion mechanism. • The RAMIDGF level of urban agglomerations is evaluated. • The trend and characteristics of RAMIDGF in urban agglomerations are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling effect of green innovation participants, elements, and environments directly reflects the operation and evolution of a green innovation ecosystem. This paper studies the spatial organization mode of green innovation ecosystems and the structural evolution and self-organization mode of their associated networks under this coupling effect. By selecting relevant data from 286 cities in China from 2010 to 2021, the green innovation ecosystem coupling coordination index (GIECCI) is calculated using a coupling coordination model. The calculation result is used as a weight to modify a gravity model to construct an innovation ecological network. After analyzing the calculation results, the findings are as follows. (1) The polarization effect of the GIECCI is significantly alleviated, presenting a quantitative structure close to the normal distribution; However, the existence of the Matthew effect trap leads to great resistance to green innovation in some cities. (2) Cities with the same or a similar GIECCI are more likely to form agglomerations, including mature, cross-distribution, and budding agglomeration models. (3) The connectivity status of urban nodes significantly varies, and the mismatch between connectivity symmetry and the total strength of green innovation gravity is widespread. These findings may provide a reference for government departments to plan the layout of green innovation industries and choose sustainable innovation strategies for enterprises. This paper explains the coupling effect of urban green innovation ecosystem from three dimensions of green innovation participants, elements and environment, and corrects the gravity model with coupling coordination index to construct a directional complex network to describe the relationship between green innovation ecosystems (green innovation ecological network). Innovative indicators such as node efficiency, connection symmetry and chain network density are put forward to explore the evolution law and self-organization effect of ecological network. [Display omitted] • Green ecosystem's coordination gap has lessened. • Similar GIECCI cities tend to cluster. • The innovation network shows dual imbalance. • Cities display varied connectivity. • Connection quantity and strength often mismatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggravation of the global warming crisis, due to excessive consumption of traditional energy, urgently calls for the strategic goal of sustainable development. This study addresses endogeneity concerns by employing panel fixed effect and DID models, employing panel data from China's provincial green finance index spanning from 2016 to 2021. The empirical findings indicate that: (1) the impact of the new energy industry on environmental and economic benefits is more pronounced in inland areas characterized by lower GDP and smaller population size; (2) this effect is driven by green technological innovation, government incentive policies, and job creation. Drawing upon these results, this paper offers a range of pertinent recommendations at governmental, industrial, and societal levels to foster sustainable development, thereby enhancing social welfare. • We address endogeneity concerns by employing panel fixed effect and DID models. • New energy industry development contributes to environmental and economic benefits. • The impact of the new energy industry is more pronounced in inland areas. • The effect is driven by CO2 reductions, incentive policies, and job creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Design a hydrogen energy storage system-carbon capture and utilization system-based micro energy grid. • Proposed a carbon emission-green certificate equivalent interaction mechanism for multi-energy conversion and storage system. • Construct a two-stage optimal dispatching framework including day-ahead robust dispatching model and real-time rolling model. • Proposed an entropy-Shapley-based benefit allocation method considering multi-dimension impact factors. • Carried out the effectiveness and applicability analysis for the proposed dispatching scheme and benefit allocation strategy. To fully utilize the abundant renewable energy resources in county-level areas of China, this paper designs a novel structure of micro-energy grid integrating hydrogen energy storage (HES) system and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) system (HES-CCU-based MEG). And a carbon emission-green certificate equivalent interaction mechanism is established. Then, a two-stage optimal dispatching framework is proposed for mitigating the impact of uncertainty variables, including a day-ahead robust dispatching model and a real-time rolling optimization model. Thirdly, an entropy-Shapley-based benefit allocation method is constructed to allocate the benefits in dimensions of energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, and renewable power consumption among various devices. Finally, a micro-energy grid in Henan province, China, is selected as an example for case study. The results show that: (1) HES could transfer surplus renewable power and low-priced power to periods with high power prices, while CCU could achieves the cycle and utilization of CO 2 , leading to a decrease in power purchase costs and carbon emissions by 7.85% and 0.47%, respectively. (2) The two-stage optimal dispatching model gives full play to the flexibility adjustment ability of each device, mitigates the deviations caused by uncertainty variables, and formulates the optimal dispatching strategy. (3) The entropy-Shapley-based benefit allocation method could evaluate the contributions of each device in different dimensions, effectively, ensuring the rationality of benefit allocation results. Overall, the proposed model and method could utilize renewable energy resources in county-level areas, which is better to promote the clean and low-carbon transformation of the overall energy structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from developed markets, China capital market is dominated by retail investors. In the digital age, retail investors are increasingly making their voice heard through online channels, which is a new form of shareholder activism in China. This paper examines the association between retail investor activism (RIA) and corporate greenwashing behavior (CGB) using the data of question raised by investors on official investor interactive platforms (IIPs) in China. We discover that the RIA on IIPs is negatively associated with CGB. The mechanism analysis shows that the RIA helps to curb CGB through promoting information transparency and improving internal corporate governance level. We also find that the association between RIA and CGB is strengthened in regions with weaker green finance and environmental regulation, and in industries with weaker product market competition. This indicates that the RIA, a type of private governance, can serve as a substitute to the governance effect of the government and the product market. Further studies show that RIA on unofficial channels such as stock forums or search engines can promote CGB, contrary to the conclusion about IIPs. Our research suggests that strengthening the rights of retail investors through official channels helps to reduce CGB and demonstrates the importance of official channels in the governance role of RIA in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of sustainable development, the renewable energy technology innovation (RETI) may have a potential impact upon the industrial structure upgrading, while green finance will play a moderating part. This paper studies the role of green finance and renewable energy technological innovation on industrial structure in China. We found that RETI has contributed significantly to the adjustment of industrial structure. The research results of PVAR (Panel Vector Autoregressive) model further prove this dynamic and continuous positive promotion. The threshold regression results indicate that with the improvement of green finance, there is a non-linear relationship between RETI and industrial structure. In areas where green finance is relatively low, RETI can inhibit the upgrading of industrial structure. When the degree of green finance development is relatively high, the influence of RETI on industrial structure is remarkably positive. Heterogeneity analysis shows that in eastern China, renewable energy technological innovation has significantly promoted the industrial structure upgrading. Therefore, policy makers should take various measures to expedite the green finance development and strengthen the green finance support to renewable energy technology innovations. Chinese government has the need to continue to implement related green credit policies and expand the source of green funds. • Study the impact of renewable energy technology innovation on industrial structure. • Green finance is a moderating variable. • Threshold regression model is used to study nonlinear relationship. • Renewable energy technology innovation positively impacts industrial structure. • Green finance has a positive moderating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green economic growth and sustainable development are inextricably linked, and encouraging green economic growth has practical implications in today's world. In this context, this study examines the impact of environmental regulation on renewable energy development and China's green economy from 1990 to 2018. We look at how environmental regulations affect green economic growth and renewable energy technologies. Using the Meta frontier SBM model's super-efficient data envelopment analysis, it is possible to determine the relative level of green economic growth in China's provinces based on their energy efficiency. Environmental regulations were also assessed using an improved fuzzy inclusive appraisal method. Finally, we investigate the possible mechanism and discuss our findings. The study discovered an unreliable indicator of green growth during the research period, attributed to the non-serious nature of government strategies. The results show that the DEA method consistently confirms how the piece is put together. On the other hand, the sub-results models invariably affect countries with high GDP per capita. Finally, the impact of environmental regulations on the growth of renewable energy sources was studied. Green economic growth depends on environmental regulation policies, which contribute significantly to renewable energy development. Population size, economic development level, technological innovation, industrial structure, urbanization, environmental regulation, and FDI influence green economic growth, but the spatial effect of each influencing factor varies. The findings of this paper form the basis for China's pursuit of green economic growth and the development of renewable energy policies. • Proposed a novel framework on R & D expenditures, low carbon energy transition and green economic growth. • Study analyzes the effects of the multiple R & D expenditures in the context of Belt & Road Initiative economies. • Dynamic linking is considered when the connections of players' change. • Established vibrant empirical model and suggested implications for green economic recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since China entered the 'new normal', China has begun to aim at high-quality green development. Therefore, the government proposes building an environmental governance system that is government-led, is enterprises-oriented, and includes the participation of social organizations and the public in multi-governance and source prevention. China must implement the concept of green development and jointly promote the construction of ecological civilization. However, there is no scholarly research on the impact of pluralistic governance on green development. Based on this information, this paper will use the panel data of China's 30 provinces from 2004 to 2014. This paper divides green development into the green development modes and the green development effect, and we study the impact of public participation and regulation compliance on green development. The results show that: (1) the improvement of corporate regulatory compliance is conducive to improving the green development mode and promoting the green development effect; and is thus conducive to achieving green development. (2) Different means of public participation have different effects on green development. (3) The interactive effect of corporate regulation compliance and public participation can promote the improvement of green technology and improve the green effect. That is, public participation can guide enterprises to improve compliance and promote green development. (4) The degree of public participation has a positive effect on the improvement of the green development mode in the eastern and central regions, and it has an obvious effect on the green development effect in the western region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting industrial digitalization and deepening regional collaborative innovation is essential for achieving urban green and sustainable development. This paper constructs a differential game model based on theoretical analysis and reveals the influence mechanism of industrial digitalization and regional collaborative innovation on urban green development efficiency (GDE). After that, this paper uses the entropy method, Super-SBM model, and improved gravity model to measure the level of industrial digitalization, urban GDE, and regional collaborative innovation, respectively. Then, this paper constructs the fixed-effects model, SDM model, moderating-effects model, and threshold model, then uses the panel data of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration during 2011–2020 for empirical testing. The results show that: (1) industrial digitalization significantly improves urban GDE. (2) Overall, 2011–2015 is the rapid development period of BTH industry digitalization, and 2015–2020 is its stable development period. However, there are apparent spatial differences and imbalances. (3) Industrial digitalization has a significant spatial spillover effect that can enhance local and surrounding cities' GDE. (4) Regional collaborative innovation can directly enhance urban GDE, and has a positive moderating effect on industrial digitalization to enhance urban GDE. (5) The regional collaborative innovation has two thresholds of 3.9851 and 6.6184. With the collaborative innovation level improving, the main effect intensity steadily increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Environmental regulation affects economic growth through green innovation. • When green innovation exceeds the second threshold, the marginal of environmental regulation on economic growth effect is weakened. • The regional specific heterogeneity effect. • The panel threshold models are less commonly used in environmental research, this paper employ these to analyze. Behind the rapid economic growth, the problems of environmental pollution have gradually become prominent. Environmental regulation is an important means for the government to deal with environmental problems in economic development and promote the construction of ecological civilization. Using the provincial data of China from 2005 to 2020, this paper studies the intermediary effect and threshold effect of green innovation in the process of environmental regulation affecting economic growth. The stepwise regression model of intermediary effect shows that environmental regulation promotes green innovation significantly, which further promotes economic growth. The panel threshold regression model shows that when green innovation is below 7.984 (the second threshold), environmental regulation positively affects economic growth, and when green innovation exceeds the second threshold, their marginal effects weaken. Further research shows that there is the regional specific heterogeneity effect. This paper analysis from 4 regions of China. When green innovation exceeds a certain threshold (eastern threshold is 4.382, central threshold is 6.553, western threshold is 5.037, northeastern threshold is 5.347), it decreases the marginal impact effect each region. The research results can provide reference for the government to formulate reasonable policies to balance environment and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China facing the challenge of coordinated development of "ecology, economy, and well-being". Scholars have conducted some research on the relationship between enviromental regulation and employment, but there is less research on the role of clean technology innovation in the employment effect of environmental regulation, which is the purpose of this paper. Using the panel data of 22 industrial sectors in China, the paper uses the number of clean technology patents to measure the level of clean technology innovation, and examines the moderating effect of clean technology innovation in the employment effect of environmental regulations. The results show that: (1) With the gradual improvement of environmental regulation, the impact of environmental regulation on employment presents the characteristics of inhibition first and then promotion. (2) Clean technology innovation has a moderating effect on the employment effect of environmental regulation. It should encourage the green upgrading of traditional technologies, support the development and optimization of private enterprises in various industries, so as to promote enterprises to effectively reduce pollution emissions and create jobs through green technology upgrading at the initial stage. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government auditing plays a crucial role in enhancing energy efficiency and advancing green and low-carbon economic development. Given that audit oversight's quality and efficiency are influenced by the independence of auditing institutions, this study utilizes the vertical management reform of government auditing institutions as an exogenous shock, and empirically examines its impact on urban energy efficiency (UEE) using a Difference-in-Differences model (DID). We find that the audit reform improved UEE by 0.023 which is both economically and statistically significant. Concurrently, the audit reform and the development of the digital economy play substitutive roles in enhancing UEE. Finally, the results of the mediation analysis using the stepwise regression method indicate that the improvements in audit efficiency, green technology innovation, and energy structure optimization have mediated the promotion of UEE in the audit reform process, accounting for respective mediation effects of 4.35%, 4.35%, and 8.69%. • We investigate the audit independence from the level of audit management systems. • This paper finds a substitution effect of digital economic development. • The study discusses the heterogeneity in audit oversight from a global perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This paper uses a double-difference model to test the impact of green credit policy on the default risk of heavy polluters based on the data of China listed companies from 2008 to 2021. It is found that green credit policy can significantly reduce the default risk of heavy polluters, and the reduction effect is more significant in state-owned enterprises. Further mechanism tests show that green credit policy reduces default risk by guiding heavily polluting firms to reduce financial leverage. Government environmental regulation and corporate green innovation capacity affect the role of green credit policy on corporate default risk. With the strengthening of regional environmental regulations and the enhancement of corporate green innovation capabilities, the effect of green credit policies in diminishing the default risk for companies with high pollution levels is increasingly evident. This study not only enriches the literature on green credit but also demonstrates the effectiveness of directing banks and various financial entities to allocate resources reasonably, guiding heavily polluting enterprises to control risks, and steadily achieving green transformation. These findings hold significant implications for decision-making in designing environmental policy and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether environmental regulation incentivizes green technology innovations is debated in the literature. The potential endogeneity of environmental regulation is the major empirical challenge for identifying the causal effect of environmental regulation on green technology innovations. To address this issue, we use the quasi-natural experiment of China's Total Emission Control Policy as exogenous shocks of environmental regulation. Specifically, we construct a new dataset of the city-level emission reduction mandates and employ the difference-in-difference-in-differences estimation to explore how stringency of environmental regulation affects green technology innovations. The empirical results show that environmental regulation promotes green innovations. Further mechanism analysis shows environmental regulation can attract "new entrants" to join the green technology market and launch more green innovations. This paper further explores the significance of environmental regulation in narrowing the gap between green and non-green technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from cultural roots, the paper fully explores traditional Chinese culture and clearly defines the definition, connotation as well as features of Chinese cultural tradition. As the carrier of Chinese culture, Chinese traditional architecture emphasizes natural landscape and expresses the concepts of “oneness of nature and man”, which are consistent with the modern desire of “living in nature”. Through studying distribution features, ecological characteristics and building experience of Chinese traditional architecture, combining related practices of building a green city in recent years, and based on the research of traditional culture on design of cities, we plan to promote the organic development of green city. The paper takes Hankou town for example. The examples receive inspiration from the ecological concept of traditional architecture, and put into practice the ecological concept under guidance of culture. Modern architectural language and green technology are used to interpret traditional architectural features. We will better promote the organic development of green city through fully exploring and inheriting culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental justice is a more sustainable constraint on polluting behavior than administrative instruments. Previous literature has explored the impact of various administrative instruments applied to environmental regulation on green innovation but has neglected the possible role of environmental justice. This paper examines the effect of environmental justice on green innovation using the multi-period difference-in-difference (DID) approach by taking the establishment of the Chinese environmental court as a policy shock, thus filling the gap in previous studies. We conclude that: first, the establishment of environmental courts significantly contributes to the level of green innovation. This finding holds after a series of robustness tests. Second, environmental justice pushes polluters to engage in green innovation through the mechanism of pollution control. Third, the effect of environmental courts on green innovation is not significant in resource-based cities, which depend more on high-polluting industries for development. Fourth, a better legal environment can help improve the effectiveness of environmental justice in promoting green innovation. This paper not only supplements the existing literature on the factors influencing green innovation and explains the operational mechanisms and effects of environmental justice, but also provides theoretical support for promoting green innovation in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combing the global value chain framework and linear innovation process model, this paper analyzes the innovation performance of low-carbon technological innovation activities under the global value chain and the influencing factors. Other than previous research on sustainable technological innovation with major focus on radical innovation and socio-technical system transitions activities, this paper places focus on the general innovation characteristics of low-carbon technologies through an integrating view of global value chain and linear innovation process. This paper proposes an analytical framework of the linear innovation process under the global value chain, and uses factor analysis and a DEA-Tobit two-stage method to analyze the low-carbon technological innovation performance and its influencing factors of China's manufacturing industry under global value chain. The results show that the low-carbon technological innovation performance is diverse across different manufacturing industries in China. Moreover, among the three major influencing factors, government regulation is the only factor that shows a positive influence on low-carbon technological innovation performance, yet the effect is quite weak. Technology push displays a negative effect, and the impact of market pull on low-carbon technological innovation performance is not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green technology innovation capability is an important support for the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals, and it is of great significance to discuss the impact of green product imports on green technology innovation policy formulation in importing countries. Based on the panel data of 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2012 to 2020, this paper empirically examines the effect and mechanism of green product imports on green technology innovation. The empirical results show that (1) the import of green products significantly constrain China's green technology innovation. After a series of robustness tests and endogeneity tests, the conclusion is still valid, and the inhibitory effect is mainly manifested as the import technology dependence effect. (2) From the impact of green product imports on different types of green technology innovation, the inhibition effect of incremental-type green technology innovation with lower innovation is stronger than that of radical-type technology innovation with higher innovation. (3) Further test of the moderating effect shows that green R&D investment weakens the inhibitory effect of green product import in the regions with higher and lower economic development levels, while the moderating effect of intellectual property protection only exists in the regions with less economic development. (4) The heterogeneity analysis shows that the import of different types of green products has a significant difference in the impact of green technology innovation. The finding of this study provides useful suggestions for formulating reasonable policies for promoting and protecting green technology innovation. • The effect of green product imports on green technology innovation • A panel regression model was developed. • Data of 30 provincial-level regions in China from 2012 to 2020 • The import of green products constrains China's green technology innovation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the current ecologicalization of social policies, the National Marine Ecological Civilization Construction Demonstration Zone led by the Chinese government is not only a carrier of marine ecological civilization construction, but also a test field for building a maritime power and promoting the sustainable development of the marine economy and society. This paper considers the establishment of the demonstration zones as a "quasi-natural experiment". Utilizing panel data from 53 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2006 to 2020, a time‑varying difference‑in‑difference model is applied to examine whether this ecological policy can promote the elevation of green development levels of the marine economy, aiming to achieve a harmonious balance between "clear waters and green mountains" and "mountains of gold and silver". The results indicate that the establishment of the demonstration zones significantly enhances the level of green development of the marine economy. Technological innovation and industrial structure are identified as two crucial mechanisms influencing green development of the marine economy, both exhibiting positive mediating effects. The impact of the establishment of the demonstration zones on the promotion of green development of the marine economy is more pronounced in the East China coastal region and the Central-south coastal region compared to the North China and Northeast coastal regions. Additionally, this policy effectively stimulates green development of the marine economy in medium and small cities and non-resource-based cities. Finally, corresponding policy recommendations are proposed from the perspectives of differentiated strategies, industrial structure adjustments, and technological innovation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper explores the effect of green finance on SDGs. • GFPZ significantly promotes SDGs. • Green finance indirectly affects SDGs through technological innovation. • The impact of green finance on SDGs exhibits heterogeneity. In pursuit of actively advancing energy transformation, ensuring the attainment of carbon peak and carbon neutrality objectives, and fostering sustainable development, China has dedicated substantial efforts. This article treats the Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot Zones (GFPZ) as a quasi-natural experiment, thereby constructing an analytical framework for evaluating the impact of green finance on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We empirically investigate this impact by analyzing data from 316 cities in China spanning the period from 2011 to 2020, employing a difference-in-differences (DID) model. The study suggests a gradual improvement in the level of sustainable development in China. Moreover, green finance contributes to SDGs, and the conclusion is robust. Further investigation reveals that green finance improves sustainable development by fostering technological innovation. Heterogeneity results indicate that the influence is notably more pronounced in western regions and locales characterized by stringent environmental regulations. This article offers fresh perspectives on achieving SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• China's sustainable development relies on agricultural trade and carbon emissions. • Carbon emission transfer index in agricultural trade is measured. • Decoupling-recoupling model and integrated prediction model are constructed. • A unified framework for trade, environment and technology is established. Under the new development pattern of domestic and international "dual circulation" in China, studying the relationship among green technology innovation, agricultural trade deficit (ATD) and carbon emission transfer embodied in agricultural trade (ATCT) becomes crucial for achieving coordinated and unified high-quality economic development and efficient environmental protection. Based on this, the paper uses environmental input–output model, "two-stage" decoupling and recoupling model, panel vector auto-regressive model, spatial econometric model and "rolling" Grey-BP neural network prediction model to explore present status of ATD, ATCT and their relationship, driving role of green technology innovation, as well as whether that relationship will be improving in the future. The results reveal the following: (1) China's ATD and ATCT show an increasing trend year by year, and their inter-provincial differences are gradually significant over time. The overall relationship between ATD and ATCT does not display ideally, which makes it necessary to quickly transform that relationship into reasonable and ideal state. (2) Green technology innovation has significant positive "U-shaped" and inverted "U-shaped" local effects on ATD and ATCT respectively, with a reasonable range of ATD reduction while ATCT increase valuing from 0 to 0.290, and has significant positive "U-shaped" spatial spillover effect on both without any reasonable range. The short-term effect of green technology innovation on coordinated promotion between ATD and ATCT is superior to the long-term one. (3) Green technology innovation has a significant regional heterogeneity. Regional differences must be taken into consideration seriously, and the measures adapted to local conditions are crucial. The role of fundamental and progressive green technology innovation has heterogeneity, which means that targeted development and utilization of green technology products are important. (4) Regardless of the time horizon, the relationship between ATD and ATCT will improve, which can provide a key step for coordinated development of economy and environment in agricultural trade. Therefore, in order for China to implement and promote further opening-up, reduce agricultural trade dependence, ensure food security and important agricultural product supply, as well as achieve the unity of high-quality economic development and ecological efficient protection, it is necessary to reasonably reverse trade deficit and increase carbon emission transfer in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We try to expand the political promotion tournaments in Chinese local governments from raising GDP to the level of increasing fiscal revenues. From the vantage point of officials' performance appraisal, we investigate the impact of local government officials' political ambitions, represented by the ex-ante commitment level of fiscal revenue targets, on carbon emission intensity (CEI). Utilizing a sample of 209 prefecture-level cities in China spanning 2006 to 2019, this paper empirically scrutinizes the influence of local government political ambition on CEI. The findings reveal that the greater the political ambition of local government officials, the more pronounced the reduction in CEI. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that political ambition contributes to the decline of CEI by elevating the levels of environmental attention and green innovation. This research not only aids in comprehending the rationale and necessity of the political promotion tournaments implemented by the Chinese central government but also offers valuable insights for other developing countries seeking to mitigate CEI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green credit is a new financial instrument that has emerged in response to the call for the transformation of the "green economy" model. It aims to utilize financial means to support green industries and environmental projects, serving as a crucial lever for the integration of social and economic benefits. It also represents a significant developmental direction for the future credit business of banks. Leveraging microdata from 36 banks spanning the years 2007–2022, this study explores the correlation between green credit and the risk-taking behavior of commercial banks in China, building upon the DID model. Meanwhile, Granger causality tests are employed to investigate the bidirectional relationship between these two core objects. The research results indicate that green credit has a short-term mitigating effect on the risk-taking behavior of commercial banks. This risk-mitigating effect is more pronounced among banks with smaller assets and lower profitability. However, this effect diminishes over time, ultimately resulting in an increased propensity for risk-taking in the long run. Moreover, this highlight posits that the credit risks of banks do not influence the implementation of green credit policies. Consequently, this paper offers essential reference value for the risk management practices of commercial banks in the emerging economies and other global countries. • We conduct policy evaluation to analyze the effect of GCP on risk-taking of commercial banks. • We adopt the Granger causality test to explore the two-way relationship between key variables. • We support the mitigation effect of GCP , especially in banks with fewer assets and lower profitability. • We conduct robustness tests to verify the credibility of preliminary regression results. • We further analyze potential effect of GCP from dual perspectives in short-term and long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors influencing the development of renewable energy have emerged as a hot topic of policy discussion in recent years. However, the direct impact of natural resource dependence on renewable energy has been overlooked, especially in emerging economies. Using Chinese province data from 2005 to 2019, this study employs a nonlinear panel model and a Quantile Regression with Nonadditive Fixed Effects for Panel Data (QRPD) model to examine the impact of natural resource dependence on renewable energy development and explores the great importance of government policy support. The study indicates that the influence of natural resource dependence on renewable energy development supports the "conditional resource curse" hypothesis, showing a U-shaped nonlinear relationship. The effect of natural resource dependence and government policy support on the development of renewable energy shows a dynamic change trend. In the early stage of renewable energy development, policy support is crucial, while during the growing and mature stages, natural resource dependence exerts a stronger driving force. The results of the mechanism test indicate that natural resource dependence can boost renewable energy development through green technology innovation and environmental regulation channels. This paper's conclusion provides a theoretical foundation for fostering the sustainable development of the renewable energy industry and is vital to China's efforts to reach peak carbon and carbon neutrality. • Nonlinear panel and QRPD models are employed. • Impact of natural resource dependence (NRD) on renewable energy development is revealed. • Dynamic effect of NRD and government policy support is discussed. • NRD has a negative and then positive impact on renewable energy development. • Pathways to improve renewable energy development through NRD are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are a key driver of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. However, as the physical foundation supporting digital technology, how digital infrastructure affects carbon emissions is unclear. Based on the panel data from 2008 to 2019, this paper examines the impact of the Broadband China Policy on carbon emissions by adopting a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) method. The empirical findings indicate that, first, digital infrastructure development plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions in China. Second, the Broadband China Policy significantly reduces carbon emissions especially in China's low-carbon emission regions, high-level digitization regions, and non-resource-cursed regions. Third, the implementation of the Broadband China Policy facilitates carbon emissions reduction through the promotion of green technology progress, optimization of industrial structures, green transformation of residents' lifestyles, and electrification of energy mix. Finally, the Broadband China Policy has a positive spatial spillover effect on the carbon intensity in the surrounding regions of pilot cities, but it has no significant effect on the total carbon emissions and per capita carbon emissions in the surrounding regions. The results provide important insights for digital infrastructure construction to achieve a win-win situation for economic development and emission reduction. • It explores the impact of Broadband China Policy on carbon emissions reduction. • Digital infrastructure development has positive impact on reducing carbon emissions. • The reduction effect is heterogeneous in regions with different characteristics. • Carbon emissions can be reduced at both industrial and individual levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) is a vital component of urban sustainability and resilience. However, imbalanced ULGUE can undermine these goals. Collaborative innovation has emerged as a promising approach to address this pressing challenge, yet its impact on the inter-city ULGUE gap remains largely underexplored. This paper aims to fill this gap by proposing a theoretical framework of collaborative innovation affecting the ULGUE gap. To validate this framework, we devised a comprehensive evaluation index of the ULGUE gap based on the core-periphery theory and employed a system generalized method of moments model (Sys-GMM) and a threshold model to analyze a sample of 19 urban agglomerations in China. Our study uncovers several vital insights. Collaborative innovation significantly diminishes the ULGUE gap within urban agglomerations, exhibiting a double-threshold effect in this relationship. The threshold values are 1.5821 and 2.0246, respectively, allowing us to categorize urban agglomerations into three stages based on their collaborative innovation levels. Besides, government intervention can mitigate the effects of collaborative innovation on the inter-city ULGUE gap, potentially delaying the trend of the narrowing ULGUE gap. These findings imply that the phased characteristics of collaborative innovation should be considered when designing policies for urban development and sustainability. • An innovative approach to narrow the ULGUE gap is proposed. • The ULGUE gap among China's 19 urban agglomerations decreased year by year. • GMM and threshold effect models are employed to construct a practice framework. • Collaborative innovation impacts the ULGUE gap in a non-linear way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) innovation has been an essential part of China's strategy for achieving low carbon and improving carbon emission efficiency (CEE). This research innovatively calculates ICT innovation indexes for 30 Chinese regions and 12 ICT innovation indexes from 2007 to 2019 across 30 regions in China. Based on this, this study investigates how ICT innovation affects CEE from a digital technology innovation perspective by applying the system-generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) dynamic technique. This study also explores the mediating effect of industrial structure upgrading and R&D intensity and the threshold effect of human capital. The results show that ICT innovation facilitates CEE improvement, with High-speed network and Large-capacity and high-speed storage technologies being the main contributors to green technology. ICT innovation indirectly improves the CEE level by enhancing the industrial structure and R&D intensity. Additionally, the impact of ICT innovation on CEE tends to grow when human capital quality rises. The results of this paper will benefit policymakers in developing emission reduction plans from an ICT innovation perspective. • This study explores the impact of ICT innovation on carbon emission efficiency (CEE) in China. • We evaluate the carbon mitigation effects of 12 ICT innovations. • ICT innovation effectively promotes the level of CEE. • ICT innovation indirectly increases CEE by upgrading the industrial structure and increasing R&D intensity. • A human capital threshold can effectively strengthen the link between ICT innovation and CEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

• Lead market factors are often not primarily country-specific, but rather regionally established • Regional demand, technological capabilities and regulation constitute regional lead markets • Shanghai displays a high lead market potential for waste management innovations The success of environmental innovations and sustainability transitions critically depends on market formations and diffusion processes. As of today, the geography of transitions literature provides suitable terms and case study evidence that these processes are highly regional phenomena. However, pertinent conceptual frameworks such as the multi-level perspective, technological innovation systems, or the somewhat less prominent lead market concept lack an explicit regional perspective. This paper develops a regionalized framework ('regional lead markets (RLM)') in order to provide a more appropriate conceptual lens for analyses of regional transition and innovation diffusion processes. We argue that regional lead markets are determined by regulatory advantages, demand advantages and technological advantages. A regional lead market adopts a later successful innovation at an early stage and gains competitive advantage in the respective industry, driving national and international diffusion. We demonstrate the concept's applicability by providing illustrative evidence on Shanghai's lead market potential for waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent environmental information is fundamental for the government to better regulate pollution and for the public to be aware of pollution. However, how the improvement of environmental information transparency affects firms' environmental behavior has been underexplored. This paper fills this gap by exploring the impact of China's air quality monitoring and disclosure program on the green innovation of firms; via this program, real-time air quality monitoring stations have been constructed nationwide, and the information is promptly released to the public. The results of a difference-in-differences estimation show that the information program has significantly increased the green innovation of firms, especially the number of green invention patent applications. Moreover, this increase is realized via the regulatory effect of both the local government and public attention. Additionally, the green innovation effect performs stronger in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and firms in heavily polluting industries. This paper contributes to the related literature from the perspective of central government-led real-time transparent environmental information disclosure. The findings of this study highlight policy implications from the perspective of the importance of the application of information technology in environmental regulation, as well as the vital role of information-based instruments in exerting a public regulatory effect on environmental governance. • Effect of pollution information disclosure on firm's green innovation is tested. • DID is used exploiting China's Air Quality Monitoring-and-Disclosure Program. • The pollution information disclosure significantly boosts firm' s green innovation. • The mechanism is the regulatory effect from local governments and public attention. • Porter's Hypothesis is supported from the new view of information disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing consideration on public health, the cleaning industry for central air-conditioning systems has been flourished in China with the rapidly developed of both duct-cleaning technology and cleaning robots. By testing the performance on the experimental platform, this paper presents the cleaning effect and motion performance of the duct-cleaning robot designed by our expert group. The result indicates that the cleaning effect is not satisfied at corners and elbows, where the pollution is relatively serious. At the end of this paper, it points out the development direction for China's duct-cleaning robot and its experimental platform, which can provide an important basis to standardize the test platform, tools and methods for the evaluation of robot's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-intensive industries are a priority for achieving low-carbon economic growth in China, and a large number of government R&D subsidies have been injected into energy-intensive firms to support green innovation in recent years. Most of the existing literature has studied the impacts of R&D subsidies on the general innovation of high-tech firms or emerging enterprises. This paper explores the impacts of government R&D subsidies on the green innovation of energy-intensive firms. By employing propensity score matching with 527 samples of listed companies from 2010 to 2015, the empirical results show that government R&D subsidies increase the green innovation of energy-intensive firms, specifically their tendency and performance, by 107.3% and 54.1%, respectively. Heterogeneity analyses show that the impact is stronger in state-owned enterprises and in small and medium enterprises. Finally, some practical implications are put forward that may help to improve the efficiency of government R&D subsidies and promote the green innovation of energy-intensive firms. • The impacts of government R&D subsidies on the green innovation of energy-intensive firms are analyzed. • The firm-level impacts are investigated. • The firm-level impacts are investigated.Government R&D subsidies significantly increase the green innovation tendency and performance of energy-intensive firms. • The impact is stronger in state-owned enterprises and in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]