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Solid fuel use is harmful to the health of human beings and hinders the sustainable development of society. Although a considerable literature has sufficiently researched the negative consequences of solid fuel use, fewer studies have explored the determinants of residential polluted energy use in the framework of culture and socioeconomics by focusing on ethnic diversity groups. This paper fills this gap by investigating the impact of religion on the decision to use solid fuel for rural households in ethnic minority regions of China. In particular, we argue that to a large extent, religion provides spiritual support in ethnic minority regions, and it is positively associated with solid fuel use. We examine the issue by employing a large-scale dataset, namely, the China Household Ethnic Survey. Furthermore, this paper identifies two channels of the above finding. First, a pension is regarded as a living support that has a moderate effect in shifting towards clean energy adoption. Second, households located in less remote regions are able to counteract the sole spiritual support of religion, which also mitigates solid fuel use. The results are robust after addressing endogeneity and applying recent developments of alternative models. This paper further confirms that households with various religious activities turn out fewer working hours and have larger related expenditures, which results in less disposable income for energy use. In terms of policy implications, this article suggests the importance of recognizing the role of substantial living support and social inclusion in mitigating the negative impact of religion on clean energy use among rural households of ethnic minority regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a production function perspective, this study constructs a manufacturing firm and city-level data set to investigate the role of minimum wage increases in firm pollution emissions. The empirical results suggest that the rise of minimum wages in China significantly increases firm pollution discharges. We adopt a series of strategies to deal with endogeneity problems and find that our results are robust to these approaches. We then estimate the heterogeneous effects of the minimum wage standard and demonstrate that minimum wages' impacts on firm pollution discharges are strong for firms in the central region, those with younger age, those with small scale and those located in the less developed areas. Finally, we explore the potential mechanisms of raising minimum wages and reveal the existing channels that the more input of fossil fuel energy and less input of pollution treatment facilities in the production process are the crucial mechanisms through which a higher minimum wage expands firm pollution emissions. Our findings provide empirical evidence for preventing firm pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in early 2020 posed a significant threat to people's health and economic sustainability in China and worldwide. This study investigated whether the lockdown measures precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic affected air pollutants in the short term. Moreover, we investigated the impact of the heterogeneity of cities and regions. Using city-level daily panel data for the 2018–2020 lunar calendar, we employed a two-way fixed effects model and interrupted time-series analysis to inspect the effects of the lockdown measures. Interesting empirical findings emerged from our analysis. First, compared with the base period from 2018 to 2019, the COVID-19 lockdown measures significantly reduced air pollutants. In 2020, compared to 2018, PM 10 and SO 2 dropped by 15.28 μg/m3 and 6.55 μg/m3, and compared to 2019, PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and SO 2 declined by 7.4 μg/m3, 19.34 μg/m3, and 1.41 μg/m3, respectively. Second, our dynamic analysis showed that as more time elapsed since the start of the lockdown, the associated reduction in air pollution became more significant. Third, the proportion of secondary industries and the cumulative number of confirmed cases had a considerable heterogeneity impact on lockdown measures. Policymakers should encourage investment in new infrastructure and initiatives to boost efficiency and enhance environmental outcomes. · The effects of COVID-19 lockdown on air quality in China is assessed. · The trends of air pollutants in comparable Lunar Calendar is studied. · Air pollutants decrease significantly in 31 megacities in mainland China. · The higher proportion of the secondary industry and the more confirmed cases, the more significant the decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• To identify households with under-consumption behavior as energy poverty, hidden energy poverty indicators for the scenario of China are established. • This article finds that gift-giving norms embedded in China aggregates hidden energy poverty. • Although the share of hidden-energy-poor declines with time, two-thirds of the hidden-energy-poor is not income poor. • The non-income-poor is with larger gift-giving expenses that crowd out energy consumption, and consequently trapped in energy poverty. Responding to energy poverty elimination has provided a dominant lens for avoiding new returns to income poverty, particularly in China. Due to the significance of the energy poverty problem, a growing body of literature has extensively explored its definitions, measurements and causes. However, traditional criteria lack a nuanced understanding of the complexity of China's current energy poverty. Meanwhile, there is growing interest in how social norms contribute to energy poverty traps or escapes. This article establishes a composite index by taking advantage of climate zones (considering both heating and cooling requirements), dwelling conditions and energy expenditures, which attempts to heterogeneously identify households with underconsumption of energy behaviour as hidden energy poverty (hEP). Importantly, it further examines gift giving in relation to hEP. Employing panel data from China, this article discovers that 50.75% of households experience hEP. By robustly using a range of hEP metrics, this article reveals that gift giving increased the incidence of hEP. Particularly, compared with the income-poor group, the results suggest that the nonincome poor were associated with a larger economic burden from gift-giving expenses, which crowded out energy expenditures and eventually compressed energy needs. The focus of this article sheds light on a state-of-the-art outlook of capturing the multifaceted nature of energy poverty and promoting policy-makers to facilitate appropriate social norms instead of simplistically targeting the poor in energy poverty eradication efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fertilizer overuse poses a significant challenge for sustainable agriculture and food safety. Against this background, land transfers that raise farmers' resource allocation efficiency and achieve scale agricultural operation are especially valuable. Based on survey data from 12 rice-producing provinces in the south of China during the period between 2018 and 2019, this paper employs the control function approach to explore the impact of land renting-in on chemical fertilizer use. The results show that land renting-in reduces the usage of chemical fertilizers by 50.34%. The fertilizer-reduction effect is weakened with farmers who have received cultivated training but enhanced with farmers who have purchased crop insurance and farmers who hold more household assets. It is interesting to note that the reduction effect of land renting-in remains stable with an increase in household head age. Furthermore, the marginal treatment effects suggest that the reduction effect of land renting-in is significant for those rice farmers with high resistance to rent in cultivated land. Finally, we find that both land scale and land fragmentation play a mediating role between land renting-in and chemical fertilizer use. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of land transfer in fertilizer reduction and the need for policies that improve the willingness to land transfer to reduce environmental pollution and ensure food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fertilizer overuse poses a significant challenge for sustainable agriculture and food safety. Against this background, land transfers that raise farmers' resource allocation efficiency and achieve scale agricultural operation are especially valuable. Based on survey data from 12 rice-producing provinces in the south of China during the period between 2018 and 2019, this paper employs the control function approach to explore the impact of land renting-in on chemical fertilizer use. The results show that land renting-in reduces the usage of chemical fertilizers by 50.34%. The fertilizer-reduction effect is weakened with farmers who have received cultivated training but enhanced with farmers who have purchased crop insurance and farmers who hold more household assets. It is interesting to note that the reduction effect of land renting-in remains stable with an increase in household head age. Furthermore, the marginal treatment effects suggest that the reduction effect of land renting-in is significant for those rice farmers with high resistance to rent in cultivated land. Finally, we find that both land scale and land fragmentation play a mediating role between land renting-in and chemical fertilizer use. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of land transfer in fertilizer reduction and the need for policies that improve the willingness to land transfer to reduce environmental pollution and ensure food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant body of academic literature has thoroughly examined the influence of political promotion institutions on various aspects of economic growth and corporate behavior. However, there remains a gap in the understanding the extent and mechanisms through which the establishment of economic growth targets influences firms' pollution emissions. Addressing this gap, we construct datasets that encapsulate both micro-level and macro-level perspectives to examine the impact of economic growth targets on corporate pollution. We find that an increase in economic growth targets leads to a significant rise in pollution emissions from industrial firms. To address potential endogeneity issues, we employ various strategies, and our results remain robust across these different approaches. We then estimate the heterogeneous impact of economic growth targets and demonstrate that the positive effect of these targets on pollution emissions tends to be less pronounced for firms situated in cities governed by female mayors. Conversely, the effect appears more pronounced for firms located in the western region, those operating in cities led by older mayors, and those in cities where mayors have lower levels of education. Finally, we explore potential mechanisms through which economic growth targets impact corporate pollution. Our results show that at the firm level, a higher economic growth target primarily leads to increased pollution emissions from enterprises by reducing firms' investment in pollution control. At the city level, an elevation in economic growth targets predominantly results in escalated enterprise-related pollution, chiefly due to its hindrance of urban green innovation, reduction in fiscal allocations for science and technology, and a decrease in educational fiscal outlays. These empirical findings strongly advocate for the implementation of measures aimed at dissuading prefecture-level city governments from formulating excessively ambitious economic growth targets, as a viable strategy for mitigating pollution stemming from manufacturing firms in developing nations. In view of this, our research is conducive to advancing the process of building a sustainable development path in China and providing reliable solutions to global ecological challenges. • Examines the effect of economic growth targets on pollution emissions by industrial firms. • Identifies the causal mechanisms linking economic growth targets to pollution emissions. • Explores the heterogeneous effects of economic growth targets on pollution emissions. • Finds increased pollution effects in western regions and in cities with older, less-educated mayors. • Advocates policy changes to curb pollution emissions arising from ambitious growth targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the influence of political system changes, particularly official turnover, on pollution reduction in Chinese industrial firms—a response to the environmental challenges posed by China's economic growth. Utilizing micro-panel data from 2000 to 2014 and an official turnover database, this study assesses how these turnovers affect firm-level pollution. The analysis confirms that official turnovers significantly reduce emissions, with the effect more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, under officials who are male, hold PhDs, and are older. This impact is also stronger in areas with a larger tertiary sectors and higher economic growth. A detailed comparison reveals that mayoral turnovers have a greater abatement effect than those of municipal secretaries, especially in cases of abnormal turnovers. Crucially, this study demonstrates that mayoral turnovers lead to pollution reduction by promoting corporate exports and innovation. The baseline regression results, confirmed as robust after extensive robustness checks, underscore the significance of these findings. This paper sheds light on the political dynamics of environmental governance in China, advocating bureaucratic reforms to reduce emissions and providing strategic recommendations to improve national environmental sustainability. • Political turnover in China leads to significant pollution reduction in industrial firms. • The effect of official turnovers on reducing emissions is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises. • Turnover effects are stronger under older, male officials with PhDs. • Mayoral changes have a greater impact on pollution reduction than municipal secretaries, particularly in abnormal turnovers. • Mayor turnovers contribute to pollution reduction by promoting exports and innovation in firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistent issue of industrial pollution in China's environment has prompted industrial firms to explore new opportunities for addressing this problem through the rapid growth of financial technology (fintech). In this study, we construct a city-level fintech index using Baidu News Advanced Search and combine it with Chinese industrial firm data from 2004 to 2014, along with other city-level data, to empirically explore how fintech affects firm pollution. Our baseline results show that fintech can significantly reduce firm pollution discharges, more precisely, a 1% increase in fintech is associated with a reduction in firm pollution by 0.062%. The robustness of our findings has been confirmed through various strategies. We have identified the underlying mechanisms of fintech's impact on firm pollution discharges and confirmed that it significantly reduces such discharges through export competitiveness, environmental protection investment, and technological innovation. Furthermore, we investigate the heterogeneous effects of fintech development and find that it leads to more pronounced reductions in pollution discharges for firms with older age, for firms with larger scale, for non-state-owned firms, for firms located in both the eastern and western regions, for firms located in the areas with a higher level of competition among banks and those located in the areas with a higher level of economic growth. However, the development of the tertiary sector significantly weakens the reduction effect of fintech on firm pollution discharges. Our research provides theoretical support for exploring emerging and viable approaches to mitigating firm pollution from a financial perspective and offers promising implications for harnessing the positive externalities of fintech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study combines SFA approach with an ESR model to assess the impact of cooperative membership on rice TFP. • Cooperative membership has positive impacts on rice TFP, TFP growth and its components. • The impacts are highly heterogeneous across regions, farm scales and mechanization levels. • The main impact channels include mechanical cultivation, high-quality seeds and technical training. • Cooperatives should be tailored to meet specific needs of rice producers in a specific region. Productivity growth is essential for food security and sustainable development of agriculture. Since rice is a major staple food in China, understanding factors affecting the performance of rice total factor productivity (TFP) is of great importance for China's future food security. Despite the growing importance of agricultural TFP, rigorous evidence-based studies on the impacts of cooperative membership on agricultural TFP, especially rice TFP, are scant, hindering the understanding about the potential contribution of agricultural cooperatives to TFP growth. This study examines the impacts of cooperative membership on rice productivity in China by using country-representative survey data from 2014 to 2018. An endogenous switching regression model is employed to account for selection bias. The empirical results show that cooperative membership has a positive and significant impact not only on rice TFP but also on TFP change, technical change and technical efficiency change. The results are robust to alternative choice of instrument variables. The effects of cooperatives on rice productivity are highly heterogeneous with regard to regions, farm scales and mechanization levels. Rice TFP gains through cooperatives are larger for producers in the eastern and central regions, while the effect on TFP growth is the highest in the western region. Regarding farm scales, cooperative membership has a positive and significant impact on rice TFP for small and medium farms but not for large farms. Moreover, cooperatives help improve rice productivity for provinces with low mechanization level of producers. This study further explores the underlying channels through which cooperative membership impacts rice productivity, and identifies that mechanical cultivation, high-quality inputs and technical training appear to be the main channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]