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To mitigate global climate change and achieve CO 2 emissions reduction goals, China proposed to shift to dual control of total CO 2 emissions (CE) and CO 2 emissions intensity (CEI) as early as possible. Accurately assessing provincial sectoral CE and CEI and developing reasonable regulatory strategies is a prerequisite for achieving the goal of dual control. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis from different perspectives of the supply chain. Therefore, this paper evaluates the CE and CEI in provincial sectors of China in 2017 from production-based and consumption-based perspectives according to multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. Then, we analyze the supply chain of transmission sector by betweenness-based method as a supplementary perspective. The results show that: (1) The CE and CEI from different perspectives are different and can complement each other. (2) Production and distribution of electric power and heat power in Inner Mongolia (P5D24), construction in Jiangsu (P10D27), distribution of electric power and heat power in Beijing (P1D24) are the critical sectors for dual control of CE and CEI from production, consumption, betweenness-based perspectives, respectively. (3) Construction in Jiangsu (P10D27) and Shanxi (P4D27) have the highest embodied CE and CEI in China respectively. Energy and raw material sectors from upstream supply chain contribute large CE to construction sectors. This research suggests that paying attention to critical sectors from different perspectives of the supply chain and taking different measures to decrease CO 2 emissions. Taking both CE and CEI into consideration and allocating CO 2 emissions reduction pressures reasonably among provincial sectors. At the same time, taking care of relevant upstream sectors of the supply chain to help a single sector achieve CO 2 emissions reduction goals and promote China's transition to dual control of CE and CEI. [Display omitted] • Identify the critical provincial sectors from both CO 2 emissions and intensity. • Use betweenness-based results as complementary strategies. • The energy and raw material sectors contribute large CO 2 emissions to construction. • Explore dual control of CO 2 emissions and intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately evaluate the development level of ecological civilization in coastal cities, this paper proposes an evaluation algorithm of coastal city ecological civilization development based on Improved BP neural network, constructs the evaluation index system, and establishes the BP neural network-based evaluation model. By collecting the relevant data of 30 cities in China Line standardization, as the input learning matrix, entropy and coefficient of variation are used to evaluate the development level of ecological civilization. Through 5000 training times, the error accuracy is close to 10–7, and the cities with low ecological civilization level and less cultivated land resources per capita are found out. Based on the improved BP neural network method, according to the development level of coastal cities, the ecological culture of coastal cities is put forward as a whole. The countermeasures and suggestions of construction are given. • In this study, the ecological civilization development level of the coastal cities in Jiangsu was evaluated. • The evaluation results showed the overall development level of ecological civilization. • In the assessment, the comprehensive level of the secondary indexes is better than that of Donghai and Guanyun. • Jiangsu coastal cities have higher ecological civilization development levels, and Donghai and Guanyun is relatively low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone (O 3) pollution poses health risks and premature mortality, and gas stations are one of the largest sources of urban volatile organic compounds (VOCs, the main precursor to O 3). This paper investigates whether the government's call for night refueling, which can be regarded as a green nudge, can guide changes in consumer behavior and consequently improve environmental quality. Using a difference-in-differences (DID) estimation and weekly monitoring site air quality panel data, we analyze the effect of the Night Refueling Preferential Policy on O 3 concentrations. We find that the policy can reduce O 3 concentrations by 10% by encouraging consumers to refuel at night. The reduction in O 3 has brought great benefits to human health, leading to a 4–5‰ reduction in non-accidental mortality and a 6–8‰ reduction in cardiovascular mortality in Jiangsu province. The economic benefits of this policy would be approximately 62–189 billion Chinese Yuan (CNY) if it were implemented nationwide. The findings of this study suggest that the government can influence consumer behavior to promote environmental quality. [Display omitted] • The government's call for night refueling can reduce O3 concentration by 9% by drawing consumers to refuel at night. • The Night Refueling Preferential Policy can reduce non-accidental and cardiovascular death rates by 3–4‰ and 5–7‰. • The Night Refueling Preferential Policy can bring 57–174 billion CNY in economic benefits if it is implemented nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient sewage treatment facility is one important reason for wastewater entering and affecting aquatic ecosystems. The PPP mode, serving as one of the fastest-growing mechanisms for public service provision in recent decades, is considered to be an effective way to alleviate the pressure of funding shortages and to improve the efficiency of sewage treatment. However, the performance of PPPs has been questioned, especially the service quality given the inherent nature of the private sectors' pursuit of maximizing economic profit and the shortcoming of incomplete contracts. This paper evaluates the service quality, namely the environmental performance, of the PPP mode in China's urban sewage treatment sector. Based on detailed firm-level data in Jiangsu Province, China, we find that the PPP mode has improved the pollutant treatment performance, and increased operation cost and promoted sewage treatment efficiency serve as the main mechanism for the improvement of environmental performance. The research findings could help both developed and developing countries to apply and design a public-private partnerships mechanism. [Display omitted] • Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in China provides higher sewage treatment quality. • Under the PPP mode, the operation cost of sewage treatment increases. • PPP contracts of sewage treatment plants are relatively complete in China. • The government payment mechanism provides less strong incentives to reduce costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's largest inland shipping channel, the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is strategic to China's sustainable development where policymakers are increasingly emphasizing not only this region's economic development but also its CO 2 emission reduction targets. To achieve emission targets in the YREB region, it is essential to identify the driving forces of its CO 2 emissions. However, existing studies are not very refined and only examine the overall effects of drivers on CO 2 emission changes, while neglecting the sub-regional and sectoral level effects across China. More refined research, therefore, will provide better-targeted policies for emission reduction relevant to regional levels such as the YREB region. Towards this end, this paper integrates the methods of structural decomposition analysis and attribution analysis to demonstrate the driving forces, at both sub-regional and sectoral levels, for YREB's emission changes from 2002 to 2012. Our results reveal the following: (1) Jiangsu Province has always been the main regional source of increasing CO 2 emissions in the YREB, accounting for more than 20% of total CO 2 emission growth. (2) The Electricity and Heat Production and Supply sector is responsible for most of the increases in CO 2 emissions, both in 2002–2007 (609.8 Mt, 54.8%) and 2007–2012 (287.6 Mt, 34%). (3) During the period of 2007–2012, changes in per capita final demand were the primary driving force for the increases in CO 2 emissions, while changes in CO 2 emission intensity were the largest driving force for decreasing CO 2 emissions, respectively accounting for 179.9% and −119.4% of total emission changes in the YREB region. (4) Moreover, the effect of emission intensity mainly exists in the Electricity and Heat Production and Supply sector in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, accounting for respectively, 10% and 10.4% of the total effects across all economic sectors. Considering the diverse impacts of driving forces in different sub-regions and economic sectors, policymakers should apply more refined measures to utilize varying driving forces in different sub-regions and economic sectors towards sustainable development. • We analyze drivers of CO 2 emissions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). • Drivers of CO 2 emissions are decomposed into both sub-regions and sectors. • Jiangsu province and three main sectors dominated CO 2 emissions in the YREB. • Intensity changes in Jiangsu's three sectors largely reduced YREB's emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To help minimize urban industrial water consumption and realize the goal of a water-saving society, this paper develops a method for the dynamic optimization of the input production factors in an urban industrial water supply model. A negative exponential curve describes the urban industrial water consumption per Yuan of urban industrial value added, the latter being described by a Gompertz curve. The product of the two describes the urban industrial water demand. The production function of urban industrial water supply is expressed by the fixed substitution proportional production function. Taking investment and labor input as control variables, the system goal is to balance of industrial water supply and demand. The time-varying model can not only solve the stable state problem for infinite time horizon, but also the transient problem for finite time horizon. Taking Jiangsu province in eastern China as an example, the applicability of the method was investigated under different parameter combinations. The simulation results show its effectiveness in these cases. In the earlier period, meeting balance requirements is easier using the straight-line capital depreciation method. In the later period, the fixed rate on declining balance method allows to meet the requirements more easily. In general, it is easier to achieve the goal by choosing a smaller and feasible weight matrix coefficient of the control variables. • The method helps to improve the production efficiency of investment and labor input for urban industrial water management. • The model can solve both stable and transient states of urban industrial water system. • The impact of two capital depreciation methods are simulated and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]