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Urbanization and the release of carbon emission are two significant features of contemporary economic and social progress in China. However, there are few studies that consider how urbanization policy goals affect carbon emission. This paper aims to study the nonlinear effects of urbanization policy goals on carbon emission in 13 cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In this paper, a multi-dimensional spatial disturbance grey model is proposed. Based on matrix perturbation theory, this paper explores the spatial perturbation bounds of the novel model and verifies that the spatial property of the model is consistent with the viewpoint of the First Law of Geography. Then, the novel model is used to predict the urban carbon emission under different urbanization policy goal scenarios. The results showed that the novel model has spatial regional correlation in spatial region prediction. With the development of urbanization level, carbon emissions show a downward trend in more than 50% of cities from 2022 to 2025. In addition, the improvement of urbanization policy goals will promote the carbon peak time of most cities. The carbon emission intensity will exhibit an inverted U-shaped trend distribution in space. The research results are conducive to providing scientific guidance for the formulation of new-type urbanization policies and helping to achieve the dual carbon goals. • A multi-dimensional spatial disturbance grey model is proposed. • The novel grey model is consistent with the viewpoint of the First Law of Geography. • The spatial distribution of carbon intensity showed an inverted U-shaped pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A system of indicators has been established for the high-quality economic development index developed by the Chinese government. • High-quality economic development is divided into five dimensions. • Reliance on the resource industry has significantly reduced the level of high-quality economic development. • The theoretical mechanisms of the impact of resource industry dependence on high-quality development are analyzed. • Government governance capacity weakens the impact of resource industry dependence on high-quality economic development. In resource-dependent regions, the meaning of high-quality economic development has yet to be clarified by published research, despite substantial scholarly interest in the topic. With the help of the economic development index developed by the Chinese government, this paper accurately measures high-quality economic development in 30 provinces in China and investigates how resource dependence and government governance capability affect regional high-quality economic development. Research has found that resource industry dependence has a significant inhibitory effect on high-quality economic development. Additionally, the analysis of the mechanisms revealed that resource industry dependence reduces high-quality economic development through a series of effects including crowding out innovation, weakening coordination, lagging green development, hindering global openness, and sharing in weakening. Further research has revealed that government governance capacity weakens the impact of resource industry dependence on high-quality economic development. A detailed analysis of three subsystem indicators of government governance capacity, namely policy planning, capability commitment, and performance assessment, indicates that they all have a weakening effect. To this end, the paper proposes policy recommendations, including increasing innovation inputs, advancing industrial restructuring, promoting green development, enhancing marketization levels, and constructing a diversified employment system. These measures aim to transform resource disadvantages into resource advantages and facilitate high-quality economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's New Energy Vehicle (NEV) industry has entered an accelerated development stage, with the technology innovation efficiency becoming an essential factor affecting the speed of its development. Therefore, to explore ways to improve the efficiency of technology innovation, this paper divides the technology innovation process into two stages: the research and development (R&D) stage and the commercialization stage. This paper introduces a framework for evaluating the technology innovation efficiency of NEV enterprises based on data envelopment analysis (DEA), meta-frontier, and tobit regression. Then, the technology innovation efficiencies of 45 vehicle, battery, and motor & electronic control NEV enterprises are analyzed. The results show that: (i) During the survey period, the overall technology innovation capability of Chinese new energy vehicle enterprises is not strong, especially regarding economic transformation. However, the general development trend is on the rise. (ii) Different types of enterprises have different technology gap ratios in the two stages. The technology innovation efficiency level of motor and electronic control enterprises is relatively weak in the new energy vehicle industry. (iii) Many measures can be implemented to help improve technology innovation efficiency: encouraging the large-scale development of enterprises, reasonably increasing the shareholding ratio of significant shareholders, improving the ratio of capital investment, stimulating the vitality of innovation within the enterprise, and optimizing the number of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ports are essential and strategic nodes of international trade and economic activities. The integration of port resources helps enhance the optimal division of port functions to further promote economic development. This paper explores the evolutionary trends of port integration policy from 2011 to 2021 in China through a text-mining approach. We first used the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic analysis method to analyze the port integration policies and summarize the evolutionary trends of port policies. In addition, an association analysis was conducted to explore port integration policies' impacts by examining their relationships among the environmental protection, digitalization level, and port development scale. Our findings suggested that China's port integration policy has evolved from specific and simple to abstract and complicated at the managerial level. Port development has enriched from infrastructure construction to the ideology of economic development. Our findings show that China's port integration is gradually improving the port operation. The findings of the study contribute to the extant literature by analyzing the port integration policy evolution in China and can be referred to by other countries. • Text mining method was used to explore the port integration policy evolution. • Port integration policy evolved from specific and simple to abstract and complicated. • Port development enriched from basic infrastructure to the governance model. • The evolution of port integration policy was related to reducing carbon emissions in the port sector. • The evolution of port integration policy made the ports intelligent in association with digital technology such as big data and AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Forest resource Metabolism Network model isdeveloped for ecological and economic analysis. • Exploitation index is developed to reveal the weaker sectors in the ecological relations. • A case study of Guangdong province, China isconducted to illustrate the potential benefits. • Scientific Basis are provided to allocate forestresources and stabilize industrial structure. Abstract Integrating forest resources into the socio-economic system correctly and reasonably is of vital importance to tackle the increasingly scarce forest resources. In this paper, forest resource input-output model and forest resource metabolism network model are established to provide new insights into the relationships among the systems, industries and sectors related to forest resources. A promising indicator named exploitation index is developed to reveal the weaker sectors in the ecological relations, which will further help to provide better corrective actions and integrated strategic measures. Guangdong is taken as an example to verify the availability of the model and solve the problem. The results show that the primary manufacturing consumes more direct timber, while advanced manufacturing and the service sector utilize timber indirectly. In addition, Guangdong forest metabolism system shows a negative correlation and the whole network does not achieve the mutualism state, leading to competition relationships between pairwise sectors that should not appear, such as Forestry sector and Papermaking and Paper Products sector. These results provide the corresponding reference for helping the decision makers to allocate forest resources and coordinate ecological and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of significant environmental changes, the urgency of adopting green innovation has become increasingly apparent as a central mechanism for adjusting industrial structures in China. This transition serves not only as a crucial way to address pressing environmental challenges, but also as a fundamental strategy to improve the ecological efficiency of urban areas. Existing research mainly keeps a close eye on the unidirectional relationship between variables such as technological innovation and environmental protection. There is less relevant literature that has researched the cointegration relationship among green innovation, industrial structure, and eco-efficiency of cities. The essential role of green innovation and industrial structure in reaching a higher eco-efficiency of city are discussed in this research and the relationship among these three variables are analyzed by the evidence from cities in China from 2011 to 2019. The fact that the variables are cointegrated in the long run is evidenced by the results for the full sample. The sub-sample results report that in the eastern region, green innovation, industrial structure upgrading, and industrial structure rationalization could improve urban eco-efficiency. However, in Midwest regions where economic development is relatively backward, green innovation's effect on urban eco-efficiency is not in a significant positive way. The results obtained in this paper have implications for different cities in China to formulate corresponding policies on green innovation, industrial structure, and urban eco-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with the severe challenges related to traditional economic-centered urbanization, the Chinese government has proposed a people-oriented new-type urbanization strategy, which focuses on promoting the coordination and sustainable development of the environment, economy, and society. The existing literature has studied the impact of traditional urbanization on energy use but has not yet revealed the mechanisms and effects of the new transformation of urbanization on energy efficiency. Based on socio-economic-natural complex ecosystem theory, this paper systematically explains how new-type urbanization affects energy efficiency. By adopting a newly developed dynamic panel threshold model, the paper examines the complex impact of new-type urbanization on energy efficiency using panel data of 285 cities in China from 2003 to 2017. The results show that new-type urbanization has a significant double-threshold effect on energy efficiency. As the new-type urbanization level increases, the improvement effect of new-type urbanization on energy efficiency presents the change features of "strong-weakened-stronger." The heterogeneity analysis shows that under the constraints of multiple factors, such as new-type urbanization stages, geographic regions, economic development levels, and resource endowment, the impact of new-type urbanization on energy efficiency varies significantly. Targeted and differentiated policy recommendations for promoting new-type urbanization and energy efficiency are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ecological restoration is not just an environmental issue and it is a societal problem. This paper analyzes ecological restoration and its impact on society in coal resource-based areas, focusing on the Ruhr region in Germany and Liulin County in China. Through the analysis and comparison, the study not only reveals the unique ecology-social system and explain the reasons for dependence on coal, but the finding shows that industrial transformation is a key factor in determining ecological restoration of coal resource-based regions. • The industries abandoned by the Ruhr area were taken over by China. Shanxi Province is very similar to the Ruhr area in terms of ecological destruction and social development at that time. The Ruhr region has become one of the most polluted areas in the world due to its coal and steel industry. After nearly 40 years of arduous practice, ecological governance and economic transformation in the Ruhr area achieved initial success. • Shanxi Province in China is a hub for energy and heavy chemical industries, and it ranks first in coal production nationally.. The Liulin county is located in the west of Shanxi Province, it is a typical coal mining subsidence and is scattered with numerous villages affected by subsidence due to coal mining. Shanxi Province and the Liulin county is undergoing difficult industrial transformation. • The author of this work visited the Duisburg-Essen University for a year, located in the Ruhr area of Germany, and learned about the ER and transformation in the Ruhr. When the author returned to China, she conducted field research for a two-month survey in Liulin County. Therefore, the author collected a large amount of literature ,data sources and gained practical experiences in these two areas. The coal resource-based areas rely on coal resources and primary processing as their pillar industries, such as the old industrial areas in China and Germany. Long-term, large-scale coal mining has significantly damaged the ecological environment of mining areas. Environmental restoration refers to repairing, rehabilitating, or revitalizing ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed by human activities or natural disasters. In fact, ecological restoration is not just an environmental issue and it is a societal problem. Ecological restoration is closely linked to natural resources, the environment, the economy, society, and politics. These factors form a social ecological system and it is the basis for local stability and sustainable development in the coal resource-based areas. In this process, the relationship between government, enterprise, and local people is constantly being reshaped and defined, then it causes changes in the local social ecology and political ecology. The paper researches the Ruhr area in Germany and the Liulin County in China, the former is a world-famous old industrial and the latter is a typical coal mining subsidence district. By analyzing and comparing the ecological restoration and significant social changes in the Ruhr area and the Liulin County at different periods, the findings show the unique ecology— social system of the coal resource-based area, then enhances the effective measures for ecological restoration and sustainable development of the coal resource-based areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network infrastructure is one of the most significant technological developments in recent decades, as well as a powerful boost for economic growth in both urban and rural area. However, whether improving network infrastructure reduces urban-rural income inequality (URII) remains uncertain in the previous literature. Considering that URII is an important research issue in the field of social change, it is worthwhile to investigate the causal relationship between network infrastructure and URII. Based on the exogenous shock from a quasi-natural experiment of "Broadband China" demonstration cities, this paper utilizes a time-varying Difference-in-Differences (Time-varying DID) model to identify the causal impact of the improvement of network infrastructure on URII in China. The results show that: (1) After controlling the impact of other commonly acknowledged factors, network infrastructure remains a significant factor in URII reduction. (2) The mechanism analysis confirms that the mediating effect of digital financial inclusion plays a vital role in the impact of network infrastructure on URII. (3) Further regional heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of network infrastructure on reducing URII also relies on region's characteristics, such as geographical location, traditional infrastructure level, and administrative level. This paper has figured out the causal relationship between network infrastructure and URII, thus inspiring policy-makers who aim to reduce inequality between urban and rural areas to commit to improving network infrastructure with an emphasis on digital financial inclusion mechanism and comprehensive consideration of regional heterogeneity. • Network infrastructure construction can significantly reduce urban-rural income inequality. • Time-varying Difference in difference method (Time-varying DID) was adopted to investigate the "Broadband China" Policy. • The mediating mechanisms and heterogeneity of network infrastructure development on urban income inequality are discussed. • The value of the "Broadband China" Policy for urban-rural development is shown. • Our findings offer advice for developing countries and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the level of innovation factor allocation is an important route to achieve high-quality economic development in China and has received much attention from scholars. As a policy system to change the old and new dynamics of innovation, the impact of innovation pilot cities on the allocation of innovation factors is of great importance. Using a sample of 254 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this paper empirically analyses the impact of innovative pilot city policies on the allocation of innovation factors and their paths of action using a multi-temporal double-difference model. The study finds that the innovative pilot city policy significantly improved the level of innovation factor allocation, and this result held true after considering a series of robustness tests and endogeneity tests. Mechanistic tests show that the innovation pilot city policy has an impact on the allocation of innovation factors through the factor mobility effect and the innovation environment effect. Heterogeneity test shows that the influence of innovation pilot city policies on innovation factor allocation is greater in cities with higher administrative levels and better geographical locations. The economic consequences show that the innovation pilot city policy can significantly promote high-quality regional economic development. This study provides useful lessons for giving full play to the innovation-driven policy's innovation factor allocation effect, thereby enhancing China's high-quality economic development. • This paper studies the influence of innovative pilot cities on the allocation of innovation factors. • It provides a new method for measuring innovation factor allocation. • The basic results were confirmed by a series of robustness tests and endogeneity tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Urban green spaces have direct and indirect effects on improving residents' health. • The health benefits of urban green spaces exhibit regional heterogeneity. • Economic development weakens the health benefits of urban green spaces. • Environmental regulations can enhance the health benefits of urban green spaces. Urban green spaces have long been cherished as the "lungs of the city", it can not only improve air quality and enhance residents' health. The impact of urban green spaces on air pollution and residents' health has attracted great attention. In this paper, we select 31 provinces in China as research samples and use ArcGIS software to draw spatial distribution maps of urban green spaces, air pollution, and residents' health in China, characterizing their spatiotemporal changes in order to explore whether there is a correlation among the three. On this basis, this paper utilizes panel data of Chinese provincial-level from 2010 to 2020 and conducts empirical tests through a two-way fixed effect model and a threshold regression model. The research findings are as follows: (1) Urban green spaces not only bring environmental benefits, but also health benefits, and the health benefits are greater than the environmental benefits. (2) There is a health risk of air pollution in northern China, and the health benefits of urban green spaces are not significant. Conversely, there is no health risk of air pollution in southern China, and the health benefits of urban green spaces are significant. (3) Although environmental regulations can enhance the health benefits of urban green spaces, the role of environmental regulations in enhancing the health benefits of urban green spaces may be further weakened as the economy develops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, China is at a critical stage of economic transformation and pollution control. The environmental pollution control efficiency (PCE) deserves more in-depth study. This paper adopts a three-stage global data envelopment analysis (DEA) model and a global Malmquist index model to measure the PCE and the sources of its changes in China from 1991 to 2019. Study shows that: (1) the overall level of PCE has remained low over the past 29 years, and it has a slowly fluctuating upward trend, with an average annual growth rate of only 0.92 %; (2) the lower pure technical efficiency hinders the effectiveness of environmental pollution control, which is mainly affected by the slow technological progress; and (3) at the provincial level, the overall efficiency of Shanghai and Guangxi has long been above 0.9, while the efficiency of other provinces has been below 0.9 for quite a long time. At the regional level, the Yangtze River Delta is the most effective area, while the Yellow River Basin is the most ineffective area. In consideration of this, we provide specific strategies for improving PCE of each province, from three aspects of increasing the capital input, optimizing the scale structure, and upgrading technology level. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New evidence is provided that airports can produce positive and significant impacts on the urban economy. • Spillover effects are much larger than the direct effects from the perspective of the airport network, which are neglected in non-spatial models. • Air passenger is the most significant key determinant in terms of facilitating urban economic development in China by contrast to the other measures of airport activities. • Other things being equal, increasing flight frequency of existing air services has a larger impact on GDP as opposed to expanding air services to new destinations. Many studies have been conducted to examine the direct effects of airports on local economic development, however, there is little solid evidence on spatial spillover effects and much less in the context of China's airport system. To fill this gap, this paper analyses the spatial spillover effects of China's main hub airports on economic development. Our results indicate that air passenger traffic, air cargo shipment, and flight frequency can induce more positive and larger spillover effects to all other neighboring cities connected through airport network contrast to the direct effects. With other things being equal, increasing flight frequency of existing air services has a greater impact on GDP compared with expanding air services to new destinations. This paper contributes to the literature by presenting new evidence on the spatial spillover effects of airports on economic development in Chinese cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has aroused the attention all over the world, because not only can it directly damage the living environment, but it can also impact on the social and economic development, of a region in an obvious and far-reaching way. In this paper, we builded a trans-log production function model incorporating variables, such as rainfall, labor force, technology and temperature to simulate how climate changes impacted on the regional economics. Time series data of the domestic economy of Nanjing, a city in the southeast China, between 1996 and 2017, were used to verify the production theory of trans-log production frontier. The results showed that: with the rainfall increased and the temperature declined, the climate impact on the economy and the absolute value of the output elasticity of the frontier diminished. In addtion, the climate change was also positively related to the capital investment. The larger variation of temperature negatively impacted on the economic development. • This paper builds a trans-log production function model. • Time series data are used to verify the production theory of trans-log production frontiers. • Analyzing the effect of climate change on the regional economy. • The larger variation of temperature negatively impacted on the economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the labor reallocation effect can promote the transformation of the driving force of economic growth and enable high-quality development. Therefore, this study constructs a growth source model from the perspective of human capital, considering labor price distortion and time-varying factor elasticity to measure the effect of labor reallocation under the crossover of provincial industries and analyze the impact of labor reallocation on employment share. The relevant findings are threefold. Aoki (2012)) The distortion of labor price is the largest in the primary industry, followed by the tertiary and secondary industries. Bai and Liu (2018)) Measuring the labor reallocation effect from the perspective of human capital allocation reveals a 3.7 % overall loss of the effect under allocation distortion compared with that under effective allocation. Bakas et al. (2017)) In terms of industrial structure adjustment, compared with the labor share under effective allocation, that of the primary industry still requires a 0.25 reduction, and that of the secondary and tertiary industries should be reduced by 0.07 and 0.18, respectively. The research results provide valuable insights for Chinese policymakers to further improve the market economy system and adjust the industrial structure to optimize resource allocation and advance economic growth. • This paper relaxes the constant factor output elasticity hypothesis in the multi-sector general equilibrium model proposed by Aoki, and introduces the time-varying elastic production function model to re-measure the labor reallocation effect of industries in China's provinces. • Unlike the existing studies, which mostly measure the factor mismatch of provinces or industries, this paper measures the labor reallocation effect under the industrial intersection of China's provinces. • From the perspective of factor measurement, considering the heterogeneity of labor quality, the effect of labor reallocation is measured from the perspective of human capital allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of high-quality development, the e-commerce industry needs to seek more comprehensive development, and the logistics industry should not only maintain higher efficiency, but also meet the requirements of green and low-carbon transportation. This study aims to investigate the link between the logistic density and the proportion of e-commerce transaction scale. There are few studies on how logistics density affects the development of e-commerce quantitatively. In order to solve this gap, this study establishes an impact model of high-quality growth of e-commerce, and based on Solow production model, constructs a calculation method of logistics density, and analyzes the impact mechanism of logistics density on the scale ratio of e-commerce transactions. Using the bidirectional fixed effect model, this paper makes an empirical analysis of the panel data of 31 provinces consisting of 248 observations and autonomous regions in China from 2014 to 2020. The results show that logistic density has a positive and significant impact on the growth of e-commerce, thus promoting the optimization of economic structure. The acceleration of logistics density decreases the expansion of the ecommerce. Finally, there are obvious regional differences between the development of e-commerce and logistics infrastructure in China. Finally, based on the empirical result, this paper puts forward recommendations for government and companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coupling coordination indicators for pollution and carbon reduction is proposed. • The first time to focus on the issue in cities along the Yellow River Basin. • "East-high and west-low" spatial differentiation characteristics of coupled degree. • "Pollution reduction is hindered and carbon reduction is lagging". • There is a phenomenon of "spatial club" clustering in the coordination degree. Collaborative efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions are a notable feature of the current era. Achieving the "pollution reduction" and "carbon reduction" dual-driven new development model is the inevitable requirement and significant practical measure for building a new development pattern and realizing a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The synergistic effects between pollution reduction and carbon reduction (PRCR) have been demonstrated. However, the measurement and quantitative analysis of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of PRCR have not received enough attention. Therefore, the evaluation index system was constructed based on the scientific connotation of PRCR, and the CCD of PRCR in cities along the Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2009 to 2018 was measured quantitatively by constructing the coupling coordination model in this paper. In addition, we comprehensively investigated its spatial pattern, distribution characteristics, and evolution trend using ESDA, Kernel density estimation, and Markov chain. The primary findings can be summarized as: (1) PRCR levels and their CCD fluctuated and increased in the YRB, with "east-high and west-low" spatial differentiation characteristics, and the coupling phenomenon of "pollution reduction is hindered and carbon reduction is lagging". (2) There is a phenomenon of "spatial club" clustering in the coordination degree of PRCR in the YRB, with most cities in the downstream areas belonging to the type of high-high clustering, while the middle and upstream areas had the opposite type. (3) The CCD of PRCR in the whole and upper reaches of the YRB have transformed from low-level divergence to high-level convergence. (4) Spatial geographic factors have a significant spillover effect on the evolution of the CCD of PRCR, and there is a phenomenon of the "Matthew effect". This paper provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing the synergistic effects between PRCR, and the research findings can also provide insights for other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• China implemented the heavy industry priority development strategy rather than the comparative advantage development strategy in the early years of new China. • A dynamic optimization model including the labor-intensive goods sector, the capital-intensive goods sector, and the final goods sector is constructed to study the rationality of the heavy industry priority development strategy. • The relationship between the total social output per capita and the share of heavy industry capital stock is inverted U-shape. • Heavy industry, as basic industry, provides the necessary material conditions for the subsequent comparative advantage development strategy. Based on the objective fact that new China had a weak industrial base during the planned economy period and the policies implemented, this paper constructs a dynamic optimization model that includes the labor-intensive goods sector, the capital-intensive goods sector, and the final goods sector. The basic conclusion of the theoretical model is that there is an inverted-U relationship between total social output per capita and the share of heavy industry capital stock on the optimal dynamic path of capital accumulation with government intervention, i.e., the relationship is positive until a specific threshold is reached, beyond which it becomes negative. The results of the benchmark regressions and endogeneity tests confirm the inverted-U relationship, although the threshold share of heavy industry capital stock differs among the empirical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil aviation freight transport (CAFT) in China plays an important role in social and economic development. However, research on the morphological structure of China's CAFT network and its influence factors remains rare. In this paper, we focus on this topic by using a new data set of China's domestic routes from 2015 to 2019. With the complex network theory, we make an empirical study on the morphological structure of China's domestic CAFT network, and try to explore the nexus between the attributes of the network and the influence factors. The results show that China's domestic CAFT network is in line with the small world network model, which has a low average path length and a high clustering coefficient. The centrality of the network presents a saddle distribution with dense in the east and west, while sparse in the central. The results also indicate that there are many localized networks dominated by a few core airports. A number of regional hub cities exist, which are mainly located in the west of China. The development of China's CAFT highly depends on the civil aviation passenger transport (CAPT) network, and is highly affected by GDP, the industrial structure and the geographical location of cities. Finally, we give several policy suggestions, including developing the freight dedicated airports, establishing independent freight transport network system, vigorously developing core and intermediate hub cities, as well as constructing the regional network. • We study China's domestic civil aviation freight transport network by using a new dataset. • We analyze the network attributes and their influence factors at the city level. • A number of regional hub cities exist, mainly located in the west of China. • Civil aviation passenger transport, GDP and geographical location are the critical influencing factors of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to study the decoupling status and mitigation potential of CO2 emissions from China's transport sector over the period 1991–2015. Firstly, this paper utilizes the Log-Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) technique to identify influencing factors, which govern CO2 emissions from China's transport sector. Over the study period, the CO2 coefficient effect (Δ C c f t ) was the main factor for decreasing CO2 emissions. However, the economic growth effect (Δ C g t ) was the main factor for increasing CO2 emissions. Then, the decoupling indicator is also constructed based on the above influencing factors, which can be utilized to reflect the dependence degree of economic development on CO2 emissions from China's transport sector. During 1991–2015, the CO2 emissions from China's transport sector presented expansive coupling (EC) with economic development. Weak decoupling (WD) only appeared in the sub-period 1991–1995. The CO 2 emissions only presented 3 decoupling grades in all sub-period and the period 1991–2015: Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ. Furthermore, the above influencing factors are also used to establish a theoretical mitigation model, which is used to reflect the mitigation potential of CO2 emissions from China's transport sector. Finally, the occurrence of CO2 mitigation only appeared in 3 sub-periods: 1991–1995, 2005–2010, and 2010–2015. • The LMDI technique is used to identify influencing factors. • The decoupling indicator is constructed based on the influencing factors. • The influencing factors are used to establish a theoretical mitigation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The correlation between the economic development and the HSR construction is analyzed. • Uses a GWR model to examine the implications of HSR to the economic developments of Chinese cities. • The Cities obtaining HSR benefits are identified. Based on the situation of high-speed railway (HSR) construction in the past decade in China, as well as China's latest national railway network planning proposal, this paper studies the correlation between the economic development and the opportunity of obtaining HSR infrastructure investment for Chinese cities in different periods over time span 2007–2030. The "winners" and "losers" of obtaining HSR infrastructure investments are determined and the reason is explained by a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. According to the findings, the spatiotemporal development strategy of China's HSR is revealed. Further, the implications of the HSR for the economic development of Chinese cities are presented. It hopes that the results presented in this paper could facilitate Chinese cities with the appropriate urban developing policies for both the economy promotion and HSR infrastructure construction; moreover, the rapid development of China's economy and HSR can bring a good example to other countries in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet and digital technologies have facilitated copyright sharing in an unprecedented way, creating significant tensions between the free flow of information and the exclusive nature of intellectual property. Copyright owners, users, and online platforms are the three major players in the copyright system. These stakeholders and their relations form the main structure of the copyright-sharing economy. Using China as an example, this paper provides a tripartite perspective on the copyright ecology based on three categories of sharing, namely unauthorized sharing, altruistic sharing, and freemium sharing. The line between copyright owners, users, and platforms has been blurred by rapidly changing technologies and market forces. By examining the strategies and practices of these parties, this paper illustrates the opportunities and challenges for China's copyright industry and digital economy. The paper concludes that under the shadow of the law, a sustainable copyright-sharing model must carefully align the interests of businesses and individual users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A nonlinear relationship between industrial agglomeration and energy efficiency. • A threshold effect exists when industrial agglomeration affects energy efficiency. • When agglomeration degree is less 1.3865, it will promote energy efficiency. • Future policy for energy efficiency in China's textile industry is suggested. Abstract Based on provincial panel data on the textile industry in China, this paper calculates the total-factor energy efficiency of this industry as the dependent variable. Additionally, based on linear panel analysis of the relationship between industrial agglomeration and energy efficiency, in-depth analysis of the industry is performed at different industrial agglomeration levels. The paper identifies different impacts of industrial agglomeration on energy efficiency, uses the threshold regression model to extend the research to a nonlinear framework, and constructs a double threshold regression model in which the threshold of the textile industry agglomeration level serves as the threshold variable. The results show, first, a threshold effect occurs when industrial agglomeration affects total-factor energy efficiency. Second, a significant positive correlation exists among the degree of economic development, energy prices, research and development investment (R&D), enterprise scale, and total factor energy efficiency of the textile industry. Third, a non-linear relationship exists between industrial agglomeration and energy efficiency in the industry. When industrial agglomeration is low, promoting it improves energy efficiency. However, when industrial agglomeration reaches a certain level, agglomeration and energy efficiency show a negative relationship. Finally, based on the empirical results, ways of improving energy efficiency in the industry are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Faced with the dual constraints of economic growth and energy conservation and emission reduction, the unified environmental regulation policy has posed a dilemma for China. First, this paper adopts the method of Metafrontier Malmquist-Luenberger (MML) to analyze the influence of technology gaps and pollution emissions on the total factor productivity (TFP) of Chinese industry in the period of 2000–2016. Second, from the perspective of heterogeneity, the paper uses the threshold model to investigate the nonlinear dynamic influence of different types of environmental regulations on the environmental total factor productivity (ETFP) of industrial sectors, attempting to identify the optimal intensity of the environmental regulation and tools combination. The results indicate that due to the presence of industry heterogeneity, the different types of environmental regulations exerted heterogeneous influences on the ETFP in different industries. In heavy-pollution industries, an excessively high intensity of environmental regulation weakened the technological innovation of these enterprises. In moderate-pollution industries, there was found a medium intensity of environmental regulation, with the command-and-control and market-based types of environmental regulation being quite well coordinated. Among slightly polluting industries, there was a significant "N-shaped" characteristic between the market-based type of environmental regulation and the ETFP. The outcomes further imply that considering the presence of obvious industry heterogeneity, the establishment of environmental regulations should avoid both the unified adoption of static standards and the blind increase of regulation intensity. Based on the characteristics and realities of different industries, flexible and dynamic regulatory standards should be adopted, and multiple regulation instruments should be used. Highlights • ETFP presented a pattern of progressive decrease going from slight-pollution industries to moderate-pollution industries and finally to heavy-pollution industries. • Different types of environmental regulations exert heterogeneous influences on the ETFP of industries. • Environmental regulations should avoid both the unified adoption of static standards and the blind increase of regulation intensity. • A balanced regulation system should be established to stimulate a more strategically based economic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cities do play significant roles in tackling global environmental changes. Decoupling economic growth from environmental pressures is critical for global sustainable development, however, few studies pay attention to the decoupling analysis at city level. This paper conducts a comparative study of the decoupling performance of economic output from CO 2 emissions between Beijing and Shanghai, the top two cities in China. In this paper, the decoupling trends and the decoupling effects are explored from a sectoral perspective, by combining the Tapio decoupling elasticity and the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) model. The results show that Beijing and Shanghai both experienced weak decoupling in construction, expansive negative decoupling in transport, expansive coupling in trade, and weak decoupling in others over the period 2000–2015. Moreover, agriculture appeared strong decoupling in Beijing, and recessive decoupling in Shanghai; industry showed strong decoupling in Beijing, and weak decoupling in Shanghai. The decoupling effects showed different magnitudes and patterns in industrial sectors between Beijing and Shanghai. Overall, per-capita GDP and population growth inhibited the decoupling, while energy intensity, industrial share, energy mix accelerated the decoupling process. Highlights • The decoupling of sectoral economic output from carbon emissions in Beijing and Shanghai are investigated. • Beijing's industry enjoyed better decoupling performance than Shanghai's industry. • Transport should be put more emphasis in further decoupling efforts. • Energy intensity is crucial effect accelerating the decoupling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Global climate change is a significant environmental problem. A major trigger of climate change is the excess carbon emissions. Based on 44 scenarios in the second generation of new dry cement technology systems, this paper establishes IPSO-BP model to forecast the carbon emissions peak of China's cement industry for 2016–2050 years. The results indicate that China's cement industry only implements capacity reduction plans and the second generation of new dry cement technology systems, so that carbon emissions can reach the peak before 2030. It is up to 19 years ahead of the carbon emissions peak of the basic scenario and the carbon emissions peak is reduced by 38 Mt. Moreover, this paper analyzes the technical combination of the earliest carbon emissions and the lowest carbon emissions. As for the earliest carbon emissions technical combination, China's cement industry carbon emissions will peak at 789.95 Mt in 2021. According to the lowest carbon emissions technical combination, China's cement industry carbon emissions will peak at 742.37 Mt in 2025. Accordingly, the conclusions will be helpful for making carbon emissions reduction policies for China's cement industry. Highlights • Carbon emission levels were reviewed from industrial output and technologies. • The prediction model of carbon emissions was built with improved PSO and BPNN model. • The scenarios were set to analyze carbon emission peak in China's cement industry. • Importance of technique and capacity reduction in China's cement industry is defined. • The best carbon emission peak plan for China's cement industry is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A variety of safety factors for Chinese freeways were investigated. • NB models with random effects and random parameters were estimated. • The effect of speed limit on safety was explored. • The safety benefit of further median barrier offset was confirmed. • The effect of steep downgrade on safety grows with distance covered by vehicles. Abstract In response to the rapid economic growth in China, its freeway system has become the longest in the world and likely will continue to expand. Unfortunately, the safety issues on freeways in China have grown as well and are of great concern to Chinese transportation authorities and drivers. While many proven safety countermeasures developed and implemented by other countries are available for reference, they may be not fully transferrable to China due to the differences in driving cultures and conditions. As a result, an investigation of China’s unique safety factors and effective relevant countermeasures are urgently needed. The study presented in this paper thoroughly investigated the factors contributing to freeway crashes in China based on detailed crash data, traffic characteristics, freeway geometry, pavement conditions, and weather conditions. To properly account for the over-dispersion of data and unobserved heterogeneity, a random effects negative binomial (RENB) model and a random parameters negative binomial (RPNB) model were applied, along with a negative binomial (NB) model. The analysis revealed a large number of crash frequency factors, including several interesting and important factors rarely studied in the past, such as the safety effects of climbing lanes. Moreover, the RENB and RPNB models were found to considerably outperform the NB model; however, although the RPNB exhibited better goodness-of-fit than the RENB model, the difference was rather small. The findings of this study shed more light on the factors influencing freeway crashes in China. The results will be useful to highway designers and engineers for creating, building, and operating safe freeways as well as to safety management departments for developing effective safety countermeasures. The study presented in this paper also provides additional guidance for choosing relevant methods to analyze safety and to identify safety factors. [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]

In 2020, China formally proposed the goal of achieving carbon peaking in 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality in 2060. Since then, widespread attention has been devoted to determining when and how this goal will be achieved. This paper creatively puts forward the view of low-carbon digital economy from the perspective of resource flow, digital flow and energy flow, and studies the synergy effect of low-carbon digital development by constructing the synergy model of low-carbon digital development economic and social development. Based on theoretical research, this paper constructs a synergy model and evaluation index system between low-carbon digital development and economic and social development, and an empirical analysis was conducted based on data related to regional low-carbon digital development and economic and social development in China from 2014 to 2019. The empirical results show that the development of China's low-carbon digital economy is the main driving force for future economic and social development. The effects of low-carbon digital economy on economic and social development varied across regions due to their different regional development patterns. The spatial pattern shows a trend of "high in the east and low in the west". Further, if the low carbon economy and the digital economy included in the stimulus policies can play a synergistic role, it will be able to play the greatest role in promoting economic and social development. And such a scenario is used as a practice in different regions of China in future. The research conclusion of this paper enriches the discussion on the construction of ecological civilization and the construction of a community with a common future for mankind. The conceptualized model of low-carbon digital economy and economic-social development. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Decoupling state of ecological footprint in 30 province of China is analyzed. • There are four decomposition indicators for decoupling. • Technological factors, and economic factors are important factors driving decoupling. • The methods of realizing environmental sustainability are discussed. Nowadays, economic development and ecological environment protection are difficult to synergize, which poses a challenge to global sustainable development. This paper uses the Tapio decoupling model to evaluate the decoupling between ecological footprint and economic growth, and uses the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition methods to identify the driving factors of decoupling at national and provincial levels. There are four driving factors: industrial structural, technological innovation, economic development, and population size. It is found that: (1) The ecological footprint of 28 provinces show an upward trend, with an average increase of 40.26%. Among them, the ecological footprint of three provinces in the northwest region increased by more than 100%, and there is an urgent need to reduce natural resource consumption and ensure resource sustainability; (2) The number of provinces with good decoupling show a change of first declining and then rising. Moreover, the spatial distribution characteristics of the decoupling state are obvious, with the northeastern region in negative decoupling; and (3) Technological innovation plays a positive and leading role in decoupling, with a contribution rate of 0.5402. However, economic development inhibits decoupling, with a contribution rate of 0.3829. According to the results, this paper suggests countermeasures and approaches to promote the decoupling of ecological footprint and economic growth, and establishes three key regional concerns. It provides a basis for further analysis of environmental governance in China. Not only that, the regulatory measures and methods proposed in this study will also help promote the decoupling process of other developing countries in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There exists a nonlinear, hump-shaped pattern between prefecture-level trade openness and manufacture labor share in China. • Internal geography is critical in shaping patterns of trade-induced structural change. • Internal reallocations of resources across regions and sectors within one country are central to the economic development. • Place-based policies based on regional stage of structural transformation are needed. Notable heterogeneity regarding international trade openness and level of development across different regions with significant inter-provincial migration has been a prominent feature in contemporary China. This paper studies the particular role of international trade in the structural transformation across each region in China. Combining several data, we document that there exhibits a non-monotone, hump-shaped relationship between international trade freeness and prefecture-level manufacture labor share in China. We rationalize this stylized fact in a spatial equilibrium model with multi-region, multi-sector, costly trade and endogenous allocation of labor, capital, and land. The analysis highlights the role of internal geography in shaping patterns of trade-induced structural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the long-term effects of historical institutions on modern economic development. The Ming Great Wall, built to prevent incursions from northern barbarian nomads, divided China, which encouraged institutionalized self-governance, from the patron-client model of the nomads who lacked a system of local government or a fiscal and legal system. By exploring this cutoff and using a geographical regression discontinuity design (GRDD) framework, we document that present-day economic development, as measured by nighttime light intensity, exhibits a discontinuity at the Great Wall. After considering other potential explanatory factors, we suggest that the differences in the administration established during the Ming dynasty might explain this discontinuity. The immediate impacts on the economic outcomes during the succeeding dynasty and the persistent differences in institutional development proxies, which serve as deep determinants of economic development, represent supplements to our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes 31 provincial regions in mainland China as the research object, measures the development level of digital finance through digital inclusive finance index, empirically analyzes the development of digital finance on regional economy, and further analyzes the breadth, depth and service support of digital inclusive finance. Research shows that digital finance can promote regional economic development, and digital finance also has a positive impact on economic development in terms of breadth, depth and service support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2017, the Chinese government released the first special plan for the development of geothermal energy, named “ The 13th five-year plan for geothermal energy development and utilization (2016–2020) ”, which promotes the development of geothermal energy to the national energy strategic level. As a stable and low-carbon renewable energy, it is significant to develop geothermal energy to relieve air pollution and supply continuous base load power. This paper first introduces the resource endowments of geothermal energy in China, the current status and development targets of geothermal energy use, as well as series of related policies on China's geothermal energy. Then the economic, environmental and social benefits of geothermal energy development are analyzed respectively. Next, based on the PESTEL framework, this paper analyzes the unfavorable factors in the development of geothermal energy in China. Fourth, based on the PESTEL analysis results, we give some countermeasures and solutions for the future development of China's geothermal energy from two aspects of technology and policy. Finally, based on the above analysis, the corresponding conclusions and policy recommendations are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Agriculture grew much faster in output and labour productivity in China than in Australia, Canada, India, Japan and the United States. • The unprecedented growth in China was mainly driven by multifactor productivity improvements. • Agriculture has been playing a diminishing role in the Chinese economy as in all the developed countries. • The diminishing importance is an outcome of market forces in balancing various demands and supplies for goods and services as an economy advances and income rises. Abstract This paper studies the evolution of the agricultural sector in the Chinese economy, with a comparison to a number of selected economies that are at different stages of economic development. It shows that China’s unprecedented agricultural growth comparing to other emerging and developed countries was mainly driven by its world-beating productivity improvement, resulting from a series of fundamental reforms that have been undertaken in the Chinese agricultural sector since 1978. Despite the remarkable achievement, however, agriculture is playing a diminishing role in the growing Chinese economy, including declining agricultural employment. The paper illustrates that, as in other developed countries, the decline trend in China is an outcome of market forces in balancing various demands and supplies for goods and services as income rises. The research results will have important implications for further policy designs that seek to maintain a healthy agricultural growth in China in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are limited in their ability to measure progress towards environmental sustainability especially at the city level. The aim of this paper is to provide insights into an integrated assessment of urban sustainability, with emphasis on the significance of the maintenance of natural capital stocks. The use of water and land as critical natural capital in Guiyang, a southeast city in China was investigated by bringing together the ecological footprint (EF), water footprint (WF) and corresponding capacity indicators into an improved three-dimensional (i3D) model. Results showed that Guiyang has long been operating in a state of overshoot due to shortage of annual natural capital flows and accumulated depletion of stocks. This is particularly true for land use, whose stocks maintained a relatively stable level of depletion between 2000 and 2014. As of 2014, an EF depth of 6.45 was accumulated. With respect to water use, a shift in the city's role from creditor to debtor was observed in 2004. Industrial use of natural capital has more than tripled over the past 15 years and replaced agriculture to be the main driver of water unsustainability. Overall, Guiyang's economic growth did not show signs of decoupling from the EF and WF. These findings highlight the need for effective policies that would help Guiyang reduce dependency on the use of critical natural capital. Finally, this paper provided an in-depth discussion of the methodological strengths and limitations of the i3D model and concluded that it is able to track the structural and characteristic dynamics of both flows and stocks while avoiding burden shifting across various components within single forms of natural capital from a strong sustainability perspective. Our study enhances understanding of the critical role of natural capital in ensuring urban sustainability and improving human welfare in connection with SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper offers a new approach to calibrating parameters of an agent-based model proposed by Ormerod (2002) and conducts a comparative analysis of the US and Chinese business cycles for the period 1993–2014 using annual percentage changes in real gross domestic product. Depending on the underlying conditions of the system, the agent-based model is transformed to a damped pendulum, or a forced damped pendulum, through which we get the analytical solutions. These analytical solutions stipulate the speed of recovery from external shocks and the length of a business cycle. After pinning down two parameters in the analytical solutions, we calibrate the model using the Bayesian estimation technique. Our calibration approach captures the fundamental features of the economic fluctuations reasonably well. In particular, we find that the Chinese economy is more volatile and less persistent than the US economy: China has a shorter average duration of business cycles and recovers faster from external shocks; and the two countries move synchronously. Highlights • Modeling GDP fluctuations with agent-based model is proposed. • Obtain the analytical solutions for the model using a (forced) damped pendulum. • The solutions stipulate the recovery speed from external shocks and business cycle duration. • Estimation technique employed in the paper is shown to be more efficient. • Key empirical features of the GDP growth in the US and China are well captured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, is located in China's central region. A city with over 2200 years of history, Hefei was still a middle-sized city at the end of 1970s. Over the past decade, however, the city had experienced a dramatic spatial expansion and economic growth. This paper discusses Hefei's history of development, its achievement in socioeconomic and spatial development, and its challenges with regard to future development. Urban researchers have largely ignored cities in China's central region; as such, this paper will serve to enrich the international literature in this field and enable readers to better understand the urbanization and industrialization efforts of a typical emerging city in inland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By positioning in the discourse that economic output is always coupled with natural resource depletion, pollution, and carbon emission, decoupling analysis is widely adopted to evaluate how “quality” economic growth can lead to fewer such downsides so as to encourage sustainable development. This paper aims at examining the decoupling relationship between economic output and carbon emission by focusing on China's construction industry, which is a pillar industry for national economic growth, meanwhile contributes a huge amount of carbon emission. The method of Tapio decoupling model is used to examine the decoupling relationships at both national and provincial levels from 2005 to 2015. It continues to identify the driving force leading to a certain decoupling state by adopting the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI). Results show that: (1) there existed an expansive decoupling relationship between economic growth and construction carbon emission in most provinces of China during 2005–2015; (2) Shanghai presented the best decoupling performance, while in contrast, other provinces such as Guizhou and Fujian displayed expansive negative decoupling state; and (3) “Economic output” played the most significant role in inhibiting the decoupling at both national and provincial levels, while “Indirect carbon intensity” was the main driver for promoting the national decoupling. Although the paper refers to the specific construction of China, the decoupling analysis approach can be extended to other countries as well as to other pollutants such as land pollution, waste water and haze. The understanding of driving forces for the decoupling state in China's construction industry provides international policy-makers with valuable reference for formulating effective measures to balance the dilemma between economic output and carbon emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late twentieth century, rural areas in China have experienced a rapid and far-reaching transformation of social and economic structures. Residential land in rural areas, as a type of land where rural residents live and engage in producing, is under significant pressure and face significant change as a consequence. How has rural residential land changed over time, and why it differs across peri-urban interface? This paper presents a methodology for confronting this issue. By applying an integrated framework, we explored the rural residential land transition patterns from the internal structure, i.e., rural residential land-use structural transition (RLST) and identified the driving forces from the perspective of urbanization and industrialization. Our findings show that there are three RLST patterns in China, i.e., non-agriculture, rurality and decay. During the period, the peri-urban area – Pinggu has shown the coexistence of non-agriculture and decay patterns. In particular, RLST patterns varied at different levels. Spatially, along with getting closer to urban areas came increasing complexity of RLST patterns, which formed the structure of circle layer. The various RLST patterns are closely linked to interaction and reorganization between external and internal factors, including basic condition, industrialization, urbanization and policies. Among of them, urbanization changed the internal structure of rural residential land through the population flow; while industrialization influenced the RLST through shaping the industrial structure and level of economic development. Other outstanding issues discussed in this paper relate to the implication for rural spatial restructuring and benign rural residential land transition, which can be achieved through industrial structure reshaping, population relocation and cultural regression. The findings of this study can help us better understand the process of rural residential land transition and thus have significance for the land use multifunctionality and restructuring policies in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of its rapid economic development, China is faced with serious issues of resource shortage and environmental pollution. This paper is aimed at exploring the issues of resource shortage and environmental pollution in Chinese cities by means of efficiency evaluation. Through the Super-efficiency general directional distance function (GDDF) model, this paper calculates the urban efficiencies of resource-saving (UERS) of 197 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2015. Furthermore, considering the environmental problems, it applies the Super-efficiency GDDF model with undesirable outputs, and accesses the urban efficiencies containing environmental factors (UEEF). The empirical results are listed as follows. (1) Most of the Chinese cities exhibited comparatively low UERS and UEEF, indicating great potential for the reduction of resource consumption and environmental pollution; (2) Those groups with higher levels of resource-saving efficiency tend to have poorer environmental efficiency. This means that many cities achieve good economic performance at the expense of the environment; (3) In order to realize the sustainable economic and social development, we should not only save resources, but also reduce the emission of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, Macau will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its return to China. The past few years have witnessed brilliant economic achievements as well as a structural shift toward a gaming-industry dominated economy. Following so many years of rapid growth, it is essential to take stock of both the benefits and costs of gaming industry development. Accordingly, this paper analyzes the evolution of Macau's gaming industry between 1999 and 2016, and evaluates the industry's effects on local economic growth and urban development. As the paper shows, Macau has exhibited many of the symptoms typically associated with booming sectors in small economies, and has witnessed the similar effects widely experienced by western casino cities. However, Macau is also faced with some unique challenges, regarding its geographic location, size constraints, and political factors. These findings illustrate the difficulties that have accompanied Macau's economic achievements, but also call attention to opportunities in the next phase of Macau's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metallurgy industry plays a very important role in China's economic growth. Due to its energy concentration, the energy consumption of the industry accounts for a large proportion of China's total energy consumption, and thus contributes to carbon emissions. Whether the metallurgy industry can successfully reduce emissions is related to the future of China's carbon emissions targets. In this paper, the logarithmic mean Divisia index model is used to analyze the change in China's carbon dioxide emissions from 1991 to 2014. The empirical results show that there are three main factors affecting the carbon dioxide emissions of China's metallurgy industry. The three factors are labor productivity, energy intensity and industry size. In addition, we further analyzed the deep motivation of carbon dioxide emissions in the industry, and calculated the future emission reduction potentials. Lastly, according to the empirical results, the paper proposes policy recommendations for the future emission reduction of China's metallurgy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to global climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, China not only is under enormous pressure to reduce emissions from all over the world, but also confronts the problem of domestic energy shortage and ecological environment deterioration. Compared with other developed countries and regions, China has implemented an extensive development model over a long period, consuming large amounts of resources and sacrificing the environment. Therefore, how to reduce emissions and conserve energy is essential for the rapid development of China. To deal with this issue, this paper proposes the improved DEA models for measuring emission-reduction and energy-conservation (EREC) efficiency. Compared with other DEA models, the models in this paper consider not only the heterogeneity of energy management in varied regions, but also the technology gap between regions. In order to assess the level of technological development in different regions, this paper proposes a new technology gap ratio index (TGR). The proposed approach is applied for measuring the EREC efficiency of 211 Chinese cities. The results show that the overall EREC efficiency of Chinese cities is low, and the central area has the lowest EREC efficiency. There is significant technology gap between the regions; the technology level is the highest in the eastern region but the lowest in the northeastern region. We also reveal that managerial and technical factors are the two main sources for the loss of EREC efficiency in Chinese cities. The specific strategies of management and technology are suggested for all cities in different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological sustainability of the Chinese economy is vital for China as well as for the world. By integrating environmental input-output analysis, emergy theory, and a complex network model into one framework, this paper explores Chinese sectoral ecological sustainability with the most recent 2012 input-output table. The results show that there are significant differences in emergy intensities among sectors. The non-metal mining sector is the most emergy-intensive sector at 6.06E+17 sej/10000 Yuan, followed by the metal mining sector. Additionally, output connections have a positive impact on the emergy yield ratio, input connections exert a negative impact on the emergy yield ratio, and PageRank centrality has a positive effect on the environmental loading ratio. This paper updates the Chinese sectoral emergy assessment, identifies key sectors in the Chinese ecological network, and analyzes the impact of network indicators on sectoral emergy performance. These analyses will be useful in updating the guide for adjusting industrial structure in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China’s high-speed railway featured by low-carbon quick prospers rapidly, railway transport has been regarded as a crucial means to replace the aviation transport. Selecting the data from 156 routes of China's 48 major cities from 2001 to 2014, the paper takes the aviation mileage as the threshold variable and the operation time as the control variable to build a panel threshold regression model. Firstly, under the consideration of the economic, demographic, environmental and railway indicators, the paper analyzes the influence of China’s railway on the aviation passenger volume and the flight number; secondly, under the condition that the railway speed is more than 250 km/h, the paper analyzes the shock effect of China’s high-speed railway on aviation transport. The conclusion shows that the higher the level of the economic development is, the more developed the aviation transport of the region will be. when the aviation mileage is below 1132 km, as the aviation mileage increases, the influence of China’s railway to the aviation transport fall into a decline; China’s high-speed railway has a positive shock effect on the aviation transport, and the shock effect reaches the maximum when the aviation mileage is from 650 to 755 km. This paper is of great practical significance to study the optimization of transportation structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy plays a vital part in stimulating economic progress, and the shift towards a cleaner energy system is highly significant for ensuring the sustainable development of the economy. China's energy structure urgently needs to be transitioned. The fast advancement and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) has provided a new and important tool for promoting the transition of energy structure. So, what is the relationship between the application of artificial intelligence and the transition of the energy structure? This research introduces artificial intelligence into the energy sector, focusing on the relationship between artificial intelligence and energy transition. Since nonlinear models are better able to study the complex effects and phase differences of artificial intelligence. Using China's provincial panel data spanning from 2006 to 2019, this study employs nonlinear modeling to explore the stage differences in the process of AI in facilitating energy structure transformation. This paper derives the following findings based on empirical research. First, there is a U-shaped relationship between artificial intelligence and the transition of energy structure. Specifically, before the inflection point, the initial application of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence may adversely impact energy transition. When the inflection point is passed, AI will help facilitate the energy transition. Second, the U-shaped relationship between AI and energy transition is more pronounced in coastal and non-resource-based regions. Third, energy intensity, government investment in science and technology, and informatization will moderate the U-shaped relationship between artificial intelligence and energy transition, changing the steepness of the original U-shaped relationship and even reversing it. Hence, it is imperative to effectively utilize the technological benefits of artificial intelligence through the development patterns and distinctive features of different regions, thereby facilitating the smooth transition of the energy structure. [Display omitted] • The role of artificial intelligence in the energy transition process is studied. • Stage differences in the role of AI are analyzed. • The nonlinear relationship between AI and energy transition is investigated. • Provide insights into the factors affecting the relationship between AI and energy transition. • This research helps the government to advance the energy structure transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reflect the trend of electricity consumption (EC) in China's Pearl River Delta (PRD) under a balanced environment and economy, this paper proposes an EC forecasting framework from the perspective of optimal economic growth. The historical GDP statistics of the PRD are calibrated with data from the new "NPP-VIIRS-like" nighttime light dataset from 2000 to 2020, and two simulation scenarios of optimal economic growth are constructed according to the carbon emission reduction rate. Finally, based on the electricity data from 2000 to 2017, an error correction model is constructed to predict and compare the trend of EC in the PRD under different carbon emission scenarios. The results demonstrate the following. (1) The economic growth path under low-carbon constraints is more closely aligned with the actual economic development of the PRD. (2) The electricity demand required to sustain optimal economic growth in the PRD under low-carbon constraints is projected to reach saturation around 2037, approximately a decade earlier than the scenario without carbon constraints. The results of the projections are expected to guide future work on power system planning and economic development assessment in the context of carbon reduction. • The balance between environmental resources and economic development is considered. • The optimal economic growth path under the low-carbon goal is measured. • Calibration of regional statistics with the nighttime light dataset "NPP-VIIRS-like". • The error correction model is built as a short-term regulation mechanism for power prediction. • Predicted electricity demand for optimal economic growth in the PRD under different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of three modes of transport infrastructure, namely high-speed rail, highway, and aviation on population density and economic growth in China using a fixed effects model based on a panel data of 2847 counties from 2008 to 2019. The results indicate that transport infrastructure can contribute to regional agglomeration and productivity enhancement, with high-speed rail having a distinct effect from the other two modes. High-speed rail has the most significant positive effect on population density while the other two modes aren't significant enough. Regarding per capita GDP, highway and aviation can both stimulate the development over different types of counties, while high-speed rail enhances the economic growth only in more developed regions. The findings highlight the need for a targeted planning strategy for regions with different development levels to harness the catalytic effect of transport on promoting reasonable distribution of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation of coal-resource-based cities (CRBCs) is one of the important aspect of sustainable development. However, little work has been done on the systematic study of CRBCs. Therefore, this paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system from three aspects of economy, society and environment to evaluate the level of transformation and development of 23 CRBCs in China from 2017 to 2021. The proposed model is a multi-criteria decision-making method based on the Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) and the improved Technique in Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results show that the comprehensive transformation effects of CRBCs range from 0.308 to 0.660. 13 cities (accounting for 56.5%) demonstrate a slowly growth trend, with the maximum annual growth rate of 1.05%. 10 cities (accounting for 43.5%) show a small downward trend on the comprehensive transformation effect. The main reason for the low transformation is that social development lag behind environmental and economic development. Based on this, provide some suggestions for the transformation of CRBCs. • Construct a system to assess the transformation effect of coal-resource-based city. • The proposed model is a multi-criteria decision-making method. • Analysis the transformation effect of coal-resource-based city. • Provide path selections for coal-resource-based city' transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]