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Given the increasing threat of economic downturns and global warming, the governments of developing countries urgently need effective measures that can both stimulate economic development and promote low-carbon transitions. As a widely accepted method for stimulating economic growth, the improvement of the business environment and its effect on economic activity have been fully discussed. However, little is known about whether and how the business environment affects the low-carbon transition. By leveraging city-level data from China, this paper exploits whether and through which channels a favorable business environment promotes a low-carbon transition. We find that improving the business environment has a positive impact on carbon efficiency. This relationship is verified to be robust through various alternative tests. Additionally, it is demonstrated that enhancing the business environment can increase carbon efficiency by promoting green technology progress and stimulating new firm entry. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the positive effect of the business environment is pronounced for cities with intensive environmental regulation, sufficient environmentally targeted fiscal expenditure, and loose economic growth requirements. This paper reveals the unintentional environmental gains of business environment optimization and provides important insights into the low-carbon transition for developing economies. • We measure the indexes of the business environment and the carbon efficiency. • We examine the impact of the business environment on carbon efficiency. • The improvement of the business environment has a positive impact on carbon efficiency. • The business environment can improve carbon efficiency by promoting green technology progress and stimulating new firm entry. • The government plays a crucial role in business environment's effect on carbon efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between digital transformation(DT) and environmental, social, and governance(ESG) greenwashing using Chinese listed companies as a sample from 2012 to 2022. Furthermore, it analyzes the enterprise and regional heterogeneity as well as the influencing mechanisms on this relationship. The research results indicate that corporate digital transformation significantly inhibits ESG greenwashing, with a more pronounced effect on companies in non-high-pollution industries, high-tech industries, and the eastern region. In addition, mechanism tests reveal that internal control and financing constraints play a partial mediating role. Digital transformation suppresses ESG greenwashing by enhancing the quality of internal control and alleviating financing constraints. The primary contribution of this paper lies in demonstrating that digital transformation can serve as a strategic tool to mitigate ESG greenwashing. This enriches the research on the outcomes of digital transformation as well as the factors influencing ESG greenwashing. The conclusions of this paper provide theoretical foundations and policy recommendations for better ESG development by enterprises and governments in emerging markets. At the same time, this paper has a certain guiding role for the introduction and implementation of policies to encourage digital transformation. • This study examines the relationship between digital transformation (DT) and corporate greenwashing behavior in the context of ESG. • The study reveals that corporate digital transformation significantly inhibits greenwashing behavior in the ESG domain. • The inhibitory effect of digital transformation is more pronounced in non-polluting enterprises, high-tech enterprises, and companies located in the central-western region. • The internal control level and financing constraints of enterprises play a partial mediating role, indicating that digital transformation suppresses greenwashing by enhancing internal control and alleviating financing constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of carbon neutrality target, renewable energy sources have been transforming from "supplementary energy" to "main energy", which have promoted the green and low-carbon transition of global energy supply system. In-depth analyzing the spatial patterns and driving mechanisms of renewable energy expansion are of significance for optimizing the spatial layout of clean power, and avoiding the phenomenon of wind and solar power curtailment. In this paper, we proposed an ensemble learning model to examine the nonlinear effects of physical geography, resource endowment, and socio-economic factors on solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity at the prefecture-level city scale in China. Using the city-level multi-sources geospatial big data, we extensively collected a total of 175 related explanatory variables and cumulative installed capacity of solar PV power for 295 prefecture-level cities of China. The recursive feature elimination algorithm (SVM-REF) is firstly used to extract the optimal feature subset of urban PV capacity from multi-dimensional features variables. Furthermore, three advanced machine learning models (random forest, decision tree, extreme gradient boosting) are developed to identify the key influencing factors and nonlinear driving effect of urban solar PV power expansion in China. The results show that China's PV installation capacity is highly concentrated in Northern and Northwest parts of China, with the occupancy over 70% in 2019. Moreover, the XGBoost model has the best prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.97) among three methods. We also found that total amount of urban water resources, average solar radiation, and population density are the most important controlling factors for urban solar PV capacity expansion in China, with contribution of 35.6%, 17.7%, and 13.3%, respectively. We suggested that urban solar PV layout mode in China is recommended to gradually shift from resource orientation to the "resource-environment-demand" comprehensive orientation. The paper provides a replicable, scalable machine learning models for simulating solar PV power capacity at the prefecture-level city scale, and serves as a motivation for decision-making reference of the macro siting optimization and sustainable development of China's green power industry. • This study examines the impact of high-dimensional features variables on urban solar energy development. • Over 70% of solar PV installation capacity is concentrated in Northern and Northwest parts of China. • Water resources, solar radiation, population density have significant impact on solar PV distribution. • Solar PV distribution in China should shift from resource orientation to the comprehensive orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High carbon emissions and population aging are two obstacles to China's development as an emerging economy. It is urgent to scientifically examine the impacts of population aging on carbon emissions to discover new pathways for urban carbon emission reduction. However, existing studies face challenges in terms of focusing on and methodology for accurately capturing the role of industrial production and energy consumption in the environmental effects of population aging. This paper constructs a chain mediation analytical framework and systematically examines the intrinsic linkages between population aging and carbon emissions in Chinese cities from 2000 to 2020 using a two-way fixed effects model. This paper has three main findings. (1) The positive correlation between urban population aging and carbon emissions development is generally low, with coupling coordination degree values of 0.4233, 0.4458, 0.4220, 0.4715, and 0.4665 for each yearly cross-section. (2) For every 1% increase in the population aging rate, carbon emissions decrease by 0.3478% on average. The carbon reduction effect of population aging is significantly greater in low-emissions cities and high-income cities than in other cities. (3) The industrial upgrading (IU) path, energy conservation (EC) path and chain mediation (CM) path account for 72.43%, 7.23% and 20.34%, respectively, of the indirect effects. If the causal link between IU and EC is not considered, the EC effect will be overestimated by 281.16%. The results of the study suggest that properly coping with population aging and reducing carbon emissions are not completely opposed to each other, a conclusion that passes both endogeneity exclusion and robustness check. This paper advocates replacing the one-size-fits-all approach in carbon emissions management and investing more in policy preferences to support carbon emission reduction in both high-emissions and low-income cities. [Display omitted] •The synergistic trends of carbon emissions and population aging are not apparent. •Population aging significantly reduces carbon emissions at the city scale. •Linkage effect of industrial upgrading and energy conservation on carbon emission reduction. •Energy conservation effect of population aging amplified by industrial upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate water performance and sustainable development are currently vital focus areas for scholars. Therefore, this paper investigates the experience of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) with water shortage influences corporate water performance by focusing on listed companies in water-intensive and high-water-risk industries in China between 2014 and 2019. This paper manually collected information relative to the cities and provinces where CEOs grew up to evaluate their early exposure to water shortages. Furthermore, this paper develops an evaluation scale, based on the Enterprise Water Conservation Evaluation Guide (GB/T 7119-2006), to compute the enterprise water management practices scores. These results will constitute the enterprise water performance evaluation score. Moreover, this paper focuses on CEOs who have experienced water resource shortages through a positive impact on the water resource performance of their companies. As for the findings, they demonstrate that CEOs who grew up in regions with higher water scarcity have a more pronounced positive effect on their water shortage experience through corporate water performance. Furthermore, CEO power intensity positively moderates the relationship between the CEO's water shortage experience and corporate water resource performance. Further investigation reveals generational differences in the impact of CEO water shortage experience on company water performance. CEOs, who grew up during periods with a higher incidence of droughts, demonstrate a more significant promoting effect on corporate water performance. To sum up, this study expands the understanding of factors influencing corporate water resource performance and deepens the knowledge of the early life experiences of CEOs. • We construct a set of scales to measure corporate water performance. • We explore the relationship between CEO water shortage experience and corporate water resource performance. • CEO water shortage experience has a positive effect on corporate water performance. • CEO power intensity plays a positive moderating role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emission permit system (EPS) is a fixed-source environmental management system that is widely practiced worldwide. Since 2016, China has been building a fixed-source environmental management system with the EPS as its core. This paper summarizes the evolutionary process of China's EPS over the past 40 years considering four main stages: embryonic stage, local pilot stage, total emission control-based exploration stage, and reform stage of the core management system. This paper notes that China initially established a system of laws and technical specifications for emission permits, and emission permits are clearly becoming a mainstream trend in fixed-source management. The paper argues that there are still four problems in the current EPS reform (i.e., insufficient support of laws and regulations, poor integration of the EPS with other systems, unscientific design of the EPS, and insufficient implementation capacity after permit allocation). This paper puts forward 7 suggestions for further EPS reform, e.g., accelerating the formulation of the regulations on the EPS, strengthening the coordination with other fixed-source systems, improving the technical support system for the EPS, establishing a database system for emission permits, building a scientific and reasonable allocation method, improving the autonomy of pollutant monitoring in enterprises, and increasing information disclosure and public participation. The results may more accurately evaluate China's EPS in China's environmental protection system, provide scientific support for the promotion and development of the ongoing EPS reform and environmental management systems. The results may promote the development of pollution prevention, and an improvement in the environmental quality in China, and offer scientific guidance and reference for other countries to implement their own EPS. • This paper summarizes evolutionary process of China's EPS over the past 40 years. • There are 4 reform achievements and 4 reform problems of current China's EPS. • This paper puts forward 7 further reform suggestions for the China's EPS. • The results offer scientific support for promotion and development of EPS reform. • The results offer scientific guidance and reference for the EPS in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantity-based and concentration-based limits are two common environmental permitting approaches utilized by government worldwide in environmental management. While existing literature is still unambiguous about roles played by quantity-based versus concentration-based limits in environmental management, it becomes evident that relying exclusively on concentration-based or quantity-based limits to control plant emissions may not necessarily result in improved environmental quality. This paper leverages a unique opportunity arising from a recent reform in China's Pollutant Emission Permit System (PEPS) initiated in 2016 to analyze how the introduction of quantity-based limits in addition to concentration-based limits through the PEPS reform impact emissions at the plant level. Utilizing a unique plant-level continuous emission monitoring system data collected from Shaanxi Province (located in western China), the paper finds a significant reduction in air pollutant emissions as a result of the PEPS reform (nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 39%, sulfur dioxide (SO 2) by 15% and particulate matter (PM) by 13%). The heterogeneity analyses show emission reductions in plants differ across those with varying quantity limits specified in their permits, distinct emission ratios and diverse ownership structures. Furthermore, plants that fall under the classified management system with more stringent regulations imposed, especially those operating in high-pollution sectors, situated within industrial parks, or classified as large-sized plants, attain higher pollutant quantity limits. Findings of the paper carry important implications for effective environmental management, particularly within developing countries, and shed some light on carbon emission reduction policies in China. [Display omitted] • Quantity-based limits reduce air pollutant emissions significantly. • Distinct behaviors observed in air and water pollutants. • Varied quantity limits and emission ratios influence emission behavior. • State-owned plants show better emission reduction under quantity limits. • Stricter regulations could allow higher quantity limits for plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sequestration is vital to maintaining carbon neutrality and mitigating climate change's impact on humans and the environment. As the government's role in eco-advocacy is primarily designed to safeguard the environment, this paper discusses the impact of government environmental regulations on carbon sequestration. By analyzing 286 cities from 2000 to 2019 in China, we propose that government environmental regulation can lead to a 0.77% increase in carbon sequestration. Additionally, industrial agglomeration and industrial structure advancement are regarded as viable channels. As a result of the differences in city types, government intervention, and public concern across different cities, the impact is likely to vary as well. • Environmental regulation can effectively enhance carbon sequestration. • The heterogeneity considers city type, government intervention and public attention. • The mechanisms include industry agglomeration and industrial structure optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of agrochemical inputs has significantly enhanced agricultural yields in China; however, their excessive utilization has also caused a range of environmental issues. This paper examines the costs associated with reducing agrochemicals by employing shadow prices, which represent the value of the marginal product of agrochemicals, to further develop cost-effective environmental policy measures for reducing their usage. To this end, the shadow prices of agrochemicals have been assessed by adopting a newly developed convex expectile regression approach and using statistical data from 31 provinces in China spanning from 2005 to 2020. Furthermore, the present study investigates the disparities between shadow prices and market prices for different agrochemicals across various regions in China. The findings suggest that the costs of reducing chemical fertilizers are higher than those of reducing pesticides and plastic films. Moreover, the results indicate that central China exhibits relatively high potential for decreasing agrochemical usage. Finally, these findings can inform the Chinese government's restructuring of producer support and environmental policy in a cost-effective way to mitigate agrochemicals use in the future. Additionally, the research method employed in this study holds potential for extension to other agrochemicals-dependent countries. • Point No.1: Shadow prices of different agrochemicals are estimated in a holistic way. • Point No.2: Convex expectile regression is used to address the impacts of inefficiency. • Point No.3: Different types of market distortion are identified. • Point No.4: Suggest suitable cost-effective environmental management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas contribute 85% of China's CO 2 emissions. Green finance is an important means to support green energy development and achieve the low-carbon transformation of high-energy-consuming industries. The motivation of this article is to investigate the impact and mechanism of green finance on urban carbon intensity. Most existing literature uses linear models to investigate urban carbon intensity, ignoring the nonlinear relationships between economic variables. The nonparametric models can fill the inherent shortcomings of linear models and effectively simulate the nonlinear nexus between economic variables. Based on the 2011–2021 panel data of 237 cities in China, this paper applies the nonparametric additive model to survey the influence of green finance on urban carbon intensity. Empirical findings exhibit that green finance exerts an inverted U-shaped effect on urban carbon intensity, indicating that the carbon reduction effect of green finance has gradually shifted from inconspicuous in the early stages to prominent in the later stages. Then, from the perspectives of region, city size, and carbon intensity, this article conducts heterogeneity analysis. The results show that the impact of green finance on various carbon intensities all exhibits obvious nonlinear feature. Furthermore, this article employs a mediation effect model to conduct mechanism analysis. The results display that technological progress and industrial structure are two important mediating variables, both of which produce an inverted U-shaped nonlinear impact on urban carbon intensity. • The nexus between green finance and urban carbon intensity is a ∩-shaped pattern. • The high-carbon intensity cities receive a U-shaped impact from green finance. • Technological progress exerts a ∩-shaped effect on carbon intensity. • Green finance has a ∩-shaped impact on carbon intensity in the eastern and western regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information development is a necessary means for China to achieve technology force and an effective path toward sustainable development. Regarding the "information benefiting people" policy led by the Chinese government as a quasi-experiment of information technology, this study builds an analysis framework for the impact of informatization on green total factor productivity (GTFP). Based on panel data at the Chinese city level from 2006 to 2019, this study further empirically evaluates the mechanism path, heterogeneity, and spatial spillover effects between informatization and GTFP by using a difference-in-difference (DID) model, a mediating model, and a spatial DID model. The results show that (1) the information benefiting people policy contributes considerably to greater GTFP levels in the pilot cities; (2) the policy also promotes the rapid growth of GTFP by fostering the advancement of education, the share of the number of ICT employees, and green technology innovation; (3) the information benefiting people policy raises GTFP in the eastern cities, small cities, and non-old industrial based cities; and (4) the policies lead to a large rise in local GTFP levels, but a decline in GTFP in surrounding cities. This paper offers valuable reference suggestions for the Chinese government to implement informatization-policies to support green development. • This paper investigates the effect of informatization on green total factor productivity (GTFP). • We use "information benefiting people" policy as a quasi-experiment. • The informatization promotes GTFP in China. • The education level, ICT employment share, and green technology innovation are suitable mediators. • The impact of informatization on GTFP is heterogeneous and spatially spillover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's industrial parks have been playing a crucial role on driving regional economy development, but also been posing threats to local environment due to intensive resource consumption and waste emission. Chinese government facilitated eco-industrial development of industrial park, aiming to output more with less environmental burden. In our study, the eco-efficiency levels of 40 Chinese industrial parks in 2012 were assessed and ranked by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This paper applied indicators relevant to resource, economy, and environment from industrial parks which can well reflect the characteristics of eco-efficiency conforming to the concept of sustainability. This paper introduced how to adjust less sustainable parks to be more sustainable according to the DEA results. The roles of industrial added value per capita, industrial structure, environmental policy and development scale as influence factors of eco-efficiency were discussed. The results show that large differences exist in the eco-efficiency of different industrial parks. It is shown that 20% of the parks are relatively efficient. 47% of the study parks being inefficient in terms of scale efficiency show decreasing returns to scale. Policy implementations for the management of industrial parks were also discussed based on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address global climate change, achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality has become a global consensus. However, the means to simultaneously achieve carbon reduction and promote green economic development, particularly in developing countries, require further investigation. This study evaluates the impact of e-commerce on CO 2 emissions. Through an examination of the effects of the National E-Commerce Demonstration City (NEDC) policy from 2006 to 2017, this paper reveals that e-commerce growth facilitated by the NEDC policy resulted in a 7.89% reduction in total CO 2 emissions and a per capita reduction of 1.1146 tons in the pilot cities. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that the upgrading of industrial structure, development of digital finance, and the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship serve as primary pathways for this impact. The robustness of the findings is supported by parallel trend tests, placebo tests, and additional sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, the research reveals that the NEDC policy exhibits a more significant reduction in CO 2 emissions in cities with higher levels of economic development and non-resource-based cities. Welfare analyses show that the NEDC policy has significant socio-economic effects. These findings provide new evidence on the environmental effects of the digital economy and offer insights into achieving carbon neutrality. • The National E-commerce Demonstration Cities (NEDC) policy reduced CO 2 emissions. • Optimizing industrial structure, enhancing digital finance, and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship are mechanisms. • The effect is more pronounced in cities with high economic levels and high resource dependence. • The NEDC policy substantially enhanced social welfare by reducing CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrinking cities are a category of cities characterized by population loss, and the environmental problems of these cities are often neglected. Using panel data from 2012 to 2019, this paper investigates the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of carbon emissions in shrinking cities in China and the driving factors. The results find that: (1) From 2012 to 2019, carbon emissions tend to increase in shrinking cities and decrease in non-shrinking cities. Due to earlier industrial development and ecological neglect, shrinking cities in Northeast China have higher carbon emissions than other regions. (2) Population size, industrial structure and public services promote the growth of carbon emissions in shrinking cities. The influence of living environment on carbon emissions in shrinking cities is not significant. There is an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) relationship between economic level and carbon emission. (3) In shrinking cities, the increase in commuting time and distance due to spatial expansion promotes the growth of carbon emissions. Foreign investment decreases with the loss of population, which reduces carbon emissions. Technological progress gradually declines as investment in science and technology decreases, which makes carbon emissions grow. This paper clarifies the driving factors of carbon emissions in shrinking cities in China, and therefore, the findings of this paper have important reference value for the formulation of carbon reduction policies in shrinking cities in developing countries. • Carbon emissions in shrinking cities tend to grow. • Shrinking cities have higher carbon emissions compared to non-shrinking cities. • The characteristic factors of shrinking cities affect carbon emissions. • Carbon emissions from shrinking cities have spatial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructed on the total-factor analysis framework, this paper develops a comprehensive evaluation system and adopts the Super-SBM model to both analyze and enunciate the characteristics of tourism eco-efficiency in China during 2000–2017. This paper also identifies the determinants associated with spatial differentiation of tourism eco-efficiency by employing a novel geographical technique, namely the Geographical Detector Model. The results indicate that the tourism eco-efficiency exhibits great potential for growth. Besides, pure technical efficiency drives the optimized development of eco-efficiency. Also, there is significant spatial variations in eco-efficiency across different provinces and regions in China. Urbanization contributes to tourism eco-efficiency remarkably, followed by openness, technical level, economic scale, industrial structure, capital effect, environmental regulation, and tourism growth. The relational interrelations of tourism eco-efficiency determinants are the bi-enhancement and the nonlinear-enhancement interactions. The implications of research findings are discussed and may be applied to a multitude of corporate environmental-economic management scenarios. • An evaluation framework was developed to identify the macro external determinants that may affect tourism eco-efficiency. • Urbanization contributes to tourism eco-efficiency remarkably. • The relational interrelations of tourism eco-efficiency determinants are the bi-enhancement and the nonlinear-enhancement. • Our results verify the rationality of the tourism-led growth hypothesis (TLGH) and the EKC hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical example of an innovative governance environment, innovative city has become the focus of political and academic circles. Discussing the green innovation effect of this policy is beneficial in providing decision support for enhancing urban green innovation capability and solving the dilemma of urban resources. Based on data from 241 cities in China from 2005 to 2017, this paper takes innovative city construction as a "quasi-natural experiment" and uses the difference-in-differences method to empirically study the impact of China's innovative city construction on urban green innovation. The results show that innovative urban construction: has a positive effect on improving urban green innovation, and that this effect will gradually increase with time; promotes urban green innovation by expanding the scope of technology application, improving the efficiency of resource allocation and promoting the adjustment of industrial structure; and presents heterogeneity in cities' location, size and hierarchy. Finally, this paper proposes that the government should promote innovative policies in an orderly manner on the basis of following the principle of adapting measures to local conditions, as well as incorporating green innovation performance into the evaluation system for innovative city construction. • Innovative city has a continuous positive impact on urban green innovation. • Three impact paths of innovative cities on urban green innovation are proposed. • The effect of green innovation is more obvious in the central and western regions. • The city size and green innovation effect develop in an inverted U shape. • Cities with higher hierarchy show stronger response to the green innovation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the tightening regulation of carbon emissions, China has launched the pilot carbon emission trading scheme (CETS) since 2013. There is growing empirical evidence of the actual effect of CETS to promote enterprises' productivity which is characterized by total factor productivity (TFP). However, most studies ignored the further analysis of influence mechanisms. This paper aims to explore the impact of CETS on the TFP of enterprises and discuss the mediating role of government participation and carbon trading market efficiency. Using data from A-share listed enterprises from CETS-covered enterprises, this paper employed a combination of the propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID) strategies and found that the CETS has a statistically significant positive impact on the TFP of enterprises, and the positive effect has been maintained for six years since its inception. The moderation analysis indicated that: (1) two dimensions of government participation in terms of the market incentive and government supervision significantly moderate the positive impact of CETS on TFP of enterprises; (2) two dimensions of carbon trading market efficiency in terms of the market scale and liquidity significantly moderates the positive impact of CETS on TFP of enterprises. In light of Chinese pilots CETS policy, the study highlights the important moderating roles of government participation and high carbon trading market efficiency on enterprise's TFP. [Display omitted] • Chinese pilots CETS significantly improved the TFP of enterprises by 9.48%. • The government participation moderates the positive impact of CETS on enterprises' TFP. • The higher carbon trading market efficiency is, the greater the moderating effect of CETS on TFP is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of land resources and environmental pollution in rural areas are two major problems prevalent in China and even the world. It is unknown whether improving the degree of intensive use of rural land can reduce environmental pollution; whether environmental pollution will be promoted or inhibited still lacks in-depth discussion. This paper first provides a theoretical analysis of the generation process of nonpoint source pollution loads (NPSP) in rural land use (RLU) and the mechanism and path of intensive rural land use (IRLU) to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution loads (ANPSP). Then, it takes 31 provinces in China from 1978 to 2019 as the research object to examine the temporal and spatial evolution features of IRLU and ANPSP. Furthermore, the paper uses the decoupling model and the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) model to test the linear and nonlinear relationship between the two. The research shows that the degree of IRLU in China decreased from 0.54 in 1978 to 0.27 in 2006, and then continuously increased to 0.56 in 2019. Moreover, the ANPSP continued to increase from 1955.14 t in 1978–3622.74 t in 2019. The decoupling relationship between the degree of IRLU and environmental pollution experienced the evolution process of "negative decoupling-decoupling", and the EKC had an "inverted N-shaped" characteristic. Overall, China shows that the IRLU helps to reduce ANPSP. At the same time, it was also found that there is obvious heterogeneity among the 31 provinces used in this research in China. Among them, the degree of intensive land use (ILU) in the principal grain-producing regions tends to be better and stable, while other areas show fluctuating changes. The ANPSP in economically developed areas gradually decreases, while that in underdeveloped areas continues to increase. More than 80% of the provinces in China show a trend of IRLU to advance the reduction of ANPSP, but there has also been an increase in the over-intensification of RLU in some major grain-producing areas. The research concludes that there is an inevitable relationship between RLU and ANPSP. Appropriately increasing ILU has a positive effect on decreasing ANPSP. • Moderate intensive rural land use (IRLU) helps reduce environmental pollution. • The agricultural nonpoint source pollution loads (ANPSP) continued to increase. • The decoupling relationship shifted from negative decoupling to decoupling. • The panel EKC curve in China showed the characteristic of "inverted-N″ shape. • The IRLU, ANPSP and their relationship are obvious heterogeneity in provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the industrial process always results in pollutant emissions, pollution treatment has become necessary for the sustainable development of industry. This paper aims to evaluate the eco-efficiency of China's industrial sectors between 2007 and 2015 by using the directional distance function (DDF) of network data envelopment analysis (DEA), which contains a two-stage structure that divides industrial processes into three linked subprocesses, i.e., the production, wastewater and waste gas treatment processes. The results show that (1) from 2007 to 2015, the eco-efficiency and all process efficiencies of China's industries achieved considerable improvement. This finding indicates that China's industries have already achieved a win-win situation in the development of environmental protection and economic growth over the past few years. (2) During the sampling period, the highest performance was observed during the waste gas treatment process, followed by the wastewater treatment and production processes. During the same period, the performance of wastewater treatment exhibited the fastest growth, followed by the performance of production and waste gas treatment. (3) The eco-efficiencies of China's industrial subsectors exhibited significant industrial differences: the eco-efficiency of the mining industry was the lowest due to a decline in its performance during the waste gas treatment process, while due to the excellent performance during the production wastewater treatment process, the eco-efficiencies of the electricity, gas production and supply industries were the highest. • A two-stage network DEA framework for eco-efficiencies estimation proposed in this study. • The industrial process was divided into three linked sub-stages, i.e., the production, waste water and waste gas treatment stages. • The eco-efficiency of China's industrial sectors during 2007–2015 was analyzed in this study. • Results show that the eco-efficiency and all sub-stage efficiencies of China's industries achieved considerable improvement during the sample period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unit pricing for domestic waste, or pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), affords a promising policy option for waste classification and reduction at source. As an emerging economy, China intends to adopt the sophisticated instrument of unit pricing. The public attitude to this policy is of high relevance for its actual implementation. For the first time in China, this paper quantitatively examined the acceptability of the policy among urban residents by randomly delivering 632 questionnaires by taking Beijing, a megacity expected to introduce the practice, as an example. Based on the ordered logit model, determinants of acceptability were empirically tested including intrinsic, external and demographic factors. The results show that the acceptability rate of PAYT in Beijing is less than half, with the proportion of firm support reaching only 42.6%. The respectively low acceptability rate indicates substantial compliance costs, due to intensive resistance to policy implementation and more resources to be invested to promote acceptability. Empirical analysis further indicates that (1) regarding demographic features, aged or less educated residents tend to accept unit pricing, (2) as for intrinsic factors, a friendly environmental attitude, deeper understanding of charging policy and better social perception can significantly improve the public acceptability of the policy, and (3) in terms of external factors, better property services and transparent funding mechanisms play significant roles in enhancing public acceptability. These findings are further confirmed by replacing the dependent variable with either the willingness to pay for household waste disposal or the acceptability of the operated sewage treatment fee. The status of residents' preference for specific pricing methods is further investigated with underlying reasons being revealed. For developing regions with an urgent demand for waste reduction, it is proposed to install unit pricing in time to avoid possible growing social acceptability costs. Specific measures are proposed including changes in intrinsic factors, paying attention to focus groups, and building social consensus for unit pricing. [Display omitted] • Public acceptability of unit pricing policy is quantitatively examined in Beijing. • A random face-to-face survey is designed and conducted by covering 632 households. • The acceptability rate is only 42.6%, indicating high policy compliance costs. • Demographic, intrinsic and external factors play roles in improving acceptability. • Specific suggestions are proposed for regions like Beijing to introduce the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centralized vs. decentralized sewage treatment is one of the key issues in the planning of rural sewage treatment (RST) in China due to the country's diverse regional characteristics. There are very limited comprehensive evaluation models for selecting regionally suitable schemes and facilities, particularly for national or provisional scale planning. As a scenario-based multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) issue, this paper develops a novel RST suitability evaluation model by integrating the multi-attribute analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS). The suitability evaluation model sets up 3 small-centralized and 4 decentralized RST facilities as candidates and includes 12 evaluation indicators that cover economic cost, life cycle environmental impacts, technical features and operations management. Eight generic scenarios are classified for Chinese rural areas based on differences in three major characteristic factors, i.e., population density (PD), the economic development level (EDL), and topographic slope (TS). The universal evaluation results show that a centralized sewage treatment scheme is more suitable for areas with a high PD/high EDL/low TS, while a decentralized scheme is more suitable for areas with a low PD/low EDL/high TS. Sensitivity analysis shows that in regions with a high PD/low EDL, the indicator weight of the construction investment cost in the model has a great influence on the facility suitability ranking. However, in regions with a high PD/high EDL, the ranking is the most sensitive to the indicator weights of the global warming potential and sewage treatment effect. Furthermore, as a spatial decision issue, an RST suitability map of Hunan Province in China is produced at the county level of resolution, and the map is generally consistent with our field knowledge of several counties in Hunan Province. The presented evaluation framework can be integrated into environmental decision support systems in the future to help local and central governments, water utilities, design institutes and other stakeholders scientifically plan RST projects. [Display omitted] • A new suitability evaluation framework of rural sewage treatment (RST) facilities. • Considering life-cycle environmental impacts and regional differences on a large scale. • Optimal RST facilities for each 8 types of regions in China were selected. • A suitability zoning map of optimal RST facility was produced for Hunan Province. • It can help to develop an environmental decision support system for RST planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve the carbon peaking and neutrality targets in China, carbon price and technological innovation will play increasingly important roles in recent future. It is widely-known that carbon price and technological innovation can contribute significantly to emission reduction, respectively; but it is still unclear whether the cooperation effects of carbon price and technological innovation would be positive or negative. In this paper, we assume that there are 3 types of emission reduction measures in China's industrial enterprises, which are improvement of energy efficiency, adjustment of energy structure, and substitution of pollution inputs and non-pollution inputs; then we introduce carbon price and technological innovation respectively and simultaneously, and establish 12 scenarios based on the Data Envelopment Analysis models combined with material balance principal (DEA-MBP), and estimate the additional emission reductions and additional production costs of China's industrial enterprises when carbon price and technological innovation exist respectively or simultaneously. The counterfactually estimating results show that there would be significant regional and sectorial heterogeneities in carbon emission reduction characteristics for China's industrial enterprises. If low-carbon technologies in some sectors have the ability to reduce carbon emissions at the expense of high additional production cost, carbon pricing policies would encourage enterprises to adopt new mitigation technologies and increase additional emission reduction by more than 20%, especially technologies focusing on the adjustment of energy structure and the substitution of pollution inputs by non-pollution inputs. However, in some sectors which have already been covered by carbon pricing policies, the additional carbon pricing policy may not have a significant effect on emission reduction, and the emission reduction would decrease by 10%. [Display omitted] • Cooperation effects of carbon price and technological innovation are estimated. • DEA-MBP models and multiple emission reduction measures/scenarios are applied. • Introduction of carbon price would encourage the adopting of new mitigation technologies. • Carbon price and technological innovation would have overlapping effects. • Significant regional and sectorial heterogeneities exist in emission reduction features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

With the deepening of trade liberalization, import competition has become increasingly fierce in China. In addition, the Chinese government has been setting higher requirements for environmental quality. Corporate pollutant emission behavior is a subject of broad concern. This paper uses panel data from 2000 to 2007 to study the impact of import competition on the pollution emission intensity of heterogeneous manufacturing enterprises. The main results are as follows. (1) Import competition can inhibit the SO 2 emission intensity of high-productivity manufacturing enterprises. The conclusion remains robust after a series of robustness tests. (2) Heterogeneity analysis shows that import competition significantly impacts corporate pollution emission behavior in eastern regions and frontier industries. (3) The reallocation effect and the technology effect are the main channels through which import competition improves the pollution emissions of high-productivity manufacturing enterprises. This paper provides a more comprehensive perspective for studying the impact of import competition and proposes a new direction for enterprise pollution control. •The impact of import competition on the Chinese firm pollution emission intensity is depicted. •The heterogeneous effects are testified based on firms' different productivity. •The reallocation effect and the technology effect are the driver factors. •The significance of import competition effect is different between industries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper applies a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the formation of awareness and perception of water scarcity, based on a cross-sectional dataset of 446 farmers in the Guanzhong Plain, Shaanxi Province, China. We find that age, percentage of time spent on farming and social network are the main determinants of awareness. Water price and drought experience are the most important explanatory variables of perception. In addition, awareness and perception strongly interact. The results obtained in this paper are relevant for policymaking, since environmental behavior, which includes efficient use of natural resources, tends to improve if supported by internalization of social norms, which in its turn, is promoted by awareness and perception. From the analysis it follows that spreading information via social networks, rather than via the media, is an important vehicle to enhance awareness and perception and thus to improve irrigation water use efficiency. Special attention should be paid to part-time farmers who are limited in directly perceiving water scarcity. Finally, more use should be made of the price mechanism to strengthen perception and awareness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Because of their highly effective flame-retardant capability, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been extensively used as flame retardants in consumer goods. However, compelling evidence shows that many congeners of PBDEs have been accumulating in the environment, in biota and in human populations worldwide. In China, although octabrominated diphenyl ether (octaBDE) has never been produced or used, pentabrominated diphenyl ether (pentaBDE) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (decaBDE) have been produced and used in large quantities. In the face of increasing evidence about PBDE pollution and the adoption of international conventions, there is a growing push for China to develop more stringent methods of managing PBDE waste. This paper summarizes the information about PBDE production and application, describes the flame-retarding mechanism, and then reviews the toxicity and levels of PBDEs in China''s environmental media and human tissues. Based on international regulations on PBDEs, the paper finally puts forward some suggestions for Chinese policy making and for self-regulation within the flame retardant industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

China has begun a rapid move towards Sponge City implementation, which will include widespread installation of various Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater infrastructure. Ambitious goals have been set for all Sponge Cities, including a target capture rate of 80–85% of annual precipitation in Beijing. However, there has so far been limited investigation into whether these goals are obtainable at the catchment scale given the physical restrictions of the existing urban landscape. This paper demonstrates the use of long-term continuous hydrologic modelling to evaluate the potential of meeting rainfall capture goals over a long time period for a case study area in Beijing. Detailed land cover classification derived from satellite imagery aided in the parameterization of a SWMM (Stormwater Management Model) model representing a 133 km2 urban study area. The calibrated and validated model demonstrated satisfactory agreement between computed and observed runoff for a variety of precipitation events ranging from 10 to 207 mm. A synthetic high resolution rainfall time series was generated from historic daily observations then used as input to run the model continuously for a 35 year period. Feasible LID model scenarios based on varying degrees of implementation of rain gardens, permeable pavements and green roofs were compared in terms of their potential volume capture of annual rainfall. Modelling results demonstrated that the conversion of 30% of roof area to green roof, 10% of green areas to rain gardens and 35% of paved areas to permeable pavement could increase the baseline volume capture ratio from 59.9% to 82.2%, indicating that Sponge City goals can be met within the case study area with realistic levels of LID implementation. This study provides a decision-making basis for future planning in the study area. • Satellite imagery based hydrologic model shows good agreement with observed flows. • Continuous modelling approach suggested for evaluation of Volume Capture Ratio. • >80% of annual rainfall captured with moderate catchment wide implementation of LID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Dietary-related risks rank top among all the health risks in many countries. The 2nd United Nations Sustainable Development Goal aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Yet whether improving nutritional quality also benefits the environment is still under-explored, particularly for developing countries. China is an interesting and important case because of its rapidly changing dietary patterns distinct from the western countries studied in the literature, sub-national level heterogeneity, socio-economic characteristics and lifestyles, as well as its considerable population. This paper evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water consumption, and land appropriation resulting from shifting the Chinese population to healthy diets. We quantify the environmental impacts of individual diets using the latest available data of China Health and Nutrition Survey (2011), and compare them with the environmental impacts of suggested healthy dietary patterns in accordance with the 2016 Chinese Dietary Guidelines. If all Chinese would follow healthy diets rather than their current diets revealed in the survey, GHG emissions, water consumption, and land occupation would increase by 7.5% (63.9 Mt CO 2 e annually), 53.5% (510 billion m3), and 54.2% (1256 billion m2), respectively. Urban and high-income groups have higher diet-related environmental impacts but could achieve less additional environmental impacts when moving to healthier diets. These findings indicate an expense of increased GHG emissions, and consumption of water and land resources in improving health. They also highlight the need to focus on the effects of improved economic conditions and urbanization in reconciling environmental impacts and human nutritional adequacy. Highlights • Shifting to healthy diets in China leads to 7.5% lower GHG emissions. • Water consumption and land use increase by 53.5% and 54.2% because of the shift. • Urban dwellers and high-income groups deliver larger reductions in GHG emissions. • Increase of water consumption and land use is also smaller for these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an examination of MSW generation and composition in China, providing an overview of the current state of MSW management, an analysis of existing problems in MSW collection, separation, recycling and disposal, and some suggestions for improving MSW systems in the future. In China, along with urbanization, population growth and industrialization, the quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has been increasing rapidly. The total MSW amount increased from 31.3 million tonnes in 1980 to 212 million tonnes in 2006, and the waste generation rate increased from 0.50kg/capita/day in 1980 to 0.98kg/capita/year in 2006. Currently, waste composition in China is dominated by a high organic and moisture content, since the concentration of kitchen waste in urban solid waste makes up the highest proportion (at approximately 60%) of the waste stream. The total amount of MSW collected and transported was 148 million tonnes in 2006, of which 91.4% was landfilled, 6.4% was incinerated and 2.2% was composted. The overall MSW treatment rate in China was approximately 62% in 2007. In 2007, there were 460 facilities, including 366 landfill sites, 17 composing plants, and 66 incineration plants. This paper also considers the challenges faced and opportunities for MSW management in China, and a number of recommendations are made aimed at improving the MSW management system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Large dams represent a whole complex of social, economic and ecological processes, perhaps more than any other large infrastructure project. Today, countries with rapidly developing economies are constructing new dams to provide energy and flood control to growing populations in riparian and distant urban communities. If the system is lacking institutional capacity to absorb these physical and institutional changes there is potential for conflict, thereby threatening human security. In this paper, we propose analyzing sustainability (political, socioeconomic, and ecological) in terms of resilience versus vulnerability, framed within the spatial abstraction of a powershed. The powershed framework facilitates multi-scalar and transboundary analysis while remaining focused on the questions of resilience and vulnerability relating to hydropower dams. Focusing on examples from China, this paper describes the complex nature of dams using the sustainability and powershed frameworks. We then analyze the roles of institutions in China to understand the relationships between power, human security and the socio-ecological system. To inform the study of conflicts over dams China is a particularly useful case study because we can examine what happens at the international, national and local scales. The powershed perspective allows us to examine resilience and vulnerability across political boundaries from a dynamic, process-defined analytical scale while remaining focused on a host of questions relating to hydro-development that invoke drivers and impacts on national and sub-national scales. The ability to disaggregate the affects of hydropower dam construction from political boundaries allows for a deeper analysis of resilience and vulnerability. From our analysis we find that reforms in China's hydropower sector since 1996 have been motivated by the need to create stability at the national scale rather than resilient solutions to China's growing demand for energy and water resource control at the local and international scales. Some measures that improved economic development through the market economy and a combination of dam construction and institutional reform may indeed improve hydro-political resilience at a single scale. However, if China does address large-scale hydropower construction's potential to create multi-scale geopolitical tensions, they may be vulnerable to conflict – though not necessarily violent – in domestic and international political arenas. We conclude with a look toward a resilient basin institution for the Nu/Salween River, the site of a proposed large-scale hydropower development effort in China and Myanmar. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Water stress in Northern China is characterized with major, inefficient irrigation water use and rapidly growing non-agricultural water demands, as well as limited water quantity and declining water quality. Water use in the region is undergoing transfer from agricultural to municipal and industrial sectors. Currently, part of the economic loss and environmental damage due to water stress can be considered as a consequence of water transfer failures, including the current transfers, which hurt farmers’ livelihood and income, and the needed transfers, which industry and cities have been waiting for but have not received. This paper starts with a discussion of the causes of water stress in Northern China, which is fundamental to understand the necessity and complexity of agricultural water transfers. Following that, it reviews water transfers in Northern China as a cause for concern over the social stability, economy and environment of the region. Based on an integrated analysis of economic, environmental, fiscal and social implications, this paper begins by identifying critical barriers to smooth water redistribution; and ends with implications for policy reforms, ensuring that farmers can and will save water. It is concluded that the decisions of water reallocation under water stress should be shared by communities at all levels, from the local to the national, to ensure equal access of water, especially the availability of the basic water need for all groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) play an increasingly important role in the process of urban environmental governance, especially in some developing countries such as China. However, existing studies pay little attention to such an issue in China. In this paper, we consider 113 cities in China from the pollution information transparency index (PITI) list released by ENGOs as the treatment group and some other cities as the control group, and use the difference-in-differences (DID) model and propensity score matching DID (PSM-DID) model to explore the role of ENGOs in China's urban environmental governance. The results show that ENGOs play a significantly positive and robust role in China's urban environmental governance. Furthermore, using regression analysis for eastern, central, and western China, we find that the influence of ENGOs exists in eastern and central China rather than in western China. In addition, the results of the Placebo test indicate that the effect of ENGOs shows an upward trend since 2008. We suggest that ENGOs' role should be strengthened in China, and governments at various levels should take into account environmental information released by ENGOs and consider appropriate measures to improve local environment quality using the obtained information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study performed an input-output structural decomposition analysis on changes in COD, ammonia nitrogen, SO 2 , NOx, soot and dust, industrial solid waste, and CO 2 emission multipliers for 41 final products over the period 2007–2012 in China. The results show that during the examined period, emission multipliers were, in general, decreasing. The main driver of this was technical effects. The effects that made a significant contribution were concentrated in eight sectors: coal mining and washing; metals mining and quarrying; food and tobacco products; paper printing manufacturing; the chemical industry; non-metallic mineral products; metal smelting and rolling processing; and electricity, heat production, and supply. Moreover, the technical effects presented an obvious spillover. Although the contribution of the structural effects was far less than the technical ones, there were still some structural adjustments that led to significant synergistic mitigation. For example, the decrease in the direct demand of the agriculture products, electricity, and heat for food and tobacco products commonly reduced SO 2 , NOx, and CO 2 . In addition, four technical effects and most of the structural effects with high efficiency made small contributions. More than one third of the structural effects that showed obvious contributions played a positive role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient air pollution is a major public health concern impacting all aspects of human health. There is a lack of studies on the impact of ambient air pollution on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older Chinese adults. Our study answers two questions: How concentrations of ambient air pollutants are associated with HRQoL among older adults in China and, second, what are the possible mechanisms through which ambient air pollution affects HRQoL. From the 2018 National Health Service Survey, we sampled 5717 aged 65 years or older residents for the eastern province of Shandong, China. Data on individual exposures to PM 2.5 and PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm and 10 μm) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) were collected from the ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) datasets. Mixed-effects Tobit regression models and mixed-effects ordered Probit regression models were employed to examine the associations of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 3 Level Version (EQ-5D-3L) scale comprising mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Socioeconomic, demographic and behavioral factors relating to HRQoL were also examined. The results show that for each 1 μg/m3 increase, EQ-5D-3L scores fell 0.002 for PM 2.5 ; 0.001 for PM 10 and 0.002 for SO 2. Long term exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 and SO 2 were also associated with increased prevalence of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The reduced HRQoL effects of ambient air pollution were exacerbated by higher socioeconomic status (affluent, urban and higher level of education). Our findings suggested that HRQoL of older Chinese adults was not only associated with demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors, but also negatively correlated with air pollution, especially through increased pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The paper proposes policy recommendations. [Display omitted] • Ambient air pollution was associated with lower HRQoL among older adults in China. • Long term air pollution was associated with increased prevalence of pain and anxiety. • The reduced HRQoL effects was exacerbated by higher socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric pollution emissions have become a matter of public concern in recent years. However, most of the existing researches on NOx pollution are from the natural science and technology perspective, few studies have been conducted from an economic point, and regional differences have not been given adequate attention. This paper adopts provincial panel data from 2006 to 2013 and the LMDI model to analyze the key driving factors and regional dilemmas of NOx emissions. The results show that significant regional disparities still exit on NO x emissions and its reduction effect 27 provinces didn't accomplish their corresponding reduction targets. Economic development factor is the dominating driving factor of NO x emissions during the study period, while energy efficiency and technology improvement factors offset total NO x emissions in the majority of provinces. In addition, the industrial structure factor plays a more significant role in reducing the NO x emissions after 2011. Therefore, the government should consider all these factors as well as regional heterogeneity in developing appropriate pollution mitigating policies. It's necessary to change NOx emissions control attitude from original key areas control to divided-zone control, not only attaches great importance to the reduction of the original key areas, but also emphasizes the new potential hotspots with high NO x emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the strict control measures, China has achieved phased victory in combating with the COVID-19, production activities have gradually returned to normal. This paper examined whether air pollution was rebounded or realized green recovery in the post-COVID-19 era with a dataset of weather normalized pollutant concentrations using difference-in-differences models. Results showed that air pollution experienced a significant decline due to the wide range of control measures. With entering the post-epidemic period, air pollution raised due to the orderly production resumption. Specifically, production resumption increased the PM 2.5 concentrations of lockdown cities and non-lockdown cities by 43.2% (22.3 μg/m3) and 35.9% (17.3 μg/m3) compared with that in the period of COVID-19 breakout. Although the economic activities of China have been gradually recovered, PM 2.5 concentrations were 8.8–11.2 μg/m3 lower than the level of pre-epidemic period. In addition, the environmental effects varied across cities. With the process of production resumption, the PM 2.5 concentrations of cities with higher GDP, higher secondary industry output, more private cars and higher export volume rebounded less. Most developed cities realized green recovery by economy growth and air quality improvement, such as Beijing and Shanghai. While cities with heavy industry reflected pollution rebound with slow economy recovery, such as Shenyang and Harbin. Understanding the environmental effects of control measure and production resumption can provide crucial information for developing epidemic recovery policies and dealing with pollution issues for both China and other countries. • Production resumption increased PM 2.5 concentrations in the post-COVID-19 era. • PM 2.5 concentrations in the post-COVID-19 era were lower than that during the period without epidemic. • PM 2.5 concentrations of cities with higher GDP, secondary industry output, and export volume rebounded less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon pilot cities can break the lock-in effect of living carbon emissions, which are an important strategic component of China's response to climate change. Current research on low-carbon pilot cities focuses on the production field. Insufficient attention has been paid to whether low-carbon pilot cities can promote the green transformation of residents' lifestyle. Using panel data of 285 cities in China from 2004 to 2016, this study explores the inducing effect of low-carbon pilot cities on residents' low-carbon choices from holistic and single-dual perspectives based on the difference-in-differences method and the synthetic control method. This study finds that low-carbon pilot cities can promote the green transformation of residents' lifestyle, and this policy has reduced living carbon emissions by approximately 15.3%. The transmission mechanisms are mainly green life consciousness and green habits. The conclusion considers the effects of multi-pilot policies and other living differences during the parallel period and is still valid after robustness testing using propensity score matching difference-in-differences. In addition, the policy has a snowball effect, and is stronger in larger cities. Ultimately, this paper provides useful information for the scientific implementation of carbon emission reduction plans in the field of residents' living and the improvement of the long-term mechanism of pilot cities with both quality and quantity guaranteed. • Low-carbon pilot cities (LCPCs) induce residents to make low-carbon choices. • LCPCs have reduced living carbon emissions by approximately 15.3%. • LCPCs can coexist with other policies to achieve CO 2 reduction. • The mechanisms are mainly green consciousness and green habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green credit policy (GCP) can achieve economic growth and environmental conservation, notably by lowering air pollutants (PM2.5). Green credit is a significant component of China's green financing for environmental regulation and achieving carbon neutrality. In this paper, to understand the causal relationship between GCP and PM2.5, we apply a bootstrap full-sample Granger causality test, parameter stability test, and quantile-on-quantile test for the period between 2003:M01 to 2019:M12. The result shows a bidirectional relationship and reveals that GCP has varied environmental implications in its early and mature stages because of a low percentage of green credit and a lack of motivation for financial institutions. In the long run, GCP and PM2.5 interaction confirm the favorable effects of GCP on PM2.5 as the green credit system improves. For robustness, we used quantile-based granger causality to evaluate the causative link between GCP and PM2.5. In light of the findings, this research advises legislative reforms and stresses the relevance of green credit in improving air quality. This study adds additional evidence that air pollution affects green credit policies. Air quality being a leading indicator helps firms anticipate changes in bank credit preferences and alter financing techniques. • The study explores the causal relationship between GCP and PM2.5 • The study used advanced econometrics methods for the period 2003:M01 to 2019:M12. • The result shows a bidirectional relationship between GCP and PM2.5. • GCP has a positive influence on PM2.5 as the green credit system improves. • This study adds further evidence that air pollution affects green credit policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with other countries, China's local governments often adopt the land supply strategy of "low price and sufficient supply" for industrial land and "high price and limited supply" for commercial land in the allocation of land resources. The allocation of land resources is an important means to promote the rapid development of China's economy, and the impacts of land resource misallocation (LRM) on environmental pollution are increasingly apparent. This paper uses panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2018 to discuss the relationship between LRM and environmental pollution. The ratio of the average price of commercial land to the average price of industrial land is used to measure the degree of LRM. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), spatial Durbin model (SDM), threshold model, and mediation effect model are used to study the direct effect, spatial spillover effect, nonlinear relationship, and conduction mechanism of LRM on environmental pollution. The results show that LRM significantly aggravated environmental pollution. This conclusion still holds after robustness tests including the substitution of dependent variables and IV estimates. The LRM aggravates environmental pollution through industrial structure and technological progress. Interestingly, the impact of LRM on environmental pollution also has a significant positive spatial spillover effect in adjacent regions. In addition, there is also evidence that the adverse effect of LRM on environmental pollution is nonlinear at different levels of industrial structure and technological progress. The threshold model shows that with the optimization of the industrial structure, the impact of LRM on environmental pollution shows a weakening trend of "inverted V-shaped", and with the advancement of technology, the impact of LRM on environmental pollution presents an "S-shaped" changing trend of "strong-weak-strong". • 1.Land resource misallocation (LRM) of 30 provinces in China are estimated. • The impact of LRM on environmental pollution is investigated. • A spatial Durbin model that addresses the effects of latent space spillovers is employed. • Threshold panel model is used to discuss the nonlinear relationship between LRM and environmental pollution. • LRM aggravates environmental pollution through industrial structure and technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the firm level datasets from 2004 to 2014, this paper uses the difference in differences (DID) estimator to explore the effects of China's high-speed rail (HSR) on firms' environmental efficiency. We find that China's HSR lowered SO 2 intensity (SO 2 per unit output value) by approximately 7.9%. More importantly, firms reduce SO 2 intensity mainly through innovation, productivity improvement, and the agglomeration of firms. Our additional analyses show that these observed effects of HSR are mainly driven by firms in core cities, while the environmental efficiency of firms in the peripheral cities seems to be unaffected. Heterogeneous effects indicate that the HSR has a more significant effect on dirty firms, state-owned firms, foreign firms, and large firms. Our results suggest that HSR construction could have contributed to the China's environmental governance. • Using a difference-in-differences estimator, it is the first study to analyze the effect of China's high-speed rail (HSR) on firms' environmental efficiency. • The HSR can significantly improve the environmental efficiency of firms in the affected areas. The results indicate that China's HSR significantly reduced the SO 2 intensity of affected firms by an average of 7.9 percent. • The affected firms improve the environmental efficiency mainly through innovation, productivity improvement, and the agglomeration of firms. • Our additional analyses show that these observed effects of HSR are mainly driven by firms in core cities. Other heterogeneous effects of the HSR are also examined. • There are important implementations for the present, especially for environmental protection and green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we identify the causal effects of the industrial transfer policy (ITP) on carbon emissions. Specifically, we treat the demonstration zones of undertaking industrial transfer in China as a quasi-natural experiment and evaluation its carbon mitigation effects using the difference-in-differences (DID) and matching DID strategies. Our findings suggest that the ITP exerts a significant negative impact on carbon emissions. In particular, both the DID and matching DID estimates indicate that the ITP leads to mitigate carbon emissions by approximately 4.9 and 4.7 million tons, respectively. We also investigate the heterogeneous carbon mitigation effects of the ITP. Moreover, various checks and falsification tests are also presented to confirm the causal effects, including the placebo test, concurrent events test, alternative measures of the ITP and carbon emissions, alternative estimation method and matching technique. The results indicate that our key conclusion, the carbon mitigation effect of the ITP is robust. These results indicate that policymakers should seize the carbon mitigation dividend of the ITP to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. Policymakers should also reduce the regional development differences, improve the level of opening to the outside world, strengthen the construction of green demonstration zones for industrial transfer to mitigate carbon emissions. • The carbon mitigation effects of the demonstration zones of undertaking industrial transfer in China are investigated. • The industrial transfer policy leads to mitigate carbon emissions by approximately 4.7 million tons. • The heterogeneous carbon mitigation effects of the industrial transfer policy are examined. • The results are supported by robustness and falsification checks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for surface water quality improvement in China. In the Huaping County of Yunnan Province, we found that people are willing to pay 74 Yuan (or US$12.33 in 2012 prices) per household per month (or 5% of household income) continuously for five years to achieve an improvement of water quality in the two major local rivers from the current Grade IV to Grade III, which denotes a level suitable for swimming and fishing and matches the water quality level from 10 years ago. This WTP study is based on an actual investment project that was under serious consideration by the government and is based on the multiple-bounded discrete choice (MBDC) approach, which explicitly recognizes the potential uncertainties involved in the study. The potential ordering effects associated with the MBDC approach are empirically tested, and the results indicate that although the presentation order of the polychotomous likelihood choices may not have a significant impact on the WTP estimation, the presentation order of bid levels may have a significant impact. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Air pollution and ageing populations are two of the most important issues facing in the development of all countries around the world, and the resulting debate between air pollution and labour supply has become increasingly intense. This paper uses data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS data), exploring the impact of perceived air pollution on labour supply of the migrants based on the perspective of the heterogeneity of different groups' sensitivity to air pollution. After overcoming the reverse causality between perceived air pollution and labour supply using an instrumental variables approach, we find that there is a significant negative effect of perceived air pollution on labour supply. At the same time, this negative effect shows some heterogeneity in terms of the presence of susceptible persons in the family, workers' income levels and household registration. Therefore, in the current economic and social development, in addition to improving measured air quality, it is also necessary to focus on improving the perceived air quality of citizens, as well as improving the working environment of the vulnerable groups in the labour market and protecting their basic labour rights and interests, which is of positive significance for the continuation of the demographic dividend and providing impetus for high-quality and sustainable economic development. • Perceived air pollution has a more direct impact on labour supply. • There is a significant negative effect of perceived air pollution on labour supply. • There is heterogeneity in the effects of perceived air pollution on labour supply. • Vulnerable groups are more negatively affected by perceived air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides play a significant role in increasing agricultural yields. However, the overuse of chemical pesticides on crops is a major challenge faced by China, which damages human health, threatens food security, and increases production costs. This paper provides empirical evidence on the relationship between crop insurance and pesticide use. Based on micro-survey data collected from 3410 households, we estimate a control function (CF) approach and find that farmers who purchase crop insurance use 33.30% lower pesticides than those who do not. A series of robustness tests confirm these findings. The results of the moderating effect analysis suggest that rice cultivation training, experience, schooling years, and agricultural laborers can negatively moderate the effect of crop insurance on pesticide use. Furthermore, we also find that the treatment effect of crop insurance is stronger for farmers who are most inclined to purchase crop insurance. • We examine the effect of crop insurance on pesticide use using control function approach. • Crop insurance is a crucial way to reduce pesticide use. • We built the theoretical framework of the effect of crop insurance on pesticide use. • We revealed the heterogenous effect of crop insurance on pesticide use. • The treatment effect of crop insurance is stronger for farmers who are most inclined to purchase insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency and severity of droughts were projected to increase in many regions. However, their effects of temporal dynamics on the terrestrial carbon cycle remain uncertain, and hence deserve further investigation. In this paper, the droughts that occurred in China during 2001–2010 were identified by using the standardized precipitation index (SPI). Standardized anomaly index (SAI), which has been widely employed in reflecting precipitation, was extended to evaluate the anomalies of net primary productivity (NPP). In addition, influences of the droughts on vegetation were explored by examining the temporal dynamics of SAI–NPP along with area-weighted drought intensity at different time scales (1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months). Year-to-year variability of NPP with several factors, including droughts, NDVI, radiation and temperature, was analyzed as well. Consequently, the droughts in the years 2001, 2006 and 2009 were well reconstructed. This indicates that SPI could be applied to the monitoring of the droughts in China during the past decade (2001–2010) effectively. Moreover, strongest correlations between droughts and NPP anomalies were found during or after the drought intensities reached their peak values. In addition, some droughts substantially reduced the countrywide NPP, whereas the others did not. These phenomena can be explained by the regional diversities of drought intensity, drought duration, areal extents of the droughts, as well as the cumulative and lag responses of vegetation to the precipitation deficits. Besides the drought conditions, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), radiation and temperature also contribute to the interannual variability of NPP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

Uncontrolled socioeconomic development has strong negative effects on the ecological environment, including pollution and the depletion and waste of natural resources. These serious consequences result from the high flows of materials and energy through a socioeconomic system produced by exchanges between the system and its surroundings, causing the disturbance of metabolic processes. In this paper, we developed an ecological network model for a societal system, and used China in 2006 as a case study to illustrate application of the model. We analyzed China’s basic metabolic processes and used ecological network analysis to study the network relationships within the system. Basic components comprised the internal environment, five sectors (agriculture, exploitation, manufacturing, domestic, and recycling), and the external environment. We defined 21 pairs of ecological relationships in China’s societal metabolic system (excluding self-mutualism within a component). Using utility and throughflow analysis, we found that exploitation, mutualism, and competition relationships accounted for 76.2, 14.3, and 9.5% of the total relationships, respectively. In our trophic level analysis, the components were divided into producers, consumers, and decomposers according to their positions in the system. Our analyses revealed ways to optimize the system’s structure and adjust its functions, thereby promoting healthier socioeconomic development, and suggested ways to apply ecological network analysis in future socioeconomic research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the rapid development of tourism industry in China since 1980, the country has experienced an increasing use of its natural and cultural environment for tourism, resulting in tourism resources being adversely impacted in many tourism destinations. This paper described the research progress in tourism impacts on the environment in the context of China through a review of the growing literature in this field. Specifically, research on tourism impacts on the biophysical and socio-cultural environments, tourism carrying capacity, environmental quality assessment, and measures for the protection and management of tourism resources was reviewed. The review found that the majority of research was qualitative and descriptive in nature, and there was a lack of case studies and theoretical development. Future research should focus on the evaluation of environmental impacts, particularly those gradual cumulative impacts on the tourism environment; examination of the quantitative relationship between the impact and the level of tourism use for different activities; development of methods to estimate the carrying capacity; and understanding of positive impacts of tourism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

Environmentalism in China is under transformation from the traditional command and control model to emphasize the advantages of economic tools and encourage the participation of the public. Firms are much more aware of the importance of environmental issues, and some of them have practiced environmental activities beyond compliance. In order to help understand the driving mechanism of proactive corporate environmental behaviors from the firm’s perspective, this paper identifies the drivers affecting the proactive environmental management level (EMLp ) based on the institutional theory, and gives an empirical study on the firms based in Changshu city of Jiangsu Province, China. The usable data, collected from the 117 valid respondents in a questionnaire survey, indicates that EMLp is still moderately low currently. Less than 10% of the samples are practicing all the six categorized types of voluntary environmental activities. The econometric exercise confirms a significantly positive effect of the externally mimetic pressure on EMLp , which may attribute to a higher sensitivity of Chinese companies to the market factors. However, the roles of the general public and industrial associations are not significant, showing the marginal power of selected normative pressures. Regarding internal factors, firms, which view environmental issues as opportunities and often arrange internal environmental training, are more likely to adopt proactive environmental activities. More concerns from the general public like neighborhood communities and mass media shall be addressed to enhance the normative power to improve EMLp in China from the future perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]