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The role of financial inclusion along with environment related technological innovation has been ignored by previous studies, especially, in terms of tradeadjusted carbon emissions. Unlike previous studies, this study aims to test the role of financial inclusion and eco-innovation on trade-adjusted carbon emissions or consumption-based carbon emissions for a group of seven economies over the period 2004-2019. Further, this study also tests the role of exports, imports and gross domestic product. We develop an index using principal component analysis to measure financial inclusion. The study utilizes the novel method of moment quantile regression to obtain the results. The results indicate that eco-innovation reduces consumption-based carbon emissions at 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th quantiles, respectively. Moreover, financial inclusion and exports also reduce emissions at 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th quantiles. In contrast, gross domestic product and imports cause trade-adjusted emissions to increase. Moreover, a bidirectional link is established between all variables except for financial inclusion. Finally, this study provides relevant policy implications for trade, eco-innovation, and financial inclusion in the group of seven economies for sustainable trade development. This paper further provide relevant environmental policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The nexus between hydropower dams, social policy and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a currently understudied topic. This paper aims to fill parts of this gap by discussing these issues in relation to the world's largest builder of hydropower dams, Chinese state-owned enterprise Sinohydro. This paper draws on the analysis of firm strategy documents and CSR documents and gains additional insights from key informant interviews. The research finds that in 2011 Sinohydro developed its first comprehensive policy framework for social and environmental safeguards that was in line with international standards set by the World Bank/International Finance Corporation. These policies were however later replaced by weaker, vaguer policy. The paper suggests there is a need for Sinohydro and other dam-builders to re-engage with social innovation to mitigate some of the negative social and environmental implications of hydropower dams. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper explores environmental innovation in the largest emerging economy - China - and its potential for contributing to global transitions to low-carbon, more sustainable patterns of development. It builds on earlier studies bringing alternative forms of low(er)-technology, 'below-the-radar', 'disruptive' and/or social innovation into its analysis. In addition, however, the paper develops our understanding of low-carbon innovation by paying particular attention to issues of changing power relations and social practices: theoretical issues that need attention in the literature generally but are notably absent when studying transitions in China. This shift in perspective allows four neglected questions to be introduced and, in each case, points to both opportunities and challenges to low-carbon system transition that are overlooked by an orthodox focus on technological innovations alone. These are briefly illustrated by drawing on examples from three key domains of low-carbon innovation: solar-generated energy, electric urban mobility, and food and agriculture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Large dams have been controversially debated for decades due to their large-scale and often irreversible social and environmental impacts. In the pursuit of low-carbon energy and climate change mitigation, hydropower is experiencing a new renaissance. At the forefront of this renaissance are Chinese actors as the world's largest hydropower dam-builders. This paper aims to discuss the role of South-South technology transfer of low-carbon energy innovation and its opportunities and barriers by using a case study of the first large Chinese-funded and Chinese-built dam in Cambodia. Using the Kamchay Dam as an example, the paper finds that technology transfer can only be fully successful when host governments and organizations have the capacity to absorb new technologies. The paper also finds that technology transfer in the dam sector needs to go beyond hardware and focus more on the transfer of expertise, skills and knowledge to enable long-term sustainable development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Public demonstration projects are used to promote the upscaling of green-manufacturing technologies in China, in order to expedite innovation 'catch-up' and transitions to sustainable development. However, these projects are facing implementation challenges, because the relevant barriers are different from traditional demonstrations in new technological niches, when involving complex economic concerns and prolific small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as adopters. This paper, therefore, adopts a case-based approach to investigate a specific example of a demonstration project in China to support the large-scale diffusion of green technology and its pilot implementations. Through the case study, this paper reveals that these demonstrations face a different set of diffusion barriers in testing technologies and promoting learning. In addition, this case also shows that a new policy model may be needed in order to cope with these barriers, when emphasizing market-oriented policies and non-legislative actors as well as combining them with traditional mandatory measures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of challenges to sustainable development in the post‐2015 development agenda, this paper assesses how increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions affect inclusive human development in 44 countries in sub‐Saharan Africa for the period 2000–2012. The following findings are established from Fixed Effects and Tobit regressions: first, unconditional effects and conditional impacts are respectively positive and negative from CO2 emissions per capita, CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption, and CO2 intensity. This implies a Kuznets‐shaped curve because of consistent decreasing returns; and second, the corresponding net effects are consistently positive. The following findings are apparent from Generalized Method of Moments regressions: first, unconditional effects and conditional impacts are respectively negative and positive from CO2 emissions per capita, CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption, and CO2 intensity. This implies a U‐shaped curve because of consistent increasing returns; and second, the corresponding net effects are overwhelmingly negative. Based on the robust findings and choice of best estimator, the net effect of increasing CO2 emissions on inclusive human development is negative. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable efforts are being organized to build a functioning carbon market in China. This paper presents an overview of the development of the Chinese carbon market and offers an industry perspective on the domestic regulatory and investment environments. It is based on a review of relevant publications and interviews with Beijing-based finance executives. We found that few financial institutions with the expertise required have been brought into the process of institutional development. Corporate demand for advanced financial services linked to emission trading is weak. Current regulations permit limited trading options, significantly reducing investment opportunities. The market scale is too small to attract investors and financial service providers. Consequently, the Chinese carbon market remains illiquid. Domestic financial institutions have not assumed a critical role in market development. It is suggested that policy-makers minimize administrative intervention in the market, but a modest degree of direct administrative control is still considered to be instrumental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently adopted global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are intended to catalyse implementation of sustainable development. Their success or failure will rely heavily upon national implementation. However, the SDGs represent a broad, integrated and complex agenda that will be very challenging for countries to implement. Over the past decade, scenario analysis has emerged as a method that is particularly well suited to sustainable development and has seen a rapid expansion in national development planning practice. It will be an invaluable tool for governments in formulating their national SDG strategies. However, despite its increased application, there is limited guidance available on the use of scenario modelling in national development planning. By undertaking a review of the recent best practice literature as well as 22 contemporary scenario modelling case studies, this paper draws out lessons learned and proposes an iterative framework for ex ante scenario modelling to support national SDG planning. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We study the link among economic growth, renewable natural resources and environmental policy. The context is a general equilibrium model of endogenous growth and environmental policy. We examine the conditions under which sustainable growth is both feasible and optimal, where the latter takes the form of second-best optimal environmental Ramsey policies. We also investigate the conditions for an inverted U-shaped relation between environmental policies and sustainable growth. We show that the combination of environmental production externalities and second-best optimal Ramsey policies can lead to both local and global indeterminacy. The introduction of environmental policy, although well-intentioned and designed to correct for market inefficiencies, triggers an expectations coordination problem; thereby differences in environmental quality and economic growth can be explained among countries with the same fundamentals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]