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Based on panel data from 2011 to 2021 encompassing 390 listed enterprises in China, we investigate the potential influence of media coverage on the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of heavy-polluting enterprises. The study discerns that positive media coverage significantly contributes to an enhanced ESG performance among heavy-polluting enterprises, particularly those in eastern and western China and those entrenched within highly competitive industries. Positive media coverage predominantly amplifies these enterprises' environmental and social performance dimensions, while intriguingly, negative media coverage unexpectedly positively impacts their environmental performance. Green total factor productivity and green innovation emerge as crucial facilitators in bolstering the relationship between positive media coverage and the ESG performance of these enterprises. Our research findings provide valuable insights into understanding enterprise ESG behavior and the role of media coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) brings about a significant improvement in the efficiency and productivity of industrial processes. The speed and accuracy of various tasks have been greatly enhanced with the utilization of IIoT which allows smoother operations and cost-effective solutions, to protect uninterrupted intrusions and avoid potential threats. This article proposes a novel recurrent federated network-based enhanced local search grasshopper (RFN-ELG) algorithm. Datasets like UNSW-NB15 and MQTT-IoT-IDS2020 datasets are employed to determine the performances of IIoT via two diverse phases, namely the data preprocessing phase as well as attack detection phase. The recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are integrated with federated learning (FL) to overcome the gradient issues during the training process. In addition to this, the hyperparameters of RNN-FL are tuned via a grasshopper optimization algorithm with a local search strategy. Accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and false alarm rate (FAR) are the performance metrics taken for attack detection, where accuracy attains the value of 98.1%, precision attains the value of 97.4%, recall attains the value of 96.1%, F1-score attains the value of 97.2%, and FAR attains the value of 96.1%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed RFN-ELG algorithm attains high performance in detecting the attacks in IIoT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of digital financial reporting on firm productivity. Information frictions represent a constraint that impedes efficient resource allocation and a major source of such frictions stems from the fact that firms' production functions (the conversion from inputs to outputs) are not observable to corporate outsiders. Digital communication of corporate financial data fundamentally changes how firm-specific information is disclosed, released, and disseminated by mitigating information asymmetry between corporate insiders and outsiders and facilitates the processing of such information. We use the staggered implementation of the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval (EDGAR) system to investigate the impact of digital financial reporting on firms' productivity. We show that the implementation of EDGAR results in an economically meaningful and statistically significant increase on firms' productivity, measured by total factor productivity (TFP). By focusing on the role of information dissemination in coordinating investments and production, our findings provide evidence on the real effects of "going digital" in corporate reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current climate issues pose a challenge to green development, so it is important to study the relationship between climate change and agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP). This paper constructs a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model using panel data from 2005 to 2019 in China to evaluate the relationship between climate change and agricultural green total factor productivity. Selecting agricultural operation scale, agricultural premium and green finance index as transfer variables, the PSTR model is constructed, respectively. The empirical results show that the impacts of different types of climate change on AGTFP have significant nonlinear characteristics. Smaller and larger agricultural operation scales can mitigate the negative impact of sunshine impact on AGTFP. Higher agricultural premiums and lower or higher green finance index can mitigate the negative impact of temperature shock and sunshine shock on AGTFP. Based on the research results, we put forward policy recommendations to encourage the expansion of agricultural operation scale, promote agricultural insurance and promote the construction of a green financial system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the miracle of China achieving a balance between environmental governance and high economic growth has attracted the attention of many scholars, especially at the production level in various industries. To search for production activities with sustainable development potential and explore their characteristics. This study uses the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020 to establish a unified analysis framework based on the division criteria of three industries. It takes the three industries' total factor productivity (TFP) as the entry point to study the impact of environmental regulation (ER) on economic growth and its potential mechanisms at the production level. The results show that ER will force the secondary industry to improve TFP but also negatively affect the TFP of the primary and tertiary industries. In addition, ER indirectly affects TFP in the three industries by affecting public environmental concerns and foreign direct investment. This results from the comprehensive effect of production cost effects, compensation effects of innovation, and compensation effects of optimizing resource allocation caused by ER. Moreover, the positive impact of ER on the TFP of the secondary industry is nonlinear. The higher the level of digital economy development, the more significant the positive impact. More importantly, there are regional differences in the impact of ER on the TFP of the primary and secondary industries. This article considers both static and dynamic panels and the results of the two models show consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing efficiency and productivity in countries' healthcare systems is a global challenge. The Chinese government invested huge resources to improve the efficiency and productivity of the healthcare system across the country. To assess the success of the mission above, this research utilized DEA-SBM Meta frontier analysis alongside the Malmquist Productivity Index. These methodologies were employed to gauge Efficiency, production technology heterogeneity, and productivity of healthcare systems change across 31 mainland Chinese provinces and four distinct geographical regions throughout the study period spanning from 1997 to 2022. Results revealed that the mean efficiency score of China's healthcare system is 0.7672. It indicates a growth potential of 23.28 percent in the operational efficiency of healthcare systems. The eastern region's efficiency level (0.86917) is higher among all four regions. Zhejiang, Shandong, and Guangdong are the top three healthcare-efficiency performers. The technology gap ratio indicates that eastern regions witnessed a high TGR (0.9909), showing the country's attainment of superior healthcare technologies. Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang witnessed higher TGR values among all 31 mainland Chinese provinces. The total factor productivity index of the healthcare system witnessed a slight growth of 0.33%, with an average MI score of 1.0033. Efficiency change (EC) was found to be the main determinant of TFPC as technology change TC is less than EC. Moreover, the MI score of the Western region (1.033) is higher than the corresponding Eastern, northeastern, and central regions. Guizhou, Anhui, and Yunnan were found to be the top three performers in TFPC growth. Finally, the Kruskal–Wallis test confirmed the statistically significant difference among 4 Chinese regions for the healthcare system's efficiency, TFPC, and TGR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic green transition is the change of economic development mode under environmental constraints; this process will generate huge demand for credit financing. Understanding the connection between credit allocation and environmental performance is crucial for the coordinated development of the economy and environment. Utilizing the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database, I constructed a city-level green credit index and compiled panel data from 2006 to 2013 for 282 selected cities in China. A spatial model was employed to explore the influence of green credit on the economic green transition. The findings reveal a positive relationship between green credit and economic green transition during the study period. Green credit not only enhances local green total factor productivity but also exerts beneficial impacts on adjacent areas though demonstration effects. Additionally, the reallocation of credit resources and the innovation of clean technologies are identified as key mechanisms through which green credit fosters a greener economy. However, the study also finds that the impact of green credit is moderated by factors such as a high reliance on natural resources, the underdevelopment of market intermediaries, and excessive governmental intervention, which can undermine its effectiveness. Furthermore, the efficacy of green credit exhibits regional heterogeneity; it has a significant positive impact in the eastern regions of China, while its influence appears to be non-significantly positive in the central and western regions. This study enriches the research on the macroeconomic impacts of green credit, offering practical evidence and theoretical support for the implementation of green credit policies by local governments in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to draw a research agenda for unveiling the underlying bottlenecks and possibilities for improving the agricultural total factor productivity in the European Union (EU). To this aim, the paper first surveys the key challenges for the modern agricultural economy. Then, the case of the EU is discussed by looking at the convergence in the partial productivity indicators (including the GHG emission) and growth efficiency that relate to the gap in the total factor productivity growth. The results suggest that the EU member states exhibited growth inefficiency (i.e., a gap in the total factor productivity growth) of 5–9% on average during 2004–2021. The paper also discusses the possibilities to utilize the production theory for assessing the pathways towards improvements in the productivity and sustainability of the EU agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power industry's low carbon transition is pivotal for achieving carbon reduction and sustainable development. This study uses the super epsilon-based measurement (Super-EBM) model and the Malmquist index to evaluate the power industry's low carbon transition efficiency using data from 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020, and utilizes the Tobit model to comprehensively analyze the factors affecting the low carbon transition of power industry. In addition, this paper examines the spatial differences in the power industry's low carbon transition efficiency as well as its distributional characteristics and dynamic evolutionary patterns. Conclusion is drawn as follows this paper analyzes the regional differences, spatial distribution characteristics and dynamic evolutionary trends of the power industry's low carbon transition. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The power industry's low carbon transition efficiency in China shows an uptrend, with the western China region having the highest overall level of efficiency, greater fluctuations in the central China region, and more stability in the eastern China region, technological progress is a central factor in increasing total factor productivity, the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition is positively influenced by the electricity prices, and negatively influenced by the energy structure, environmental regulations and economic structure; (2) the Intraregional differences and hypervariable density are the main reasons sources of the overall differences in the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition; Intraregional differences in the eastern, central, and western China regions are decreasing year by year, but the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition in the western China region is still distributed in a multipolar way; (3) The dynamic evolutionary trends of the efficiency distribution of the low carbon transition in power industry is influenced by the type of spatial lag in the neighboring area. Where areas with low efficiency makes it difficult to achieve short-term leapfrog development, and areas with a cluster of high-efficiency provinces are prone to "Siphon Effect". The findings provide a theoretical basis for promoting the efficiency of the power industry's low carbon transition and coordinating the strategic adjustment of economic and environmental green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's new urbanization strategy serves as a key instrument for achieving sustainable development goals in urban areas. However, a consensus on how and whether new urbanization affects urban green total factor productivity (GTFP) has yet to be reached. This analysis targets 276 prefecture-level and above cities, using panel data from 2011 to 2019 to assess the impact of the new urbanization pilot policy (NUPP) on GTFP. The research findings demonstrate that implementing China's NUPP has significantly enhanced urban GTFP. Furthermore, the population-land-industry coupling coordination degree (PLICCD), as well as the industry-environment-economy coupling coordination degree (IEECCD), play crucial facilitating roles in the aforementioned enhancement effects. The results remain robust even after employing PSM-staggered difference-in-differences (DID) estimation and excluding other policy interferences. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis, based on urban characteristics, reveals that the NUPP significantly enhances GTFP in resource-based, non-resource-based, industrial, non-intensive compactness, and non-expansionary urbanization cities. Finally, the paper offers three policy recommendations. First, new urbanization initiatives should be more actively promoted in China and other developing countries. Second, the construction of new urbanization plans should focus on the coordinated development of "population-land-industry" and "industry-environment-economy." Third, the government should implement new urbanization initiatives tailored to the specific characteristics of different cities. This study provides valuable insights for the general public, policymakers, and scholars to better understand the potential of coordinating the development of population, land, industry, the environment, and the economy to improve GTFP. Moreover, it offers a broad perspective for evaluating sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot Zones represents a novel endeavor aimed at paving a "bottom-up" pathway for the advancement of green finance and, consequently, holds immense significance in fostering economic growth that is environmentally sustainable. Drawing on data spanning the years 2013–2019 from 278 prefecture-level cities across China, we delve into the influence of the Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot policy on urban Green Total Factor Productivity. We found that: Firstly, the Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot policy has demonstrated a discernible enhancement in Green Total Factor Productivity within the designated pilot regions. Secondly, there is heterogeneity in the promotion effect of this pilot policy on Green Total Factor Productivity. As the geographical advantage and economic development level decrease, this promotional effect gradually diminishes. Thirdly, it is evident that the Green Finance Reform and Innovation Pilot policy primarily elevates Green Total Factor Productivity in the pilot regions by improving resource allocation efficiency, fostering innovation in green technologies, and facilitating the upgrading of industrial structures. This research not only underscores the efficacy of green finance in the context of economic transition but also provides empirical substantiation for the strategic utilization of pilot zones to propel nationwide initiatives aimed at sustainable green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total factor productivity in the green economy is a major step forward in fostering robust growth in the economy. Urban green total factor productivity (GTFP) may be increased and carbon emissions decreased through the low-carbon transformation of the transportation sector. To analyze how the pilot policy of low-carbon transportation system construction affects urban GTFP, this study builds a DID model and a spatial Durbin model using panel data from 282 Chinese cities between 2006 and 2021. The findings show that low-carbon transportation systems boost urban GTFP. In addition, the mechanism test shows that low-carbon transportation development increases urban GTFP by optimizing urban industrial structure, expediting economic agglomeration, and encouraging technological innovation. Lastly, the geographical correlation test shows that GTFP is geographically associated and that spatial spillover reduces the impact of low-carbon transportation growth on GTFP. The findings affirm the need to vigorously promote low-carbon transportation systems to aid in the achievement of the carbon neutrality target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's higher education system is shifting from quantitative expansion to connotative development to advance its quality. Since 2015, Chinese governments have been implementing a strategic policy for higher education called "double first-class", which aims to promote a number of Chinese top universities to construct world-class universities or to establish world-class disciplines. "Double first-class" universities have received a large amount of educational resources through this policy. Taking advantage of resources efficiently is an important element in promoting the development of higher quality higher education. However, research on resource allocation in China's "double first-class" universities is incomplete. Current research has not clarified the level of resource allocation efficiency or the factors affecting China's "double first-class" universities. With the help of the superefficient data envelopment analysis (DEA)-Malmquist–Tobit model, this study actively explores the current status of the resource allocation efficiency of China's "double first-class" universities to fill this gap in the field. Specifically, the development level and change trend of the resource allocation efficiency of 13 "double first-class" universities in China from 2015 to 2019 were measured with the help of the superefficient DEA-Malmquist model. The internal and external factors affecting the resource allocation efficiency of "double first-class" universities are also analysed with the help of the Tobit model. The overall level of resource allocation efficiency of "double first-class" universities is high, but the internal variability is large. From the perspective of efficiency decomposition, it is found that both technical efficiency change (EFch) and technical progress efficiency (TEch) play important roles in improving the total factor productivity (TFP) of resource allocation. Compared with TEch, EFch plays a more significant pulling role. This study confirms that the factors affecting resource allocation efficiency are complex. Among them, the regional economic environment, faculty title structure, and degree of international exchange have significant roles in promoting the resource allocation efficiency of "double first-class" universities, but local financial support and the time of policy implementation have certain negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing emphasis on fostering green growth and lowering carbon emissions in order to achieve sustainable economic development. This study uses the Tapio decoupling model and analyzes the factors influencing changes in carbon emissions from manufacturing in India utilizing the log mean Divisia index (LMDI) techniques. Furthermore, the nexus between carbon emission intensity, information and communication technology (ICT), total factor productivity (TFP), skill, and energy intensity has been analyzed using the system-GMM approach. It is based on the plant-level Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) datasets for the organized manufacturing sector of India from 2001 to 2002 to 2019 2020 for the major 21 Indian states/UT. The findings reflect the presence of weak decoupling in the manufacturing sector both at the aggregate level and in states. This indicates that both output and emissions are increasing; however, output growth surpasses emission growth, which signifies an effort to transition towards more environmentally friendly production methods and enhanced energy efficiency. The output and population effect are found to be leading factors in carbon emissions, while energy intensity is found to be reducing the effect. Further, the system-GMM estimates show that ICT and energy intensity positively affect total factor productivity, while with an increase in carbon emission intensity, productivity declines. The study confirms the existence of an inverted N-shaped Kuznets curve in the sector. This present study will contribute to formulating energy and environmental strategies to reduce emissions and promote adopting cleaner energy sources. These efforts will facilitate the attainment of carbon neutrality and enhance energy efficiency within the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While promoting manufacturing growth is imperative to boost economic growth, potential adverse consequences on natural resources and ecology have created sustainability-related concerns and challenges. In India, with the reform processes deepening further and the business environment becoming more market-oriented over the years, the adoption of appropriate measures for sustainable manufacturing growth under such conditions would require a deeper investigation of the underlying dynamics, particularly to address the impacts of external shocks. This is especially true when external shocks alter market dynamics and, hence, input is used significantly in the manufacturing sector. Given this backdrop, the present paper examines how the major external shocks to the Indian economy during in the post-reform era have altered the resource use patterns in selected manufacturing industries. The paper uses secondary data collected from the KLEMS database of the Reserve Bank of India for the period from 1980–81 to 2019–20 and applies descriptive statistics and econometric techniques to address the research objective. It is found that energy intensity, vertical integration, capital intensity, and rate of growth of total factor productivity decreased over the decades, whereas labour productivity experienced an increasing trend in most industries. However, the trends are mixed in the case of material intensity. Further, the regression results indicate significant effects of external shocks on resource use, factor productivity, and structural changes. There are also industry-specific differences in the nature and extent of such changes. Hence, a deeper investigation of the underlying factors and impacts at a disaggregate industry level is necessary to draw more robust insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of urban development, it is very important to evaluate the influence of production factors reasonably and efficiently for the region to achieve efficient development. The principal aim of this investigation is to amalgamate the conventional measurement model characterized by robust interpretability with the non-parametric model characterized by limited interpretability, thereby enhancing the precision of research outcomes. Towards this objective, the study employs an optimized directional distance function integrated with a global Malmquist–Luenberger index to formulate a comprehensive total factor productivity measurement framework. In elucidating the homogeneous attributes of regions, departing from prior methodologies reliant on manual or direct algorithmic partitioning, this paper employs the K-means clustering algorithm for index discernment, abstracting the concept of K-means clustering centroids to encapsulate regional homogeneity, thereby delineating results through the visualization of regional development potential maps and the evolution of centroid-based clustering trend maps. The findings of the investigation illuminate common patterns of change across disparate regions, proposing a strategy for leveraging regional resource endowments towards a cohesive framework, thereby transcending constraints imposed by production efficiency limitations. Amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study draws upon provincial-level data spanning from 2000 to 2018 in China. The conclusive analytical outcomes underscore the pivotal role of energy factors in regional development efficiency, particularly within high-potential development regions, followed by the capital and labor factors. Concurrently, the study discerns a discernible hierarchical pattern among areas of development potential, which exhibits correlation with factor mobility dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As environmental challenges escalate, green development is crucial for sustainability. This study analyzes China's county-level agricultural green total factor productivity using SBM and ML index, introducing a comprehensive index to quantify the impact of different types of environmental regulations on productivity. The findings reveal the following: baseline analysis reveals that comprehensive environmental regulation notably boosts agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP), with regulatory intensity positively linked to productivity growth. Other factors like policy intervention, industrial structure, savings levels, and per capita GDP also favorably impact productivity. All three types of regulations, command, incentive, and voluntary type, substantially enhance AGTFP. The mediating effect test results show that all three types of regulations directly and positively impact AGTFP. Indirect effects vary: command-type regulation's mediating effect through independent R&D is significant, accounting for 39% of the impact. For incentive type, both industry structure upgrading (23.79%) and independent R&D (3.1%) mediate the effect. For voluntary type, technological advancement via independent R&D mediates about 13.0% of the impact. Heterogeneity analysis reveals distinct impacts of different environmental regulations on AGTFP across regions. Command-type regulation is most effective in the west, while in the central region, both command- and incentive-type regulations have similar promotional effects. In the east, incentive- and voluntary-type regulations show stronger impacts. Robustness tests, including endogeneity testing, dependent variable substitution, sample winsorizing, and model substitution, consistently confirm the baseline finding that environmental regulation significantly boosts AGTFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the pressing issues of environmental deterioration and energy shortage that have accumulated in the extensive economic growth model, the Chinese government aims to enhance total factor productivity (TFP) by strengthening environmental regulations. The empirical findings on the impact of environmental regulation on TFP are relatively mixed. The literature exploring economic performance of different environmental regulations on TFP is scant; our study filled this gap and explored the microeffect of four categories of environmental policies on total factor productivity without considering natural factors and green total factor productivity (GTFP) considering natural factors based on China's provincial data from 2007 to 2017. The results illustrate that environmental regulation imposes a more significant positive impact on GTFP and different regulation policies can affect regional TFP through various paths. The administrative monitoring policies and public engagement policies exert more remarkable active effects on GTFP than other policies. Meanwhile, the existing environmental regulation promoted the sustainable development in the eastern and central areas, while failed to accelerate economic transformation in western area. Therefore, to better exert the incentive impact of green regulation on TFP, this study suggests that the government should enhance the eco-objective responsibility system, promote the marketization reform in resource areas, train more professional eco-friendly talent, foster public appreciation for nature conservation, and accelerate the industrial innovation of the midwestern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides evidence on whether the relationship between imported inputs and productivity in Ethiopia depends on foreign ownership. The study uses a nationally representative firm-level unbalanced panel dataset for the period 1996–2016. Methodologically, this paper adopts two complementary empirical approaches: the Gandhi, Navarro, and Rivers (2020; henceforth GNR) two-step approach for estimating the gross output production function and the system GMM approach for estimating the gross output production function. Our results indicate that the use of imported inputs enhances productivity among manufacturing firms with foreign ownership. For domestically owned firms, the effect of imported inputs is relatively small and marginally significant. We thus find evidence that foreign-owned firms have a premium in terms of productivity gains from the use of imported inputs, compared to domestically owned firms. Our results suggest that reducing trade barriers for imported inputs will benefit foreign-owned firms more than domestically owned firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain a consistent estimate of the impact of digital economy on the carbon total factor productivity (CTFP) is important not only in the academic field but also for the policymakers. However, the existence of endogeneity issue makes it challenging. This paper constructs a novel analysis framework that can measure the CTFP as well as the impact of digital economy simultaneously after addressing the endogeneity. By employing the endogenous stochastic frontier analysis method, the findings indicate that digital economy has a positive and significant effect on CTFP, which persists when different production functions and instrumental variables are employed. Mechanism analysis reveals that the positive impact is facilitated by changes in production methods and improvements in urban environmental regulatory governance. Moreover, the effect of digital economy on CTFP is more pronounced in regions with higher environmental awareness among residents, lower resource abundance, and higher levels of human capital. The results provide valuable policy insights into the utilization of the digital economy to achieve green and high-quality development in China, including to promote the regional balanced development of digital economy and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is constantly seeking rapid, high-quality growth in order to meet its carbon peaking and neutrality goals. Approximately 40% of China's carbon emissions come from the electric power industry, which is beset by issues of poor efficiency and excessive emissions. Thus, it is essential to determine if environmental restrictions increase economic benefits total factor productivity while still preserving the environment. We use the Quasi-DID method to examine the impact of carbon emissions trading scheme on firm-level total factor productivity of electric power companies. The findings demonstrate the following: (1) carbon emissions trading scheme considerably impedes total factor productivity development; (2) the primary cause of this detrimental impact is the need for additional improvements in marketization since green innovation is still in its infancy; (3) additional study indicates that law enforcement's heterogeneity is what affects this restriction. Our research may both enhance the Chinese carbon emissions trading scheme's effectiveness assessment framework and point out several potential avenues for high-quality growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a bilateral or multilateral international policy, foreign aid has the potential to contribute to economic growth in recipient countries, but the impact on green growth, especially aid flows to the energy sector, is unclear. Existing studies have paid little attention to the actual effects of whether energy aid is effective in raising green total factor productivity (GTFP) in recipient countries. To fill this gap, this study investigates the dynamic impact of energy aid on GTFP in recipient countries using balanced panel data for 92 countries from 2002 to 2019, and the study also examines potential sectoral heterogeneity and impact mechanisms. The results show that energy aid can effectively contribute to improving GTFP in recipient countries, but this scale effect varies significantly by aid type, revealing sectoral heterogeneity in the impact of energy aid. In addition, energy aid can indirectly enhance GTFP in recipient countries by promoting financial development, optimizing energy mix, and improving energy efficiency. Both government quality and human capital have a positive moderating effect on the energy aid-GTFP relationship. These findings reveal an important mechanism for energy aid to contribute to green economic growth and provide theoretical support and a practical basis for the formulation of more targeted aid policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine firm value and performance implications of the growing trend of nontechnology companies engaging in activities relating to digital technologies. We measure digital activities in firms based on the disclosure of digital words in the business description section of 10-Ks. Digital activities are associated with a market-to-book ratio 8%–26% higher than industry peers, and only 25% of the differences in market-to-book is explained by accounting capitalization restrictions. To control for selection bias, we implement lagged dependent variable and IV regressions, and our market-to-book findings are robust to these specifications. Portfolios formed on digital activity disclosure earn a Daniel et al. The Journal of Finance 52 (3): 1035–1058 (1997)-adjusted return of 30% over a three-year horizon and a monthly alpha of 44-basis-points. On the other hand, we find weak evidence of near-term, positive improvements in fundamental performance, as we find some evidence of interim productivity increases but declines in sales growth conditional on digital activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trying to reach carbon neutrality is by no means plain sailing in times of energy crisis, price volatility, and war. The European Green Deal (EGD) prioritizes green pathways, but it is not enough when it copes with greenhouse gases (GHGs). The present research utilizes the Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index (MLPI) to estimate advancements in total factor productivity (TFP) in the European Union (EU). The study uses panel data from 1995 to 2019, in addition, there is comparison between two periods: 1995 – 1996 and 2018 – 2019, would provide important information about TFP progress or recession during a turbulent European era. Two MLPI models are applied, one that utilizes only non-renewable energy sources (NRES), while the other adopts renewable energy sources (RES). Encompassing inputs such as: electricity generation, labour force, and gross fixed capital formation (GFCF); desirable output: gross domestic product; and undesirable outputs: carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). There is average productivity progress, more specifically the MLPI average productivity for NRES and RES is 2.14% and 7.34% respectively, meaning that the RES adoption leads to greater productivity performance by almost three times. This novel analysis might offer useful and practical information to policymakers through the measuring of TFP in order to effectively attain and accomplish carbon neutrality objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal-based cities, compared with others, are generally deemed to face double pressure from both emission reduction and economic development, indicating the great practical significance to explore high-quality development methods for China's goal of carbon neutrality. As previous studies have verified, technological innovation exerts the driving effect on total factor productivity, yet the impact mechanism between green innovational technology and carbon emission performance (TFCEP) of coal-based cities remains rather a blank area. Given this, the super-SBM model was applied to measure the TFCEP of 47 typical coal-based cities in China from 2013 to 2016. Furthermore, the econometric model was employed to analyze the impact mechanism of TFCEP. Finally, the heterogeneity effects of green technology within different regulation levels on TFCEP through mechanism analysis were revealed. The results indicate that: (1) The TFCEP of coal-based cities in the northeast, west and east regions is on the rise, while the central region shows a gradual decline trend. The relationship between TFCEP and urban development stage shows a U-shaped curve. (2) The heterogeneous effects of green innovational technology on TFCEP were revealed. The innovation compensation effect mainly occurs in coal-based cities with relatively loose environmental regulation level. the driving effect of green technologies featured by breakthrough innovations on TFCEP is greater than that of green technologies featured by conceptual design. (3) The openness has proved to be an important channel for green innovational technologies affecting TFCEP. Therefore, to advocate high-quality green development in coal-based cities, the government can choose to increase financial support for local green technology breakthroughs and reduce dependence on foreign technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents total factor productivity (TFP) growth analysis with a panel Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA) for 26 Türkiye regions from 2004 to 2020. The study is a pioneer in the literature on decomposing TFP growth components at the regional level with the translog production function for the Turkish economy. This work has a fresh approach regarding adjusting the schooling of employment and involving macroeconomic factors in the inefficiency function. The numerous specification tests show considerable production inefficiencies. Therefore, the production frontier is estimated using the True Fixed Effects (TFE) model. The empirical findings reveal that human capital is the primary driver of output growth. Technical efficiency is estimated to be 90.6% on average, with 9.4% of potential output lost due to technical inefficiency. It has been determined that there has been technical progress in labor-saving. Trade has a negative effect on technical efficiency. These findings contribute to understanding TFP change in the Turkish economy with regional data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature of total factor productivity (TFP), the roles of several variables in explaining TFP remain largely unexplored, including the impact of research intensity. This paper examines the effect of research intensity on TFP in 15 OECD countries, while providing for financial development and education level during the period 1890–2018. We have used a new Poisson maximum likelihood estimation method, which requires minimal assumptions about the data distribution, to estimate the relationship in the variables. The results reveal that research intensity, financial development, education level and oil crisis have positive impact on TFP, while the two World Wars have negative impact on TFP. In the model featuring all the control variables and dummies, it is observed that for every one percentage point increase in research intensity, TFP grows by 0.086 point. The results further show that the positive impact of research intensity on TFP is more conspicuous in G7 countries relative to non-G7 nations. The sample has been divided into G7 and non-G7 countries and the equations are re-estimated. The empirical results are not materially different from results of the 15 OECD countries. For the sake of robustness, we have also used a new sequential linear panel data estimation approach to estimate the impact of research intensity on TFP, but similar results are obtained. The policy implications of the empirical results are detailed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the total factor productivity (TFP) of the South African deciduous fruit sector over an 8-year period (2014–2021), using industry-level data for five fruit types (apples, pears, plums, apricots, and peaches). TFP growth was estimated using the Färe-Primont (FP) index and decomposed into technical change (TECH) and efficiency change (TFPE). The results show that the TFP of the industry increased by 27% (3.53% per year) due to a 35% (4.38% per year) increase in technical change, while TFPE decreased by 6% (−0.81% per year). The TFPE breakdown into technical efficiency (OTE) and scale-mix efficiency (OSME) reveals that 6% decrease in OSME was entirely responsible for TFPE slowdown, while OTE remained unchanged. While both sub-sector contributions were significant, stone fruit grew at a faster rate (32%, or 4.05% per year) than the pome sub-sector (21%, or 2.74% per year). Overall, entire industry, sub-sectors, and fruit types show that TECH was key to TFP growth, whereas TFPE slowed it. Investments in efficiency support programmes have the potential to enhance sector growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Productivity Analysis focused on African productivity. The special issue was the result of collaboration and planning that began in 2016 and culminated in a virtual conference held in 2021. The conference attracted scholars from 20 different countries who presented papers on topics such as green growth, gender and racial inequalities in academia, trade in services, airline efficiency, age-efficiency nexus in agriculture, and agricultural productivity. The papers in the special issue provide a balanced and broad perspective on these important issues and offer insights for policymakers and practitioners working in these areas. [Extracted from the article]

Nowadays, concurrent attention to economic development and ecological issues is becoming an important trend. In this paper, we measure the eco-efficiency of 285 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019 using a non-radial directional distance function and the data envelopment analysis method, based on which we analyze the club convergence of cities' eco-efficiency using the logt test; we estimate the impact of open public data platforms on eco-efficiency and its convergence using a multi-period difference in difference model and panel-ordered logit model, respectively. We find that, first, open public data platforms improve cities' eco-efficiency by about 6.5%, and the impact mechanisms include scale efficiency, technical efficiency, and total factor productivity, or, at the micro level, increasing the economic agglomeration degree, boosting the amount of foreign investment used, and increasing green innovation level. Second, there are three convergence clubs of eco-efficiency in China's cities, whose average eco-efficiency trends are above, close to, and below average, respectively. Third, public data platforms significantly increase the probability of cities belonging to the convergence clubs of high and medium eco-efficiency (Clubs 1 and 2) and decrease the probability of belonging to the low one (Club 3). However, the mechanisms only include technical efficiency and total factor productivity, or the amount of foreign investment used and the green innovation level at the micro level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of renewable energy has become an important measure for countries worldwide to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve sustainable development. This trend may have implications for green total factor productivity (GTFP), which represents the economic growth efficiency in terms of resource and energy use. However, the current research on the impact of renewable energy development (RED) on GTFP based on China's provincial data is still insufficient, and it has not yet integrated multiple factors such as economic, social, environmental, and technological aspects to jointly analyze potential nonlinear effects. This paper first calculates the GTFP of 30 provinces in China using a global super-efficiency slack-based measure model. Then, a two-way fixed effects model and a panel threshold regression (PTR) model were used to explore the linear and nonlinear effects of RED on GTFP. The results show that: First, RED has a significant positive effect on GTFP, which remains in effect after a sequence of robustness tests including endogenous treatment. For every 1% increase in RED, GTFP increases by 0.025%–0.039%. Second, the contribution of RED to GTFP shows a clear characteristic of diminishing marginal benefits, with the impact coefficient decreasing from 0.058% to 0.022%. Third, the higher the level of economic activity, social conditions, environmental protection, and technological advancement, the greater the favorable impact of RED on GTFP. The range of coefficient changes under the influence of economic- and social-level factors reaches 0.012%–0.143%, while the range of coefficient changes at the technological and environmental levels is only 0.026%–0.057%. Based on the above conclusions, some policy implications related to the development of renewable energy are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing the increasingly stringent constraints of resources and the environment, the green transformation of enterprises is imperative. This study selects A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2014 to 2021 as samples, using the difference-in-differences method to examine the impact of the environmental protection tax reform (EPTR) on the green transformation of enterprises. The results indicate that the EPTR can promote the green transformation of enterprises, achieving this through three channels: raising the cost of pollution, strengthening the rigidity of law enforcement, and breaking the collusion between the government and enterprises. Notably, this promotional effect is more significant in non-state-owned enterprises, companies in the eastern and western regions, firms with low financing constraints, and those with high media attention. Further analysis shows that the EPTR has a positive impact on the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of enterprises, which implies that enterprises are not only proactively pushing for a green transformation at the strategic level but also taking practical actions. This study responds to the problem of the greening of tax system to promote the green development of enterprises from two aspects of enterprise strategic implementation and productivity and explores the impact mechanism from the perspective of institutional logic. It enriches the research on the effectiveness of the EPTR at the micro-level and broadens the research perspective on the impact mechanisms of environmental regulation. The findings of this study provide references for further optimising relevant policies and regulations and also offer insights for other countries and regions seeking sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cariprazine—the only single antipsychotic drug in the market which can handle all symptoms of bipolar I disorder—involves trans-4-substituted cyclohexane-1-amine as a key structural element. In this work, production of trans-4-substituted cyclohexane-1-amines was investigated applying transaminases either in diastereotope selective amination starting from the corresponding ketone or in diastereomer selective deamination of their diasteromeric mixtures. Transaminases were identified enabling the conversion of the cis-diastereomer of four selected cis/trans-amines with different 4-substituents to the corresponding ketones. In the continuous-flow experiments aiming the cis diastereomer conversion to ketone, highly diastereopure trans-amine could be produced (de > 99%). The yield of pure trans-isomers exceeding their original amount in the starting mixture could be explained by dynamic isomerization through ketone intermediates. The single transaminase-catalyzed process—exploiting the cis-diastereomer selectivity of the deamination and thermodynamic control favoring the trans-amines due to reversibility of the steps—allows enhancement of the productivity of industrial cariprazine synthesis. Stereoselective production of trans-4-substituted cyclohexane-1-amines—including a key intermediate in the synthesis of antipsychotic drug cariprazine—remains challenging. Here, the authors develop a process catalyzed by a single transaminase to produce trans-4-substituted cyclohexane-1-amines from the corresponding cis/trans-diastereomeric mixtures via a cis-deamination approach in continuous-flow, to achieve a dynamic cis-to-trans isomerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the impact of renewable energy consumption, total factor productivity (TFP), income, imports, and exports on consumption-based CO2 emissions in Turkey from 1990 to 2019, utilizing the Autoregressive Distributed Lagged (ARDL) method. The findings indicated that the use of renewable energy, total factor productivity and exports negatively influence CO2 emissions. On the other hand, the positive impact of income and imports on CO2 emissions was found. The negative impact of renewable energy consumption and total factor productivity highlights the importance of implementing environmentally friendly measures in the energy sector (particularly raising the proportion of renewable energy in overall energy consumption) and technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital development provides a new impetus for the improvement of economic efficiency. Project Broadband China was a program implemented by the Chinese government that provided additional funding for a set of cities to build digital infrastructure. Based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2010 to 2018, we take the project as a quasi-nature experiment to examine whether and how digital infrastructure influences regional economic efficiency. Our results of multi-period difference-in-difference analyses suggest that cities that obtained the program support have higher total factor productivity, an implicit proxy for economic efficiency. We further find that this effect can be achieved through the upgrading of regional industrial structure (the transformation from manufacturing industry to tertiary industry). Heterogeneity analyses further suggest that the efficiency effect of Project Broadband China varies across different cities in terms of location, scale, administrative and urbanization levels. Our findings contribute to digitalization research and the literature on economic efficiency, as well as highlight the importance of digital infrastructure construction for improving economic efficiency. Our study also provides valuable practical implications for policymakers (i.e., expanding the scope of Project Broadband China) seeking to improve high-quality economic development through digital infrastructure construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the intricate legal dynamics surrounding industrial productivity within the context of China's digital economy, shedding light on the enduring issue of energy poverty and the nation's transition toward a sustainable energy landscape. Spanning the period from 1990 to 2021 and encompassing all 30 provinces of China, our analysis employs a comprehensive econometric model to uncover the multifaceted relationships between legal frameworks, energy development, and the digital economy. The results of this study reveal the profound impact of legal regulations on energy accessibility and affordability, emphasizing the critical role of transport infrastructure in bridging regional disparities. Furthermore, our findings underscore the transformative potential of China's digital economy in mitigating energy poverty while driving industrial growth. The study findings suggest that policy implications should prioritize the development of a cohesive legal framework incentivizing sustainable energy practices, promoting equitable energy distribution, and harnessing digital innovations to drive China's inclusive and environmentally responsible economic future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Top-10000 Enterprises Energy Conservation and Low Carbon Program, enacted in 2011, sets binding energy saving targets for enterprises. However, whether energy saving target setting is a poison or a catalyst remains controversial, and no research has been conducted on how the targets affect enterprises' total factor productivity. We construct 2012–2013 panel data models by mapping the enterprises subject to the energy saving targets onto the China Industrial Enterprise Database to systematically quantify the effects of the targets on enterprises' total factor productivity. The study reveals an inverted-U-shaped curve between energy saving targets and manufacturers' total factor productivity. We also find that the targets boost an enterprise's total factor productivity by expanding the enterprise's market share and their impacts vary according to region, type of enterprise, and industry. The study shows that setting appropriate energy saving targets can improve the environment and boost enterprise productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020, this study uses the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM), spatial autocorrelation analysis, and the panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model to quantitatively examine the dynamic coordination and interactive response of green finance (GF) and green total factor productivity (GTFP). The results show that the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between GF and GTFP during the study period shows an overall increasing trend and significant regional differentiation and remains at the medium level, indicating large room for improvement. The CCDs of provinces fluctuate between the low and high types. The distribution gradually shifts from a "high in the south and low in the north" pattern to a "high in the east and low in the west" configuration. The spatial difference of coupling development continues to expand and presents a significant spatial positive correlation. In addition, GF and GTFP in China exhibit significant self-reinforcing characteristics, but the reinforcing effect gradually decreases. There is only a unidirectional interaction relationship between GF and GTFP, which is GF actively fosters the advancement of GTFP, while the influence of GTFP on GF appears less pronounced. This research provides comprehensive insights into the dynamic interaction between GF and GTFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulations are important means to influence manufacturing enterprise green development. However, there are two completely different conclusions both in theoretical and in empirical research, namely the "Follow Cost" theory and the "Porter Hypothesis". The nonlinear mechanism needs to be considered. Therefore, this study aims to explain the threshold impact of heterogeneous environmental regulations on enterprise green total factor productivity. Environmental regulations are divided into different sub-categories, then based on the panel data of 1220 Chinese manufacturing listed companies from 2011 to 2020, this paper uses threshold regression model to examine the impact of heterogeneous environmental regulations on Chinese manufacturing enterprise Green Total Factor Productivity. The empirical results show that: (1) Command-controlled, market-incentive and voluntary-agreement environmental regulation all have a significant nonlinear impact on enterprise Green Total Factor Productivity. (2) Enterprise R&D investment plays a threshold role in the impact. (3) There are industry and equity type differences in the impact process. This study focuses on the micro level of enterprises and tests the threshold mechanism, which make some theoretical complement to previous researches. The research results are not only beneficial for the government to propose appropriate environmental regulatory policies, but also for enterprises to achieve green growth through heterogeneous R&D investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on total factor productivity (TFP) in the European mining industry, considering micro- and macroeconomic indicators of the relationship between CSR and TFP. Employing data from 40 European mining companies from content analysis, CSR Hub, and the World Bank between 2018 and 2021, this paper utilizes a combination of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and panel regression techniques to test the research hypotheses. The findings suggest that the TFP of European mining firms is positively affected by CSR initiatives implemented by the companies. Also, the empirical results depict that the CSR-TFP relationship is mainly established on institutional criteria. The results also indicate that CSR-related factors, namely, transparency and reporting, training, health and safety, and resource management, are the impacting indicators. The study broadens the horizons of this line of research and can be beneficial to CEOs, managers, experts, policymakers, decision-makers, and economists in the field of mining who are willing to promote responsible and sustainable mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piercing represents one of the key processes in the production of hot-rolled pipes on screw rolling mills due to its determinative effect on the quality of the resulting bloom. The main factor affecting the quality of hot-rolled pipes is the wear resistance of the working tool. The work equipment frequently fails due to high wear of the surface. It is known that the mandrel affects the quality of the inner surface of the resulting pipes and the accuracy of geometric dimensions. In addition, increased wear of piercing mandrels leads to a decrease in the productivity of industrial units. In this paper, the mandrel wear was studied during the piercing of billets, made of 12Kh18N10T corrosion-resistant steel, into pipes on a MISiS-130D pilot-industrial screw rolling mill. Using the SolidWorks software package, the process of piercing blanks with a diameter of 60 mm and a length of 400 mm was simulated in order to assess the wear of mandrels using the QForm software package. The modeling of piercing processes was carried out by varying the rolling conditions: rolling speed, feed angle, and ovalization factor of the deformation zone. It is concluded that the distribution of the wear value along the length of the mandrel is uneven; the dependence of the mandrel wear value on the variable technological factors of the piercing process is revealed. The dependence of the wear depth of piercing mandrels on the temperature of their working surface and the duration of rolling was studied. Methods for increasing the wear resistance of piercing mandrels based on the selection of rational rolling modes are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of digitalization on the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in export and import activities. Using data on Spanish manufacturing SMEs from 2001 to 2014, we construct a multidimensional firm-level index of digitalization. We then estimate a set of dynamic models analyzing the direct and indirect (via total factor productivity) effects of digitalization on firms' export and import strategies. We find evidence that firms' digitalization positively influences the probability of exporting and importing, both directly and through productivity. We find that productivity has a stronger impact on SMEs' trade behavior than the direct channel of digitalization. A one standard deviation increase in the digitalization index increases the probability of exporting and importing by 1.5 and 0.8 percentage points, respectively, while the same increase in the logarithm of productivity has a three times greater effect for exporting and nine times greater for importing. Plain English Summary: Digitalization facilitates the access of SMEs to international markets. In this study, we analyze how the use of digital technologies affects Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their ability to access foreign markets. We find that digitization can help SMEs to export and import, both directly (by facilitating access to a larger market of customers and suppliers) and by improving their productivity. Interestingly, we also find that productivity has a greater impact on trade decisions than the direct channel of digitalization. It should be noted that not all digital technologies have the same effect on trade participation, and that automation technologies only influence trade through the productivity channel. Based on our findings, policymakers interested in helping SMEs export and integrate into global markets should support their digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve high-quality economic development in the process of promoting the development of China's environment quality, and green economy, green total factor productivity is an important indicator to measure high-quality economic development. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the impact of changes in energy and industrial structure on green total factors. Each specific province in China is taken as the research object, and the green total factor productivity index into green technology efficiency and green technology progress are decomposed in this paper. On the basis of constructing the industrial structure upgrading index and energy structure upgrading index, a fixed-effect model and threshold regression model are used to analyze the influence of industrial structure and energy structure on green total factor productivity and its internal mechanism. Results shows that green total factor productivity, industrial structure and energy structure all show a trend of "continuous rise in small fluctuations," but there is a spatial disequilibrium; the upgrading and optimization of industrial structure and energy structure can effectively promote the improvement of green total factor productivity, and the growth mainly comes from the improvement of green technology progress, not the improvement of green technology efficiency; the impact of the improvement of industrial structure and energy structure on green technology efficiency has a significant nonlinear trend of increasing marginal effect; the upgrading of the industrial structure has a stronger role in promoting green total factor productivity in the central and western regions than in the eastern region; while the optimization of the energy structure has a significant promoting effect on green total factor productivity in the eastern region, but has a certain inhibitory effect on the central and western regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has become an unavoidable problem in achieving sustainable development. As one of the major industries worldwide, tourism can make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change. The main objective of the paper is to assess the development level of low-carbon tourism from multi-aspect, using the Yellow River Basin as an example. Firstly, this study quantified tourism carbon dioxide emissions and tourism economy, and analyzed their evolution characteristics. The interaction and coordination degree between tourism carbon dioxide emissions and tourism economy were then analyzed using the improved coupling coordination degree model. Finally, this study analyzed the change in total factor productivity of low-carbon tourism by calculating the Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index. The results showed that: (1) the tourism industry in the Yellow River Basin has the characteristics of the initial environmental Kuznets curve. (2) There was a strong interaction between tourism carbon dioxide emissions and tourism economy, which was manifested as mutual promotion. (3) The total factor productivity of low-carbon tourism was increasing. Based on the above results, it could be concluded that the development level of low-carbon tourism in the Yellow River Basin has been continuously improved from 2000 to 2019, but it is still in the early development stage with the continuous growth of carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the development of green finance (GF) is a critical way to address the environmental and developmental problems in China. While existing studies have examined the macroscopic role of GF, few pay attention to its impact on micro-enterprises. To investigate the effect of GF on micro-enterprises, this study considers green credit as a quasi-natural experiment to investigate the effect on firms' green total factor productivity (GTFP). We use the SBM-Malmquist method to measure firms' GTFP and adopt the double dual machine learning approach to explore its impact and potential mechanisms. The findings indicate that (1) the GF can effectively promote the GTFP at the firm level, which has been reconfirmed by robustness tests. (2) The GF can improve firms' GTFP through three pathways: promoting firms' green innovation, alleviating financing constraints, and strengthening managers' environmental concerns. (3). The heterogeneity analysis verifies that state-owned enterprises and large-size firms are more sensitive to the response of green finance. The results of this study lend support to the establishment of green finance and the formulation of corporate green development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the ribonucleic acid (RNA) productivity for industrial applications, this study employed strain screening and medium optimization to improve the content of RNA in Cyberlindnera jadinii. A rapid screening method, combining atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutagenesis, 48-deep-well plates fermentation, and microplate reader detection, was developed. A mutant strain named WB15 with high RNA content was successfully obtained, exhibiting the RNA content of 156 ± 4.5 mg/g DCW, 1.4 times of the starting strain CCTCC AY 92020. Furthermore, Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology were employed to identify three significant factors (yeast extract, soybean peptone, and KH2PO4) affecting the RNA content. By utilizing the optimal medium composed of 13.43 g/L yeast extract, 12.12 g/L soybean peptone and 2.78 g/L KH2PO4, the RNA content of WB15 further increased to 184 ± 4.9 mg/g DCW. Additionally, the mutant strain WB15 exhibited a greater cellular width compared to AY 92020, along with increased growth rate and single-cell RNA content by 22% and 48.9%, respectively. Perturbations in ribosome assembly, specifically a reduction in the ratio of ribosomal proteins to ribosomal RNA of the large subunit, might indirectly contribute to the higher RNA content in the WB15 strain. Overall, the combination of rapid screening with fermentation medium optimization proved to be an effective approach for improving the RNA content of C. jadinii, thus facilitating the industrial production of RNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel methodology for estimating carbon total factor productivity based on the Cobb–Douglas production function. The research method introduced in this article expands upon the framework for assessing total factor productivity through the Solow residual method. It unifies the conceptual and methodological aspects of carbon total factor productivity with those of single factor productivity. Utilizing panel data from various provinces between 2010 and 2021, we computed carbon total factor productivity to understand its implications for China in combating global climate change. We demonstrate that (i) we have introduced a method to handle negative coefficients in the Cobb–Douglas production function by incorporating productivity in lieu of input factors during calculations. (ii) Carbon total factor productivity, encapsulating the geometric weighted mean of labor, capital, and carbon productivity, holds notable economic relevance. Further, it serves as an integrative metric comprising carbon productivity intertwined with the mean labor and capital carbon factors. And (iii) the influence of carbon total factor productivity growth on economic progression remains relatively subdued, with escalating labor force growth posing detrimental effects on several provincial economies. Enhancing carbon total factor productivity emerges as an imperative to harmonize robust economic growth with strategic carbon curtailment. Our analytical framework provides nuanced perspectives on productivity determinants, accentuating the thrust towards sustainable evolution amidst climatic challenges. This investigation bears profound significance for policymakers endeavoring to sculpt a carbon-conscious economic paradigm in consonance with global climatic ambitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the theory of new economic geography, this paper used panel data from 284 cities in China from 2006 to 2019 to determine the effects of spatial spillover and heterogeneity of manufacturing agglomeration (MA) on urban total factor carbon productivity (TFCP) and the regulatory effect of fiscal decentralization on the outcome. The results showed that (1) MA shifted from the eastern region of China to the central and western regions, with the center of gravity moving towards the south. The spatial pattern of urban TFCP displayed the solidifying characteristics of "low-level agglomeration and high-level dispersion," with technological progress being the primary driver. (2) The MA had a significant U-shaped effect on the TFCP of local and nearby cities, promoting the improvement of urban TFCP through Jacobs' and Porter's externalities but not MAR externalities. (3) Regarding regional differences, MA had a significant U-shaped impact on urban TFCP in the eastern and central regions. At different levels of manufacturing development, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing metropolitan areas. For varying degrees of manufacturing industry agglomeration, increasing the level of MA improved urban TFCP in low agglomeration areas, but inhibited it in high agglomeration areas. (4) The implementation of fiscal decentralization nationwide and in the eastern and central regions significantly weakened the impact of MA on TFCP. Furthermore, fiscal decentralization significantly enhanced the influence of MA on TFCP in cities exhibiting high levels of economic development, advanced industrial structure and strict environmental regulations. Therefore, based on the unique developmental characteristics of the manufacturing industry in various cities, fiscal policies ought to be tailored to local circumstances to support key areas. This strategy should facilitate the high-quality development of manufacturing industry and low-carbon development of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the impact of population agglomeration on urban economic development quality in various cities of China. The results show that population agglomeration significantly contributes to the improvement of urban green total factor productivity by increasing population diversification, promoting knowledge spillovers, and reducing pollution emission intensity. Moreover, we find that population agglomeration in type II big cities and type I large cities significantly improves green total factor productivity, while the impact of population agglomeration in metropolises and mega-cities on green total factor productivity is not significant. On the one hand, type II big cities and type I large cities are in the period of rising economic development, the population has not yet reached saturation, and there is still a large demographic dividend space. On the other hand, excessive population agglomeration also brings about "urban diseases" such as population congestion and traffic congestion, especially in the metropolises and mega-cities. Finally, using data on producer services and its sub-sectors, we identify a more significant driving effect of high-end talent agglomeration on green total factor productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how input trade liberalization affects manufacturing employment adjustment using highly disaggregated Chinese firm-level data. Employing a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that input trade liberalization promotes firm net job growth along both the channels of increasing job creation and reducing job destruction. In addition, we explore the employment response to input trade liberalization of firms that are heterogeneous along two dimensions, i.e., initial relative productivity and import status. In particular, input trade liberalization leads to job destruction in the least productive firms, job creation in more productive firms and increases the exiting likelihood of the least productive firms; and the impact of input trade liberalization on job flows is more pronounced for importing firms than that for non-importers. We also find strong evidence that a good institutional environment strengthens the effects of input trade liberalization on both of the intensive and extensive margin of employment adjustment. As an extension, this paper further demonstrates that input trade liberalization promotes industrial productivity growth significantly, and the improvement of the job reallocation efficiency is one of the important channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]