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China's carbon emission trading policy plays a crucial role in achieving both its "3060" dual carbon objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) on climate action. The policy's effectiveness in reducing pollution and mitigating carbon emissions holds significant importance. This paper investigated whether China's carbon emission trading policy affects pollution reduction (PM 2.5 and SO 2) and carbon mitigation (CO 2) in pilot regions, using panel data from 30 provinces and municipalities in China from 2005 to 2019 and employing a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model. Furthermore, it analyzed the heterogeneity of carbon market mechanisms and regional variations. Finally, it examined the governance pathways for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation from a holistic perspective. The results indicate that: (1) China's carbon emission trading policy has reduced CO 2 emissions by 18% and SO 2 emissions by 36% in pilot areas, with an immediate impact on the "carbon mitigation" effect, while the "pollution reduction" effect exhibits a time lag. (2) Higher carbon trading prices lead to stronger "carbon mitigation" effect, and larger carbon market scales are associated with greater "pollution reduction" effects on PM 2.5. Governance effects on pollution reduction and carbon mitigation vary among pilot regions: Carbon markets of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin show significant governance effects in both "pollution reduction" and "carbon mitigation", whereas Guangdong's carbon market exhibits only a "pollution reduction" effect, and Hubei's carbon market demonstrates only a "carbon mitigation" effect. (3) Currently, China's carbon emission trading policy achieves pollution reduction and carbon mitigation through "process management" and "end-of-pipe treatment". This study could provide empirical insights and policy implications for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation, as well as for the development of China's carbon emission trading market. • China's carbon emission trading (CET) policy promotes pollution reduction and carbon mitigation. • Higher carbon trading prices lead to stronger "carbon mitigation" effect. • Larger carbon market scales bring greater "pollution reduction" effects on PM 2.5. • Regional heterogeneity exists on pollution reduction and carbon mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation requires simultaneous reduction of carbon emissions and air pollution. This study examines the synergy between pollution reduction and carbon reduction, identifying key variables and strategies to achieve this goal. Using a Geographical Detector model and a Coupling Degree of Coordination model, 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) are investigated. Results show that while controlling PM2.5 has been more successful than managing carbon emissions in the YREB, synergy between pollution reduction and carbon emissions increased by an average of 7.2% from 2006 to 2019. Spatial analysis reveals higher synergy in upstream areas, indicating significant spatial diversity. The impact of pollution and emission reduction synergies is influenced by societal and environmental variables, including industry structure, technological innovation, energy structure, human capital quality, and economic basis. Synergy is amplified when natural limits align with high-quality development drivers such as technical innovation and the digital economy. Recommendations include enhancing city-to-city contact, improving energy and industrial structures, and fostering technological innovation to address regional variations in synergy levels. • Synergy between pollution and carbon reduction increased by 7.2% from 2006 to 2019. • Higher synergy observed in upstream areas of YREB. • Controlling PM2.5 more successful than managing carbon emissions. • Synergy influenced by industry structure, technological innovation, energy structure, and human capital quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprise digital transformation (EDT) is a strategic initiative that provides robust support for optimising resource allocation, fosters business innovation, and significantly impacts ecological environment to increase financial performance. This study re-examines the substantial contributions of EDT to climate change mitigation. Drawing on data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2021, we investigated the changes and mechanisms influencing carbon emissions reduction performance (CERP) of enterprises undergoing digital transformation. The empirical results indicate that EDT actively contributes to enhancing the CERP of enterprises, with a more pronounced effect observed in non-polluting industries, state-owned enterprises, and manufacturing companies. Furthermore, empirical findings from mechanism tests reveal that EDT effectively improves the CERP by driving green technological innovation, strengthening industry chain connections, and enhancing capacity utilisation. Finally, within external oversight groups, particularly in government and investor supervision, the enhancement of enterprise CERP is more significant, highlighting the crucial role of external oversight in the EDT process. • EDT significantly enhances CERP. • Green technology innovation, industrial chain connectivity, and production capacity utilisation play crucial roles. • Strengthening government oversight and investor supervision groups is the most effective way to improve CERP. • Policymakers should enhance the guiding role of EDT in CERP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture technologies are becoming increasingly crucial in addressing global climate change issues by lowering CO 2 emissions from industrial and power generation activities. Post-combustion carbon capture, which uses membranes instead of adsorbents, has emerged as one of promising and environmentally friendly approaches among these technologies. The operation of membrane technology is based on the premise of selectively separating CO 2 from flue gas emissions. This provides a number of different benefits, including improved energy efficiency and decreased costs of operation. Because of its adaptability to changing conditions and its low impact on the surrounding ecosystem, it is an appealing choice for a diverse array of uses. However, there are still issues to be resolved, such as those pertaining to establishing a high selectivity, membrane degradation, and the costs of the necessary materials. In this article, we evaluate and explore the prospective applications and roles of membrane technologies to control climate change by post-combustion carbon capturing. The primary proposition suggests that the utilization of membrane-based carbon capture has the potential to make a substantial impact in mitigating CO 2 emissions originating from industrial and power production activities. This is due to its heightened ability to selectively absorb carbon, better efficiency in energy consumption, and its flexibility to various applications. The forthcoming challenges and potential associated with the application of membranes in post-carbon capture are also discussed. • Crucial role of carbon capture technology in climate change mitigation and environmental resilience. • Crucial role of membrane in climate change mitigation for ecosystem has been critically analyzed. • Efficiency, cost, and benefits of membranes for climate change in ecosystem. • Challenges and prospects in CO 2 capture for and environmental resilience are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial structure adjustment is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. When adjusting the industrial structure, changes in the input and output of industrial sectors in one region may cause changes in industrial sectors of other regions, resulting in inter-regional industrial linkages. What is the impact of industrial structure adjustment on the linkages, and how does it impact climate change? The modified gravity model combines the influence and inductive coefficients to build the carbon emission industrial spatial linkage network (ISL) using social network analysis (SNA) in this work with the data of China's 2008–2019 provincial carbon emissions. The impact of industrial structure adjustment on carbon emission industrial spatial linkage network and its effect on climate change mitigation are explored with the help of the STIRPAT model and quality assurance procedure (QAP). The results of this study are as follows: (1) The provincial carbon emissions under industrial spatial linkages show significant network characteristics, the network density increased from 0.1437 in 2008 to 0.323 in 2019. (2) There is a significant spatial spillover effect in the industrial spatial linkage network (2019) centered on Shandong and Jiangsu. The provinces can be divided into 4 blocks, which play different roles in the network. (3) The industrial structure upgrading can significantly promote the carbon emission industrial linkage network and mitigate climate change. (4) The industrial structure rationalization can promote the development of the network and mitigate climate change in the early and late development stages of carbon emissions industrial linkage. In addition, it is necessary for the government to pay more attention to the development level of the carbon emission spatial industrial linkage network when implementing industrial structure adjustment in response to climate change. [Display omitted] • The impact of Industrial structure on carbon emission industrial linkage network is discussed under climate change. • The carbon emission industrial spatial linkage network is built. • The industrial structure upgrading can promote the development of the network. • The industrial structure rationalization has a nonlinear impact on the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy and institutions have emerged among other variables touted to address climate change problems. However, empirical results have been conflicting. With a relatively poorer state of institutional quality and a lower level of renewable energy development amidst rising carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions in Africa, the study assesses: a) the direct effect of renewable energy and institutional quality on CO 2 emissions in Africa; and b) the moderation role of institutional quality on the effect of renewable energy on CO 2 emissions in Africa. The study relies on panel data covering 2002–2021 for 32 African countries. The Fully-Modified OLS regression method is employed to analyze the data based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, & Technology (STIRPAT) model. The results show that urbanization and trade openness increase CO 2 emissions. Although income has a positive effect on carbon emissions, the square term has a negative confirming the EKC hypothesis. Renewable energy also reduces CO 2 emissions. Institutional quality variables of control of corruption, rule of law, regulatory quality, political stability and absence of violence, voice and accountability, government effectiveness and institutional index created from the above indicators reduce CO 2 emissions. In addition, except government effectiveness, the remaining indicators of institutional quality negatively moderate the effect of renewable energy on CO 2 emissions. The results among other things imply that intensifying the development and usage of renewable energy would help address the rising carbon dioxide emissions trend in Africa. Also, strengthening institutions promises to reduce CO 2 emissions. • Determinants of environmental degradation is estimated. • Renewable energy consumption reduces pollution. • Institutions reduce carbon emissions. • Institutions reinforce the effect of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Certain sectors and paths along supply chains play a critical role in climate change mitigation. We develope a consumption-based framework, which combines input–output analysis, a power-of-pull approach and structural path analysis, and applied it to supply chain networks derived from 2010 and 2012 Jing-Jin-Ji interregional input–output tables. The aim of this study is to identify (1) the key economic sectors for controlling carbon emissions and their changes, (2) the critical directions from a carbon-pulling sector to the emissions of key economic sectors, and (3) the paths with the largest carbon emissions flux in these critical directions. Our results show that the key sectors are from Hebei and Tianjin, more concentrated in Hebei. Most sectors have the largest pulling power over their own carbon emissions, and within-region connections dominated in the emission network, with a stronger tie between Beijing and the other two regions. Critical paths along carbon-pulling directions are located in tiers 0 and 1. Our framework can provide new insight into the creation of carbon emissions control policies. Highlights • IOA, PoP and SPA were integrated to identify key sectors and paths. • Critical sectors and paths were identified in Jing-Jin-Ji area. • Energy and raw material providers should be controlled. • Hebei and Tianjin pull the carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the sustainable energy systems is crucial for economic growth and climate change mitigation. This paper proposes a nonparametric approach based on the by-production technology comprising the economic and environmental sub-technologies. We consider both renewable and fossil energy in the analysis. This approach allows identifying the most relevant energy development strategies at the country level. We examine 42 countries from the OECD, B(R)ICS and ASEAN. The results indicate that most of the countries (23) need to exploit both the energy intensity and carbon factor (energy-mix) effects to ensure sustainable energy development, yet four countries also need to increase the use of the renewable energy in order to secure the economic growth. During 1990–2018, an upward trend for the CO 2 emission shadow price is observed for the selected countries which suggests an improving environmental performance. The results of this study provide further guidelines for adopting effective market-oriented policy measures in the energy sector. • A Data Envelopment Analysis model is constructed to identify performance gaps. • Both energy intensity and energy-mix adjustments are modelled. • Double frontier model is used. • The empirical study covers OECD, B(R)ICS and ASEAN countries. • Most of the countries need to opt for combined energy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational allocation of carbon quotas is the fundamental premise for the orderly operation of carbon markets. To achieve the set target of carbon peak by 2030, there is an urgent need to establish China's 2030 provincial carbon quota allocation scheme. Although some proposed schemes have been formulated, there are problems with the methods used for carbon emission forecasting and evaluating the rationality of a proposed allocation scheme. This study aimed to optimize carbon emission forecast by incorporating terrestrial carbon sinks into the mechanism for building China's 2030 provincial carbon emission quota allocation schemes. Aquila Optimizer's Double Support Vector Regression (AO-based TWSVR) that has the advantages in solving problems associated with small sample size, nonlinear and high-dimensional pattern recognition with fast training speed and insensitivity to noise was adopted to predict the net carbon emission. The results show that the application of AO-based TWSVR model allows satisfactory forecast of the net carbon emission in China for the period from 2021 to 2035. This allowed terrestrial carbon sequestration being incorporated into the mechanism to formulate China's 2030 provincial carbon quota allocation schemes. Comparison of the three provincial carbon quota allocation schemes using social network analysis suggests that the equity-based carbon quota allocation scheme is more suitable for China's national conditions compared to the efficiency-based scheme and the combined principle-based scheme. The findings obtained from this study have implications for optimizing the scheme of China's 2030 provincial carbon quota allocation. [Display omitted] • AO-based TWSVR model was used to optimize carbon emission forecasting in China. • This allows satisfactory forecast of the net carbon emission from 2021 to 2035. • Three schemes were formulated for China's 2030 provincial carbon quota allocation. • Social network analysis was used to evaluate the rationality of these schemes. • The equity-based scheme is more suitable for China's national conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realising the carbon (C) sequestration capacity of agricultural soils is needed to reach Paris Climate Agreement goals; thus, quantifying hedgerow planting potential to offset anthropogenic CO 2 emissions is crucial for accurate climate mitigation modelling. Although being a widespread habitat in England and throughout Europe, the potential of hedgerows to contribute to net-zero targets is unclear. This is the first study to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rate associated with planting hedgerows. We derived SOC stocks beneath hedgerows based on two estimation methods to assess differences from adjacent intensively managed grassland fields and how these may be affected by sampling depth and hedgerow age, as well as the SOC estimation method used. Twenty-six hedgerows on five dairy farms in Cumbria, England, were classified based on the time since their planting. We measured SOC stocks in 10 cm depth intervals in the top 50 cm of soil beneath hedgerows and in adjacent grassland fields. SOC beneath hedgerows was on average 31.3% higher than in the fields, 3.3% for 2–4 year old hedgerows, 14.4% for 10 year old, 45.2% for 37 year old, and 57.2% for older ones. We show that SOC sequestration rate beneath 37 year old hedgerows was 1.48 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the top 50 cm of soil. If England reaches its goal of a 40% increase in hedgerow length, 6.3 Tg CO 2 will be stored in the soil over 40 years, annually offsetting 4.7%–6.4% of present-day agricultural CO 2 emissions. However, the current rate of planting funded by agri-environment schemes, which today reaches only 0.02% of emissions, is too slow. Private-sector payments for ecosystem services initiatives (e.g., 'Milk Plan') show much higher rates of planting and are needed alongside agri-environment schemes to ensure hedgerow planting contributes to net-zero targets. • On average, 31% more carbon was stored in soil beneath hedgerows than grassland. • Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rate beneath hedgerows is 1.48 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. • Increasing hedgerows in England by 40% will sequester and store 6.3 Mg of CO 2 as SOC. • Private and public schemes must combine efforts to aid climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since climate change mitigation is the central debate of modern literature, the realization of carbon neutrality in response to diversified macroeconomic variables is the most crucial concern of international economies. However, the critical role of trade and renewable electricity output in export diversification-environmental nexus is missing. Therefore, this study investigates the combined influence of trade openness, exports diversification, and renewable electricity output on carbon dioxide emissions (CO 2) in China from 1989 through 2019. Applying novel time series econometric techniques robust to structural breaks, following new outcomes are obtained. Firstly, long-run equilibrium cointegration existed among the under-analysis variables. Secondly, export diversification and renewable electricity output are predicted to decelerate CO 2 , supporting carbon neutrality in the long run. Thirdly, trade openness and gross domestic product accelerated the CO 2 , delaying carbon neutrality accomplishment. Most importantly, significant structural break dummy interacting with trade openness implicated that during the post-2001 era, China's trade openness extensively deteriorated the environmental quality in the face of trade liberalization obtained after joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). Based on empirical results, export diversification and renewable electricity production policies should be mutually non-exclusive and closely coordinated. Further, to counter the carbon emission acceleration impact of trade openness, increasing the share of green tradable products is suggested. Finally, bilateral trade restructuring is recommended to realize the long-term dream of economic sustainability and carbon neutrality. • The role of exports diversification and trade openness is analyzed for China. • Novel time series methods are used for data from 1989 to 2019. • Exports diversification and renewable energy limit carbon emissions. • Trade openness and economic growth cause emissions to increase. • Sustainable trade is encouraged for achieving carbon neutrality target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving carbon neutrality is of great importance to many developed and developing countries around the globe. Global warming is one of the leading issues caused by human activities. To cope with environmental challenges, and to achieve carbon neutrality, fiscal decentralization and eco-innovation are promising strategies that can also enable countries and local governments to pursue visible economic growth. This study investigates the role of export diversification, environment-related technological innovation, and fiscal decentralization in effectively achieving carbon neutrality target for 37 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) economies from 1970 to 2019. For empirical analysis, it uses second-generation tests that deal with heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence issues. To this end, this study employs updated cointegration techniques. The augmented mean group (AMG) approach is used to examine the long-run dynamic equilibrium among the variables of interest. The findings indicate that export diversification and fiscal decentralization followed by GDP growth affect carbon dioxide emission positively. While renewable energy consumption and environment-related technological innovation assure environmental improvement. Additionally, short-run causal and unidirectional links are found running from fiscal decentralization, export diversification, and environment-related technological innovation to carbon emissions. Our findings suggest that OECD partner countries need to be careful while devising fiscal decentralization and export diversification policies. They should increase the share of renewable energy, and expand environment-related technological innovation. Such strategic efforts would direct the OECD countries to meet the climate change mitigation agenda of sustainable development goals. • Export diversification and environmental innovation on CO 2 emission is examined. • We employed advanced panel data estimation techniques for this study. • Export diversification, fiscal decentralization and GDP positively impact CO 2. • Renewable energy and eco-innovation assure environmental improvement. • Unidirectional effect from export diversification and eco-innovation to CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]