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This paper proposes and probes the plausibility of a framework to explain how business associations position themselves politically as trade-related sustainability obligations get stronger. An analysis of the submissions of EU business associations during a consultation on trade and sustainability indicates that firm-level and organisational characteristics explain well trade associations' political cleavages. The paper can provide new insights to help understand a major development in the EU and beyond. The EU is passing through an unprecedented shift in its approach to trade and sustainability as it is likely to rely on legal sanctions to enforce sustainability commitments in trade agreements. Understanding the position of EU business interests in that process is relevant to project the consequences of such shift. Besides, as sustainability provisions in trade agreements get stronger, associations may play an ever-important role in promoting their members collectively or in shielding them from reputational costs. Understanding their political positioning is thus key to understanding the very politics of trade and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the complex interplay between economic development and environmental sustainability in the context of India's pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It examines the inherent contradictions and trade-offs involved, particularly in agriculture, industrialisation, and infrastructure sectors. The paper highlights how economic growth, essential for improving living standards, often conflicts with environmental objectives. The paper underscores the importance of integrating economic, environmental, and social objectives to achieve a sustainable and inclusive future for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Context and background: The existence, survival and continuity of a number of income-generating activities (farming, mining, etc.) depend on land, making it an important lever for a country's development. However, if land is not properly managed and governed, this can leave the door wide open to various forms of embezzlement, including corruption. Corruption is well known to have a deleterious effect on its victims, and when it affects land tenure and access to land, it can affect more than just a country's economy. It can at the first time undermines a country's ability to trade properly with its neighbors, and hindering the continent's ability to fully harness the benefits of free trade agreements as well. Goal and objectives: In the context of Africa's commitment to promoting industrial development through the development of agriculture and food security, it is vital to talk about issues that could hinder these developments, and more specifically the reaching of the Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area implementation. In this instance, the aim is to talk about land corruption. Readers will be led to reflect into the critical role of addressing and eradicating land corruption as a fundamental prerequisite for the successful implementation of free trade initiatives in Africa, but also to facilitate sustainable economic growth and harmonious regional integration. Methodology: This paper offers a broad panorama of negative impacts of land corruption in Africa, and will be based on the experience and lessons of anti-corruption strategies deployed on the land sector in Madagascar. Through an in-depth analysis of the existing challenges, far-reaching consequences, and potential solutions, this work elucidates the paramount importance of curbing land corruption to foster sustainable economic growth, regional integration across the continent and African Continental Free Trade Area’s swift and sustainable implementation. Results: How does corruption affect the land tenure system? What impact does it have? Why and how is it incompatible with the objectives of the African continental free trade area? What can be done to tackle it, based on experience from Madagascar and extended to the African context? This paper gives inputs to those burning questions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, a new pattern of world economic development is taking shape, and different development models featuring a green, low-carbon, and recycling economy have become the goals pursued by all countries. China is in a critical period of economic transformation. Establishing a sound financial system for green, low-carbon, and recycling economic development is an essential initiative for China to realize the dual-carbon goal, build a modern financial system for sustainable development, and promote the construction of a community of human destiny. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to dynamically monitor the development of China's green, low-carbon, and recycling economy and explore regional development differences to realize coordinated and sustainable regional development. This paper measures the level of green, low-carbon, and recycling economy development in 30 provinces and cities in China by constructing a dynamic evaluation system for green, low-carbon, and recycling economy development and utilizing a dual incentive model. The empirical results show that since 2014, the level of green, low-carbon, and recycling economy development in China's provinces and cities has been on an upward trend. Still, the level of action needs to be balanced. Therefore, it is imperative to create an institutional environment conducive to advancing green and low-carbon technologies, promoting structural adjustment and energy efficiency, and reducing regional differences in green, lowcarbon, and recycling development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of digital finance on enterprise economic development and ecological environment has been widely debated and researched. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and deconstruct the relationship between digital finance and the synergy of enterprise economic development and ecological environment. The paper examines the benefits and drawbacks of digital finance and its influence on the economy, as well as its impact on the ecological environment. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis, the study investigates the mechanisms through which digital finance affects the synergy of enterprise economic development and ecological environment, and evaluates the effectiveness of current measures and policies to address these impacts. The results of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners on how to achieve a balance between digital finance and sustainable development. By deconstructing the relationship between digital finance and the synergy of enterprise economic development and ecological environment, this paper aims to contribute to the development of sustainable finance models and to foster a deeper understanding of the role of digital finance in shaping a sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the debate on the role of technical change and industrial policy in Indonesian economic growth using the pulp and paper industry as a case study. The analysis indicates that industry and trade policies had a positive influence on growth and capital accumulation, but gave Indonesian pulp and paper companies few incentives to create or deepen their technological capabilities, resulting in fragmented and limited technology assimilation. The findings also raise questions about common interpretations of total factor productivity growth in Indonesia in terms of inspiration versus perspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of global urban development, there are urgent ecological security and environmental pollution problems, green development is the fundamental way for urban sustainable development, economic transformation and mitigation of ecological and environmental problems. Based on the panel data of 283 cities at prefecture level and above in China from 2003 to 2017, this paper analyzes spatial–temporal evolution characteristics of urban green development efficiency (UGDE) and the peer effects of UGDE between cities of different grades. It is found that during the study period, in terms of temporal evolution, the average UGDE in China increased from 0.47 in 2003 to 0.61 in 2017, with a cumulative growth rate of 29.79%, showing a rising trend in general. In terms of spatial evolution, the number of low-efficiency cities and medium-efficiency cities continued to decrease. The eastern region has always been the main distribution area of higher-efficiency cities and high-efficiency cities; in the central region, UGDE in most cities improved significantly; in the western region, UGDE has always lagged behind that in the eastern and central regions. In addition, the center of gravity of UGDE presented a trend of northwest migration in general, with a total displacement of 100.07 km, and UGDE showed a spatial dispersion trend. The empirical results indicate that the improvement of UGDE in large cities has a driving effect on that in neighboring medium cities and small cities through the positive peer effect, and the growth of UGDE in medium cities has a promoting effect on that in neighboring small cities through the positive peer effect; the increase of UGDE in medium cities has a positive peer effect on that in neighboring large cities, and the growth of UGDE in small cities has a positive peer effect on that in neighboring medium cities; UGDE promotes each other between large cities through the positive peer effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, cities have become hubs for economic activity, productivity, and important platforms for achieving sustainable development goals. The potential of urban agriculture (UA) in improving urban local economies and urban micro-climate has been acknowledged in the literature. The study looked at how the concepts of UA, local economic development (LED), and climate change can be treated in unison. Based on the review of credible published papers on the various concepts of UA, LED, climate change and nature-based solutions (NBS), a proposed conceptual framework was developed in this paper showing the linkages. The paper established that UA could boost LED, build resilient urban settlements, and promote social inclusiveness, but with social challenges. It is therefore recommended that policymakers make UA a crucial aspect of their agenda in the coming years to address the local economic and climate challenges now and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development requires social development and economic construction to be coordinated with the carrying capacity of the ecological environment. It necessitates adhering to the concept of sustainable development while pursuing economic development and social progress, improving the effective utilization rate of natural resources, and protecting and improving the ecological environment in which people live. This paper takes the e-commerce trade ecological industrial park in Dalian Economic Development Zone as an example to comprehensively evaluate its sustainable development ability using the state-of-the-art techniques of soft computing. Soft computing has recently gained appeal over traditional hard computing because it can cope with uncertainty just as easily as a human can. The basic aim of the study is to avoid excessive resource and environmental pressure hindering the coordinated development of various subsystems of the park. First, an evaluation index system containing four subsystem elements of the environment, society, economy, and resources was constructed, and the importance of each index in the evaluation index system was calculated. Second, the distance model and fuzzy logic of soft computing were used to comprehensively evaluate the sustainability of the selected industrial park. Six criteria were established to describe the sustainability of the industrial park based on the opinions of industry professionals, with references to the research findings of local and international forerunners. The finding of the paper shows that the development level index of each subsystem of the industrial park has continued to rise, except for a few cases. The result also demonstrates that the overall coordinated development degree of the park has increased year by year from 2010 to 2019. This means that the coordinated development level has improved from the initial barely coordinated level in 2010 to the high-quality coordinated development level in 2019; however, the overall coordinated development degree is still less than 0.9. Through this study, it is possible to judge the sustainable development ability of the four subsystems of the industrial park and whether it meets the relevant standards of resource consumption and environmental protection stipulated by the state. It is of great practical significance for promoting the formation of a good ecological chain between enterprises in the park, realizing resource recycling, and reducing waste discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an in-depth research analysis on the evaluation of the development quality of regional economy through an improved convolutional neural network algorithm, and uses it to design a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model for the practical process. Based on the measured indices of different variables, a spatial econometric model is constructed and provincial panel data are selected to empirically analyze the impact and spatial spillover effects of financial agglomeration and technological innovation on regional economic quality development from both static and dynamic aspects and to examine the spatial correlation of the factors. A new serial data flow model is adopted, which optimizes the control of data flow in convolutional computation, reduces the percentage of clock cycles used to read memory data, and increases the computational efficiency. At the same time, with dynamic data caching, a convolutional computation can be completed in one clock cycle, reducing the memory capacity required for caching intermediate data. The effectiveness of the evaluation system constructed in this paper is further tested. Most of the indicators have a significant positive or negative impact on the quality level of economic development, and the direction of the impact is consistent with the positive and negative attributes of the indicators in this study, which verifies the validity of the evaluation indicator system constructed in this paper. In summary of the study, effective suggestions are made in terms of human capital investment, reasonable allocation of fiscal expenditure, enhancing regional greening development and improving risk prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of globalization, cross-border e-commerce platforms have become the main way for enterprises to achieve international trade transformation and overseas investment. From this, it can be seen that cross-border e-commerce platforms are of great importance to the development of enterprises, and the development of cross-border e-commerce platforms is also a necessary choice for the development of the times. In the new era, in order to make cross-border e-commerce platforms better serve enterprises and bring economic benefits to their development. The sustainable development capability evaluation of third-party cross-border e-commerce (TPCBEC) platform is a MAGDM. Recently, the Exponential TODIM (ExpTODIM) technique and Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) technique has been employed to cope with MAGDM issues. The 2-tuple linguistic neutrosophic sets (2TLNSs) are employed as a tool for portraying uncertain information during the sustainable development capability evaluation of TPCBEC platform. In this paper, the 2-tuple linguistic neutrosophic number Exponential TODIM-EDAS (2TLNN-ExpTODIM-EDAS) technique is implemented to manage the MAGDM under 2TLNSs. Finally, a numerical study for sustainable development capability evaluation of TPCBEC platform is constructed to validate the implemented technique. Thus, the main advantages of the proposed 2TLNN-ExpTODIM-EDAS technique are outlined: (1) the proposed 2TLNN-ExpTODIM-EDAS technique not only handles the distances information from the 2TLNNAS, but also portrays the DMs' psychological behavior during the sustainable development capability evaluation of TPCBEC platform. (2) the proposed 2TLNN-ExpTODIM-EDAS technique analyze the behavior of the TODIM technique and EDAS technique as MADM techniques when they are hybridized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time, China 's extensive economic development model has produced a large amount of emissions, which has brought indelible damage to the environment. Green development is of vital importance for China to achieve high-quality development, and it is the core of alleviating environmental problems and promoting sustainable development. How to achieve China 's green development requires us to evaluate the level of green development in China 's provinces and analyze the reasons. In this study, an evaluation index system including undesired output of green development efficiency is constructed, and then the Supe-SBM model is used to assess the green development efficiency of 30 Chinese provinces. This paper also discusses the spatial and temporal differences as well as the factors affecting green development efficiency of green development efficiency among provinces. The findings demonstrate: (1) The green development efficiency in the eastern region is the highest, followed by the western region, while the central region has the lowest, but they all show a downward trend. (2) The spatial characteristics of green development efficiency are remarkable, according to the Global Moran's I index. However, the results of local spatial agglomeration demonstrate "small agglomeration and large dispersion," with the majority of provinces exhibiting L-L agglomeration. (3) Technological Progress, Opening Up, Urbanization Level are positively correlated with the green development efficiency. Industrial Structure, Financial Development, Energy Structure and green development efficiency are significantly negatively correlated, while Environmental Regulation shows no significant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced human society; statistics have shown many countries ended 2020 with minimal or even negative economic growth. This pandemic proved that development biased to economic issues without considering other factors such as social and environmental is not sustainable, and it can even be the source of the crisis. This paper aims to discover plausible alternative futures at the macrolevel where nations, businesses and societies can change routines, and approach to a better peaceful future. Design/methodology/approach: To accomplish this, trends emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic are studied and some uncertainties are identified. At the intersections of uncertainties, scenarios are shaped based on the Global Business Network (GBN) methodology. GBN helps to draw macrolevel images about plausible futures. The main uncertainties rose from three different but interconnected natures including: approach to the globalization (social perspective), approach to the concept of value (business perspective) and approach to the governance (states/governance perspective). Each uncertainty can take two extreme alternatives; consequently, eight scenario spaces with different probability are formed by the intersection of alternatives. Then the most favorable scenario is introduced and strategies are proposed to achieve a better future. Findings: In the current paradigm in which countries will sacrifice the environment for economic growth in the race to rapidly rebuild their economy, concerns for the post-COVID-19 will continue to mount. While, in the favorable scenario, value creation is sought in sustainable development. This means deviation from a favorable scenario to achieve short-term goals is completely predictable. Although we have learned that the COVID-19 pandemic is controllable and manageable as time goes by, but no effort or commitment has been seen in the governments to eradicate the COVID-19 sources (at least till today). Originality/value: The main originality of this research appeared in the practical aspect. This paper analyzes and projects scenarios at the global level and studies challenges that societies, governments and businesses are facing in the modern world with biased development paradigms. Moreover, different viewpoints to deal with global crisis are assessed and criticized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability requirements of the planet in recent years have made it necessary for everyone to reflect on new lifestyles. For this purpose, the United Nations has established an agenda for change organised into 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that claim to be achieved by 2030. The demands of this sustainable development are organised into three main dimensions: social, environmental, and economical. To achieve these goals, the educational system is fundamental. This new context demands new areas of study centred on the educational sphere; for example, in a holistic Health Physical Education (HPE), there are precedents in the literature that show a relationship of the characteristics to enhance sustainable development. Based on these references, it is suggested that the characteristics of holistic HPE could contribute to the three dimensions of sustainability and the SDGs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to deepen through a series of reflections and comments on the elements that compose a holistic HPE to contribute to the sustainable development of the planet. The paper begins with a justification of the delimitation of the problem it seeks to solve through this research area. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the specific SDG targets related to holistic HPE and the sustainability competencies to be developed. The epistemological foundations that a holistic HPE contribution could have on the three dimensions of sustainable development, are also added. Finally, the document closes with orientations for future research and teaching methodology proposals and teaching approaches that would fit within the holistic HPE for sustainable development. The contributions made in this document will allow researchers to find a baseline from which to begin to conduct research that confirms the virtues of holistic HPE in contributing to a more sustainable world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are a central instrument in international development cooperation and of key importance in guiding donors' policies towards southern recipients. However, many aspects of the PRSP have been criticised by a variety of development stakeholders. A checklist of 85 questions has been developed to analyse the inclusion of aspects of sustainable development in PRSPs and to point to sustainability challenges and opportunities. It thus facilitates targeted advice and quality improvements. The checklist was applied to a selection of 12 PRSPs of developing countries. The results reveal an insufficient integration of the ecosystem services concept, of biodiversity and of climate issues. Property rights, gender issues, water and energy are as a rule well elaborated. PRSPs show significant variation in the integration of environmental sustainability issues. Sustainability assessments can contribute to significant improvements between first and second generation PRSPs provided the assessments are supported by a strong institutional framework and a dedicated political commitment towards sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountain environmental systems are considered unique ecological and bio-physical systems which provide ecosystem services to the global community. It is observed that the rapid ecological changes and habitat destruction occur due to demographic changes, investment and introduction of various infrastructure development, and rapid harness of the available natural resources in the region. Such economic growth and recent environmental dynamics have engrossed the attention of the scientific community for comprehensive study. The focus of the present study is to understand the spatio-temporal consensus of the scientific community working on the mountain's environmental sustainability. This study includes the bibliometric and network analysis of 1,384 research papers published on mountain sustainability and ecosystem in various journals. The analysis is performed on numerous essential research indicators such as open-access publication, number of citations, author team size, affiliated institutions and countries, publishing journals, research categories, and keywords. This article will provide an in-depth and holistic understanding of the issues and concerns related to global mountain environmental sustainability. The findings of the article will provide a scholarly platform for the development of stakeholders and organizational relationships working for mountain ecosystem sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the European Commission's trade and sustainable development discourse from 1993 to 2022. By employing a discursive institutionalist framework and examining a comprehensive corpus of over 1,400 press documents, this study traces the discursive process that has created both significant changes to, and persistent elements in, the Commission's trade-sustainability agenda. The analysis reveals noteworthy shifts within the discourse, notably a transition from a primary concern with labour and human rights during the 1990s to an increased focus on economic development and poverty reduction in the early 2000s. This was followed by a discernible move towards more stringent differentiation among developing countries and an amplified emphasis on reciprocity. In recent years, we are witnessing a strong focus on environmental and climate protection, labour rights, and enforceability. The findings underscore the enduring presence of trade-sustainability ideas within EU trade policy and their gradual evolution over time, while contributing to the literature on the role of ideas in shaping the Union's external policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, the United Kingdom (UK) has increased its investment in transportation infrastructure to compensate for years of underinvestment in comparison with peer countries. It is of critical importance to evaluate the effect of these recent investments, as well as historical ones, on economic development, both theoretically and empirically, to provide guidance on future infrastructure investment. However, few research looks into such policy adjustment on economic growth in the UK. To fill this gap, this paper investigates the relationship between transport infrastructure development and economic growth in the UK from different time spans. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to construct a comprehensive measure of transport infrastructure development. This paper then applies Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to investigate both long-run and short-run relationships between transport infrastructure development and economic growth from 1970 to 2017 in the UK. Empirical results suggest that transportation infrastructure has a long-run promotive effect on economic development. However, in the short run, this effect turns out to be significantly negative. The analysis of this paper indicates differentiated roles that the UK's transport infrastructure played in economic growth, which should be considered in future policy design of achieving economic sustainability in the UK. • This paper investigates the relationship between transport infrastructure development and economic growth in the UK. • Transportation infrastructure has a long-run promotive effect on economic development. • In the short run, transportation infrastructure fails to promote economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, various contradictions in most coal-energy cities have become increasingly prominent, which has become a disharmonious factor restricting the optimization and upgrading of coal-energy cities. Since the turn of the century, taking effective improvement and protection measures and promoting the economic transformation of cities reliant on coal as an energy source has been the primary job of departments at all levels in order to secure the sustainable growth of cities. In this paper, the economic transformation and sustainable growth of coal-energy cities are included in the enhanced TOPSIS economic transformation evaluation model based on the proposed entropy weight. This study examines the industrialization of cities that rely on coal energy resources, assesses the industrial efficacy of coal energy using the DEA technique, and proposes a plan for the industrialization of cities that rely on coal energy resources. This paper summarizes the industrial transformation process of coal-energy cities and designs an evaluation method for the industrial economic transformation of coal-energy cities. This paper determines a set of evaluation index systems suitable for the economic transformation of coal-based energy cities; constructs an evaluation model for the economic transformation of improved TOPSIS coal-based energy cities based on entropy weight; and, finally, calculates and analyzes the industrial economic statistics of a city over the years. It is found that, at the economic structure level, the transformation score of driving forces increases from 0.606 to 0.871; at the level of social economic structures, the transition score of the pressure system increases from 0.476 to 0.779, and the transition score of the state system increases from 0.401 to 0.699; at the level of urban construction structures, the transformation score of the pressure system increases from 0.467 to 0.568; and at the level of comprehensive transformation structures, the transformation score affecting the system increases from 0.611 to 0.716. This shows that, in the process of transformation, the driving force of industrial and economic development in coal-energy-based cities is sufficient, while the pressure of social and economic transformation is great. In the process of transformation, we should strengthen infrastructure construction and protect the urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saving energy resources and reducing energy intensity are crucial to promoting China' s major strategic goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, and are hence key to the promotion of green transformation and development in the new development stage. As an important practice, the policy of establishing pilot zones for green finance reform and innovations in China aims to promote green finance reform in depth, construct ecological civilization, and realize green economic transformation. Can the policy reduce energy intensity and contribute to energy conservation? What is its impact mechanism? There is a shortage of systematic analysis in academia on these issues. With panel data from Chinese cities from 2007 to 2020 and a generalized synthetic control method, this paper evaluated how the establishment of pilot zones for green finance reform and innovations affected energy intensity and analyzed its impact mechanisms. The results showed that: ① The implementation of the policy significantly reduced the energy intensity of the pilot zones, and the energy-saving effect exhibited 'policy first' and timeliness characteristics. ② The policy-induced energysaving effect was achieved by improving green innovation, easing financing constraints, optimizing industrial structure, and strengthening environmental governance. ③ The policy' s energy-saving effect was more remarkable in areas with better marketization and a higher education level. The findings suggest that the government should fully consider the differences in aspects such as institutional environment and resource endowment among varying regions, design distinct measures to attract more market players to participate in the green finance system oriented by energy efficiency improvement, energy structure transformation, and environmental governance, and create a much better market-oriented environment for green innovation and corporate financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green credit is an important financial tool to promote the transformation of the low-carbon economy. On the basis of clarifying the theoretical mechanism of the impact of green credit on carbon emission reduction, this paper used the fixed effect stochastic frontier model containing unexpected output to measure the total factor carbon productivity of 156 cities in China from 2000 to 2019 and empirically tested the carbon emission reduction effect of green credit and its mechanism from the three dimensions of productivity, intensity, and total amount. The research found that: ① Green credit development significantly improved total factor carbon productivity and reduced carbon emission intensity, but the average impact on total carbon emissions was not significant. The above conclusions were still valid after a series of robustness tests and treatments of endogeneity problems. ② The carbon emission reduction effect of green credit was heterogeneous due to differences in regional location, resource endowment, and financial efficiency. In the central region, non-resource-based cities, and cities with higher financial efficiency, green credit had significant carbon reduction effects in both carbon productivity and carbon intensity dimensions, while green credit in the eastern region, resource-based cities, and cities with lower financial efficiency only reduced carbon intensity. ③ The stimulation of green innovation and the reduction of energy intensity were the most effective channels for green credit to reduce carbon emissions, whereas the mediating effect of the structural transformation channel was not yet significant. Green credit was more effective in promoting green innovation and generating positive spillovers in the green innovation channel. However, green credits were more effective in improving carbon emission efficiency in the energy intensity channel, but the role of supporting low-carbon technologies must be enhanced. ④ Environmental regulations had two moderating mechanisms, 'positive compensation' and 'negative offset,' for the carbon reduction effect of green credit. When the demand and supply of financial resources were low, strengthening environmental regulations would weaken the incentive effect of green credit on low-carbon economic transformation. The above conclusion not only provides a new research perspective and supplementary empirical evidence for understanding the environmental effects of green credit, but also provides a useful reference for further improving green credit policies and promoting the development of a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing multipolarity in international affairs together with the rise of non-state actors do require us to re-think what constitutes sustainable development, in general, but also how economic growth can be respectful of the environment and individual rights. The People's Republic of China (China) does constitute an important part of that story. This paper aims to analyse China's discourse, laws, and policies on sustainable development at both national and international levels. It situates sustainable development in the broader context of China's current development policy; addresses the ways in which China engages with multilateral and bilateral institutions (i.e. legal instruments) in the area of sustainable development; as well as assesses the scope and limitations of China's focus on sustainable development in the context of Outward Foreign Direct Investment in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperative as a legally organizational form of farming in agriculture is directly related to the social and economic development of the regions and the country. Not only large producers, but also small farms can participate in cooperation, which contributes to increasing their competitiveness. The cooperative is a good form of interaction between agricultural producers and an effective way to ensure sustainable development of agriculture. The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities of the cooperation of different individuals with aim to achieve sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern world, the issue of achieving a sustainable economic development model is becoming more and more urgent. One of its components is compliance with the Goal of sustainable development by companies and verification by state authorities and independent auditors of companies in matters of environmental sustainability. Thus, consideration of modern methods of submission and audit of sustainable development reports (SDR), analysis of opportunities for their improvement becomes relevant. In this work, attention is paid to companies engaged in retail trade, taking into account the peculiarities that they face when submitting the SDR. The purpose of the research was to conduct an analysis of the most common methods of reporting on sustainable development and to develop an effective model (and recommendations for it) for auditing and analyzing sustainable development reporting. Modeling became the main method when writing the paper, taking into account the developed model of analysis and verification of the SDR. The article proposed a new model of verification of non-financial information in sustainability reporting and its graphical display in the audit report. On its basis, it becomes possible to build a new methodology for the audit of the SDR. In addition, the most common international methods of SDR were analyzed, namely the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The authors concluded that the GRI is the most universal of the three, while the SASB is focused only on investors. IIRC, being similar to both described above, is an intermediate option. Nevertheless, submission according to the SASB system is the most effective for trade networks, taking into account the peculiarities of the functioning of this type of companies and the level of their influence on the external environment. The results of the conducted research and the data presented in the article make it possible to evaluate the modern methods of submitting financial statements in a new way and provide a basis for building new standards for the audit of these reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has been exploring a sustainable development path that harmonizes economic growth and environmental protection, targeting to build a beautiful China. The role of green finance in adjusting the misallocation of financial resources and leading the green sustainable development of the real economy is receiving increasingly more attention. Currently, green credit accounts for more than 90% of the total green finance funding in China and constitutes the most significant component of the green finance matrix. Whether green credit effectively promotes the green and sustainable development of the regional economy largely determines the success of China's economic green transformation. Objective: Existing studies of green credit mainly focus on its influences on financing, investment, and emission reduction of environmental pollution industries or companies. Extending the literature by exploring whether green credit is effective in promoting green sustainable development and what impact green credit exerts on the upstream (energy inputs), midstream (technological innovation), and downstream (pollution outputs) stages of the green sustainable development value chain, is the leading research objective of this paper. Methods: This paper discusses the impact of green credit on green sustainable development based on city panel data from 2012 to 2019. The level of green sustainable development is calculated by the GML index based on SBM directional distance function. The city-level green credit scale is calculated from the green credit issued by banks, weighted by the density of bank branches in a city. Synthetic control methods are employed in the robustness analysis to reduce the impact of endogeneity issues. Results and conclusion: The results of this paper indicate that green credit can promote green sustainable development and the impact gradually strengthens over time as the incremental implementations of complementary policies with substantial constraints and incentives, through which pollution control and economic growth achieve a "win-win" situation. Furthermore, the results indicate that green credit reduces the overall amount of energy inputs while optimizing the energy input structure. However, green credit does not boost the green technological level and even crowds out high technical value green innovations. Besides, the pollution reduction effects of green credit are associated with the strength of green credit constraints and the importance of pollution industries in the local economy, which means green credit performs better pollution reduction effects in regions with relatively strong green credit binding effects or in regions where pollution industries are not local economic pillars. The empirical results are further validated through robustness tests, including changing scope and measurement variables and applying the synthetic control method. Limitations: Although this paper provides valuable contributions to the research area of green credit and green sustainable development, specific limitations exist in the current study. Firstly, as the official information disclosure of green credit in China is not sufficient, existing studies, including ours, could only use estimation methods through different perspectives to measure green credit, which is overall logical and reasonable but may lose some accuracy. Secondly, since there might be a certain degree of lag in the effect of green credit on the economy, the dynamic impact and long-term effects of green credit deserve further study. Thirdly, considering the characteristics of the Chinese administrative systems, introducing the behavior of local governments and local officials into the analysis of green credit and green sustainable development could be valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is an important sector that has an impact on the development of a country's economy. Among the main benefits of tourism are income generation and job creation. It is the most important source of wealth in many parts of the country. The national economy can benefit from tourism as long as there is availability for investment to develop the infrastructure that will meet the needs of tourists. Romania has tourist potential to develop coastal tourism and mountain tourism, but also other alternative forms of tourism. The aim of the article is to present the impact of tourism on the economy, especially on income. The paper presents tourism as an excellent potential, a catalyst for economic growth thus representing a key sector at the macro-economic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the economic underdevelopment of Balochistan considering the relationship between the centre and Balochistan province. The paper provides a critical discourse based on historical, constitutional, institutional, representational and resources distributions perception and dimensions of the relationship between the federation of Pakistan and Balochistan. The paper is descriptive and analytical, applying a contextual analysis. It discusses how the politics of Balochistan has been manipulated by tribal and other elements with excessive support and guardianship from the federation at the cost of the inclusive development of Balochistan. The central theme of the paper is to critically analyse the political economy of the economic underdevelopment of Balochistan in the light of the relationship between the province and the federation, as for the progressive and productive policy, political institutions are the backbone for sustainable development and economic progress of any society. The absence of sound and inclusive political and economic institutions leads to economic and social deprivation and marginalisation. Resulting in a core-periphery situation, like the one, which exists between Balochistan and the federation of Pakistan. Applying the 'core-periphery relationship' framework, the paper analyses the economic underdevelopment of Balochistan. It concludes that to ensure the economic development in Balochistan the federal structure of Pakistan needs to be realigned with a shift in policy approach in mainstreaming Balochistan in the federal core through a balanced representation and robust social and economic development initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2022 marks the sixth democratic local municipal demarcation process in South Africa. The Municipal Demarcation Board has invited the public to put forward their suggestions for the revision of local municipal boundaries based on the Municipal Demarcation Act (27 of 1998) by the end of March. However, the legislative criterion that guides the process remains as complex as it was in 1998 and the public still questions how and why municipal boundaries are demarcated in South Africa. A direct product of the complexity is that many voices remain muffled and their frustrations are displayed in public protests. These protests are to an extent due to municipalities being too large, lacking economic bases, and having poor governance structures to administer efficiently, resulting in many struggling to provide basic services and remain financially viable and sustainable. This article unpacks the application process that needs to be followed by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), the Member of Executive Council (MEC), and the public to motivate for the re-demarcation of local boundaries. The paper argues that the process is complicated and calls for its revision. Furthermore, the paper suggests that smaller and more compact municipalities, at scale and proportional to economic base, might be the solution to the on-going crises of South African Municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine and port economy estimation is conducive to the understanding of the development law of marine economy degree. This study proposes a neural-learning network estimation model of the marine economy degree based on a priori architectural knowledge and adopts time-combined class array columns and multivariate modeling methods to estimate the indicators reflecting the development level of the marine economy degree in the ZJP region. The study adopts the PK_NN multivariate modeling method, taking cargo transportation volume, cargo turnover, cargo carrying value of ports near the sea, foreign trade throughput, port container throughput, and port container throughput as multivariate model inputs, and compared with the other modeling methods, the model of the time combination class array columns of type GM_11, which has a better comprehensive performance. Finally, the PK_NN time-combined class array column model is used to estimate the development level of the marine economy in the ZJP region near the seaport from 2011 to 2020, and the results show that the estimated value of the marine economy in the ZJP region is close to the actual planning value of the ZJP region. The algorithm was applied to estimate the economic degree curves of the five near-seaport areas of ABCDE under different harbor head construction art modes, and the results showed that the relative value error of the estimation was controlled between 4% and 10%, and the fluctuation ranges of each month's specific growth value area estimation were comparable. This proves the effectiveness and accuracy of the a priori marine neural-learning-based network algorithm in this paper. • The algorithm was applied to estimate the economic degree curves of the five near-seaport areas of ABCDE under different harbor head construction art modes, and the results showed that the relative value error of the estimation was controlled between 4% and 10%, and the fluctuation ranges of each month's specific growth value area estimation were comparable. • This proves the effectiveness and accuracy of the a priori marine neural-learning-based network algorithm in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Green economy', a central plank of the sustainable development political and economic international agenda, relies on industrial extraction of water, minerals and other earths to produce 'green energy' to feed capitalist growth. The term Green extractivism describes a global problem that we examine through the case of lithium extraction in the territory of Atacameño-Likanantay (Indigenous) peoples in the Salar de Atacama, Chile. Green extractivism is a multiscalar logic and practice justified in international sustainable development policies, responding to the demands of capital, modifying international and national legal and political instruments, and permeating social, ecological and political realities in the territories of extraction. Green extractivism has many consistencies with the asymmetries of power and economic dependency that characterises the history of extractivism in Chile and Latin America. As such, Green extractivism provides a new logic to sustain consistencies in transnational capitalism. This paper traces national political and legal histories of lithium from the mid-twentieth century, demonstrating the long extractivist relationship between the state and the lithium companies that operate in the Salar de Atacama. We consider, in particular, the dynamics of Atacameño-Likanantay peoples' participation in and refusals of industry and state processes, which trouble extractivist logics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By considering the significant role economic growth has played in environmental function between 1990 and 2019, this paper examines the relationships between renewable energy development, trade openness, and institutional quality in the development of green finance in South Asian countries. The effectiveness of institutions and trade transparency are factors in green finance. We use a panel data model to ascertain the cointegration among the variables. The study employs the OLS fixed pool method along with a quantile regression to assess the model and reveal that, although growth in renewable energy development and trade openness worsen the ecological environment, institutional quality and the use of renewable energy promotes green finance development. The findings indicate that trade openness and institutional quality have a positive link with green financing. Institutional quality drives the use of renewable energy, whereas gross domestic product (GDP) drives the environmental impact. In light of these findings, policymakers can put in place beneficial policies for renewable energy development as an economic instrument to minimize ecological footprints and enhance green finance development. • Trade openness. • Renewable energy development. • Green finance. • Institutional quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the circular economy is emerging as a strategy for sustainable development. What is important in promoting the circular economy is to assess its current level and take measures for assessment. This paper discusses some methodological issues in comparing and assessing the efforts for the circular economy at the international level. To this end, the authors explain the theoretical premise related to the assessment of efforts for the circular economy, establish an indicator system for assessing the efforts for the circular economy, and suggest a method for comprehensively assessing the efforts for the circular economy by country. The conclusions are that (a) the comparative evaluation of activities related to the circular economy by country requires a unified standard or category that can cover these activities, including all factors that meet sustainable development; the outcome, process, and guarantee of the circular economy, and this can be the circular economy effort and (b) the circular economy effort of a given country must synthetically be assessed by using the indicators capable of showing all aspects. These conclusions may contribute to establishing a new theoretical foundation that can include various aspects of the circular economy activities and to setting a practical and methodological foundation for evaluating each country's various activities related to the circular economy at the international level and can serve as a policy basis for identifying the weak and strong aspects of circular economy activities at the domestic or international level and establishing technological and economic measures to strengthen the weak aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unexpected and complex situation facing global society as a result of COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of companies' commitment to social responsibility. For this reason, scholars have called for a more comprehensive picture of corporate social responsibility (CSR) research. Each country is trying to introduce and practice different approaches and methods to develop this concept. This article analyzes CSR trends in five countries, such as the USA, China, India, Russia and Kazakhstan. The purpose of this article is to identify the most important trends that are used in all countries by comparing the current methods used in the mentioned countries, as well as proving that the trends can differ depending on the main problems in the countries. In this paper, an analysis of scientific papers on the topic of CSR, the selection of articles and the analysis of selected articles were carried out. A content analysis of publications on the topic "corporate social responsibility" was carried out for all time and for the last 5 years. An information on CSR trends was collected from news publications of each country to compare them. The article proved the current relevance of 'S' in ESG by analyzing scientific publications on this topic. The analysis showed an active growth of publications on the development of CSR over the past 5 years, especially the period from 2020 to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to address the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the development of rural areas in Galati County, after the application of the state of emergency in Romania. The article is based on the interpretation of the change of certain economic indicators in rural areas and their impact on the population, economic environment, industry, and agriculture. Supplementary research has been conducted by interpreting the changes triggered by the COVID-19 crisis on the decisions of local and regional authorities to develop certain strategies and projects before and after the end of the present crisis. At the same time, it is analyzed that rural areas were perceived as providing a defense wall against this pandemic, motivating the population in urban areas to seek shelter in rural areas, thus contributing to the development of the economic environment. However, in reality, rural areas have been the hardest hit, unable to provide the infrastructure needed for such a human wave. In the context of those presented, the paper is an analysis of economic and social factors but also of how the COVID-19 crisis has influenced the current situation in rural areas of Galati County. To reach the result of this analysis, research methods were used based on reports, studies, papers and specialized publications both online and offline. As a main result of this paper we can mention the identification at regional level of changes in social, demographic and economic factors with considerable impact on the rural economy in the coming years. Thus, agriculture will feel a decline due to this pandemic, after 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most cited definition of sustainable development was created more than three decades ago, by the Brundtland Commission. The problem that was defined then is equally present today. There are various definitions of 'sustainable development', and thus, in the past, different countries have made different frameworks. However, the current framework has been presented by the 2030 Agenda and specifically divided into 17 goals, defined by the United Nations. It is not the same starting point for countries with developed and underdeveloped economies. This paper highlights the economic and educational structure of the population as a potential for economic and social development, but also for the Gross Value Added. These are the main parameters that were analysed to extract the most sensitive areas. The analysed data refer to the 25 administrative areas (NSTJ 3) in Serbia. The most endangered areas that should be emphasized in further research and action plans are distinguished. The results of the paper should serve as a starting point for further and more in-depth research, as well as for creating projects for the more balanced regional development of Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are living in an era in which equity in education is framed and measured through individual academic achievement. Schools are viewed as economic engines for a better life. By virtue of providing adequate preparation for entering the economy and gaining a well-paying job, they are construed as capable of closing the opportunity gap. This misguided and ahistorical notion of equity fails to account for the nested nature of students, families, communities, and cities, and it disregards centuries of policy decisions that have shaped unequal conditions in communities and schools. While neoclassical economic theory has only more recently come to influence education, it has long driven national and international economic development. We know from research in the fields of human, community, and sustainable development that this economic approach does not attend to the spectrum of noneconomic needs that being met allow for individuals and communities to thrive. Nor does this approach address the roots of structural inequality. This paper draws from those fields to present a conceptual framework that can guide policymakers, researchers, and especially school, district, and state leaders to (re)consider the ways policy decisions challenge inequity. It does so by asking these stakeholders to center humanity through prioritizing intergenerational individual and community well-being. Further, the framework highlights the capacity of schools to serve as the driver of community uplift. Finally, this paper suggests that policy actors and practitioners participate in cross-sector collaboration to design policies that allow individuals, communities, and schools to flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the accelerating urbanization process in China, the extensive economic growth model with high energy consumption and high pollution aggravates atmospheric environmental pollution and restricts the sustainable development of the social economy. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has the most severe haze pollution and the most acute contradiction between resources, environment and economic development. Based on the physical coupling theory, this paper constructs a coupling coordination degree model of the economy, environment and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry. Through literature analysis and expert investigation of the economic, industrial and environmental data of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2006 to 2018, the coordinated development of the economy, environment and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry, in the above region, was dynamically monitored. The monitoring results show that the development level of the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region is significantly different, and the three subregions have not entered the stage of coordinated development. Moreover, since 2015, they have been in a bottleneck period of development and have not achieved a higher level of progress. The three subregions have different advantages and restraining factors. For example, the backward level of Hebei's economy and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry, restrict the coordinated development of the region as a whole. Only by accelerating the high-quality development of the Hebei economy can we break through the bottleneck of the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal economy has become a vibrant and growing phenomenon across the world. Within the context of sustainable development, connecting local economic development (LED) to the informal economy is imperative. However, the informal economy remains largely neglected within the conventional LED literature. Using key informant interviews and focus group discussions, this paper found that recognizing, embracing and supporting informal economy contributes to a more inclusive form of LED. The study concluded that local government authorities need to be more innovative in recognising the informal economy as part of local governments' strategies for addressing unemployment, and supporting livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading have become two strategic initiatives to realize a green economic development in the new development model of China. Exploring the relationship between green economic efficiency and the coupling degree of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading is essential to achieve the visionary goal of green economic development and socialist modernization. This paper measures the coupling degree of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading, classifies the coupling types based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2012-2019, and measures the green economic efficiency of 30 provinces in China using the super-efficient model (SBM), based on a spatial econometric model to study the relationship between green economic efficiency and the coupling degree of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading. The research results show that there is a significant positive effect on green economic efficiency among regions; the coupling degree of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading has a significant direct effect and a spatial spillover effect on green economic efficiency, the spatial spillover effect plays a major role. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that in the regions with higher development and coordination degrees of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading, the coupling degree of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading has a significant effect on the green economic efficiency of the region, and in the regions with lower development and coordination degrees of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading, the coupling degree of technological innovation and industrial structure upgrading has a significant positive effect on the green economic efficiency of the region and neighboring areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes local production systems by identifying their business structure, and the role played by the main sectors of economic activity in the territory of Cotopaxi-Ecuador as the basis for study. It highlights the Andean-Latin American approach to integral, territorial, and sustainable development, based on the triangulation of regional analysis techniques (specialization and location coefficients, cluster analysis, and Rasmussen’s method) to characterize the dynamics of the local production system and lines of improvement to strengthen the system. The results show the presence of two provincial clusters, a high degree of regional specialization in traditional activities that have little impact on the productivity of the province, and the presence of two key economic sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the nexus between energy consumption, financial development, and economic growth in twenty-one (21) sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations by using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) framework from 1990Q1 to 2014Q4. First, the study reveals that energy consumption and financial development have asymmetrical impacts on economic growth in most countries in the short and long term. Second, positive shocks to financial development favor economic growth in only a few nations compared to the negative shocks in the short term, whereas they have mixed effects in the long term. Third, we found that adverse shocks to energy consumption boost economic growth in several nations in the short term, unlike the positive shocks, but the scenario has reversed in the long term. We also found that gross fixed capital formation and labor force remain key factors promoting economic growth in many SSA countries, in contrast to the mixed effects of trade openness over time. Accordingly, our study recommends implementing energy-saving policies in specific SSA countries to stimulate sustainable development. Policymakers must embrace an effective credit allocation to the private sector supporting productive investments. Governments should also optimize domestic investments in physical capital, upgrade the labor force, and implement efficient strategies in international trade. These policy recommendations need to be implemented according to the unique socio-economic characteristics of each SSA country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the green economy efficiency (GEE) is crucial for building a sustainable economy. How can the rapidly advancing digital transformation contribute to this process? The paper empirically examines the direct and spatial spillover effects of digital transformation on cities' GEE in China. This study utilizes the National E-commerce Pilot City (NEPC) policy as a quasi-natural experiment of regional digital transformation and employs the staggered difference-in-differences (DID) method with heterogeneous effects. The findings reveal that (i) implementing the NEPC policy significantly increases urban GEE by 2.6%, corresponding to a 16% increase in the mean of GEE. This effect is particularly pronounced in non-resource-based cities and cities with high Internet penetration. (ii) The mechanism test shows that the pilot policy positively affects GEE by promoting green structural transformation, enhancing green innovation, and strengthening public environmental concerns. (iii) The study highlights a positive spatial spillover effect of the NEPC policy on the GEE of nonpilot cities. (iv) The adoption of the NEPC plays a pivotal role in advancing energy use and carbon emission efficiency. This paper expands the existing knowledge on the green development effects of the digital economy while offering valuable policy insights for building an "Inclusive Green Economy". [Display omitted] • The staggered differences-in-differences method is employed to examine the direct and spatial spillover effects of NEPC on cities' GEE in China. • This paper uses NEPC as a quasi-experiment for digital transformation. • NEPC significantly improves green economic efficiency by 2.6%. • Green structural transformation, innovation, and environmental concerns are main channels. • Positive spillover effect of NEPC on green economy efficiency in non-pilot cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanisation invariably affects the extent of natural resources and green spaces in the cities. Urban expansion to accommodate the increasing population and economic activities are constantly threatening the existing forest areas and green spaces. In this regard, it is estimated that by 2020, 75% of the Malaysian population will be residing in cities and major urban centres. The pressure on existing forest and green spaces will increase thus affecting the general well-being of city dwellers. This trend is evident in Kuala Lumpur. The Economic Transformation Programme launched in 2010 identified Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley Region a sub-region of Kuala Lumpur Extended Mega Urban Region as one of the key region to enhance and spearhead the economic growth towards a developed nation status in 2020. Currently the region is home to 10 million residents about 31% of the total population of Malaysia. This figure is expected to increase to 12 million people in 2030. The main aim is to transform Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley Region into a highly connected city where people can access many facilities, opportunities and services being liveable as a vibrant urban metropolis. It also aspires to be among the top 20 most liveable cities globally by 2030. For the past several decades Kuala Lumpur has greatly expanded and diffused through the connection of smaller towns and urban centres such as Putrajaya, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Klang, Kajang, Selayang, Ampang Jaya and Sepang. This expansion process undoubtedly has encroached into forest areas and green spaces in Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley Region, consequently reducing the natural resources of the area. The diffused nature of urban expansion has also fragmented the available forests and green spaces. As a result the areas are small, isolated and scattered in the Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang ValleyRegion. Even though the areas are small, they are significant in protecting and conserving urban flora and fauna. This paper explores the pattern and scale of fragmentation of forests and green spaces in connection with the urbanization processes. The paper also provides information on these urban and peri-urban forests, their characteristics and locations and their crucial roles for recreational and outdoors activities as well as ecosystem services provided to city residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]