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The rapid growth of offshore wind farms (OWFs) is driven by concerns for energy security and climate change mitigation. However, their impact on marine environments remains poorly understood due to limited research. This study analyzes the effects of an OWF along China's Jiangsu Coast on seawater quality using data from different development phases. Results show the major pollutants were different across phases. Heavy metal pollution reached alert levels during construction compared to the safe levels observed in the pre-construction and operational phases, mainly due to increases in Pb, Cd, and Hg concentrations. Eutrophication was mild throughout all periods but exhibited a continuous decrease, primarily attributed to reductions in PH and COD concentrations. As a result, the comprehensive pollution level during construction was increased, but it was improved to a clean level during the operational phase. Besides, significant variations were observed in the spatial distribution patterns of major pollutant indices across different scenarios. These changes may stem from a combination effect of land-based pollution, aquaculture, OWF-induced disturbances to atmosphere and hydrodynamics, OWF-related drain and leakage contamination, and marine management policies. Understanding these effects informs OWF optimization, rational wind resource utilization, and marine ecology protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has become a global issue, but no study has examined the discursive construction of resistance to climate change as part of crisis response in the media. To fill this gap, this study employs Wodak's discourse-historical approach to examine 82 news articles collected from China's English-language news media. The analysis reveals three themes used in the construction of a discourse of resistance to climate change: (1) climate change as a global enemy, (2) China as a leading climate change fighter, and (3) other nations as China's allies in the fight. These themes are articulated in the news stories using discursive strategies such as nomination, predication, argumentation, and mitigation. The article sheds light on the language state-run news media uses to project China's image abroad and encourage international collaboration and action in the fight against climate change. It also illustrates how discourse analysis can illuminate the geopolitical and sociocultural dimensions of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media greatly facilitates people's access to information; however, it can also lead to information overload and exposure to uncomfortable content that may cause individuals to avoid it. As a result, two types of influencing mechanisms emerge: information exposure and information avoidance, which may impact users' behaviors. Currently, there is limited understanding of the simultaneous effects of social media information exposure and avoidance on individuals' behavioral intentions towards climate change mitigation. Using survey data for 1056 Chinese Gen-Z undergraduates and based on the extended theory of planned behavior, this paper utilizes a partial least squares structural equation model to examine the effects of social media information exposure and information avoidance on individual low-carbon behavioral intention. The results show that information exposure on social media has a positive relationship with behavioral attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, and then increasing the low-carbon behavioral intention. Information avoidance has a negative association with three factors, respectively, and decreases the low-carbon behavioral intention. Additionally, exposure to social media information has the greatest impact on the subjective norm and the least impact on behavioral attitude; information avoidance has the greatest impact on behavioral attitude, whereas perceived behavioral control is the least affected. Drawing from the results, we propose policy recommendations that facilitate information exposure while addressing avoidance in shaping low-carbon behavioral intentions. Those implications would help reconcile the two opposing effects while promoting public engagement in climate activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission accounting is an important basis for global climate governance. Based on the consumption-based accounting (CBA) method, the characteristics of carbon flow between national, regional, and product processes could be more clearly reflected. Therefore, CBA is more conducive to clarifying the attribution of responsibilities between producers and consumers, with the principles of fairness and justice. By accounting for carbon emissions in typical countries from 1990 to 2019, we found that the CBA emissions are higher than the production-based accounting (PBA) emissions in major developed countries, while the results are reversed for developing countries. In the past 30 years, the CBA emissions in targeted developed countries generally have shown a downward trend, while in developing countries, they have shown an upward trend. CBA emissions in China have shown a continuous growth trend from 1990 to 2019, but the pace has slowed down significantly over the last decade. Meanwhile, the embodied carbon intensity of China's exports continues to decline, indicating that China is providing more green and low-carbon products to the world. Taking the PV industry as an example, this study further reveals the contribution of specific product industries to the country's carbon transfer through product carbon footprint analysis. In order to provide a scientific basis for global mitigation and climate governance, it is urgent to innovate a scientific, practical, and standardized CBA technology system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The targets of energy conservation, decarbonization, and industry reinvigoration have significantly influenced the design of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industrial policies and nationwide electrification. As a monumental policy framework for energy transition in transportation sector, the NEV industry development plan plays an influential role in promoting cleantech diffusion and enhancing NEV competitiveness. This study employs an event study method to investigate the stock market reaction to the NEV plan shocks. The NEV plan announced in 2020 receives a markedly positive stock price effect of 3.72% in the 6-day event window. Heterogeneity tests on subsamples indicate that state-backed entities exhibit a similar effect to the total sample, while the automotive manufacturing class and original equipment manufacturers see a significantly higher market value gain of 6.56% and 13.34%, respectively. However, battery manufacturers, as one of the key participants in the NEV value chain, experience an insignificant stock price effect. This study documents the financial consequences of clean energy policies specific to the emission-intensive automotive manufacturing sector, highlights the effectiveness of government-to-investor signalling in a cleantech diffusion context, and reveals the implications to other economies seeking to deploy clean transport and enhance environmental sustainability. The national NEV industry development plan aiming at the energy transition of the transportation sector can incur outperformance of NEV stocks in the financial market. Different stock market performances between NEV plans manifest investor preference for market-oriented industry policies. The long-term policy framework for green industry transition can send positive signals to investors, guide capital reallocation, and direct investment flows into key financial assets. The implications from the Chinese market offer valuable insights for other countries in formulating concrete industry planning, transition agendas, and binding targets for climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate commitment to achieving carbon neutrality before 2060 in China has been announced recently. In the context of pursuing carbon neutrality, sharing similar sources as greenhouse gases, aerosol particle and precursor emissions are projected to substantially decrease in China, which can potentially have a great impact on climate. Here, we investigate the effects of future aerosol reductions, because of achieving carbon neutrality, on solar and wind energy in China by using an earth system model. We show that significant reductions in aerosol emissions, particularly in eastern China, lead to increases in the surface downwelling shortwave radiation, surface air temperature and wind speed, which can further enhance the potential of solar and wind energy production. The findings underline that the pursuit of carbon neutrality can yield co‐benefits of not only mitigating climate change and air pollution but also fortifying the stability of renewable energy sources. Plain Language Summary: In response to China's commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, our study examines the potential impact of reducing aerosol emissions and greenhouse gases on solar and wind energy generation. Employing an earth system model, we observe significant reductions in aerosols, particularly in eastern China, resulting in increases in surface downwelling shortwave radiation, surface air temperature, and wind speed. These changes have promising implications for enhancing solar and wind energy production. Our research underscores the interconnected benefits of pursuing carbon neutrality, encompassing climate change mitigation, air quality improvement, and the enhancement of renewable energy reliability. Key Points: The effects of future aerosol reductions in China due to achieving carbon neutrality on solar and wind energy are investigatedAerosol emission reductions, especially in eastern China, increase surface downwelling shortwave radiation, temperature and wind speedClimate changes resulting from emission reductions under carbon neutrality enhance the potential of solar and wind energy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of China is increasingly pivotal in climate change mitigation, and the formulation of energy conservation and emission reduction policies requires city-level information. The effectiveness of national policy implementation is contingent upon the support and involvement of local governments. Accurate data on final energy consumption is vital to formulate and implement city-level energy transitions and energy conservation and emission reduction policies. However, there is a dearth of data sources pertaining to China's city-level final energy consumption. To address these gaps, we developed computational modeling techniques along with top-down and downscaling methods to estimate China's city-level final energy consumption. In this way, we compiled a final energy consumption inventory for 331 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2021, covering seven economic sectors, 30 fossil fuels, and four clean power sources. Moreover, we discussed the validity of the estimation results from multiple perspectives to enhance estimation accuracy. This dataset can be utilized for analysis in various cutting-edge research fields such as energy transition dynamics, transition risk management strategies, and policy formulation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are increasingly exposed to extreme weather events with the escalation of global warming. Understanding how individuals face and respond to it is crucial for climate mitigation. In the present study, we surveyed a sample of 856 people in five metropolitan areas in China to examine how personal experiences of extreme weather events affect individuals' low-carbon behavior through consequential and moral processing of climate change. The results indicate that people with personal experience of extreme weather events show significantly better cognitive judgment, emotional reactions, and mitigation behavior than those without such experience. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to illustrate that personal experience can initiate a sense of collective morality about climate change and predict the adoption of mitigating behaviors. Additionally, it can be seen that cognitive processing precedes emotional processing in the context of climate change. The present findings provide some evidence at the individual level for further moral philosophical discussions about climate change and offer insights for social solutions about promoting sustainable environmental behaviors. We point out that mechanisms of social cooperation among collectives and individuals used to deal with climate change deserve further research. We also discuss the implications and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Dual Carbon" initiative is a two-stage carbon reduction goal proposed by China, with significant implications for global climate change mitigation. This article examines the impact of the "Dual Carbon" strategy on China's forestry development and explores how to leverage this strategy to facilitate the transformation and advancement of the forestry sector. Current review indicated that forestry has the advantage of achieving higher emission reduction targets at a low cost. Starting with an overview of the "Dual Carbon" strategy, this paper analyzes the carbon sequestration potential of plants and soil, and the challenges and opportunities faced by forestry development under this framework. Furthermore, we outline implementation pathways for forestry development, aiming to provide insights for the progress of China's forestry sector. Overall, it should be noted that the priority is to vigorously develop timber resources, and we also need to vigorously develop and protect forestry talent with the support of China's policies. By trapping into the carbon storage capabilities and leveraging carbon trading mechanisms of forests, a favorable ecological environment can be created, thus achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. Highlights: • Forest development and its carbon sinks, attributed to plant and soil have the potential in carbon sequestration process, thus helping China achieve carbon neutrality. • The supply of forest products and the balance of economic growth and environmental protection are the key difficulties under the "Dual Carbon" strategy. • Trading forest carbon sinks can boost China's sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although accelerated urbanization has led to economic prosperity, it has also resulted in urban heat island effects. Therefore, identifying methods of using limited urban spaces to alleviate heat islands has become an urgent issue. In this study, we assessed the spatiotemporal evolution of urban heat islands within the central urban area of Fuzhou City, China from 2010 to 2019. This assessment was based on a morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) model and an urban thermal environment spatial network constructed using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Optimization measures for the spatial network were proposed to provide a theoretical basis for alleviating urban heat islands. The results show that the heat island area within the study area gradually increased while that of urban cold island area gradually decreased. The core area was the largest of the urban heat island patch landscape elements with a significant impact on other landscape elements, and represented an important factor underlying urban heat island network stability. The thermal environment network revealed a total of 197 thermal environment corridors and 93 heat island sources. These locations were then optimized according to the current land use, which maximized the potential of 1599.83 ha. Optimization based on current land use led to an increase in climate resilience, with effective measures showing reduction in thermal environment spatial network structure and function, contributing to the mitigation of urban heat island. These findings support the use of current land use patterns during urban heat island mitigation measure planning, thus providing an important reference basis for alleviating urban heat island effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of China's rapid growth and increasing engagement in the global climate regime, the authoritarian regulatory model has attracted attention from researchers and policymakers alike. This paper examines the question of to what extent and in what way state authoritarianism leads to (un)successful environmental policy implementation in China, with particular attention to energy transformation. This study inter-connects macro and micro inquiries through a case study of nuclear energy policy in China. An examination of the extended policy cycle as a comprehensive process that brings a policy to fruition shows that authoritarian regulatory environmental policy intervenes in each stage, resulting in a particular path of the evolution of environmental policy in nuclearising energy transformation in China. Adding to commonly accepted tenets of authoritarian environmentalism in general, the explanations of Chinese distinctiveness in materialising environmental policy enhances the understanding of the merits and challenges of authoritarian mechanisms of environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We develop a quantitative spatial equilibrium model with emissions regulation. • Counterfactual analyses of regional structural changes due to emissions regulation. • Emissions regulations impact regional GDP via regional-sectoral linkages. • Cross-regional impacts of emissions regulations have typical geographical characteristics. • Sectoral linkages widen variation in emissions regulations' impact on regional GDP. We develop and quantitatively evaluate a spatial general equilibrium model that incorporates carbon emission regulations. We study the impact of emission regulation on the economies of regions within a country under climate change mitigation goals, and how the impact of emission regulation in one region influences other regions through regional‒sectoral linkages. The model is calibrated using Chinese regional and sectoral data, and several counterfactual exercises are performed. The results indicate that undifferentiated increases in emission regulation across regions have resulted in inter-regional differences in real GDP changes; however, "equity-oriented" regionally differentiated emissions regulations reduce this imbalance. Regarding interactions between regions, negative impacts on the economy are characterized by geographical proximity, whereas positive impacts are not geographically constrained. Sectoral linkages exacerbate the negative economic impacts of emission regulations and widen regional disparities. Additionally, we demonstrate the extended application of our model through two case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization has increased global carbon emissions, necessitating effective climate change mitigation measures. China, the most populous developing nation, faces the challenge of strategizing emissions to meet national carbon neutrality objectives. However, research on specific regions' carbon emissions drivers and causal factors is limited, particularly across prefectural-level cities. This study estimates the spatial and temporal patterns of carbon emissions across China's prefectural cities and utilizes both OLS regression and stepwise regression models to analyze the impact of various factors influencing carbon emissions in these cities. Results reveal the following: (1) The country's overall 20-year carbon emissions continue to grow from 3020.29 Mt in 2001 to 9169.74 Mt in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 5.71%; the eastern region has seen a gradual deceleration in emissions, whereas the western region continues to experience an increase. Carbon emissions in cities within each subregion consistently rise. (2) Carbon emissions in Chinese prefectural-level cities exhibit strong spatial autocorrelation and clustering (Z > 1.96, p < 0.05), with hot spots primarily in the eastern coastal areas and cold spots in the northwest to southwest regions. (3) Economic and demographic factors significantly increase carbon emissions, while climate and urbanization effects are more complex and variable. Economic growth and population increase are the most significant influencing factors, but regional variances exist in carbon emissions determinants in subregional prefectural cities. These insights provide valuable insights into national emission dynamics at the prefectural level, providing a theoretical basis for enhancing carbon emission strategies across various jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Drought events have become increasingly frequent and intensive due to the combined influence of climate change and anthropogenic activities. However, it remains unclear how meteorological drought characteristics (duration, severity, and intensity) respond to the changing environment and what are the dominant factors determining the drought evolution in different climate regions. Here, we divide mainland China into four sub-climatic regions, namely the Humid region (HR), Transition region (TR), Arid region (AR), and Tibetan Plateau (TP), based on the aridity index and geomorphology. Then systematically investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of drought characteristics in different climate regions over China (during 2000–2019) based on the SPEI and run theory. And the contribution of precipitation (Pre) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) to drought characteristics are quantitatively analyzed using a detrended numerical experiment method. We find that (1) a pattern of "dry gets drier, wet gets wetter" was found in China. (2) Meteorological drought characteristics exhibit apparent regional heterogeneity: droughts in AR are of long duration and high severity, while droughts in HR and TR show a pattern of high frequency. (3) An increase in the annual Pre (PET) resulted in increases (decreases) in average SPEI in China of 45.18% (31.62%). Therefore, Pre is the dominant factor determining the increase of SPEI over China. For the four sub-climatic regions, Pre is the dominant factor in the increase of SPEI in TR and HR, with the contribution of 41.64% and 60.16%. PET is the dominant factor in the decrease of SPEI in AR, with the contribution of 50.11%. The contributions of Pre (45.09%) and PET (44.09%) in TP are roughly equivalent. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in shaping climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. By understanding the leading meteorological factors influencing drought, policymakers can implement effective measures to minimize the influence of disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies suggest that hypolimnetic respiration may be responsible for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deep reservoirs. Currently, quantitative evaluation of aerobic vs. anaerobic processes and priming (enhanced processing of organic matter due to the addition of labile carbon) in regulating GHG production and emissions across the reservoir‐downstream continuum remains largely unknown. High‐resolution, annual time‐series observations in a large, subtropical reservoir (Shuikou) experiencing seasonal hypoxia in southeast China indicate that aerobic hypolimnetic CO2 production dominated in most periods of the stratified spring/summer with higher rates at higher temperatures. In addition, anaerobic production of hypolimnetic CO2 occurred in the late stratified spring/summer period, which stimulated hypolimnetic production of CH4 and N2O. Incubation experiments showed that priming in spring enhanced both aerobic and anaerobic production of excess GHGs. A late spring flood event generated the highest daily efflux of CO2 through the flushing of GHG‐enriched hypolimnion waters. Turbine degassing contributed 59%, 93%, and 63% of annual CO2, CH4, and N2O effluxes, respectively. Moreover, annual downstream GHG emissions were similar to those in the transition/lacustrine zone of the Shuikou reservoir. Diurnal variation observations revealed net CO2 emissions even during algal bloom seasons. The reservoir‐downstream river continuum was a year‐round source of GHGs (218.5 ± 18.9 Gg CO2‐equivalent yr−1; CO2 contributed 91%). However, the loss of oxygen also leads to increased production and storage of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon (RDOC). Thus, identifying mechanisms controlling both GHG emissions and RDOC production is crucial to constrain the carbon neutrality issue of hydroelectric reservoirs in the context of climate change mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem carbon storage (ECS) is a critical consideration in reducing the impact of global warming and tackling environmental challenges, positioning it at the forefront of contemporary research. Due to the significant differences in the influence of land usage patterns on ECS in various policy contexts and China's commitment to attaining a carbon-neutral status, a model simulating different scenarios is needed to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics and evolutionary process of carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems accurately. To address this challenge, this study established a coupling model of "Geographical analysis -Evolution analysis -Predicting (GEP)" for assessing ecosystem ECS and analyzing its spatial characteristics and evolutionary patterns and projecting the spatial distribution of ECS under various developmental scenarios, which analyzed variations in ECS across different levels of magnitude and delineated the changing areas across a range of varying scenarios in the future additionally. The outcomes suggested that the ECS decreased by 1.17 × 106 t from 1990 to 2020, which pertaining to the utilization transfer of land in the area, whose change in ECS levels with a positive trend. It is predicted that the ECS will grow by 1.15 × 106 t and 1.44 × 106 t, in 2030 and 2060 compared with 2020 within the framework of natural development scenario (NDS), while within the framework of ecological protection scene (EPS), ECS will increase significantly, increasing by 3.06 × 106 t and 4.44 × 106 t. There will be more areas where ECS increases within the framework of EPS, by comparing with the NDS. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of Hanzhong City's carbon storage trends, demonstrating its significant impact on climate change mitigation and serving as a predictive model for similar regions, which underscores the importance of localized carbon management strategies, offering valuable insights for local governments in formulating effective climate adaptation and mitigation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued urban expansion (UE) has long been regarded as a huge challenge for climate change mitigation. However, much less is known about how UE affects carbon emissions (CEs), especially in the urban agglomerations of the Yellow River Basin (UAYRB), China. In this regard, this study introduced kernel density analysis, the Gini coefficient, and Markov chains to reveal the UE patterns and carbon emissions intensity (CEI) in the UAYRB at the county level, and explored the spatial heterogeneity of the impact of UE on CEI with the geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The results show that both CEI and UE in the UAYRB showed a steady growing trend during the study period. The kernel density of CEI and UE revealed that CEI in the UAYRB was weakening, while the UE rate continuously slowed down. The Gini coefficients of both CEI and UE in the UAYRB region were at high levels, indicating obvious spatial imbalance. The Markov transfer probability matrix for CEI with a time span of five years showed that CEI growth will still occur over the next five years, while that of UE was more obvious. Meanwhile, counties with a regression coefficient of UE on CEI higher than 0 covered the majority, and the distribution pattern remained quite stable. The regression coefficients of different urban landscape metrics on CEI in the UAYRB varied greatly; except for the landscape shape index, the regression coefficients of the aggregation index, interspersion and juxtaposition index, and patch density overall remained positive. These findings can advance the policy enlightenment of the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization of the value of ecological products has led to an economic means for reducing carbon emissions in China. Tea is one of the most important cash crops and one of the most popular beverages in the world. Due to the complex the tea industrial chain, it is considered to be an industry with high carbon emissions. Ecological tea products with low-carbon attributes can be considered a linkage of ecology, economy, and society. Based on this, this paper presents research on low-carbon ecological tea (LCT). Herein, we construct the formational logic of low-carbon ecological products, explore the connotations of LCT, and form a conceptual pathway for realizing LCT to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This paper starts from the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the industrial chain; it establishes three value realization pathways that keep, as a priority, the promotion of ecological industrialization, focus on restoration to improve the ecology of the industrial chain, and innovate technology to expand the industrial chain. The pathways are a set of low-emission production solutions that use techniques to enhance carbon sequestration in soil, reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and help shift to clean energy from low-emission sources in the stages of plantation, processing, and distribution. In the process of realizing LCT, the government plays an important role, and its support and guidance are needed. Based on stakeholder theory, this paper builds an implementation mechanism that focuses on the micro perspective (users, organizations), integrates the mesoscopic perspective (industry), and relies on the macro perspective (government). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific assessment of mariculture carbon sinks is crucial to recognize its potential as a significant component of marine blue carbon in global climate change mitigation. Therefore, the objective of the research was to estimate the seaweed and shellfish mariculture carbon sink of different varieties in various sea areas. The paper emphasized the distinction between short-term carbon sequestration in seaweed and shellfish that can be removed and long-term carbon sequestration that is deposited. Methodologically, the evaluation was based on the carbon sequestration mechanism and systematic pathways in shellfish and seaweeds. Additionally, the carbon sequestration of shellfish and seaweed aquaculture over the last decade was evaluated by the carbon sink assessment model, and the reasons for the differences in the carbon sink capacity of mariculture in China's coastal provinces were discussed by using the LMDI decomposition model. The results indicated the carbon sequestration of offshore seaweeds and shellfish mariculture in China was huge. From 2010 to 2020, offshore seaweed aquaculture in China amounted to 7.959 Mt C/a, while shellfish aquaculture contributed 33.542 Mt C/a to the carbon sinks. Sedimentary carbon sequestration by shellfish accounted for 51% of the total carbon sequestration in mariculture involving shellfish and seaweeds. Especially noteworthy is the sedimentary carbon sequestration by shellfish, which is an indispensable and crucial component of mariculture carbon sequestration estimation. It is concluded that improvements in farming efficiency exerted the greatest influence on the variations of the mariculture carbon sink, while adjustments in farming structure had a relatively minor impact in the case of little change in aquaculture yield. Enhancing farming efficiency emerges as a practical approach to bolstering the carbon sink potential of marine aquaculture fisheries in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global climate change is one of the major challenges facing the world today, and forests play a crucial role as significant carbon sinks and providers of ecosystem services in mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. China, as one of the largest developing countries globally, owns 60% of its forest resources collectively. Evaluating the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests not only helps assess the contribution of China's forest resources to global climate change mitigation but also provides important evidence for formulating relevant policies and measures. Results: Over the past 30 years, the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China has shown an overall upward trend. Except for coastal provinces, southern collective forest areas, as well as some southwestern and northeastern regions, have the advantage of lower carbon sequestration costs. Furthermore, LSTM network predictions indicate that the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests in China will continue to rise. By 2030, the average carbon sequestration cost of collective forests is projected to reach 125 CNY per ton(= 16.06 Euros/t). Additionally, there is spatial correlation in the carbon sequestration cost of collective forests. Timber production, labor costs, and labor prices have negative spatial spillover effects on carbon sequestration costs, while land opportunity costs, forest accumulation, and rural resident consumption have positive spatial spillover effects. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate regional disparities in the spatial distribution of carbon sequestration costs of collective forests, with an undeniable upward trend in future cost growth. It is essential to focus on areas with lower carbon sequestration costs and formulate targeted carbon sink economic policies and management measures to maximize the carbon sequestration potential of collective forests and promote the sustainable development of forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine wetlands are critical ecosystems for global carbon (C) cycling and climate change mitigation. Ecological restoration projects for alpine grazing wetlands are urgently needed, especially due to their critical role as carbon (C) sinks. However, the fate of the C pool in alpine wetlands after restoration from grazing remains unclear. In this study, soil samples from both grazed and restored wetlands in Zoige (near Hongyuan County, Sichuan Province, China) were collected to analyze soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), soil properties, and plant biomass. Moreover, the Tea Bag Index (TBI) was applied to assess the initial decomposition rate (k) and stabilization factor (S), providing a novel perspective on SOC dynamics. The results of this research revealed that the mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) was 1.40 times higher in restored sites compared to grazed sites, although no significant difference in particulate organic carbon (POC) was detected between the two site types. Furthermore, the increased MAOC after restoration exhibited a significant positive correlation with various parameters including S, C and N content, aboveground biomass, WSOC, AMF diversity, and NH4+. This indicates that restoration significantly increases plant primary production, litter turnover, soil characteristics, and AMF diversity, thereby enhancing the C stabilization capacity of alpine wetland soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of increasingly severe global climate change, finding effective carbon emission reduction strategies has become key to mitigating climate change. Environmental Protection Tax (EPT), as a widely recognized method, effectively promotes climate change mitigation by encouraging emission reduction behaviors and promoting the application of clean technologies. Based on data from 282 cities in China, this paper takes the official implementation of the EPT in 2018 as the policy impact and the cities with increased tax rates for air taxable pollutants as the treatment group and uses DID model to systematically demonstrate the relationship between the implementation of the EPT and carbon intensity (CI) and further explores the possible pollutant emissions and green innovation mediating effects. The findings show that (1) the implementation of EPT can effectively reduce CI by about 4.75%, and this conclusion still holds after considering the robustness of variable selection bias, elimination of other normal effects, policy setting time bias, and self-selection bias. (2) The implementation of EPT can reduce CI by reducing pollutant emissions and improving the level of green innovation. (3) There is obvious regional heterogeneity in the carbon reduction effect of EPT, and the implementation of EPT has a more significant effect on CI in medium-tax areas, low environmental concern areas, general cities, and eastern regions. This paper not only provides a new analytical perspective for systematically understanding the carbon emission reduction effect of EPT but also provides policy insights for promoting regional green transformation and advancing carbon peak carbon neutralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the composite index of carbon lock-in (CLI), and then examines whether green financial inclusion (GFI) can help to explain the pace of CLI in 283 Chinese cities for the period 2010–2017. We also conduct four heterogeneous analyses, and detect the asymmetric, threshold, and mediating effects in the GFI-CLI nexus. The primary findings reveal that: (1) GFI plays a significant role in CLI abatement; (2) the restraining effect of GFI on CLI is more significant in eastern China, first-tier cities, non-resource-based cities, and capital cities; (3) GFI shows an asymmetric correlation with CLI at various quantiles. Moreover, internet penetration would enhance such a negative relationship; (4) GFI has an indirect acceleration effect of eliminating CLI through the channels of innovation, government support, and development of the digital economy. Following the above findings, we propose some suggestions related to climate change mitigation and GFI evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal wetlands play an important role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and contribute significantly to climate change mitigation. However, climate change, reclamation, and restoration have been causing substantial changes in coastal wetland areas and carbon exchange in China during recent decades. Here we compiled a carbon flux database consisting of 15 coastal wetland sites to assess the magnitude, patterns, and drivers of carbon fluxes and to compare fluxes among contrasting natural, disturbed, and restored wetlands. The natural coastal wetlands have the average net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) of −577 g C m−2 year−1, with −821 g C m−2 year−1 for mangrove forests and −430 g C m−2 year−1 for salt marshes. There are pronounced latitudinal patterns for carbon dioxide exchange of natural coastal wetlands: NEE increased whereas gross primary production (GPP) and respiration of ecosystem decreased with increasing latitude. Distinct environmental factors drive annual variations of GPP between mangroves and salt marshes; temperature was the dominant controlling factor in salt marshes, while temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were co‐dominant in mangroves. Meanwhile, both anthropogenic reclamation and restoration had substantial effects on coastal wetland carbon fluxes, and the effect of the anthropogenic perturbation in mangroves was more extensive than that in salt marshes. Furthermore, from 1980 to 2020, anthropogenic reclamation of China's coastal wetlands caused a carbon loss of ~3720 Gg C, while the mangrove restoration project during the period of 2021–2025 may switch restored coastal wetlands from a carbon source to carbon sink with a net carbon gain of 73 Gg C. The comparison of carbon fluxes among these coastal wetlands can improve our understanding of how anthropogenic perturbation can affect the potentials of coastal blue carbon in China, which has implications for informing conservation and restoration strategies and efforts of coastal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing atmospheric CO2 causes substantial spatial and seasonal changes in air temperature and precipitation through its radiative (RAD) and vegetation physiological (PHY) effects. However, it remains poorly understood on how these two effects impact the integrated climate zone shifts over China. Here, we disentangle the RAD and PHY effects on the shifts of Köppen‐Geiger climate zones from pre‐industrial to 4 × CO2 in China using nine Earth system models. We find that climate zone changes over approximately 56.1% of China, and PHY contributes 15.2% of such changes at 4 × CO2. PHY shifts regional climate to warmer and wetter classifications, shrinking (−42.8%) the arid zone distributions and promoting (26.8%) the tropical zone northward extensions. Our findings highlight the critical role of vegetation in reshaping the overall climate zone distributions, yet introduce potential risk to climate mitigation and adaptation. Plain Language Summary: Ongoing rise in atmospheric CO2 not only alters the magnitudes of temperature and precipitation, but also shifts their spatial and seasonal variations, reshaping climate zone distributions. Vegetation amplifies global warming and modulates precipitation through its physiological response (PHY) to rising CO2, but how this process affects the local climate zone shifts is understudied, especially in China. Using nine CMIP6 Earth system models, we find that climate zone undergoes shifts across 56.1% of China at 4 × CO2, and PHY contributes 15.2% of such changes. PHY aids the northward expansions of tropical and temperate zones, and generally shifts the regions to warmer and wetter climate from pre‐industrial to 4 × CO2. Importantly, PHY diminishes (−42.8%) the arid zone coverage, indicating an important role of vegetation to alleviate water stress in those regions. Strong PHY contributions to the total climate zone area changes caused by rising CO2 emerges in Shandong, Shanxi, Ningxia, Guangdong and Guangxi at 4 × CO2. Our results clarify the climate zone shifts at 4 × CO2 and unravel the role of vegetation physiological response on shifting future climate zone distributions in China, providing new perspective on the role of vegetation in climate system. Key Points: Climate zone shifts across 56.1% of land area in China at 4 × CO2, 15.2% of which is contributed by vegetation CO2 physiological forcingCO2 physiological forcing shifts the regions to a warmer climate through lifting temperature, expanding tropical zone northwardVegetation acts to shrink arid zone as precipitation increases through CO2 physiological forcing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is facing challenges to tackle the threat of climate change while reducing social inequality. Poverty eradication requires improvement in the living conditions of low-income households, which leads in turn to higher carbon footprints and may undermine the efforts of climate change mitigation. Previous studies have assessed the climate impacts of poverty eradication, but few have quantified how the additional carbon emissions of poverty eradication are shared at the subnational level in China and the impact on China's climate targets. We investigated the recent trend of carbon footprint inequality in China's provinces and estimated the climate burden of different poverty reduction schemes, measured by increased carbon emissions. The results indicate that poverty eradication will not impede the achievement of national climate targets, with an average annual household carbon footprint increase of 0.1%–1.2%. However, the carbon emissions growth in less developed provinces can be 4.0%, five times that in wealthy regions. Less developed regions suffer a greater climate burden because of poverty eradication, which may offset carbon reduction efforts. Therefore, interregional collaboration is needed to coordinate inequality reduction with investments in low-carbon trajectories in all provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing building energy use, a linchpin of climate change mitigation, is a daunting challenge across the world. Gaining increasing attention, retro-commissioning (RCx) is a systematic process that can improve building energy performance. Using a techno-legal lens to review statutes and guides on RCx, this study reveals that in China, a national standard on building commissioning has taken effect yet RCx statutes are hitherto not found. The United States has RCx statutes enacted over 14 states; scrutinizing the statutes of five cities unveils similarities and differences in their scope of control and compliance requirements. In the absence of a specific RCx statute, the guide of Hong Kong, China provides detailed guidance for energy saving practices. While these findings can serve as reference for other places planning to formulate laws or guidance on RCx, the need to further study the effectiveness of mandating RCx for reducing building energy use is highlighted. A conceptual analysis of cost variation with statutory control, which could help policymakers consider from an economic perspective whether or to what extent statutory RCx requirements should be imposed, is also illustrated. This not only contributes insights to the pursuit of an optimal balance between statutory control and voluntary action for energy reduction but also adds to the debate on building energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subnational climate actors are expected to play an increasingly important role in climate actions. However, a trade-off between equity and efficiency emerges when nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are distributed into subnational actions. In this study, we propose a two-staged carbon quota allocation method, with an equity-based 1st-stage allocation mechanism wherein provincial carbon reduction efforts are shared equally and an efficiency-based 2nd-stage allocation mechanism to maximize input–output efficiency. Using China as a case study, we convert China's NDC carbon intensity reduction target into a total emissions cap and apply the allocation method to show that the 2nd-stage allocation significantly increases the total provincial carbon emission efficiency without seriously compromising equity. As the allocation method changes from equity-based to efficiency-based, the carbon quotas mainly flow out from provinces with small emissions and high energy intensity to provinces with large emissions and low energy intensity. The two-staged carbon quota allocation method effectively considers the equity and efficiency principles, which can reduce resistance to the implementation of national NDCs. Generally, the approach has promising application potential for countries to break down the NDC into subnational shares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of shale gas from onshore and offshore shale gas reservoirs will play an important role in meeting China's future energy needs, which will not only help alleviate the energy crisis but also contribute to climate change mitigation. As for the target shale formation enriched by thin sandstone layers in typical basins, an analytical calculation method is proposed to perform pressure analysis for multi-layer shale gas reservoirs considering the adsorption–desorption characteristics of shale layer and the interlayer cross-flow. Firstly, the changes in storage capacity and flow resistance are obtained by using the distance of investigation equation. According to the electrical analogy, the equivalent total storage capacity and flow resistance can be calculated considering the sandstone-shale crossflow. Because production from one time step to the other causes depletion of the storage capacity, the reservoir pressure in different time steps can be calculated based on the material balance equation. Numerical models have been constructed based on three typical reservoir lithology combinations (sandstone-shale, shale-sandstone-shale and sandstone-shale-sandstone) to validate the accuracy of the proposed analytical calculation method. Furthermore, three important factors (porosity, the ratio of horizontal/vertical permeability (kh/kv) and the layer thickness) have been selected for the sensitivity analysis to verify the stability. The comparative results indicate that the proposed analytical calculation method is suitable for pressure analysis in shale gas reservoirs containing thin sandstone layers. It will provide theoretical support for the further enhancement of the production of this type of gas reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) is a significant greenhouse gas in exacerbating climate change. Approximately 25 % of CH4 is emitted from storage tanks. It is crucial to spatially explore the CH4 emission patterns from storage tanks for efficient strategy proposals to mitigate climate change. However, due to the lack of publicly accessible storage tank locations and distributions, it is difficult to ascertain the CH4 emission spatial pattern over a large-scale area. To address this problem, we generated a storage tank dataset (STD) by implementing a deep learning model with manual refinement based on high spatial resolution images (1–2m) from the GaoFen-1, GaoFen-2, GaoFen-6, and Ziyuan-3 satellites over cities in China with officially reported numerous storage tanks in 2021. STD is the first storage tank dataset over 92 typical cities in China. The dataset can be accessed at https://zenodo.org/records/10514151 (Chen et al., 2024). It provides a detailed georeferenced inventory of 14,461 storage tanks, wherein each storage tank is validated and assigned the construction year (2000–2021) by visual interpretation referring to the collected high spatial resolution images, historical high spatial resolution images of Google Earth, and field survey. The inventory comprises storage tanks having various distribution patterns in different cities. Spatial consistency analysis with CH4 emission product shows good agreement with storage tank distributions. The intensive construction of storage tanks significantly induces CH4 emissions from 2005 to 2020, underscoring the need for more robust measures to curb CH4 release and aid in climate change mitigation efforts. Our proposed dataset STD will foster the accurate estimation of CH4 released from storage tanks for CH4 control and reduction and ensure more efficient treatment strategies are proposed to better understand the impact of storage tanks on the environment, ecology, and human settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation and carbon neutrality are current hot topics. Forests, urban green spaces, and wetland ecosystems are recognized as important carbon sinks. The Yangtze River Delta region in Eastern China, which plays a pivotal role in China's economic and social development, is rich in such carbon-sink resources. There is, however, a lack of regional carbon data. The investigation of carbon storage and carbon densities of forest, urban green space, and wetland ecosystems is, therefore, of great importance. In this study, the forest resource management map (including wetland) and green space system planning map of Changzhou city, combined with a field investigation and laboratory experimental analysis, were used to estimate the carbon storages and carbon densities of the forest, urban green space, and wetland ecosystems in Changzhou city. The average carbon density and carbon storage in Changzhou were 83.34 ± 4.91 Mg C ha−1 and 11.30 ± 0.67 Tg C, respectively, of which soil accounted for 74%, plants accounted for 25%, and litter accounted for less than 1%. The forest ecosystem contributed the most to the carbon pool (72%), with the green space ecosystem and the wetland ecosystem each accounting for 14% of the carbon pools. Clearly, the forest, green space, and wetland ecosystems in Changzhou city have a large carbon storage capacity. This study is of significance as it provides data on the carbon sink functions of forest, green space, and wetland ecosystems at the provincial and national regional scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood processing products can be used as a substitute for some high carbon emission materials, thus contributing significantly to climate change mitigation. China has significant importance in guaranteeing a stable global supply of wood products. However, China has experienced a decline in wood product exports recently, which could affect the world's progress toward sustainable development. This study focuses on the spatial agglomeration of China's wood-processing industry and explores the potential of integrating spatial agglomeration to address the diminishing export growth. We found that the spatial agglomeration of China's wood-processing industry generally increased rapidly between 1999 and 2004, but decreased after 2004. The centroid of China's wood-processing is shifting from the northeastern region toward the eastern coastal areas. The industry is more concentrated in the north–south direction and slightly dispersed in the east–west direction. Most sub-sectors of China's wood-processing industry operate at the primary agglomeration level, indicating significant potential for improvement and further development. The empirical results unveil the substantial positive influence of spatial agglomeration on exports within China's wood-processing industry, indicating the prospects for enhancing exports through the deliberate exploitation of agglomeration effects. The results advocate the view that spatial agglomeration acts as an essential accelerator for export growth and firms' international competitiveness. Therefore, spatial agglomeration can alleviate the export constraints of China's wood-processing industry. The results also show that exports are hampered by increased enterprise productivity. The 'productivity paradox' phenomenon has also surfaced in low-tech industries, like the wood-processing industry, as a result of issues with transaction costs, the development path, and policy orientation. Therefore, we should strategically leverage the spatial agglomeration effect, especially in the western region, and guide the moderate competition of enterprises to enhance the competitiveness of low-tech enterprises. China's wood-processing industry can provide advanced experience and lessons for other countries regarding industrial cluster allocation and sustainable development models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we empirically evaluate the effect of climate change on agricultural technical efficiency, considering the moderating effect of mitigation efforts based on emission reduction in China. In particular, we directly measure the intensity of mitigation efforts using the climate change mitigation index. We then apply the two-stage double bootstrap DEA method to build up the empirical model, effectively avoiding biased estimation using the traditional two-stage DEA method. Our results show that the intensity of mitigation measures moderates the impacts of global warming on efficiency and mild mitigation measures are better than drastic ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic‐like substances (HULIS) are significant contributor to the light absorption of water‐soluble brown carbon (WSBrC), which contains certain strong light‐absorbing chemical components that are not well understood, impeding the assessment of WSBrC's climate impact. China as the hotspot regions with high loading of WSBrC characterized by high light‐absorbing capacity, here, we investigated the sources and atmospheric processes (δ13C–Δ14C), molecular composition (Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry), and light absorption properties (UV spectrophotometry) of HULIS in PM2.5 from 10 Chinese cities. HULIS‐C was major contributor to the light absorption coefficient (70.5 ± 6.6%) of WSBrC at 365 nm, which was more enriched with fossil sources (48.0 ± 9.0% vs. 30.3 ± 13.9%) but depleted in 13C (δ13C: −25.6 ± 0.9‰ vs. −22.4 ± 1.0‰) relative to non‐HULIS‐C. This suggests that the fossil components in HULIS are more recalcitrant to oxidative aging and exhibit higher light‐absorbing capacity, while the non‐fossil organic carbon is more likely to be oxidatively bleached into small, colorless, and highly polar molecules (i.e., non‐HULIS). Aromatic components are the major strong light‐absorbing fossil components in HULIS, dominantly originating from coal combustion (>77%). Non‐negative matrix factorization model showed that aromatic molecules from coal combustion have higher molecular weight and lower oxidation levels than biomass burning, potentially making them to be photo‐recalcitrant compounds. Our finding that coal combustion‐derived BrC maybe more persistent in the atmosphere and has greater long‐term impact on climate than BrC derived from biomass burning is an important consideration in climate models and mitigation policies. Plain Language Summary: Both the loading and light‐absorbing capacity of water‐soluble brown carbon (WSBrC) are high in China, but little is known about sources and atmospheric processes of strong light‐absorbing components in WSBrC. Humic‐like substances (HULIS) account for a significant fraction of light absorption by WSBrC, which may contain strong light‐absorbing components. Through dual carbon isotopic analysis, we discovered that HULIS‐C from 10 Chinese cities had relatively higher fossil sources contribution but lower δ13C values compared to non‐HULIS‐C. This indicates that the fossil components in HULIS not only possess a higher light‐absorbing capacity but are also more resistant to oxidative aging than non‐fossil components. The higher light‐absorbing capacity and resilience of fossil components can be attributed to the enrichment of aromatic compounds derived from coal combustion. Using the non‐negative matrix factorization model, we found that coal combustion tends to generate aromatic compounds with higher molecular weight and lower oxidation‐to‐carbon (O/C: 0.31 ± 0.03 vs. 0.50 ± 0.07) ratios than biomass burning. This characteristic may contribute to the recalcitrant property of coal combustion‐derived HULIS. Our findings highlight that coal combustion‐derived BrC may persists longer in the atmosphere and has a greater long‐term impact on climate than that derived from biomass burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the intricate relationships between progress and the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is vital for informed and adaptable sustainable development policy formulation. This study focused on the Lincang National Innovation Demonstration Zone for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (LC-NIDZASD) in China. By evaluating sustainability scores at the county level from 2011 to 2020, the trade-offs and synergies among SDGs were explored. Priority SDGs for development were identified, and targeted recommendations were established based on these findings. The key findings are as follows: (1) The SDG index scores of Lincang and its counties showed an increase from 2011 to 2020, with scores riding from 42.1 to 52.2. SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG12 (Responsible Production and Consumption) had the highest scores, while SDG1 (No Poverty) and SDG4 (Quality Education) increased significantly. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in the scores of SDG1, SDG8 (Decent Jobs and Economic Growth), and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals) in 2020 decreased compared to 2019. Decreased scores in SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG15 (Life on Land) may be attributable to climate change. (2) The relationship between "Objectives" and "Governance" appears to be synergistic, while "Essential Needs" mainly shows a trade-off relationship with "Objectives" and "Governance." (3) To promote achievements in the construction of LC-NIDZASD, priority should be given to SDG3 (Health and Well-Being), SDG8, SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG12; SDG4 should not be ignored. (4) Overall, Lincang has made significant progress in sustainable development. However, to further consolidate these achievements, adjustments should be made for SDG7 (Energy Consumption and Production Structure). Efforts should be made to strengthen climate governance measures and improve warning and forecasting capabilities to promote the synergistic development of SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG13 with other SDGs. This study's dynamic monitoring of changes in the SDGs in Lincang provides valuable insights into the synergies and trade-offs among these goals. Appropriate prioritization across various SDGs can allow for timely adjustments in sustainable management policies, ultimately contributing to the successful operation of the LC-NIDZASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the potential of green finance as a strategic method to addressing climate change mitigation in China's blockchain industry. This research methodically analyzes a large dataset collected from many sources across the period between 1999 and 2020. Using a mixed approach of quantitative research and qualitative case studies, this study delves into the tangled web of relationships between alternative finance sources for green initiatives and the use of blockchain technology to promote more environmentally friendly business practices. The results provide light on how green finance and blockchain technologies might work together to boost China's climate change mitigation efforts, revealing fresh insights into the possible synergies and obstacles that erupt from this intersection. In response to the worsening climate problem, there is a pressing need for unconventional methods of financing that can lead holistic sustainable growth. Concurrently, blockchain technology's disruptive potential reverberates across numerous sectors. However, research on blockchain's potential for combating climate change, especially in conjunction with green funding systems, is still in its infancy. Intrinsic interest has motivated this study, which provides a new viewpoint on paths that might transform climate change mitigation in China by mapping the unexplored territory at the intersection of the green finance and blockchain sectors. This research hopes that by examining this interface, it will shed light on the hidden opportunities presented by the combination of green financing and blockchain innovation, allowing for more well-informed and effective decisions to be made in support of environmentally sustainable futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact of different external forcings on regional temperature changes in China and constraining future changes is important for formulating targeted climate mitigation policies. We conducted a detection and attribution analysis to examine the effects of different external forcings on the differences in warming across China and seven subregions. This analysis spanned from 1965 to 2014 and used observations as well as data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models. The signals of anthropogenic (ANT) forcing can be detected and separated from natural (NAT) forcing in all regions, and the effect of greenhouse gases are found to account for a significant portion of the observed warming in these regions. In the Yangtze River Basin, southeast China and southwest China, the observed warming trends are lower than other subregions. This can be attributed to the relatively weak impact of greenhouse gases, resulting in a temperature increase of only 0.51°C in the Yangtze River Basin, which accounts for 48.57% of the observed warming. While both southeast China and southwest China experience a cooling effect of aerosols, leading to temperature decreases of 0.20 and 0.53°C, respectively, even though the signal of aerosol forcing is not detected. In terms of future projection, the use of attribution constraint approach effectively corrects the biases of the CMIP6 model simulation and reduces projection uncertainty in China and most subregions under the new shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5. The Tibetan Plateau has the largest reduction of the uncertainty range among seven subregions, with the decrease of 39.02% under SSP2‐4.5 scenario in the long‐term (2081–2098). In addition, north China and southwest China will experience the highest and lowest warming in the long‐term (2081–2098) after attribution constraints, increasing by 3.41 and 2.14°C, respectively, under SSP2‐4.5 scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a conceptual and analytical framework of states' legitimacy-seeking to comprehensively investigate the motivation behind China's climate and environment policy. While previous research has largely overlooked political factors that underlie China's climate policy, this paper argues that these factors are crucial in understanding China's policy changes, which are evident at both domestic and international levels. By examining sources such as government documents, leaders' speeches and authoritative literature, this study contends that China's climate change initiatives are part of a broader effort to enhance domestic and international legitimacy. The issue of climate change has become highly politicised in China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and it serves as a crucial test of the ruling party and the state's capacity to govern effectively. As such, legitimacy-seeking is the key driver that links China's domestic measures and international commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After almost 10 years, people wonder if green finance has been able to attain its objectives in terms of controlling climate change. Persistent global warming and climate deregulation manifested by melting glaciers, droughts and floods, are all of these determinants that have called into question the efficiency of green finance. Design/methodology/approach: Green finance is a way to support climate action through investments. It has proven that this is a viable financial instrument and that it can be used by governments and private companies to plan for the future of our planet. Findings: Based on an analysis of articles published in top international journals from 2016 to 2022, about the relationship between green technology and financial services in China, this paper aims to present an overview of green finance, its importance for the planet, its objectives and its instruments. Research limitations/implications: This study's contribution is to shed light on the aspects that may have limited its effectiveness, such as the absence of incentives, the absence of climate costs and above all the absence of finance green standards. Originality/value: The results have shown that there is still a significant gap in green finance before inclusive green growth can be achieved. Inclusive green growth. All stakeholders need to increase the level of investment in green finance. The green investment financing gap is the result of inconsistencies in sustainability and policies. Therefore, governments must intervene to impose appropriate policies and regulations to compel the financial sector to engage in sustainable development. All of these factors make the concept of green finance just an illusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a significant focal point in the construction of a human community with a shared future. However, many BRI partner countries are located in climate-sensitive areas. There are doubts and criticisms about the BRI, suggesting that its infrastructure projects might increase the vulnerability to climate change in the BRI partner countries. To address this controversy, this study investigated the role of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in enhancing the ability of these countries to cope with climate change risks and examined the underlying mechanisms of this impact. Using panel data from 65 BRI partner countries spanning 2004 - 2020, the study evaluated the impact of China's OFDI on the partner countries' ability to cope with climate change risks, with the climate change vulnerability risk of each country as the explanatory variable. The findings indicated that: (J) China's OFDI in the Belt and Road region significantly mitigated the climate change vulnerability risks of the partner countries and improved their climate risk coping capacity in the context of the intensifying global climate change crisis. © The effect of China's BRI investment on reducing local climate change vulnerability risks was more significant in low- and middle-income countries, China's neighboring countries, and countries with which China had established free trade agreements. © The income growth effect and political stability effect partially explained the impact of China's BRI investments, aligning with the important concepts of sharing development results and promoting global governance under the BRI. ® China's BRI investments did not exacerbate local carbon emissions while reducing the vulnerability to climate change in the participating countries, indicating that China's BRI investments did not trigger the 'carbon emission transfer' problem blamed by Western countries, and green has always been the defining feature of the BRI. This study provides empirical support for understanding the role of China's Belt and Road Initiative and policy recommendations for further promoting the initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifestyle changes of China's emerging middle-income group have raised severe concerns about growing carbon emissions while stimulating consumption. Converting qualitative concerns to quantitative understanding provides supporting information for national climate change mitigation and facilitates targeted mitigation measures for distinct consumer groups. This study developed a consumption pattern prediction model based on household micro-survey data and machine learning algorithms. Combining this model with the input-output table disaggregation method, it incorporated the heterogeneity of household consumption choices into the macro-simulation of environmental impact assessment. The study used this tool to assess the carbon emissions brought by the emerging middle-income group and compare the impact differences under various policy scenarios. The results showed that: (J) If the scale of the middle-income group doubled during 2018 - 2030 (i.e., a 24% increase in the share of the national population with an annual income of ¥33 000 _ 80 000 at constant 2018 prices), the consumption upgrade of the emerging middle-income groups would bring an additional carbon emission of 0.27 - 0.36 billion tons in 2030. Compared to the business-as-usual scenario, the mitigation rate needed to increase by 8% _ 11% to offset the emission increase. © In the case where only the impacts of income increases were considered, the emerging middle-income group's carbon emissions were significantly lower than those of the original middle-income group (a difference of 0.2 -0.3 t at the per-capita level). The gaps implied the potential to collaboratively achieve income growth and carbon emission control by climbing the income ladder. © Compared with the scenarios of enhancing human capital and improving social security, the impact of carbon emissions brought by the emerging middle-income group under the urbanization scenario was greater. Moreover, the carbon emission increment under policy mix scenarios was not equivalent to the sum of the effects brought about by independent policies. The mix of these policies showed synergetic or counterproductive effects, depending on the policy implementation context. The study suggests that timely seizing the plasticity in the consumption transformation of China's middle-income group and guiding this group to low-carbon lifestyles through improving urban infrastructure and other measures in the process of urbanization are key to collaboratively achieving the goals of common prosperity and carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abnormity of climate change poses environmental concerns and indirectly promotes the development of low-carbon economic growth pattern. Climate change mitigation technology innovations contribute significantly to achieve environmental goals in China, and thus, technological cooperation has become a strategic choice for the Chinese provinces to achieve technological breakthroughs. Based on 3, 280, 808 patents, this study uses social network analysis (SNA) method and similarity measurement to discuss the evolution process and structural features of the spatial correlation network to analyze the patent data from 1985 to 2020. The process for the research is as follows. First, a form solution of the correlation problem to calculate the minimum Euclidean distance is available in the field of social network. Second, the European distance is used to measure the similarity between provinces, and then, SNA is used to construct the spatial correlation network. Finally, the similarity of growth trend of provincial patent applications in different years from a nonlinear perspective is described, so as to calculate the potential provincial linkage strength. The results demonstrate that low-carbon technology innovation in China takes the form of a network structure. The network exhibits significant characteristics of regional agglomeration, and several central provinces exert the role of mediation and transmission, such as Tianjin, Hubei, and Henan. The study contributes by illustrating the current situation of green technology innovation and provides a critical theoretical foundation for the government when formulating future low-carbon economy development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History instructs us that electrical power can be decarbonized in less than a dozen years with combinations of renewable and nuclear energy, but exaggerated fears of the latter have made it too costly and unpopular to develop and deploy in much of the world, allowing Russia and China to capture the nuclear export market. If humanity is genuinely serious about rapid decarbonization to avoid the worst health and climate risks, it will need to take steps to rapidly improve and deploy both nuclear and renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are at the heart of climate change mitigation as they account for over 70% of global carbon emissions. However, cities vary in their energy systems and socioeconomic capacities to transition to renewable energy. To address this heterogeneity, this study proposes an Energy Transition Index (ETI) specifically designed for cities, and applies it to track the progress of energy transition in Chinese cities. The city-level ETI framework is based on the national ETI developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and comprises two sub-indexes: the Energy System Performance sub-index, which evaluates the current status of cities' energy systems in terms of energy transition, and the Transition Readiness sub-index, which assesses their socioeconomic capacity for future energy transition. The initial version of the dataset includes ETI and its sub-indexes for 282 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019, with annual updates planned. The spatiotemporal data provided by the dataset facilitates research into the energy transition roadmap for different cities, which can help China achieve its energy transition goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achievement of national climate targets and the corresponding costs would entirely depend on regional actions within the country. However, because of substantial inequalities and heterogeneities among regions, especially in developing economies, aggressive or uniform actions may exacerbate inequity and induce huge economic losses, which in turn challenges the national climate pledges. Hence, this study extends prior research by proposing economically optimal strategies that can achieve national climate targets and ensure the greatest local and national benefits as well as regional equality. Focusing on the biggest developing country China, we find this strategy can avoid up to 1.54% of cumulative GDP losses for approaching carbon neutrality, and more than 90% of regions would obtain economic gains compared either with existing independently launched targets or with the uniform strategy that all regions achieve peak carbon emissions before 2030. We also provide optimal carbon mitigation pathways to regional peak carbon, carbon intensity and energy consumption. Aggressive or uniform actions on climate targets may exacerbate regional inequality and induce economic losses in China. The proposed collaborative strategy for carbon neutrality can avoid up to 1.54% of GDP losses while 90% of provinces would gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]