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Extreme mining activities can risk human life and the environment via potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in road dust, thus making their quantification and assessment unavoidable. For this purpose, we collected 50 fine road dust samples from the Chehe mining area, China, to quantify the level of contamination and ecological and health risks of PTEs comprising As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn, and their quantitative source apportionment using the positive matrix factorization model (PMF). Results indicated that the average values of Cd, Sb, As, Zn, Pb, and Cu in road dust were 1555.21, 586.78, 429.68, 429.43, 72.88, and 26.61 times higher than their background values. Pollution indices of PTEs revealed a strong level of contamination by Cd, Sb, As, Zn, and Pb, which were extremely polluted in the study area. The average values of the Nemerow integrated risk index (NIRI) and potential ecological risk index (RI) were 104.09 and 86.49 times the highest risk limit, respectively, which are extremely high ecological risks. Based on PMF for quantitative source identification, mining activities and fuel combustion were the main sources of PTEs in road dust contributing 57.25% and 35.95%, respectively. Furthermore, the health risk assessment indicated that Sb, As, Cr, Cd, and Pb in the Chehe road dust could lead to significantly serious carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks to both children and adults. The results of this study could be used to opt for strategies to mitigate the ecological and human health risk in the mining area of Hechi, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon neutrality is the future development direction of China. Achieving the goal of carbon neutrality requires the combined efforts of all industries, especially heavy industries. As one of the heavy industries, the mining sector contributes significantly to China's national economic development. This paper calculates China's mining sector's rebound effect and explores the impact of market-oriented reform on its rebound effect. We use the Shephard energy distance function to measure energy efficiency and analyze the effect of marketization on the rebound effect with the threshold model. Based on our results, the mining sector's average rebound effect is 46.4%. Moreover, with the increase in the decision-making flexibility of mining enterprises, the rebound effect presents an upward trend. We conclude by urging policy-makers to implement energy price reforms and promote energy consumption permits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 emission reduction has become a binding target in China's economic and social development. The mining industry is China's primary energy consumer and therefore has an important influence on China's CO2 emissions. Herein, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of data from the Chinese mining industry between 2004 and 2015. And we employ meta-frontier data envelopment analysis to analyse the CO2 emission efficiency of the Chinese mining industry and identify the driving factors that influence the observed dynamic changes in CO2 emission efficiency. The main practical conclusions of our research are as follows: (1) the CO2 emission efficiency of China's mining industry had grown continuously during the study period; (2) during the study period, the CO2 emission efficiency of China's mining industry did not change consistently with changes in different geographical regions; (3) the overall efficiency of management in China's mining sector was low; (4) the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China's mining sector played a significant role in the improvement of the CO2 emission efficiency. The empirical results provide constructive policy implications that should be considered by the policy makers for the more sustainable development of China's mining sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fully understand the development models of the green mining economy, this paper, based on the western externality theory, focused on a green mining construction case in China. Results have shown that the green mining concept has early emerged in the mining industry and currently has reached a relatively high target, indicating the application value of the concept of green mining development. It is then concluded that the green mining development model is valid and effectively verified by the green mining construction case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analyze the governance of knowledge commons in China's mining industry. • Discuss a hybrid governance framework, combining contractual and relational governance mechanisms. • Examine how hybrid governance mechanisms facilitate knowledge collaboration and innovation. • Enrich the existing literature on governing knowledge commons and innovation governance. • The findings are substantiated by fieldwork data in three mining sites in Jiangxi province, China. How do industry participants govern knowledge commons and deal with knowledge production and sharing? Beyond privatized intellectual resources safeguarded by the intellectual property system (e.g., patent and copyrights), a knowledge commons is an alternative type of intellectual property regime that has become increasingly prevalent but remains understudied. Substantiated by fieldwork data in three mining sites in China's Jiangxi province, this article examines the ways in which contractual and relational governance mechanisms work together to facilitate collaboration and innovation and mitigate ambiguity and volatility. This study contributes to the existing literature on knowledge commons and innovation governance and enhances the empirical understanding of innovation in emerging economies where formal protection of intellectual property is insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the total death toll due to various accidents in China’s coal mining industry has decreased in recent years, coal mine gas explosion is still occupied the main proportion of major accident and threatening miners’ lives. The repeated occurrence of gas explosions, often in a similar manner and triggered by unsafe behavior, indicates that we failed to learn from the past and make inadequate changes in response. In an effort to further reduce these rates, the human factors associated with accident need to be addressed. The exact direct causation and sub-standard performance at operator level have been quantitatively identified and classified within the sample of 201 significant gas explosions in China across 2000–2014. An analysis of the data revealed that unsafe behavior existed in and had precipitated influence to all of gas explosion accidents in sample, and all unsafe behaviors can be analyzed from 3 dimensions: accident site, working craft and equipment and installation. By illuminating the unsafe behaviors and its distribution characteristics in a systematic fashion, this study has provided mine safety professionals the information necessary to reduce gas explosion further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining industry emission reduction is an important way to achieve the 2060 carbon neutrality target in China. Decoupling economic development from CO 2 emissions is the main strategy to reduce emissions from the mining industry. However, no studies have investigated the decoupling state and drivers of the Chinese mining industry. This paper is based on panel data of the mining industry and its subsectors during 2002–2016. The Tapio decoupling model was constructed to analyze the decoupling state of economic development and CO 2 emissions. The LMDI model was developed to decompose the drivers of the decoupling state. The results show that: (1) The CO 2 emission intensity of the mining industry decreased significantly from 1.63 tons per 10,000 yuan in 2002 to about 0.27 tons per 10,000 yuan in 2016. (2) The Chinese mining industry shows an inverted U-shaped decoupling relationship between CO 2 emissions and economic growth. Specifically, the change trend of decoupling state of Mining and Washing of Coal (MWC) also presents an inverted U-shape. Mining and Processing of Nonmetal Ores (MPNO) performs the best during the study period. Extraction of Petroleum and Natural Gas (EPNG) shows the largest change in decoupling state and the worst performance. (3) Overall, the economic output effect (CG) is the most important factor that promotes CO 2 emissions and inhibits decoupling. The energy intensity effect (EI) is the main contributor to suppressing CO 2 emissions and promoting decoupling. The energy structure effect (ES) is the most promising influencing factor. (4) There is variability in the role played by different 21 factors in the five subsectors. Specifically, EI inhibits decoupling in MWC but promotes decoupling in EPNG、Mining and Processing of Ferrous Metal Ores (MPFMO) and MPNO. ES inhibits decoupling in MWC and MPFMO but promotes decoupling in MPNFMO, while it has little effect on decoupling in EPNG and MPNO. Based on the results, comprehensive policy recommendations are made to achieve decoupling economic growth from CO2 emissions in the Chinese mining industry. The Research framework. [Display omitted] • The decoupling relationship and the driving factors between CO 2 emissions and economic growth in the Chinese mining industry were analyzed for the first time. • The methodology of this paper was based on three aspects: CO 2 emissions calculation, decoupling analysis, and factorization. • The results of the study were compared and described in the mining industry and its subsectors. • The decoupling state of the mining industry performs well during 2002–2012 and poorly during 2012–2016. • The energy intensity effect was the main contributor to decoupling and reducing CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-based economies often face the challenge of resource depletion and population shrinkage. After reaching a production peak, cities confront slower economic development and the inability to attract skilled workers, often leading many resource-based cities to experience urban shrinkage. This prompts questions regarding whether residents of resource-based cities are concerned about liveability indicators beyond job opportunities and whether residents would stay if a city were more liveable. This research has employed a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between urban liveability and migration intention. We collected data via a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews in seven resource-based cities in the Northeast and Northwest regions of China characterised by slow or negative population growth. Our mixed-methods approach identifies five main dimensions of factors affecting an individual's migration intention: job opportunities, employability and prospects with the mining industry; transport; public facilities; age, life cycle stage and family consideration; income and financial considerations. Our findings confirm that certain aspects of liveability significantly affect migration intention. Our subsequent analysis suggests that there is a skills gap between newly created employment opportunities and the labour force in resource-based cities. These issues call for government action to improve the liveability of resource-based cities and retain skilled workers. • A mixed-methods approach to study migration intention in resource-based cities • We identify and discuss five main categories of influential factors. • Certain aspects of liveability significantly affect migration intention. • Skill gaps may exist between newly created jobs and existing skills of labour force. • Improved intra- and inter-city transport infrastructure can retain population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallurgy and mining industry is an important part of China's economy. As China's basic construction investment increasing, the cyclical fluctuations of the China's financial have more and more important impact on the metallurgy and mining. Therefore, the article analyzes the impact of China's financial cycle fluctuation on mining industry and metallurgy. Based on the advantages of automation in production process, the influence of production process automation on metallurgy and mining industry is analyzed and three types of economic cycle asymmetric are introduced. The implementation of the plans for automation and mechanization of the metallurgical industry, which will promote the solution of a number of important national economic problems are outlined. The influence of China's financial cycle fluctuation on metallurgical and mining industry is explained. The corresponding policy meaning is finally given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research interest in Chinese businesses in Africa has surged in recent years. While state-owned firms have attracted considerable attention regarding the motives of their investment, relatively few studies have examined the strategy of the state-owned Chinese firms and human resource management (HRM) implications. Similarly, the causes underlying the expansion of Chinese mining firms internationally and the effects of management are yet to be adequately addressed in the international management literature. This study fills these research gaps through the investigation of the international expansion motives of four state-owned mining firms, the strategy adopted to facilitate this expansion and the HRM implications. Drawing on institutional theory and data from 39 interviews with government officials, managers and Chinese expatriates, factors such as why and how different institutional actors interact with each other at the strategic and operational levels to shape the Chinese mining firms’ business opportunities and constraints are examined. The study shows the Chinese mining firms’ flexible and pragmatic approaches to building connections with various institutional actors in the host country. They also develop organizational capacity through joint ventures and acquiring human resources from the international market. The study contributes to the knowledge in the international management area, a field that has been dominated by the study of private firms, by revealing the strategies and management practices of the Chinese state-owned multinational firms in the mining sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Improving technological innovation efficiency and eco-efficiency is the key to achieving a high-quality, sustainable mining industry in China. In order to explore the internal process of technological innovation to promote economic and environmental benefits and to clarify the optimization path to improve the overall efficiency of the mining industry. A two-stage DEA model is used to construct indicators to measure Chinese 30 provinces mining technological innovation efficiency (MTIE), mining eco-efficiency (MEE), and mining comprehensive efficiency (MCE). Because of the lag in innovation, the study period was divided into nine periods from 2008 to 2018 into three-year time slices, and the dynamic evolution of time and space was analyzed. It was found that: (i) MCE and MTIE maintained the same changing trends, with the MCE being generally higher in areas with higher levels of mining economic development; (ii) the MTIE and MEE in the western area were higher than in the other regions, of which Qinghai was the only province that had efficiencies of more than 1 in both stages; (iii) most provinces belonged to type II regions with high MEE-low MTIE or type III regions with low MEE-low MTIE. The scientific achievements output in the first stage was generally insufficient, and the inputs and outputs in the second stage were redundant. There are three paths to optimize efficiency: unilateral optimization, gradual optimization, and jumping optimization. Finally, based on the above findings, policy recommendations are given from three aspects; reducing excess capacity, increasing investment, and building a platform, all of which can provide optimized plans and references for realizing the high-quality development of the Chinese mining industry. • A two-stage DEA model for measuring Chinese MTIE, MEE, and MCE from 2008 to 2018. • The MTIE and MEE in the western area were higher than in the other regions. • Most provinces belonged to type II or type III. • Three optimization paths are proposed to improve MCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Insufficient investment in safety is one of the most important reasons which lead to frequent accidents in Chinese mining industry. Safety input has long been regarded as a ‘sunk cost’, lacking output, and little attention from mining companies was focused on increasing safety input according to technical codes or technical requirements due to the narrow understanding on safety input. So, the empirical analysis on the contribution share of safety investment to economic growth is very important. In this paper, a new set of production safety indexes including six 1-level indexes for describing the safety level of mining production in China was constructed on the basis of Granger causality test. Meanwhile, a mining economic growth model was constructed on the basis of the new production safety indexes with co-integration theory and dynamic modeling system. The empirical results show that the production safety factor in the short term indeed drives the GDP growth in the mining industry although labor and capital input remain the major factors impacting mining economic growth, and its long term contribution share is 7.7%. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of production safety indexes, shows that the safety level of mining production increased more than 21-fold during 1991–2009, and the investment in mining technology development capability, mining safety production environment and mechanized level of mining should be the direction to focus for improving the safety level of mining production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper expounded the status quo of the development and utilization of mineral resources and the generation and development of circular economy. It revealed the connotation of mining circular economy and cleared the specific content of 3R principle. On this basis, it discussed the model of mining circular economy in enterprise, industry park and society level according to the present situation of mineral resources recycling in China. Then with the development of circular economy in enterprise level as an example to construct a system of circular economy at coal mine enterprise. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: These Mining is ranked as the fifth largest industry in the world. This paper researches the role and impact of TNCs in global mining industry. It analyses the investment environment of mining industry in China as a case to reflect how a government can alter their policy and institutional framework to cope with recent changes in the industry as well as attract more TNCs to invest into its country while protecting and persuading a sustainable development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since 2005, a burgeoning wave of Chinese investments has set off a new 'minerals boom' in the Australian iron ore and coal mining sectors. While normally a welcome development, the state-owned and strategic nature of the investors has raised concerns in Australia about how these should be regulated. As a result, in February 2008 the Australian government declared an intention to more closely screen foreign direct investment (FDI) from state-owned sources, which both supporters and detractors alike have claimed is evidence of 'resource nationalism' in Australia's approach towards its trade and investment relationships with China. This article challenges this understanding through an examination of the characteristics of Chinese mining FDI, the dilemmas these present to the Australian government, and the relatively restrained nature of its response. Through this, Australia's FDI policy is explained as a defensive move against the potential for strategic behaviour by Chinese investors resulting from their state ownership, rather than any national program to subject minerals trade and investment to political control. On this basis, the article argues that Australian government policy instead evidences a 'resource liberalism' approach, which intends to ensure that the governance of Australia's minerals trade and investment with China remain market-based processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining industry plays an extremely important strategic role in China's economic and social development. In the new era of pursuing circular/green/efficient development, the evaluation of the total factor environmental efficiency (TFEE) of China's mining industry is essential for alleviating resource waste and environmental pollution. The Epsilon-Based Measure (EBM) model effectively solves the shortcomings of radial and non-radial DEA models. In addition, the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index can measure the dynamic change of efficiency value. Combining the EBM model and the ML productivity index, this paper evaluates the TFEE from the static and dynamic perspective in China's 31 provincial mining industries over the period 2007–2016. The Theil index is employed to reveal the root of the overall provincial TFEE gap (OGTFEE) in China's mining industry. The results show that the average total factor static environmental efficiency (TFSEE) of China's provincial mining industry exhibits a low score of 0.6589 and with significant spatio-temporal differences. The provincial TFEE gap within four major areas (WGTFEE), especially that in east and west areas, is the main cause of the OGTFEE in China's mining industry. Technical change contributes more to the TFEE decline in China's mining industry. There are differences in improving the TFEE among China's 31 provincial mining industries, and corresponding countermeasures can be formulated accordingly. This study provides theoretical and practical basis for the clean and green development of China's mining industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The two-way fixed-effect model and the threshold panel model are used to calculate the marginal effect of industrial agglomeration on the total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) of the mining sector. • The impact of industrial agglomeration on the TFEE of the mining sector is positive. • With the increasing of the regional economic development level, the effect of industrial agglomeration on the TFEE of the mining sector is gradually decreased. • Future policies for improving the TFEE of China's mining sector are suggested. The mining industry is the basic industrial sector in China. Perfecting the energy efficiency of the mining sector is extremely important for ensuring China's energy security, emission reduction, and promoting China's economic growth. Various factors influence the mining sector's energy efficiency. Based on the provincial-level panel data in China, this paper adopts a two-way fixed-effect model to explore the effect of industrial agglomeration on the total factor energy efficiency (TFEE) of the mining sector in China. Also, the threshold panel model is used to calculate the impact of industrial agglomeration in regions with different economic development levels on the energy efficiency of the mining industry. The results indicate that increasing industrial agglomeration improves the energy efficiency of the mining sector. Furthermore, with the increase in regional economic development, the impact of industrial agglomeration on energy efficiency is gradually decreased. The government could reduce the capacity, which eliminates redundant mining capacity in eastern China, and develop high-quality mining clusters in central and western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processing China Clay to increase its brightness is commercially important for the ceramics and paper industries. Quantum Design, Inc. has developed a high throughput conduction-cooled superconducting magnetic separation system which operates at 6 Tesla with a 10% uniformity over 406 mm. This long uniformity range, along with its 203 mm diameter bore and high magnetic field result in a single system capable of processing 10,000–15,000 tonnes of clay per year. This superconducting magnet is maintained at low temperature using a variable frequency driven Gifford-McMahon refrigerator, which dramatically reduces operating costs compared to a liquid helium cooled magnet ($40 to cool down at $0.10/kWhr). Furthermore, the small footprint of the system combined with the inexpensive operating costs allow for a modular design for systems to be combined specific to the needs of the China Clay mining facility. Testing has been carried out using various types of China Clay, also known as kaolin, from three different mines. Typical results show a reduction in Fe2O3 by over 60%. In particular, before processing, one sample contained 0.85 wt% Fe2O3 and a fired brightness of 88%. After processing in the Quantum Design SHGMS (Superconducting High-Gradient Magnetic Separator), the Fe2O3 content was reduced by 65% to 0.29 wt%, and the fired brightness increased to 92.5%, resulting in a three-fold increase in the value of the clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO 2 emission reduction has become a binding target in China's economic and social development. The mining industry is China's primary energy consumer and therefore has an important influence on China's CO 2 emissions. Herein, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of data from the Chinese mining industry between 2004 and 2015. And we employ meta-frontier data envelopment analysis to analyse the CO 2 emission efficiency of the Chinese mining industry and identify the driving factors that influence the observed dynamic changes in CO 2 emission efficiency. The main practical conclusions of our research are as follows: (1) the CO 2 emission efficiency of China's mining industry had grown continuously during the study period; (2) during the study period, the CO 2 emission efficiency of China's mining industry did not change consistently with changes in different geographical regions; (3) the overall efficiency of management in China's mining sector was low; (4) the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China's mining sector played a significant role in the improvement of the CO 2 emission efficiency. The empirical results provide constructive policy implications that should be considered by the policy makers for the more sustainable development of China's mining sector.