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This study constructs a downscaled "safe and just space" framework consisting of 13 processes to evaluate China's sustainability status of socio-economic sphere in 2020, with a focus on the impact of COVID-19. To minimize subjectivity in threshold setting, the study adopts the expected targets outlined in the national and sectorial official documents of China's 13th Five-Year Plan. The results show that while overall employment and income have achieved satisfactory thresholds without deprivation, issues such as youth unemployment and wealth disparity have deteriorated. Social inequality and lack of trust remain prevalent despite high levels of self-reported life satisfaction. Developed areas exhibit a significantly higher average life expectancy than developing areas do, and gender imbalance persists as a chronic issue. The severity of energy deprivation compared with water is highlighted. In addition, this study confirms the validity of Hu Huanyong Line in dividing the spatial pattern of socio-economic sustainability status in China, as all the provinces meeting more than eight thresholds are located in the eastern part of the country. Based on these findings, the interactions between the socio-economic processes as well as their resilient behaviors to climate change under the COVID-19 impact are discussed. Finally, the study suggests future research directions to enhance the theoretical and methodological defects of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's renewable energy innovation is essential for realizing its carbon neutrality targets and the low-carbon transition, but few studies have spatially examined its characteristics and spillover effects. To fill the research gap, this study investigates its distribution and trends from a spatiotemporal dimension and focuses on the spatial effects of the influencing factors to identify those that have a significant impact on renewable energy innovation by using China's provincial panel data from 2006 to 2019. The results show the following findings. (1) Renewable energy innovation shows distinct spatial differences across China's provinces such that it is high in the east and south and low in the west and north, which exhibits spatial locking and path-dependence. (2) There is a positive spatial correlation with renewable energy innovation. (3) R&D investment and GDP per capita significantly promote renewable energy innovation, but the former effect is mainly observed in the local area, whereas the latter shows spatial effects. More market-oriented policies should be taken for the improvement of renewable energy innovation and the establishment of regional coordination mechanisms are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance is an effective policy instrument in mitigating climate change, but to date little is known about its impact on carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. This study extends the literature on the relationship between green finance and CO 2 emissions while taking trade openness and economic development into consideration to comprehensively explore the conservation/feedback hypothesis using the Autoregressive-Distributed Lag–Error Correction Model (ARDL–ECM) on data collected from 2000 to 2019. By constructing a green finance index comprising green credit, green securities, green insurance, and green investment, results include the following. (1) Support was found for the conservation hypothesis running from green finance, trade openness, and economic development to emissions per capita; the conservation hypothesis also was supported for the unidirectional relationship running from trade openness and economic development to green finance. (2) Green finance is found to be significantly and negatively related to emissions per capita in both the short and long term. (3) Trade openness shows a positive effect on emissions per capita. Robustness tests are provided. This study deepens policy implications of green finance in the post-pandemic era and highlights the moderating role of renewable energy in the green finance impact on carbon mitigation. • This study constructs a green finance index for China. • The autoregressive distributed lag–error correction model is employed. • Green finance contributes to carbon mitigation in both the short and long run. • CO 2 emissions are Granger result of green finance, trade openness and economic growth. • Trade openness and economic growth are Granger causes of each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous linear regressions have been conducted to identify driving forces of farmland investment, this study uses panel threshold techniques to explore the nonlinear effects of resource endowment, labor cost, and other potential influencing factors on China's investment in farmland in 40 foreign countries during the period 2008–2016. Results show that increased resource endowment promotes China's investment in overseas farmland, but the correlation gradually weakens in magnitude as levels increase. A lower labor cost attracts greater Chinese investment in farmland, but the degree of influence declines with the continued increase in labor cost. Further, host country corruption, infrastructure level, and urbanization ratio have significant negative impacts on investment, whereas an increase in China's overall economic power significantly increases overseas farmland investment. Policy implications are proposed with respect to implementing environmental responsibility in host countries, creating comprehensive risk assessments, and optimizing the structure of overseas investment portfolios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its major influences on economic growth, energy consumption, and environmental quality, the iron and steel (IS) industry plays an important role in achieving green growth of the national economy. It is also the main air pollutant emitter compared with other industries. Therefore, this study first investigates the influencing factors of air pollutant emissions of the IS industry from dimensions of environmental regulation effect, pollutant generation intensity effect, energy structure effect, technological progress effect, and scale effect using the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method. Additionally, decoupling effort values are further calculated to obtain the efforts made in different historical stages to achieve decoupling between the growth of the IS industry and its pollutant emissions. Three main conclusions can be summarized based on the empirical analysis of China's IS industry from 2005 to 2015. First, environmental regulation plays a decisive role in mitigating air pollution in the IS industry. Second, environmental regulation and technological progress both exert inhibitory effects on air pollutant emissions, whereas the intensity effect of pollutant generation and scale effect promote emissions to some extent. The role of energy structural effect is unstable, yet the cumulative effect analysis shows that the effect exerts greater impacts on emission reduction during the recent period. Third, decoupling efforts of the industry gradually changed from weak to strong. In specific, the effects of environmental regulation and technological progress both promote decoupling. Conclusions are made, and suggestions are highlighted based on the research findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We projected a future transition path for new energy vehicles in china. • Phases of predevelopment, take-off, acceleration, and sprint are identified. • Niches, regime, and landscape for each phase are analyzed respectively. • We illustrate the essential role of government in the chinese context. • Implications for technology innovation and industrial coordination are proposed. The transport sector is a key emitter of greenhouse gasses. We applied socio-technical transition theory and the multi-level perspective (MLP) approach to depict the interplay of three MLP layers (niche, regime, and landscape) and to project future paths for the transition from traditional (fossil fuel) vehicles to new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China. Specifically, the exogenous context nurtures nascent innovations and restrains the development of traditional fuel vehicles; however, the socio-technical system of NEVs is still in the primary stage and cannot meet the needs of consumers. Under double pressures, the socio-technical system of traditional vehicles is generally stable, but there are factors that impinge on this stability. Four phases are identified according to national plans: the initial pre-development phase (2001 – 2011) protects nascent innovations; core technologies are developed and market share is expanded in the take-off phase (2012 – 2020); the acceleration phase (2021 – 2035) strengthens the trend by encouraging key technological breakthroughs, infrastructure construction, and international cooperation; and the last sprint phase (2036–) further develops the low-carbon transition in China's automobile industry. We also illustrate the essential role of government in the Chinese context. Policy implications related to electric power, technological innovation, and industrial coordination are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have discussed marine industrial upgrading and its association with marine economic growth and technological innovation. This study uses a vector error correction model (VECM) to explore the short-term and long-term relationship between marine economic growth, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading in China from 2006 to 2016. Results reveal the existence of two co-integration relationships between the three variables: specifically, in the long term, marine economic growth positively affects marine technological innovation, and vice versa; however, neither promote industrial upgrading and neither are promoted thereby. These findings indicate that marine economic growth and technological innovation are mutually promoting in the long term, but the mutual driving mechanism between the upgrading of marine industry and the other two variables has not yet formed. The study also reveals that the shift from secondary industry toward tertiary industry is not conducive to improving marine technological innovation, which is especially alarming given the current service-oriented tendency of China's marine industry. Key policy implications include the need to expand the relative size of the marine economy, prioritize developing marine secondary industry, develop marine technology, and train high-level marine professionals. Image 1 • Relations of marine growth, innovation and industrial upgrading in China are studied. • A vector error correction model has been used. • Marine growth and innovation are mutually promoted in the long-term. • Neither affects or is affected by marine industrial upgrading in the long-term. • Shifting toward marine tertiary industry inhibits innovation and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have considered the effect of financial development on carbon emissions; however, few studies have explored the role of green finance in carbon mitigation. To bridge this gap, the current study constructs a green finance development index based on four indicators: green credit, green securities, green insurance, and green investment. A vector error correction model is used to analyze relationships between the development level of green finance, non-fossil energy consumption, and carbon intensity using data from 2000 to 2018. We find that China's green finance industry developed rapidly, and improvements in the green finance development index, as well as the increasing use of non-fossil energy, contributed to a reduction in carbon intensity. Simultaneously, an increase in carbon intensity inhibited the expansion of non-fossil energy use, impeded the investment flow to green projects, and ultimately led to a deterioration of green finance development. In addition, non-fossil energy consumption in China was primarily influenced by green finance and carbon intensity, with clear policy-driven effects. However, the impacts of green finance policies continually fell short and lacked continuity. This study proposes ways in which to improve the effect of green finance policy implementation, expand the consumption of non-fossil energy, and develop a carbon trading market. • The green finance–new energy use–carbon intensity nexus is explored for China. • A vector error correction model is employed. • A green finance development index is constructed based on four green indicators. • Green finance and new energy use are found to reduce carbon intensity. • Carbon intensity increases are found to inhibit green finance and new energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study separates marine carrying capacity into four key dimensions, i.e., social, economic, resource, and ecological, and uses the entropy method to evaluate the carrying capacity of China's 11 coastal regions during the period 2007–2016. We then predict the values of marine carrying capacity in the subsequent five years (2017–2021) using the grey Verhulst model. Results reveal a significant disparity in marine carrying capacity among the 11 coastal regions of China, and social and ecological carrying capacities illustrate among the four subcategories. Pearl River Delta in the south has the highest marine carrying capacity value and shows an increasing trend, while Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Rim Region in the north are stable. With regard to the predicted values for 2017–2021, forecasting results illustrate that the industrial structure of China's coastal areas is gradually turning towards the mode of diversified and comprehensive utilization of marine resources. • We evaluate marine carrying capacity in China during 2007–2016 and its four sub-categories. • The entropy method and grey Verhulst model were applied to the data. • A significant disparity in marine carrying capacity is revealed in China. • The Pearl River Delta performs better than other two coastal regions. • Industrial structure and resource utilization show a diversified development trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional wisdom has it that marine economic growth and technological innovation help to reduce pollution of the oceans. Few studies, however, have examined whether the relationship is nonlinear and to what extent the effects have been realized. To fill this gap, this study takes 11 coastal regions of China during the period 2000–2016 and, using the panel threshold model, examines the nonlinear effects of per capita gross ocean product (GOP) and marine patents on marine pollution as represented by the quantity of industrial wastewater discharged directly into the sea. The results reveal that the increase in per capita GOP strongly promotes marine pollution across the three phases of panel threshold model, but the degree of influence is gradually declining, implying that China is still located in the first half of the Environment Kuznets Curve (EKC), before the peak. Thus, a negative correlation of the GOP–pollution nexus can be expected if current trends continue, which suggests that the development of the marine economy may alleviate ocean environmental pressures. As for marine patents, no significant correlations in the low- and mid-level phases were found, but a strong impact by marine patents on pollution is shown in the high-level phase, indicating that the accumulation of technological innovation related to the marine economy is playing an increasingly important role in reducing marine pollution. Finally, the numbers of provinces/municipalities in the three phases have been identified. Several important policy implications for development of the marine economy are highlighted. • We use threshold model to explore effect of marine growth and patents on pollution. • Marine growth in China is still in the first half of Environment Kuznets Curve. • Marine patents have begun to significantly alleviate marine pollution. • Numbers of regions in the three threshold regimes have been identified. • We are the first to account for nonlinear marine pollution processes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A weak decoupling is found between CO 2 and economic growth in China's IS industry. • Causal-chain model is used to decompose decoupling index into different factors. • Elasticities of emission reduction and value creation negatively affect total decoupling. • Elasticities of energy electricity and industrial electrification positively affect total decoupling. • Grey Verhulst model is used to predict the decoupling state from 2017 to 2025. Building a low-carbon industry is essential for the development of a sustainable economy. To study the relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth of China's iron and steel (IS) industry, this paper first measures the decoupling relationship between carbon emissions and added value of the IS industry from 2001 to 2016 based on the Tapio decoupling model. The causal-chain decomposition model is then used to decompose the decoupling index into different factors. Results show that carbon emissions and economic growth of the IS industry have mostly weak decoupling. For the influencing factors, decoupling elasticities of emission reduction and value creation exert negative impacts on overall decoupling, and the former one plays a bigger role. Decoupling elasticities of energy electricity and industrial electrification positively improve the total decoupling, but the effect is not stable yet and needs to be further enhanced. Finally, the grey Verhulst model is used to predict the decoupling state by the end of 2025. Forecasting results show that industry will still be in a weak decoupling, but the decoupling state will get better over time. Corresponding policy suggestions are posited based on the empirical findings to facilitate the green and low-carbon development of the IS industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantitative measure of performance that integrates national-level carbon emission profiles with key parameters of social and economic wellbeing can provide an effective management tool for policy interventions. This paper constructs non-parametric evaluation and decomposition models using hybrid measure and meta-frontier techniques. The proposed models are employed to estimate the wellbeing performance of carbon emissions (WPCE) and identify the sources of WPCE inefficiency. Empirical analyses based on the Group 20 (G20) countries for the 2000–2015 period shows the worst performance is in the BRICS country group (i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) – known for rapid growth – whereas the developed and the developing economies of the G20 group show positive trajectories of performance. As for China, its performance measure of WPCE was the lowest among the G20 indicating significant potential for further improvement. The analysis also highlights the role of managerial failure as the primary driver of inefficiency, more important than technological inefficiency in explaining efficiency loss within the G20 countries. This critical finding – the relevance and importance of managerial capability – suggests the need for a high level of attention to governance and managerial capacity to ensure continued improvements in performance on carbon emissions and human wellbeing. A lesson to be drawn from this study is that China's policies to promote a low carbon economy can benefit from increased priority given to low-carbon technological innovation for the energy system transition and enhancement of environmental governance and managerial capacity to achieve a long-term sustainability. • Welfare performance of carbon emissions (WPCE) are evaluated for G20 countries. • A hybrid non-parametric evaluation and meta-frontier techniques are employed. • Developing countries performed the best followed by developed and BRICS countries. • Gaps of WPCE are non-negligible and sources of performance loss are divergent. • Policy implications for China drawing on the cross-country comparisons are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have examined the correlation between economic growth and air pollution, but few focuses on the nexus between environmental regulation and <2.5 μm (PM 2.5) fine particle matter. Using Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) and Spatial Two-stage Least Squares (2SLS) methods to analyze 277 Chinese cities over the period 2002–2010, this paper finds inverted U-shaped relationships between PM 2.5 concentration and formal/informal environmental regulations for the whole and eastern and western regions. By removing the depression year of 2008, regulation effect on pollution strengthened, indicating that the main task for local governments in crisis is to avoid GDP decline rather than official promotion. Further, green technological innovation and industrial structure optimization induced by environmental regulation is shown to be beneficial for haze pollution mitigation. Some policy recommendations are proposed in conclusion. • The Spatial Models are used to examine the effect of regulation on the PM 2.5 of 277 Chinese cities during 2002–2010. • An inverted U-shaped relationship is found for the nexus. • Eastern and western China generally has an inverted U-shaped relationship. • Technical innovation and industrial structure are confirmed to be important mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ramifications of mobile apps' detrimental aspect on users' life satisfaction have garnered increased attention from academics. To probe the underlying association between life satisfaction and mobile app fatigue, this article builds a research model based on a stressor-strain-outcome approach. In addition, the study investigates the relationships between different dimensions of network heterogeneity, emotional exhaustion, and mobile app fatigue among users. Furthermore, the study uncovers the moderating influence of upward comparison, self-presentation, and privacy invasion on the association between life satisfaction and emotional exhaustion in the mobile app context. The study collected data in mainland China using a cross-sectional approach and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrate that life satisfaction is positively associated with self-presentation and negatively associated with upward comparison. Moreover, privacy invasion and upward comparison are positively correlated with emotional exhaustion, whilst self-presentation exerts no correlation with emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, upward comparison could mediate the association between life satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. The results provide fresh light on the mechanisms through which the life satisfaction of mobile app users and network heterogeneity might lead to emotional exhaustion and mobile app fatigue, highlighting important theoretical and practical implications.

An evaluation indexing system based on the theory of coordination was constructed to estimate the urban carrying capacity (UCC) of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with four subsystems: social, economic, environmental, and transportation. This indexing system revealed the interactions between "supply" and "demand." The improved entropy method was adopted to calculate the weight of 17 indicators and evaluate the comprehensive UCC of 13 cities in the BTH region using data covering the period 1990-2018. The results showed that two cities, Tangshan (UCC of - 0.0021) and Handan (UCC of - 0.0009), were "overloaded" in 2018, while the other 11 cities were "loadable." The social and transportation subsystems played the most crucial roles in the evaluation. Based on the results, Baoding achieved the highest UCC, while that of Tangshan was the lowest. The results could play a significant role in decision-making relating to the sustainable development of the BTH region. Three policy implications are proposed based on these findings: (i) the efficiency of resource utilization and scientific allocation should be enhanced and industrial optimization and upgrading should be promoted, (ii) the coordinated development of urbanization and environment in the region should be improved, and (iii) the integration of traffic decongestion measures should be faster, and industrial docking systems should be enhanced.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is the most prominent urban agglomeration in China, with plans for further development. Using the regional collaboration theoretical framework for assessing urban comprehensive carrying capacity (UCC), the improved entropy method is applied to establish an index system based on a social, economic, environment, and transportation perspective to compare UCCs of the GBA's 11 cities for 2000-2016. Results show that the social subsystem is central to the evaluation system. Cities' performances vary significantly, with six becoming overloaded in 2016 and the other five remaining loadable. Guangzhou performed best, with a rising UCC; Shenzhen rebounded after a long period of decline; Hong Kong's capacity rose slightly, with some fluctuation; and Macao performed worse and continues to slide, with no signs of improvement. Overall, the UCC of the urban agglomeration showed a downward trend, with only a few cities continuing to improve. The spatial distribution for UCC was high in the north and low in the south, showing scope for improvement. The study enriches regional collaboration theory and proposes policy implications for GBA development.