International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Research

19 pages, 1027 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Greening China’s Growth: Assessing the Synergistic Impact of Financial Development and Technological Innovation on Environmental Pollution Reduction—A Spatial STIRPAT Analysis

by Jiachao Peng, Shuke Fu, Da Gao and Jiali Tian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5120; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065120 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2031

Abstract

To achieve sustainable economic development in China, it is crucial to balance economic growth and environmental protection. Financial capital and technology can contribute positively to environmental pollution control. This study employs the Cournot model to examine the impact of financial development and technological [...] Read more.

To achieve sustainable economic development in China, it is crucial to balance economic growth and environmental protection. Financial capital and technology can contribute positively to environmental pollution control. This study employs the Cournot model to examine the impact of financial development and technological innovation on environmental pollution at the micro level. It utilizes the spatial STIRPAT model to analyze inter-provincial panel data from China between 2005 and 2020. The results show that China’s ecological environment pollution exhibits significant spatial dependence, and heavily polluted areas tend to agglomerate. While improving financial development can increase regional environmental pressure, positive spatial spillover improves environmental quality in neighboring areas. Conversely, technological innovation reduces local ecological pressure, with negative spatial spillover effectively curbing environmental pollution in surrounding regions. The results support the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, which posits an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and environmental pressure, while population growth increases environmental pressure. The findings are robust and have important policy implications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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31 pages, 4790 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Two-Way FDI on China’s Environmental Quality: The Perspective of Environmentally Cleaner Production and End Treatment

by Zhenya Zhang, Wanping Yang, Dong Li and Yajuan Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4320; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054320 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1610

Abstract

While the rapid development of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) has boosted China’s economic growth, its impact on environmental quality is uncertain. Based on provincial panel data from China covering the period from 2002 to 2020, this paper proposes an environmental quality assessment [...] Read more.

While the rapid development of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) has boosted China’s economic growth, its impact on environmental quality is uncertain. Based on provincial panel data from China covering the period from 2002 to 2020, this paper proposes an environmental quality assessment index system for China from two aspects: environmentally cleaner production and environmental end treatment. The comprehensive environmental quality index (EQI), environmentally cleaner production index (EPI), and environmental end treatment index (ETI) were all measured, with the geographic information system tool and Dagum Gini coefficient used to analyse the indicators’ differences using a system-generalised method-of-moments (SYS-GMM) estimation to study the impact of two-way FDI on environmental quality in various regions across China. The results demonstrate that during the sample period, inward FDI positively impacted environmental quality and cleaner production but had a negative impact on environmental end treatment. Outward FDI significantly promoted EQI, EPI, and ETI, and the interaction between inward FDI and outward FDI positively impacted environmental quality and environmentally cleaner production, while it negatively impacted environmental end treatment. This indicates that under two-way FDI, China’s relationship with environmental quality has gradually evolved from ‘pollution first and then treatment’ to ‘green development of cleaner production’. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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20 pages, 787 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Low-Carbon Policy and Urban Green Total Factor Energy Efficiency: Evidence from a Spatial Difference-in-Difference Method

by Da Gao, Yanjun Cao and Chang Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3498; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043498 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1597

Abstract

In the post-epidemic background of the low-carbon economy and sustainable development, the low-carbon city pilot program (LCCP) is viewed as a practical method of improving energy efficiency. This study explores the spatial spillover effects of LCCP on green total factor energy efficiency ( [...] Read more.

In the post-epidemic background of the low-carbon economy and sustainable development, the low-carbon city pilot program (LCCP) is viewed as a practical method of improving energy efficiency. This study explores the spatial spillover effects of LCCP on green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) by developing a spatial difference-in-difference (SDID) model. Furthermore, we apply the mediating effects model to verify whether the rational allocation of resources is an influential channel for the spillover effect of LCCP policies. The results indicate that the LCCP policy has not only improved the local GTFEE by approximately 1.8%, but it also has a profound impact on the surrounding regions as well, which is about 76.5% that of the pilot cities. Additionally, the estimated results of the mediating effect model indicate that optimizing labor force and capital allocations are two essential channels through which the LCCP policy may contribute to improving regional cities’ GTFEE. Accordingly, the pilot cities should establish specific measures for rational resource allocation and promote the spatial spillover model of sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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18 pages, 2887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Sustainable Road Transport Decarbonisation: The Scenario Analysis of New Energy Vehicle in China

by Anqi Chen, Shibing You, Huan Liu, Jiaxuan Zhu and Xu Peng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3406; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043406 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1384

Abstract

Due to the prosperous development of the economy, the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) have intensified and attracted attention worldwide. China has set the “dual-carbon” aim to pursue sustainable development in the transport sector. Thus, this [...] Read more.

Due to the prosperous development of the economy, the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) have intensified and attracted attention worldwide. China has set the “dual-carbon” aim to pursue sustainable development in the transport sector. Thus, this study created a generalised Bass model to forecast new energy vehicle (NEV) ownership by introducing a new factor, charging piles, to reflect the infrastructure effects. Using the improved model with the hypothesis of annual mileage, an empirical analysis was conducted with the subject of NEVs in China by using the NEV-related panel data from 2010 to 2020, and the forecast result is outstanding with a goodness-of-fit of 99.7%. With the forecasts, carbon emission reduction was calculated with a bottom-up method. To further discuss the pathway to achieve carbon neutrality in the transport sector of China, a scenario analysis was conducted with ideal, enhanced, and radical constraints. The results show that if all factors remain “as is” until 2050, China will be far from carbon neutrality. Thus, this paper proposes relevant policy implications to assist the government to obtain effective methods to assess carbon reduction benefits and find viable pathways to a sustainable road transport system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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22 pages, 3382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Difference and Convergence of Ecological Common Prosperity: Evidence from the Yellow River Basin in China

by Pei Liu, Jiajun Xu and Xiaojun Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3370; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043370 - 14 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1277

Abstract

Analyzing the spatial difference and convergence of ecological common prosperity (ECP) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) will be beneficial for the environmental governance and multi-regional economic coordination. Based on the panel data of 97 cities in the YRB from 2003 to 2019, [...] Read more.

Analyzing the spatial difference and convergence of ecological common prosperity (ECP) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) will be beneficial for the environmental governance and multi-regional economic coordination. Based on the panel data of 97 cities in the YRB from 2003 to 2019, this paper measured and analyzed the index of ECP, the Gini coefficient of ECP, and the convergence of ECP. The results indicate that the ECP of YRB shows a steady growth trend (with an average growth rate of 4.71% yearly) and the overall differences are low (average Gini coefficient is 0.1509 from 2003 to 2019). In different areas, the Gini coefficient between the medium-stream and downstream of YRB is the largest (average value of Gini coefficient is 0.1561). From the decomposition of the overall differences of ECP, the contribution degree of the density of transvariation is the highest for annual average, with a contribution rate of 43.37%, the rate of intra-regional and the inter-regional differences are 31.86% and 24.77%, respectively. The results indicate that the overall differences of ECP in YRB are getting smaller because of cooperation and governance, but the differences between and within regions exist because of geographical feature. There is a significant spatial β convergence trend of ECP, the convergence rate in the upstream and downstream area is faster under the economic geographical matrix than others, and the rate in the medium-stream area is faster under the administrative adjacency matrix. Therefore, strengthening economic and environmental cooperation between and within regions is more beneficial to achieve a better quality of life, as well as the long-term goals of 2035. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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17 pages, 948 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can River Chief System Policy Improve Enterprises’ Energy Efficiency? Evidence from China

by Da Gao, Chang Liu, Xinyan Wei and Yang Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2882; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042882 - 7 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1415

Abstract

The river chief system (RCS) is an autonomous environmental policy implemented by local governments in China that incorporates environmental responsibilities into the performance evaluation. Although existing literature suggests that RCS can reduce water pollution, the impact of RCS on energy efficiency has not [...] Read more.

The river chief system (RCS) is an autonomous environmental policy implemented by local governments in China that incorporates environmental responsibilities into the performance evaluation. Although existing literature suggests that RCS can reduce water pollution, the impact of RCS on energy efficiency has not been assessed. Therefore, this paper compiles data on industrial enterprises and industrial pollution in China from 2003 to 2013 and empirically examines the impact of RCS on green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) by using a multiple difference-in-difference approach. The results show that RCS significantly enhances firms’ GTFEE, and a series of tests confirm the robustness of the findings. Second, we further explore how RCS affects GTFEE, the mechanism tests conclude that the RCS improves GTFEE mainly through optimizing energy structure and promoting technological innovation. Third, compared with small firms, exporters, and firms in non-heavy polluting industries, the RCS has a greater effect on improving the GTFEE of large firms, non-exporters, and firms in heavily polluting industries. This study provides new and novel ideas for emerging countries to improve environmental policies and achieve sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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20 pages, 1412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty on Regional Total-Factor Energy Productivity in China

by Bin Wang, Chenyang Meng and Hongwei Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2855; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042855 - 6 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1288

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect and possible mechanism of implicit macroeconomic policy uncertainty on regional energy productivity in China. This study takes the unexpected output of environmental pollution from energy consumption into account and uses the DEA-SBM method to measure the regional total-factor [...] Read more.

This paper investigates the effect and possible mechanism of implicit macroeconomic policy uncertainty on regional energy productivity in China. This study takes the unexpected output of environmental pollution from energy consumption into account and uses the DEA-SBM method to measure the regional total-factor energy productivity (RTFEP) of prefecture cities in China from 2003 to 2017. Based on the economic policy uncertainty (EPU) index constructed by Baker et al. this paper estimates the effects of EPU on RTFEP and finds that there is a significant negative relationship between them. Specifically, for every unit increase in EPU, RTFEP will decrease by 5.7%. This paper further examines the mechanism of EPU on RTFEP from the perspective of the market and the government and finds that EPU exerts a restraining effect on RTFEP by affecting the consumption structure of the energy market and government intervention in the economy. In addition, the results show that there is heterogeneity in the impact of EPU on RTFEP which varies between resource-based cities at different development stages and different dominant resources. Finally, this paper proposes to cope with the negative impact of EPU on RTFEP by optimizing the energy consumption structure, regulating government investment areas, and transforming the economic development mode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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23 pages, 2249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Economic Growth Target Constraints on Environmental Pollution: Evidence from China

by Changfei Nie, Wen Luo, Yuan Feng and Zhi Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2831; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042831 - 6 Feb 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2124

Abstract

Economic growth target (EGT) has become an essential tool for macroeconomic administration all around the world. This study examines the effect and mechanisms of EGT on environmental pollution (EP) by using economic growth target data from provincial Government Work Reports in China from [...] Read more.

Economic growth target (EGT) has become an essential tool for macroeconomic administration all around the world. This study examines the effect and mechanisms of EGT on environmental pollution (EP) by using economic growth target data from provincial Government Work Reports in China from 2003–2019. The conclusions denote that EGT significantly aggravates regional EP, and it still stands after robustness tests and instrumental variable (IV) estimation. The result of mediating effect shows that EGT aggravates EP mainly from three ways: investment surge, technological innovation, and resource allocation. The result of the moderating effect shows that government’s fiscal space positively adjusts the effect of EGT on EP, while environmental regulation negatively adjusts the effect of EGT on EP. The heterogeneity test reflects that the effect of EGT on EP is more significant on provinces that adopt a “hard constraint” setting method and fulfill EGT. Our study provides a reference to better balance the link between EGT and sustainable development for the government department. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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19 pages, 1382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Place-Based Policies and Carbon Emission Efficiency: Quasi-Experiment in China’s Old Revolutionary Base Areas

by Huwei Wen, Yutong Liu and Yulin Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2677; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032677 - 2 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1445

Abstract

Regional imbalance is a typical feature of economic and social development in China, and place-based policies aimed at promoting balanced regional development may bring challenges to low-carbon goals. This study uses the panel data of China’s prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2019 to [...] Read more.

Regional imbalance is a typical feature of economic and social development in China, and place-based policies aimed at promoting balanced regional development may bring challenges to low-carbon goals. This study uses the panel data of China’s prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2019 to investigate the impact of place-based policies on carbon emission efficiency using a quasi-experimental method. Results indicate that place-based policies significantly reduce the regional total-factor carbon emission efficiency. The difference-in-differences method based on propensity score matching and entropy balancing matching consistently supports the finding that carbon emission efficiency decreases after policy intervention. Place-based policies lead to a significant decline in capital allocation efficiency but have an insignificant impact on labor allocation efficiency. Moreover, place-based policies result in the expansion of carbon-intensive industries but hinder the progress of the financial technology of financial institutions. Nevertheless, place-based policies do not lead to the deterioration of environmental quality. Among the advantages of these policies are the significant promotion of regional digitization and increased fiscal expenditure on science and technology. Political promotion, carbon regulation, trade policies, and other conditional factors may be optimally designed to promote low-carbon development in the old revolutionary areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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20 pages, 699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revisiting the Green Growth Effect of Foreign Direct Investment from the Perspective of Environmental Regulation: Evidence from China

by Deyun Xiao, Luyao Gao, Lijia Xu, Zongjun Wang and Wu Wei

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2655; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032655 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1822

Abstract

The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) has both advanced China’s economic development process and influenced the ecological quality of China’s regions. Under the deepening of economic globalization and the continuous deterioration in environmental quality, the correlation mechanism between foreign direct investment, environmental [...] Read more.

The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) has both advanced China’s economic development process and influenced the ecological quality of China’s regions. Under the deepening of economic globalization and the continuous deterioration in environmental quality, the correlation mechanism between foreign direct investment, environmental regulation, and economic growth is becoming increasingly complex. Therefore, based on the slacks-based measure (SBM) model and the Global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index, this study measured the level of green economic growth using data from 30 provinces and cities from 2004–2019 and constructed a panel fixed-effect regression model to study the effect of foreign direct investment on green economic growth in China. The study found that foreign direct investment significantly promoted green economic growth in China, foreign direct investment promoted green economic growth through independent innovation and inhibited green economic growth through imitation innovation, and environmental regulation moderated the impact of foreign direct investment on green economic growth. This paper incorporated foreign direct investment, heterogeneous technological innovation, green economic growth, and environmental regulation into the research framework, and thereby further enriched and improved the research on the theoretical mechanism of green economic growth. The research conclusion clarified the influence mechanism of foreign capital on the quality of China’s economic development, which was conducive to the formulation of more reasonable policies for attracting investments and to the promotion of the formation of a positive interaction mechanism between environmental regulation and foreign direct investment, which is of great practical significance for China’s economy to achieve sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 1892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How to Achieve Carbon Neutrality in Cities? Evidence from China’s Low-Carbon Cities Development

by Huaxing Wang, Chuan Chen, Zhiqiao Xiong and Dandan Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2121; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032121 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1623

Abstract

Low-carbon city pilots (LCCP) is a key policy for realizing emission peak and carbon neutrality in China, using China’s samples from 280 towns from 2006 to 2016. The article utilizes PSM-DID, mediated effects, and moderating effects approach for validating a CO₂ reduction [...] Read more.

Low-carbon city pilots (LCCP) is a key policy for realizing emission peak and carbon neutrality in China, using China’s samples from 280 towns from 2006 to 2016. The article utilizes PSM-DID, mediated effects, and moderating effects approach for validating a CO₂ reduction effect, mechanisms, and synergistic elements of LCCP. The regression outcomes suggest that (1) LCCP significantly decreases CO₂ emissions levels and average annual carbon emissions in LCCP fall by 2.6 percent. (2) LCCP focus on reducing carbon emissions by increasing R&D investment, the efficiency of energy, and decreasing the high CO₂ emissions industry. Among them, the reduction of the high carbon emission industry is mainly FDI, while the reduction of local industry is not obvious. (3) LCCP’s carbon reduction effects suggest a reversed U-shape relationship with city size. Digitalization and marketization of LCCP are crucial to the carbon reduction effect. Carbon reduction and pollution reduction have a strong synergistic effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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18 pages, 371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extrusion Effect or Promotion Effect? The Effect of Environmental Regulation on Enterprise Green Innovation

by Wei Wang and Hailin Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1748; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031748 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1301

Abstract

This paper took the policy of China’ Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan as an exogenous shock to reflect the change in environmental regulation intensity. By matching environmental policies with micro data of listed companies in China, this paper explored the effect [...] Read more.

This paper took the policy of China’ Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan as an exogenous shock to reflect the change in environmental regulation intensity. By matching environmental policies with micro data of listed companies in China, this paper explored the effect and mechanisms of environmental regulation on enterprise green innovation. Through constructing difference-in-difference (DID) and difference-in-difference-in-difference (DDD) models, we found the following to be the case: (1) Environmental regulation had a significant positive effect with the green innovation level of Chinese listed companies. (2) Compared with non-regulated industries, this policy has led to a significant increase (5.4%) in the amount of firms’ green patent applications in regulated industries, and the promoting effect was more obvious in key areas that are strictly controlled by this policy. (3) Compared with non-state-owned enterprises, it had a stronger impact on the green innovation of state-owned enterprises. (4) Mechanistic analysis showed that China’s environmental regulation can play a resource compensation effect by increasing environmental protection subsidies for enterprises’ green innovation behaviors. Additionally, it can force firms to increase investment in environmental pollution governance by raising pollution penalties, thus exerting the forcing effect. This paper provides new evidence for Porter’s hypothesis and can provide a reference for developing countries promoting green innovation through environmental policies and regulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

17 pages, 909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Duality of China’s Marine Fishery Carbon Emissions and Its Coordination with Economic Development

by Huanhuan Xiong, Xuejing Wang and Xinrui Hu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1423; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021423 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1368

Abstract

Through the Tapio model, this paper measures the “decoupling and coupling” relationship between carbon emissions, carbon sinks, and economic growth of marine fisheries in nine coastal provinces of China in 2009–2019, objectively evaluates the economic benefits of carbon emissions and low-carbon development potential, [...] Read more.

Through the Tapio model, this paper measures the “decoupling and coupling” relationship between carbon emissions, carbon sinks, and economic growth of marine fisheries in nine coastal provinces of China in 2009–2019, objectively evaluates the economic benefits of carbon emissions and low-carbon development potential, and then discusses the economic development models of marine fisheries in detail. The results showed that the total carbon sink and carbon emission of China’s marine fisheries are increasing. Guangdong is dominated by “double low” economic benefits and low-carbon potential, and “double high” provinces have better resource endowment conditions; China’s marine fishery economic development is still dominated by conventional types. To further promote the sustainable development of China’s marine fisheries, all provinces should define the development orientation of marine fisheries, improve the production methods of marine fisheries according to local conditions, and adjust the industrial structure of marine fisheries in a timely manner, to achieve the low-carbon fishery goal of reducing carbon emissions and growing the economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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19 pages, 400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does PM2.5 (Pollutant) Reduce Firms’ Innovation Output?

by Zhiqiao Xiong, Dandan Li and Hongwei Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1112; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021112 - 8 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1281

Abstract

The potentially serious economic consequences of China’s severe air pollution problem cannot be overlooked, especially the impact on corporate innovation, which is a core driver guiding firms towards efficient and high-quality development. This paper explores the direct effect and mechanism of PM2.5 on [...] Read more.

The potentially serious economic consequences of China’s severe air pollution problem cannot be overlooked, especially the impact on corporate innovation, which is a core driver guiding firms towards efficient and high-quality development. This paper explores the direct effect and mechanism of PM2.5 on firms’ innovation output through the identification strategy of instrument variable. Based on the data of Listed Companies in China from 2003 to 2016, we used thermal inversion as the instrument variable for PM2.5 for estimation. The results show that each 1 ug/m³ increase in PM2.5 concentration causes an average reduction in innovation output of listed companies by about 7.0%. The test of “Porter hypothesis” shows that environmental regulation has not encouraged firms to innovate more. We further used the 2013 China Social Survey (CSS) data to verify the human capital mechanism of PM2.5 affecting firm innovation at micro level. The results show that PM 2.5 deteriorates the healthy human capital in a firm, which reduces the innovation output. This article helps to understand the relationship between air pollution and firms’ innovation and to develop appropriate policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

21 pages, 1101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Information Infrastructure Promote Low-Carbon Development? Evidence from the “Broadband China” Pilot Policy

by Hanjin Xie, Xi Tan, Jun Li, Shuang Qu and Chunmei Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 962; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020962 - 5 Jan 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1505

Abstract

While information infrastructure has remarkably boosted global economic prosperity in the last several decades, how it propels low-carbon development has failed to draw enough attention. Based on panel data from 284 cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this study used the “Broadband [...] Read more.

While information infrastructure has remarkably boosted global economic prosperity in the last several decades, how it propels low-carbon development has failed to draw enough attention. Based on panel data from 284 cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this study used the “Broadband China” pilot policy as an exogenous event to examine the impact of information infrastructure on carbon emission intensity. We found the following: (1) The “Broadband China” pilot policy significantly reduced carbon emission intensity, which held true in a series of robustness tests. (2) Promoting the development of the service sector, encouraging innovation activities, and fostering low-carbon lifestyles are the influential mechanisms by which information infrastructure reduced carbon emission intensity. (3) The population size, administration rank, marketization, industrialization, and informatization base significantly strengthened the reduction effect of information infrastructure on carbon emission intensity, while the disparity in human capital does not cause an evident difference. This paper’s findings reveal a counting path through which improving information infrastructure advances low-carbon and sustainable growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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22 pages, 628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Tasking Policy Coordination and Corporate Environmental Performance: Evidence from China

by Hongji Xie, Cunzhi Tian and Fangying Pang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020923 - 4 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1093

Abstract

This paper investigates how local governments coordinate the relationship between economic growth targets (EGT) and environmental protection targets (EPT) and the impact of such coordination on firm’s environmental performance. Using the pollution emission data of China’s industrial firms covering 2003 to 2013, we [...] Read more.

This paper investigates how local governments coordinate the relationship between economic growth targets (EGT) and environmental protection targets (EPT) and the impact of such coordination on firm’s environmental performance. Using the pollution emission data of China’s industrial firms covering 2003 to 2013, we show that firms in the cities where officials are setting overweighted economic growth targets have more sulfur dioxide intensity, while the central government’s hard constraints on EPT included in the official performance evaluation system could partially mitigate the environmental externality of the economic growth target. Further, we find that overweighted EGT significantly decreases firms’ desulfurization facilities, capacity, and ratio, while the hard constraint of EPT helps mitigate this negative relationship. We also find that the positive relationship between overweight EGT and firm emissions is more pronounced in the dirty industry, while the hard constraint of EPT helps to mitigate this relationship. The above results help to identify an underlying mechanism of environmental regulation. Finally, we show that converting the hard constraints of environmental protection targets to self-constraint by local government officials could reverse the environmental externality of the economic growth target. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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20 pages, 1744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How the Pilot Low-Carbon City Policy Promotes Urban Green Innovation: Based on Temporal-Spatial Dual Perspectives

by Xianghua Yue, Shikuan Zhao, Xin Ding and Long Xin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010561 - 29 Dec 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 1991

Abstract

Enhancing green innovation levels is an important objective of the pilot low-carbon city policy (PLCC) in China, but the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the PLCC policy’s effect on green innovation is unclear. Based on panel data from 285 Chinese cities during 2005–2020, [...] Read more.

Enhancing green innovation levels is an important objective of the pilot low-carbon city policy (PLCC) in China, but the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the PLCC policy’s effect on green innovation is unclear. Based on panel data from 285 Chinese cities during 2005–2020, this paper assesses the impact of PLCC on regional green innovation using the difference-in-difference (DID) method. The empirical results demonstrate that the PLCC can obviously promote urban green innovation. In terms of the temporal dimension, the policy effect of PLCC on regional green innovation shows an inverted “U” shape and peaks in the seventh year after implementation. From the spatial dimension, the PLCC can promote surrounding cities’ green innovation through spatial spillover effects within 200 km, and the spillover effect decreases with increasing distance. Mechanism analysis indicates that the PLCC policy can promote regional green innovation by enhancing regional environmental regulations and alleviating financing constraints. This paper explores the temporal and spatial policy effects of PLCC, which can provide effective paths and policy recommendations for China to achieve its “dual carbon” goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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19 pages, 2807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Coupling Coordination Degree of Economic, Social and Ecological Resilience of Urban Agglomerations in China

by Xin Xu, Meimei Wang, Mingfeng Wang, Yongchun Yang and Yuliang Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010413 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2695

Abstract

This paper refines the fuzzy logic method, while constructing a theoretical model of the relationship between economic resilience, social resilience and ecological resilience, and evaluates the coupling coordination between the economic-social-ecological resilience of 197 prefecture-level cities in China’s urban agglomerations in 2019. Findings [...] Read more.

This paper refines the fuzzy logic method, while constructing a theoretical model of the relationship between economic resilience, social resilience and ecological resilience, and evaluates the coupling coordination between the economic-social-ecological resilience of 197 prefecture-level cities in China’s urban agglomerations in 2019. Findings include: (1) The mean ecological resilience of China’s urban agglomerations in 2019 was the highest, followed by economic and social resilience. (2) Promoting urban agglomerations had higher resilience scores in the three dimensions, especially in the economic dimension. Growing urban agglomerations had low resilience values on the whole, especially economic resilience. (3) The mean coupling coordination degree of economic-social-ecological resilience ranged from near-incoordination to narrow balance. (4) The coupling coordination degree between the two coincided with the positioning of existing urban agglomerations. (5) Economic resilience had the most significant impact on the coupling coordination. Finally, we give differentiated countermeasures to improve the resilience of urban agglomerations. This study aims to contribute to the promotion of urban resilience research, and helps to plan and design more rational urban economic-social-ecological systems, thereby enhancing the ability of cities to cope with any uncertainties and contingencies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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14 pages, 2379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influencing Factors of Direct Carbon Emissions of Households in Urban Villages in Guangzhou, China

by Yamei Chen and Lu Jiang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17054; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417054 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1577

Abstract

China’s household energy consumption has obvious regional differences, and rising income levels and urbanization have changed the ability of households to make energy consumption choices. In this paper, we analyze the energy consumption characteristics of urban village residents based on microlevel household survey [...] Read more.

China’s household energy consumption has obvious regional differences, and rising income levels and urbanization have changed the ability of households to make energy consumption choices. In this paper, we analyze the energy consumption characteristics of urban village residents based on microlevel household survey data from urban villages in Guangzhou, China. Then, the results of modeling the material flows of per capita carbon emissions show the most dominant type of energy consumption. OLS is applied to analyze the influencing factors of carbon emissions. We find that the per capita household carbon emissions in urban villages are 722.7 kg/household.year, and the average household carbon emissions are 2820.57 kg/household.year. We also find that household characteristics, household size, household appliance numbers, and carbon emissions have a significant positive correlation, while income has no significant effect on carbon emissions. What is more, the size and age of the house have a positive impact on carbon emissions. Otherwise, the new finding is the demonstration that income is not significantly correlated with household carbon emissions, which is consistent with the characteristics of urban villages described earlier. On the basis of this study, we propose more specific recommendations regarding household energy carbon emissions in urban villages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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20 pages, 4215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How to Achieve Carbon Neutrality: From the Perspective of Innovative City Pilot Policy in China

by Lina Liu, Yunyun Zhang, Bei Liu, Pishi Xiu and Lipeng Sun

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16539; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416539 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1558

Abstract

The innovative city pilot policy is a new engine to accelerate the social development of China, which is an important support feature for realizing sustainable economic development. Using the city pilot policy issued by the Chinese government in 2008 as a quasi-natural experiment [...] Read more.

The innovative city pilot policy is a new engine to accelerate the social development of China, which is an important support feature for realizing sustainable economic development. Using the city pilot policy issued by the Chinese government in 2008 as a quasi-natural experiment and the method of multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model, we explore the effect of the policy on regional carbon emission efficiency. The research shows that the innovative city pilot policy could lead a significant promotion of the carbon emission efficiency of cities, which shows the characteristics of dynamic sustainability, that is, the policy effect continues to increase over time. Mechanism analysis reveals that the innovative city pilot policy mainly drives the improvement of urban carbon emission efficiency through improving the green technology innovation level of pilot cities, promoting the upgrading of regional industrial structure and increasing government investment in science and technology. In addition, the innovative city pilot policy has a spatial spillover effect on urban carbon emission efficiency, that is, the innovative city pilot policy not only promotes the local carbon emission efficiency, but also improves the carbon efficiency of neighboring areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Addressing Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Economy: Toward Sustainable Development)

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