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Developments in Theory and in Practice: Energy and Environmental Policy

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (13 April 2023) | Viewed by 36068

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Public Administration, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea
Interests: risk perception; environmentalism; climate change; energy transition; human action and behavior; energy preference; psychometric paradigm; environmental assessment; public understanding of science; environmental justice; cultural theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Public Administration, Division of Global Human Resources, Kangwon National University, Samcheok-si 25913, Korea
Interests: energy transition; environmental tolicy; energy policy; science-technology policy; risk perception; human behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues

Great changes such as environmental pollution, climate change, energy transition, and digital transformation are changing the social structure. The elements of environment, climate, energy, and technology are four basic factors that constitute the context of human life. There are not only positive aspects but also the negative aspects that these four factors produce. In order to solve social and policy problems, the government's policy orientation is too much important.

Good design of energy and environmental policies to solve energy and environmental problems is very important for making a better society. In order to properly design energy and environmental policies, research is needed from a theoretical and practical point of view. This special issue is looking to recruit manuscripts related to energy and environmental policy. This special issue invites not only manuscripts related to energy and environmental policy from a purely theoretical perspective, but also manuscripts from practical perspectives such as case analysis, status diagnosis, and issue analysis. We would be grateful if many researchers would participate in writing the special issue manuscript.

Prof. Dr. Seoyong Kim
Prof. Dr. Jaesun Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy policy
  • environmental policy
  • climate change
  • environmental problems
  • air quality
  • particulate matter
  • quality of life
  • pollution
  • common pool resource
  • renewable energy
  • sustainable energy
  • nuclear power
  • fossil fuels
  • solar energy
  • energy efficiency
  • attitude and behavioral change
  • public opinion
  • energy supply and demand
  • affordable energy
  • energy tax and price
  • energy regulation policy
  • energy transition
  • decarbonization
  • innovation
  • electric car
  • safety
  • risk perception
  • environmental suitability
  • health
  • hydrogen/power storage/distributed energy
  • heat and transportation
  • social economy
  • technology/governance reform
  • energy industry
  • the energy cooperative

Published Papers (17 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1583 KiB  
Article
Value Orientations, Personal Norms, and Public Attitude toward SDGs
by Ting Guan and Qian Zhang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4031; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054031 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Improving communication and engagement with the public is vital for implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs). Public attitude toward SDGs can influence this engagement, as people are more likely to accept SDG-relevant information and take actions that are consistent with their own attitudes. This [...] Read more.
Improving communication and engagement with the public is vital for implementing sustainable development goals (SDGs). Public attitude toward SDGs can influence this engagement, as people are more likely to accept SDG-relevant information and take actions that are consistent with their own attitudes. This study examines the determinants for individual attitudes in supporting SDGs and further explores the formation of public attitudes toward SDGs, i.e., how public attitude is shaped by the value orientations and norms of the individuals. Using an online survey (n = 3089), we uncovered several important findings: (1) individuals’ altruistic/biospheric value orientations are positively associated with pro-SDG attitudes; (2) personal norms mediate the relationship of individuals’ altruistic values and attitudes; (3) some demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, having children) moderate the relationship of people’s value orientations and attitudes; and (4) people’s biospheric values have heterogeneous effects on their pro-SDG attitudes based on education and income. Through these findings, this study enhanced the public’s general understanding of SDGs by providing a holistic analytical framework of public attitude formation on SDGs and uncovering the significant role of value orientations. We further identify the moderating effects of demographic characteristics and the mediating effects of personal norms in the relationship between individuals’ values and attitude on SDGs. Full article
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13 pages, 901 KiB  
Article
Co-Benefits of China’s Carbon Emissions Trading Scheme: Impact Mechanism and Spillover Effect
by Zijian Liu, Lian Cai and Yabin Zhang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3792; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053792 - 21 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1465
Abstract
Based on the panel data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China, from 2007 to 2017, we empirically explore the co-benefits of the carbon emissions trading scheme. We found that the carbon emissions trading scheme effectively achieved the coordinated control of carbon dioxide and [...] Read more.
Based on the panel data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China, from 2007 to 2017, we empirically explore the co-benefits of the carbon emissions trading scheme. We found that the carbon emissions trading scheme effectively achieved the coordinated control of carbon dioxide and air pollutants, by improving the green production level of the pilot areas, reducing the regional industrial output, and promoting the upgrading of the industrial structure. In terms of heterogeneity, the emissions trading scheme shows obvious urban location and level heterogeneity, in terms of coordinated control. The synergistic emission reduction effects of eastern and central cities are significantly better than those of cities in central and western regions and non-central cities. It has also had positive spillover effects on the surrounding cities of the pilot areas, but pollution levels in farther areas may have increased due to possible “pollution shelter problems”. Full article
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20 pages, 503 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Financial Development on Renewable Energy Consumption: A Multidimensional Analysis Based on Global Panel Data
by Zhongye Sun, Xin Zhang and Yifei Gao
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3124; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043124 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3008
Abstract
In this paper, we examined the impact of financial development on renewable energy consumption from a global perspective based on a dynamic panel model and panel data of 103 economies. We conducted the research from the different levels of financial development using an [...] Read more.
In this paper, we examined the impact of financial development on renewable energy consumption from a global perspective based on a dynamic panel model and panel data of 103 economies. We conducted the research from the different levels of financial development using an index system including nine variables, and also explored national heterogeneity by dividing samples into developed economies and developing economies. The empirical results indicated that the financial development had a positive impact on renewable energy consumption from the macro perspective, and this effect was mainly driven by the development of a financial institution (mainly including bank). Further analysis on the depth, access, and efficiency of a financial institution and financial market (mainly including stock market and bond market) revealed that all three aspects of a financial institution had a positive influence on renewable energy consumption, while this effect only existed in the aspect of efficiency for a financial market. The investigation of national heterogeneity showed that the financial development performed well in promoting renewable energy consumption in developed economies, while this positive effect only existed for financial institutions in developing economies. We suggest to policymakers to attach importance to the positive effect of financial development when formulating renewable-energy-related policies, and provide a system guarantee for renewable energy enterprises concerning financial sectors in developing economies. Full article
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12 pages, 392 KiB  
Article
Optimal Environmental Policy for Heterogeneous Governments in China
by Ren Wang, Yuxiang Bian, Han Gao and Jie Hou
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3087; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043087 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1299
Abstract
The purpose of the article is to study how the shift in the developing philosophy of China’s central leadership has impacted the management style of China’s local governments and, in turn, the country’s economic and environmental equilibrium. We use a real business cycle [...] Read more.
The purpose of the article is to study how the shift in the developing philosophy of China’s central leadership has impacted the management style of China’s local governments and, in turn, the country’s economic and environmental equilibrium. We use a real business cycle model with environmental variables and divide governments into those with/without environmental concerns and into those with long- and short-term policy horizons. We find that forcing local governments to plan in the long run is effective only when those governments are simultaneously mandated to consider the environment to be as important as the economy. Theoretical results show that both output and pollution levels are highest under governments without environmental obligations, intermediate under long-term governments with environmental obligations, and lowest under short-term governments with such obligations. Full article
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15 pages, 30973 KiB  
Article
Morphological Pattern of Building Clusters in Cold Regions: Evidence from Harbin
by Wente Pan, Shuqi Li, Yang Ye, Yuan Huang, Haocheng Liu, Hongxing Liu and Wenxuan Yu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17083; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417083 - 19 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1616
Abstract
The rapidly changing global conditions of the environment and climate have resulted in higher requirements for urban design. Significant annual temperature variations and large day/night temperature differences in cold-region cities leads to high energy consumption. Therefore, it is challenging to achieve low energy [...] Read more.
The rapidly changing global conditions of the environment and climate have resulted in higher requirements for urban design. Significant annual temperature variations and large day/night temperature differences in cold-region cities leads to high energy consumption. Therefore, it is challenging to achieve low energy consumption in cold-region cities. Urban morphology focuses on the physical elements of urban areas, reflecting the relationship between the city and its environment and the city’s response to natural climatic conditions. Building clusters are common in cold regions due to the extreme climate. Thus, it is crucial to study the energy performance of cities by considering urban morphology. This study focuses on four morphological patterns of building clusters: point, linear, courtyard, and mixed patterns. A case study is conducted in Harbin, a cold-region city in China. Samples of the four morphological patterns are extracted, and GIS analysis and manual labeling are used to analyze the dominant morphological patterns of building clusters in cold regions. Average nearest-neighbor analysis is used to obtain quantitative results and determine the prevalence of different morphological patterns of building clusters in cold regions. This process can be used to determine the dominant patterns of urban building clusters and provide a scientific basis for selecting the morphological patterns of new building clusters in cold regions. Full article
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17 pages, 739 KiB  
Article
Effects of Human Capital on Energy Consumption: The Role of Income Inequality
by Yiping Gao, Rong Yuan and Shenglin Zheng
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17005; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417005 - 18 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
High-quality human capital (HC) development has a strong influence on achieving a win-win target of economic growth and energy consumption mitigation based on the background of the contemporary “carbon neutrality” constraints in China. We here aim to empirically assess the effect of HC [...] Read more.
High-quality human capital (HC) development has a strong influence on achieving a win-win target of economic growth and energy consumption mitigation based on the background of the contemporary “carbon neutrality” constraints in China. We here aim to empirically assess the effect of HC on energy consumption (EC) in 30 provinces of China from 2000 to 2019. Moreover, we broaden the literature by discussing the effect of HC in terms of impact mechanism and nonlinear relationship. Based on methods of the augmented mean group (AMG), the estimation of long-term impacts indicates that the improvement of HC significantly discourages the increase in EC. The intrinsic mechanism shows that the accumulation of HC significantly promotes the decline of EC through economic structure adjustment and technological innovation. Moreover, the threshold model indicates that income equality lifts the inhibitory impact of HC on EC. Accordingly, the development of HC should be involved in the policy preference of China’s provincial and national development strategies considering its effectiveness in stimulating the reduction of energy consumption. Full article
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0 pages, 2557 KiB  
Article
The Impact of SO2 Emissions Trading Scheme on Firm’s Environmental Performance: A Channel from Robot Application
by Jian Song, Yijing Wang and Jing Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16471; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416471 - 8 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1349
Abstract
Improving the environmental performance of enterprises is the key to achieving the goal of energy conservation, emission reduction and green development. This paper investigates the causal impact on the firm’s environmental performance of China’s SO2 emissions trading scheme (SO2 ETS), a [...] Read more.
Improving the environmental performance of enterprises is the key to achieving the goal of energy conservation, emission reduction and green development. This paper investigates the causal impact on the firm’s environmental performance of China’s SO2 emissions trading scheme (SO2 ETS), a market-based environmental regulation. Different from the verification mechanism of the Porter hypothesis in the existing literature, we examine the micro mechanism of both emission reduction and efficiency gains of enterprises from the perspective of robot application based on Chinese firm-level data from 2000 to 2013. The paper found that SO2 ETS significantly reduces the emission intensity of Chinese enterprises, and the results are still significant after a series of robustness tests and using instrumental variables to overcome the endogeneity problem. Mechanism analysis shows that the reduction of pollutant emissions and the productivity effect of robot application are two significant channels for SO2 ETS to improve the firm’s environmental performance. In addition, in resource-based and recession-oriented cities, the SO2 ETS has a more significant effect on enterprise emission reduction. These findings provide empirical evidence and policy enlightenment for enterprises to promote market-oriented environmental regulation and release institutional dividends in the process of industrial automation transformation, green and sustainable development. Full article
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14 pages, 901 KiB  
Article
How Does Climate Policy Uncertainty Affect Green Innovation? Evidence from China
by Ke Mao and Junxin Huang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15745; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315745 - 26 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2223
Abstract
In response to climate change, governments have adopted various climate policies. However, climate policy uncertainty (CPU) may have important implications for the business sector. Is enterprise green innovation (GI) affected by CPU? This study investigates the impact of CPU on enterprise GI. The [...] Read more.
In response to climate change, governments have adopted various climate policies. However, climate policy uncertainty (CPU) may have important implications for the business sector. Is enterprise green innovation (GI) affected by CPU? This study investigates the impact of CPU on enterprise GI. The China CPU index is created first in this study. It uses panel data from Chinese A-share listed companies in China from 2010 to 2021 to explore the impact of CPU on GI through the fixed effects model, the mediating effects model, and the moderating effects model. The results show that: (1) CPU significantly suppresses GI, according to the findings. (2) CPU inhibits enterprise GI by exacerbating enterprise financing constraints. (3) Government subsidies can mitigate the inhibiting effect of CPU on GI. (4) There is heterogeneity in the negative impact of CPU on enterprise GI, mainly on non-state-owned enterprises. This study suggests several recommendations for coping with CPU in China. Full article
0 pages, 2211 KiB  
Article
How Low-Carbon Pilots Affect Chinese Urban Energy Efficiency: An Explanation from Technological Progress
by Jian Song, Jing Wang and Zhe Chen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15563; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315563 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1393
Abstract
This study uses the low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy as a quasi-natural experiment, combined with the panel data of 281 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2003 to 2018, and the difference-in-differences model to investigate the specific impact and mechanism of the [...] Read more.
This study uses the low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy as a quasi-natural experiment, combined with the panel data of 281 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2003 to 2018, and the difference-in-differences model to investigate the specific impact and mechanism of the LCCP on regional energy efficiency. The study showed that LCCP policies can significantly improve regional energy efficiency. The heterogeneity test found that, for cities with larger scales, high pollutant emission intensities, and fewer financial constraints, the implementation of LCCP policies could effectively improve energy efficiency. Based on the mechanical test of the technological progress path, it was concluded that LCCP policies could effectively improve energy efficiency by promoting technological innovation and transformation of enterprises. In the field of technological innovation, implementing LCCP policies helps promote green technological innovation, as well as increasing bias. Furthermore, this study evaluates the emission reduction effects of LCCP policies. The results found that, although LCCP could reduce regional carbon emissions by improving energy efficiency, the impact of energy rebound dramatically reduced the emission reduction effects of LCCP. This study provides empirical evidence and policy enlightenment for China’s accelerating “carbon-peak” and “carbon-neutral” goals. Full article
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25 pages, 15963 KiB  
Article
Forecasting the Reduction in Urban Air Pollution by Expansion of Market Shares of Eco-Friendly Vehicles: A Focus on Seoul, Korea
by Hanghun Jo, Seong-A Kim and Heungsoon Kim
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15314; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215314 - 19 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2448
Abstract
Due to global climate change, various countries have agreed upon the use of conventions. In this study, the eco-friendly vehicular policy on carbon neutrality implemented in Seoul, Korea, was examined. To this end, various policy-based scenarios were set, and the changes in automotive [...] Read more.
Due to global climate change, various countries have agreed upon the use of conventions. In this study, the eco-friendly vehicular policy on carbon neutrality implemented in Seoul, Korea, was examined. To this end, various policy-based scenarios were set, and the changes in automotive exhaust gas emissions were evaluated and compared. The evaluation method combined macroscopic and microscopic emission models as its analysis framework. Micro-traffic data available in Korea were used for analyses, and the results for all autonomous districts were derived to cover the entire area of Seoul. The findings confirmed that the most effective measure is the initial replacement of old, mid-size, or large diesel passenger cars with eco-friendly vehicles (Middle-sized: Scenario 2-1 5.52%, Scenario 2-2 6.86%, Scenario 3-1 80.93%, and Scenario 3-2 83.98%). The replacement of old vehicles exhibited the highest effect in all tested scenarios, while the initial replacement of diesel vehicles was more effective than the replacement of gasoline and liquified petroleum gas vehicles (Diesel: Scenario2-1 6.64%, Scenario 2-2 8.21%, Scenario3-1 86.23%, and Scenario 3-2 90.51%). Among the autonomous districts of Seoul, the Gangnam-gu area exhibited the largest emission-reduced effect among all the tested scenarios (Gangnam-gu: Scenario 2-1 5.80%, Scenario 2-2 6.74%, Scenario 3-1 80.44%, and Scenario 3-2 82.62%). Overall, it was demonstrated that the findings of this study may have significant policy implications in terms of urban emission changes pertaining to transportation. Full article
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17 pages, 441 KiB  
Article
Can Environmental Regulation Promote Green Innovation and Productivity? The Moderating Role of Government Interventions in Urban China
by Yuanshuo Xu, Jiahe Liang, Zhaoyingzi Dong and Minjun Shi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13974; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113974 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2013
Abstract
Can environmental regulation promote green innovation and the productivity of cities? The “Compliance Cost” (CC) perspective and the “Porter Hypothesis” (PH) offer contrasting views, whereas the existing empirical results are inconclusive. This paper aims to highlight the roles of multifaceted government interventions, including [...] Read more.
Can environmental regulation promote green innovation and the productivity of cities? The “Compliance Cost” (CC) perspective and the “Porter Hypothesis” (PH) offer contrasting views, whereas the existing empirical results are inconclusive. This paper aims to highlight the roles of multifaceted government interventions, including government-to-firm subsidies, tax levies on firms, and environmental infrastructure provisions, in moderating environmental regulation for realizing PH. Based on the fixed-effects models for Chinese prefecture cities from 2005–2013, we found that environmental regulation positively impacted green innovation but negatively affected productivity. The results of moderating effects suggest that environmental regulation can better promote green innovation if it is compounded with more government-to-firm subsidies, lower firm tax burdens, and increased environmental infrastructure provisions. We further decomposed the impacts of these interventions across seven fields of green innovation and found that subsidy and tax burden relief were especially effective in facilitating more GI in the sector of transportation and alternative energy production. This paper amplifies the theoretical framework of PH by accentuating the analytical lens of multifaceted government interventions but also provides insights into how local governments can effectively design “carrot-and-stick” policies to realize PH at the city level. Full article
23 pages, 7115 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Intermediate Goods Imports on Energy Efficiency: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Cities
by Yu Xiang, Jing Zheng and Xunhua Tu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13007; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013007 - 11 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1716
Abstract
Improving energy efficiency is a critical way to solve energy shortage and environmental problems and achieve the goal of “double carbon”. As China expands imports and integrates into global value chains, can import trade improve energy efficiency? This topic is extremely important for [...] Read more.
Improving energy efficiency is a critical way to solve energy shortage and environmental problems and achieve the goal of “double carbon”. As China expands imports and integrates into global value chains, can import trade improve energy efficiency? This topic is extremely important for solving current energy problems and promoting sustainable economic development. Based on panel data of prefecture-level cities in China, this paper uses the Super-SBM model to measure the total factor energy efficiency of cities and investigates the impact of intermediate goods imports on energy efficiency with fixed effects models and instrumental variable method (IV). The study finds that: (1) intermediate goods imports contribute to the increase of urban energy efficiency, and the mechanism test indicates that intermediate goods imports affect energy efficiency through the technology spillover effect and intermediate goods type diversification effect. (2) According to the heterogeneity analysis, the effect of intermediate goods imports on energy efficiency is more evident in eastern China and cities with low topographic relief, medium population scale, and high absorption capability. (3) Analysis of the spatial spillover effect with the SDM model shows that importing intermediate goods promotes energy efficiency in local cities and radiates energy efficiency improvement in neighboring cities. Full article
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20 pages, 1699 KiB  
Article
Can Global Value Chain Participation Drive Green Upgrade in China’s Manufacturing Industry?
by Shi Wang and Hua Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12013; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912013 - 22 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
Engagement in the global division of labor has greatly influenced China’s economy and environment. With the multi-regional input–output (MRIO) framework, we calculate the global value chain (GVC) participation index of China’s 16 manufacturing sectors. We also measure the green upgrade index of manufacturing [...] Read more.
Engagement in the global division of labor has greatly influenced China’s economy and environment. With the multi-regional input–output (MRIO) framework, we calculate the global value chain (GVC) participation index of China’s 16 manufacturing sectors. We also measure the green upgrade index of manufacturing sectors based on the super-efficiency epsilon-based measure (SEBM) and the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index. In addition, the effect of GVC participation on the green upgrade of manufacturing sectors is empirically tested with a fixed effects regression model for panel data. Results show that: (1) sectors that rank high in the forward linkage-based GVC participation index also tend to rank high in the backward linkage-based GVC participation index; (2) the ML index is greater than 1 in most years, indicating that the green upgrade of China’s manufacturing sectors shows an uptrend; (3) for both forward and backward linkage, the rise of the GVC and complex GVC participation indexes significantly promotes the green upgrade of manufacturing sectors. Finally, GVC participation of China’s manufacturing sectors promotes green upgrade mainly through green technology progress. The conclusions have empirical evidence and policy implications for the advancement to medium- and high-end GVC participation and the green transition of China’s manufacturing sectors. Full article
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26 pages, 1242 KiB  
Article
Searching for New Human Behavior Model in Explaining Energy Transition: Exploring the Impact of Value and Perception Factors on Inconsistency of Attitude toward Policy Support and Intention to Pay for Energy Transition
by Yoonjung Oh, Seoyong Kim and Sohee Kim
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11352; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811352 - 9 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the factors influencing the public’s attitude toward policy support and intention to pay for energy transition from nuclear to renewable energy. We focus on inconsistency issues between attitude and intention. To this end, [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the factors influencing the public’s attitude toward policy support and intention to pay for energy transition from nuclear to renewable energy. We focus on inconsistency issues between attitude and intention. To this end, we set the attitude toward policy support and behavioral intention to pay as dependent variables, and value factors (i.e., ideology, political support for the current Moon Jae-in government, environmentalism, and science-technology optimism) and perception factors (i.e., perceived risk, benefit, knowledge, and trust) as the independent variables. Based on a survey, the analysis showed that at the variable level, the perceived benefits and trust in renewable energy and perceived risks and benefits in nuclear energy influenced the attitude toward policy support and the intention to pay for energy transition. Second, when evaluating the explanatory power of independent variables, the attitude toward the energy transition was affected in the following order: (1) perceived benefit in nuclear power (β = 0.259) > (2) perceived benefit in renewable energy (β = −0.219) > (3) perceived risk in nuclear energy (β = 0.202) > (4) Moon Jae-in government support (β = 0.146). On the other hand, behavioral intention to pay for energy transition was influenced in the following order: (1) trust in renewable energy (β = 0.252) > (2) Moon Jae-in government support (β = 0.154) > (3) perceived risk in nuclear energy (β = 0.139) > (4) perceived benefit in renewable energy (β = 0.099). Third, variables such as environmentalism, perceived benefit/risk/trust in renewable energy, and perceived benefit/risk in nuclear energy affected inconsistency between attitude toward policy support and intention to pay for energy transition. Full article
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24 pages, 68805 KiB  
Article
What Are More Efficient Transportation Services in a Rural Area? A Case Study in Yangsan City, South Korea
by Chang-Gyun Roh and Jiyoon Kim
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11263; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811263 - 7 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2462
Abstract
Population aging and population decline are experienced not only in South Korea but also in other countries around the world. In particular, public transportation operations, which have been centered on existing large buses, are struggling with a continuous deficit owing to the rapid [...] Read more.
Population aging and population decline are experienced not only in South Korea but also in other countries around the world. In particular, public transportation operations, which have been centered on existing large buses, are struggling with a continuous deficit owing to the rapid population decline in rural areas, thus leading to a social issue. To address this issue, nations worldwide have attempted to find various alternatives. In South Korea, voucher taxis and city-type buses have been newly supplied in rural areas as alternatives. In this study, six city-type bus routes implemented in Yangsan-si, South Korea have been intensively reviewed in particular. The planned routes and operation status of each bus route were compared and reviewed based on geographic information systems. Six improved demand-responsive transport (DRT) operation methods were studied based on the operation patterns of city-type buses that were operated differently from the planed routes. Through this, a more suitable DRT small bus operation model for each route was proposed. Our study results will be a foundational proposal for policy makers concerned with improving public transport services and supplying new services in rural areas. Full article
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13 pages, 720 KiB  
Article
Associating Renewable Energy, Globalization, Agriculture, and Ecological Footprints: Implications for Sustainable Environment in South Asian Countries
by Lixun Wang, Usman Mehmood, Ephraim Bonah Agyekum, Solomon Eghosa Uhunamure and Karabo Shale
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10162; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610162 - 16 Aug 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1744
Abstract
The main purpose of this work is to investigate the impacts of globalization (GL), renewable energy (RE), and value-added agriculture (AG) on ecological footprints (EF) and CO2 emissions. For quantitative analysis, this research paper includes yearly data from 1990–2018 for four South [...] Read more.
The main purpose of this work is to investigate the impacts of globalization (GL), renewable energy (RE), and value-added agriculture (AG) on ecological footprints (EF) and CO2 emissions. For quantitative analysis, this research paper includes yearly data from 1990–2018 for four South Asian nations: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. These countries are most vulnerable to climate hazards and rapid economic transitions. The Westerlund test provides a strong association among the panel data. The findings of ordinary least squares (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) show that RE is lowering CO2 emissions and EF in the long run. A 1% increase in RE results in a 10.55% and 2.08% CO2 decrease in emissions and EF, respectively. Globalization and AG are contributing to environmental degradation in selected South Asian countries. Therefore, these countries need to exploit solar energy to its full capacity. Moreover, these countries need to explore more RE resources to reduce their dependence on non-RE sources. These countries can make their agricultural sectors sustainable by following efficient farming practices. Environmental awareness should be enhanced among the farmers. Farmers can use animal fertilizers and clean inputs in AG to achieve sustainable agricultural products. Overall, this work suggests that these countries can achieve a cleaner environment by adopting RE and by promoting efficient technologies through globalization. Full article
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27 pages, 3583 KiB  
Article
What Mechanisms Do Financial Marketization and China’s Fiscal Decentralization Have on Regional Energy Intensity? Evidence Based on Spatial Spillover and Panel Threshold Effects Perspectives
by Junbai Pan, Kun Lv, Shurong Yu and Dian Fu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095759 - 9 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4525
Abstract
Energy efficiency and energy intensity are gradually gaining attention, and it is now an important proposition to reconcile financial marketization, fiscal decentralization, and regional energy intensity. Using Chinese mainland provincial panel data (except Tibet) from 2007 to 2019, this study applied the dynamic [...] Read more.
Energy efficiency and energy intensity are gradually gaining attention, and it is now an important proposition to reconcile financial marketization, fiscal decentralization, and regional energy intensity. Using Chinese mainland provincial panel data (except Tibet) from 2007 to 2019, this study applied the dynamic panel system generalized method of moments model, the spatial Durbin model, and the panel threshold model to investigate the mechanisms of financial marketization and fiscal decentralization on regional energy intensity. The study found that financial marketization can play a significant role in suppressing regional energy intensity, while fiscal decentralization promotes energy intensity. Meanwhile, financial marketization in one province can have a negative spatial transmission effect on energy intensity in other provinces, while fiscal decentralization in one province has a negative spatial spillover effect on energy intensity in other provinces. Based on the analysis of the moderating and threshold effects, financial marketization not only moderates the negative externality of fiscal decentralization, making it inhibit energy intensity in the opposite direction, but also gradually increases the moderating effect on fiscal decentralization as the degree of financial marketization increases, showing a nonlinear inhibiting effect on regional energy intensity. Full article
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