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Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction
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Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction

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 (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 31298

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chao Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
Interests: global climate governance; carbon trading and carbon emission reduction policies; theoretical modeling and application of green economic growth; energy/green finance
Prof. Dr. Jun Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China
Interests: green economy and low-carbon development; smart energy development; economic growth; digital economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the Industrial Revolution, global greenhouse gas emissions led by carbon dioxide have increased sharply. Global warming caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases is changing the pattern of natural disasters by influencing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather or climate extremes, and further affecting global food production, human life, and the natural environment. Therefore, we need global actions to rationally promote carbon emission reduction and build a low-carbon world together. All of these have induced new demands on the development approach and created the need to initiate more comprehensive and in-depth research.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, and the public to access advanced resources on low carbon development and carbon reduction. You are welcome to conduct research on carbon reduction at macro and micro levels from a theoretical or practical perspective. We are particularly looking forward to your valuable insights into low-carbon processes in developing countries and regions. Topics of interest for this article collection include but are not limited to:

  • Environmental regulation and carbon reduction policy assessment;
  • Cleaner production and low carbon economy;
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate emission reduction behavior;
  • Green finance and carbon finance;
  • Energy structure change and energy system modeling;
  • Carbon neutrality and emission peak;
  • Potential and factors of carbon reduction;
  • Big data and digital technology in low carbon development;
  • Low-carbon processes in developing countries;
  • Low-carbon development and carbon reduction performance.

Dr. Chao Feng
Prof. Dr. Jun Yang
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

  • carbon reduction policy
  • low-carbon energy
  • green economy transition
  • corporate emission reduction
  • low carbon process
  • digital technology
  • R&D and innovation
  • green finance

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 553 KiB  
Article
Do Environmental Regulations Facilitate a Low-Carbon Transformation in China’s Resource-Based Cities?
by Wancheng Xie, Andrew Chapman and Taihua Yan
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4502; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054502 - 3 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1557
Abstract
Resource-based cities (RBCs) are not only important for ensuring national resource and energy security, but they also face serious ecological and environmental problems. To achieve China’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals in the coming years, RBCs’ achievement of a low-carbon transformation has become [...] Read more.
Resource-based cities (RBCs) are not only important for ensuring national resource and energy security, but they also face serious ecological and environmental problems. To achieve China’s carbon peaking and neutrality goals in the coming years, RBCs’ achievement of a low-carbon transformation has become increasingly significant. The core of this study is an investigation as to whether governance, including environmental regulations, can facilitate the low-carbon transformation of RBCs. Based on RBC data from 2003 to 2019, we establish a dynamic panel model to research the influence and mechanism of environmental regulations on low-carbon transformation. We found that China’s environmental regulations facilitate a low-carbon transformation in RBCs. Mechanism analysis identified that the environmental regulations facilitate the low-carbon transformation in RBCs by strengthening foreign direct investment, enhancing green technology innovation and promoting industrial structure upgrading. Heterogeneity analysis found that the environmental regulations play a greater role in facilitating the low-carbon transformation of RBCs in regions with more developed economies and less dependence on resources. Our research provides theoretical and policy implications for environmental regulations for the low-carbon transformation of RBCs in China, applicable to other resource-based areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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17 pages, 961 KiB  
Article
The Inhibition and Equilibrium of Policy Effectiveness of the Low-Carbon Economy: Evidence from Liaoning Province of China
by Rongxin Chen and Xinyuan Shi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3961; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053961 - 23 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1035
Abstract
Excessive emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have seriously affected the ecological environment, public health, and the normal operation of the social economy, and the development of the low-carbon economy has become an international consensus. The policy norms are one of [...] Read more.
Excessive emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have seriously affected the ecological environment, public health, and the normal operation of the social economy, and the development of the low-carbon economy has become an international consensus. The policy norms are one of the important factors affecting the development of the low-carbon economy; however, the implementation of low-carbon economic policy in many countries has been inhibited. This study chose Liaoning Province of China for the case study, and the policy system, the policy tools, the administrative system, the low-carbon technology, and the low-carbon concept are found to be factors that led to the inhibition of the policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province. We applied the modified Schweller Neoclassical Realist Theory to establish a multi-factor linkage model to demonstrate the overall relationship among various variables. The results show that the equilibrium of policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province depends on different permutations of variables. We also discussed the problems of the policy system, the policy tools, the administrative system, the low-carbon technology, and the low-carbon concept that lead to policy effectiveness inhibition, and used the economic method to set a special mathematical model for maximizing the equilibrium of policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province. In response to the problems of the above factors, strategies to promote the development of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province are proposed. This study enriches the research on the policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in China and provides some inspiration for the goal of carbon neutrality and other developing countries with high carbon emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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22 pages, 1772 KiB  
Article
Effective Conditions for Achieving Carbon Unlocking Targets for Transport Infrastructure Development—Joint Analysis Based on PLS-SEM and NCA
by Yun Chen, Da Wang, Wenxi Zhu, Yunfei Hou, Dingli Liu, Chongsen Ma, Tian Li and Yuan Yuan
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1170; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021170 - 9 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1790
Abstract
It is important to investigate how to achieve carbon unlocking in the transport sector, especially in transport infrastructure, in order to contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality targets and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This study aims to investigate the necessary and [...] Read more.
It is important to investigate how to achieve carbon unlocking in the transport sector, especially in transport infrastructure, in order to contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality targets and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This study aims to investigate the necessary and sufficient conditions to achieve carbon unlocking in transport infrastructure. To achieve this, a combination of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) methods have been used to examine whether there are unidentified necessity factors beyond the currently recognized ‘technology-in-institution’ (TIC) lock-in. This study also explores how the carbon unlocking of transport infrastructure can be achieved through the unlocking of relevant factors. The study includes 366 points from a subjective questionnaire from the government, transport infrastructure researchers, and relevant businesspeople. We found that, at the adequacy level, achieving institutional and technological unlocking is sufficient and economic factors have little impact on transport infrastructure (0.06), and that institutional and technical factors have a large impact on carbon unlocking (0.453, 0.280); however, from the necessary point of view, carbon unlocking at the economic level is necessary to achieve the goal of a medium to high level of carbon unlocking. To achieve carbon unlocking at this level (over 50%), a combination of technological, institutional, and economic factors is required. To achieve full carbon unlocking, the technology, system, and economy need to be at least 0.533, 0.791, and 0.63 unlocked. Therefore, we can conclude that by using the joint analysis of PLS-SEM and NCA, we have achieved an extension of the traditional TIC and identified sufficient and necessary conditions to achieve a medium to high degree of carbon unlocking. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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25 pages, 1839 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Coupling Effect and Space-Time Difference between China’s Digital Economy Development and Carbon Emissions Reduction
by Nan Li, Beibei Shi and Rong Kang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010872 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1955
Abstract
Previously conducted studies have established that the digital economy has a one-way inhibition effect on carbon emissions. Against this background, this paper aims to analyze the coordinated development effect of the interaction between the digital economy and carbon emissions reduction. The entropy weight [...] Read more.
Previously conducted studies have established that the digital economy has a one-way inhibition effect on carbon emissions. Against this background, this paper aims to analyze the coordinated development effect of the interaction between the digital economy and carbon emissions reduction. The entropy weight method, coupling and coordination degree model, Dagum Gini coefficient and Moran’s I index have been carried out as research methods in this paper. The results showed that: (1) The coupling and coordination of China’s digital economy and carbon emissions reduction shows an overall growth trend, but the coupling and coordination among regions, provinces and cities show a large imbalance. (2) In the sample period, the overall difference in the coupling and coordination between digital economy development and carbon emissions reduction shows an expanding trend, and the overall difference results are attributed to regional differences. (3) There is a significant spatial correlation in the coupling and coordination degree of digital economy development and carbon emissions reduction among cities. The paper systematically grasps the status of coupling and coordination development, the source of difference and spatial correlation between the digital economy and carbon reduction in Chinese cities. A dependence relationship has been established, which is digital economy development and carbon emissions reduction, and an interactive promotion pattern has been revealed between the digital economic system and the carbon emissions reduction system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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25 pages, 6293 KiB  
Article
The Dynamic Evolution of Global Energy Security and Geopolitical Games: 1995~2019
by Getao Hu, Jun Yang and Jun Li
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114584 - 7 Nov 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1813
Abstract
Under the influence of economic globalization, the internationalization trend of energy security issues has become increasingly prominent. This paper adopts the natural discontinuity grading method to classify the energy security status of 102 countries into five categories: Best, Better, Good, Poor and Worse [...] Read more.
Under the influence of economic globalization, the internationalization trend of energy security issues has become increasingly prominent. This paper adopts the natural discontinuity grading method to classify the energy security status of 102 countries into five categories: Best, Better, Good, Poor and Worse types; reveals the dynamic evolution characteristics and main formation mechanisms of world energy security; and puts forward the game focus of future energy geopolitics. The results show that: (1) during 1995–2019, global energy security presents local turbulence and an overall “J” shaped trend; (2) the global energy security pattern coincides with the international geopolitical order. The countries with the “Best” energy security are found in Western Europe and North America while the countries with “Poor” or “Worse” energy security are located in Asia and the less developed regions of Africa; (3) the main reason why developed economies have better energy security is due to their high energy use efficiency, while developing countries lag behind mainly because of their lower innovation capacity, lower productivity and lower disposable income; and (4) the global energy security landscape is expected to be affected by the changing US–China relationship, coercive energy transition and the uncertainty of the political environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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20 pages, 4544 KiB  
Article
Carbon Reduction of the Three-Year Air Pollution Control Plan under the LEAP Model Using a GREAT Tool in Panzhihua, China
by Junjie Wang, Yi Zhang, Linde Mei, Xuemei Xu, Hanmei Yin, Xiaoqiong Feng and Junhui Chen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14482; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114482 - 4 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1666
Abstract
In the context of global warming and climate change, various international communities have set different reduction targets for carbon emissions. In 2020, China proposed that CO2 emissions will peak by 2030 and reached a critical period in which carbon reduction is a [...] Read more.
In the context of global warming and climate change, various international communities have set different reduction targets for carbon emissions. In 2020, China proposed that CO2 emissions will peak by 2030 and reached a critical period in which carbon reduction is a key strategic direction. Sichuan Academy of Environmental Sciences published the “Panzhihua Three-Year Iron Fist Gas Control Action Plan” in 2021. The measures implemented in the plan only address general considerations of conventional pollutants in the atmosphere. This study established the Panzhihua LEAP model based on the GREAT tool and built four simulation scenarios, including pollutant treatment upgrade (PTU), traffic improvement (TI), boiler remediation (BR), and baseline scenarios for industrial sources, mobile sources, and industrial boilers in policy implementation. It provided a supportive basis for the development of environmental protection measures in Sichuan province to increase the efficiency of carbon emission reduction. The quantitative analysis of the simulation results for the five years from 2020 to 2024 was conducted to discuss the intrinsic links between carbon emissions and energy consumption, market storage, and demand under different scenarios. It concluded that the BR and TI scenarios benefit carbon reduction, while the PTU scenario negatively impacts it. This study provided recommendations for analyzing the carbon footprint at a city-wide level, quantifying the relationship between the implementation of relevant environmental measures and carbon emissions, which are available for policy development that incorporates carbon reduction considerations and offers relevant support for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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15 pages, 804 KiB  
Article
The Carbon Emissions Trading Policy of China: Does It Really Promote the Enterprises’ Green Technology Innovations?
by Xiaoqi Li, Dingfei Guo and Chao Feng
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14325; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114325 - 3 Nov 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2519
Abstract
The carbon emissions trading policy has profound impacts on the production and operation of enterprises. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of the carbon emissions trading policy on enterprises’ green technology innovations by using PSM−DID models. The results showed [...] Read more.
The carbon emissions trading policy has profound impacts on the production and operation of enterprises. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of the carbon emissions trading policy on enterprises’ green technology innovations by using PSM−DID models. The results showed that: (1) the carbon emissions trading policy has a facilitating effect on green technology innovation of China’s enterprises in pilot cities; (2) there is significant spatial heterogeneity in this effect and it is extremely beneficial to enterprises’ green technology innovations in eastern China; and (3) the trading policy is proved to have significant positive effects on green technology innovations of non-state and non-high-tech enterprises, while it has no effects on that of state-owned and high-tech enterprises. The above findings were corroborated by the placebo test and other methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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16 pages, 2057 KiB  
Article
Measuring the Demand Connectedness among China’s Regional Carbon Markets
by Li-Yang Guo and Chao Feng
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14053; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114053 - 28 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1023
Abstract
After years of emission trading in segmented pilots, China operates a unified market in the power system and plans to involve more industries in the coming future. The aim of this study is to detect the commonalities of transaction behaviors across China’s regional [...] Read more.
After years of emission trading in segmented pilots, China operates a unified market in the power system and plans to involve more industries in the coming future. The aim of this study is to detect the commonalities of transaction behaviors across China’s regional carbon pilots, so as to provide an empirical basis for a future multi-sectoral expansion of national trading. Based on a dataset of daily trading volume in seven regional markets during 2014–2021, the empirical results from connectedness measures show that the total demand connectedness ranges from 10% to 24%, indicating the existence of interactions among China’s regional markets. This not-so-wide range of fluctuation usually shows a trend of rising first and then falling within each year, during which the upward trend is basically related to the accounting, verification and compliance of allowances. After these time nodes, the total connectedness declines. In addition, the directional connectedness could help clarify the specific roles that regional markets play in the variations of total demand connectedness when facing the shocks of these time nodes. Meanwhile, the frequency decomposition reveals that a longer-term component of more than 10 days dominates the connectedness. Based on these findings, some policy implications are provided alongside. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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19 pages, 1232 KiB  
Article
Industrial Coagglomeration, Green Innovation, and Manufacturing Carbon Emissions: Coagglomeration’s Dynamic Evolution Perspective
by Lu Zhang, Renyan Mu, Nigatu Mengesha Fentaw, Yuanfang Zhan, Feng Zhang and Jixin Zhang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13989; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113989 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1749
Abstract
The achievement of China’s low-carbon development and carbon neutrality depends heavily on the decrease of manufacturing carbon emissions. From coagglomeration’s dynamic evolution perspective, by using panel-threshold-STIRPAT and mediation-STIRPAT models, this study examines the relationships among industrial coagglomeration, green innovation, and manufacturing carbon emissions [...] Read more.
The achievement of China’s low-carbon development and carbon neutrality depends heavily on the decrease of manufacturing carbon emissions. From coagglomeration’s dynamic evolution perspective, by using panel-threshold-STIRPAT and mediation-STIRPAT models, this study examines the relationships among industrial coagglomeration, green innovation, and manufacturing carbon emissions and explores the direct and indirect function mechanisms. Panel data of China’s 30 provinces from 2010 to 2019 are employed. The results imply that, first, the impact of industrial coagglomeration on manufacturing carbon emissions is nonlinear and has significant threshold effects. Industrial coagglomeration negatively affects manufacturing carbon emissions, and as the coagglomeration level deepens, the negative effect has a diminishing trend in marginal utility. Once the coagglomeration degree exceeds a certain threshold, the negative impact becomes insignificant. At present, for 90% of China’s regions, an increase in industrial coagglomeration level can help reduce manufacturing carbon emissions. Second, green innovation is a vital intermediary between industrial coagglomeration and manufacturing carbon emissions. It is a partial intermediary when industrial coagglomeration is at a relatively lower-level stage and a complete intermediary when industrial coagglomeration is at a relatively higher-level stage. These findings reveal the significance of optimizing industrial coagglomeration and the level and efficiency of green innovation to decrease carbon emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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18 pages, 1606 KiB  
Article
Study of the Impact of Industrial Restructuring on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Carbon Emission Intensity in Chinese Provinces—Analysis of Mediating Effects Based on Technological Innovation
by Jianshi Wang, Shangkun Yu, Mengcheng Li, Yu Cheng and Chengxin Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13401; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013401 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1573
Abstract
Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions seriously threatens a region’s sustainable environmental and socioeconomic development. Promoting industrial restructuring and strengthening technological innovation have become an important path to achieving pollution and carbon reduction as well as the green transformation of economic structure. [...] Read more.
Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions seriously threatens a region’s sustainable environmental and socioeconomic development. Promoting industrial restructuring and strengthening technological innovation have become an important path to achieving pollution and carbon reduction as well as the green transformation of economic structure. This paper explored the mechanism of the mediating effect of technological innovation on industrial restructuring and carbon reduction while accounting for the direct effect of industrial restructuring on carbon emissions. Then, based on China’s provincial panel data from 2001 to 2019, we estimated the carbon emission intensity using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s methods and analyzed its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics. Finally, we constructed a fixed-effect model and a mediating effect model to empirically analyze how industrial restructuring and technological innovation affect carbon emission intensity. The results are as follows: (1) From 2001 to 2019, China’s carbon emission intensity showed a continuous downward trend, with a pronounced convergence trend; there were obvious differences in carbon emission intensity between eastern, central, and western regions (western region > central region > eastern region) due to the unbalanced industrial structure. (2) In terms of direct effects, industrial restructuring can significantly reduce carbon emission intensity. The intensity of the effect is inversely proportional to the level of industrial restructuring, and the results of sub-regional tests are similar. Nevertheless, there is an obvious regional difference in the size of the carbon emission reduction effect of industrial restructuring in the east, central, and western regions. (3) In terms of indirect effects, industrial restructuring can reduce carbon emission intensity by enhancing technological innovation, and it acts as a mediating variable in the process of industrial restructuring to reduce carbon emission. Finally, we put forward recommendations for promoting industrial restructuring, strengthening green technological innovation, and properly formulating carbon reduction measures to provide a reference for countries and regions to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality, carbon peaking, and high-quality economic development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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19 pages, 2787 KiB  
Article
Peaking Global and G20 Countries’ CO2 Emissions under the Shared Socio-Economic Pathways
by Yuan Kong, Chao Feng and Liyang Guo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 11076; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191711076 - 4 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1545
Abstract
Mitigating climate change requires long-term global efforts. The aim of this study is to simulate the possible paths of CO2 emissions in G20 countries and the world from 2020 to 2050, by using the STIRPAT model and SSP scenarios with different constraints [...] Read more.
Mitigating climate change requires long-term global efforts. The aim of this study is to simulate the possible paths of CO2 emissions in G20 countries and the world from 2020 to 2050, by using the STIRPAT model and SSP scenarios with different constraints (SSP baseline, SSP-3.4). The results show that: (1) the world’s CO2 emissions cannot peak in the SSP baseline scenarios, but can peak in the SSP-3.4 scenarios through four paths other than the high fossil energy consumption path; (2) for G20 countries, in the SSP baseline scenarios, 13 countries such as China, the United States, and the United Kingdom can achieve the peak, while six countries such as Argentina, India, and Saudi Arabia cannot. In the SSP-3.4 scenarios, Saudi Arabia cannot achieve the peak, while other countries can achieve the peak, and most of them are likely to achieve significant CO2 emission reductions by 2050; (3) climate goals have a crowding-out effect on other sustainable development goals, with less impact on developed countries and a greater impact on developing countries; and (4) the optimization of the energy structure and a low energy intensity can greatly advance the peak time of CO2 emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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18 pages, 1484 KiB  
Article
Can Digital Finance Promote Comprehensive Carbon Emission Performance? Evidence from Chinese Cities
by Hanhua Shao, Jixin Cheng, Yuansheng Wang and Xiaoming Li
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10255; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610255 - 18 Aug 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2295
Abstract
Improving urban comprehensive carbon emission performance (CCEP) is the inevitable choice for China’s low-carbon development. With the continuous integration of digital technology and financial elements, the development of urban digital finance has also been significantly improved. To further explore the impact of urban [...] Read more.
Improving urban comprehensive carbon emission performance (CCEP) is the inevitable choice for China’s low-carbon development. With the continuous integration of digital technology and financial elements, the development of urban digital finance has also been significantly improved. To further explore the impact of urban digital finance on urban low-carbon development, using the data of 281 cities in China from 2011 to 2019, this paper firstly evaluates the urban CCEP, and further empirically investigates how digital finance influences CCEP. The empirical results show that: (1) Digital finance significantly improves the urban CCEP, and after conducting robustness tests and addressing the endogeneity issue, the above conclusion is robust. (2) For the sub-indicators, there is a U-shaped relationship between the coverage breadth of digital finance and CCEP. Moreover, the improvement of usage depth and digital support services could promote CCEP. (3) The channel tests indicate that digital finance improves the CCEP mainly by promoting green technology innovation and the development of urban tertiary industry. Meantime, digital finance has a stronger impact on improving CCEP in cities with more developed traditional finance, and the positive effect is significant in non-old industrial base cities and a two-control zone. Finally, this paper puts forward relevant policy suggestions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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21 pages, 1492 KiB  
Article
Can China’s Carbon Emissions Trading System Achieve the Synergistic Effect of Carbon Reduction and Pollution Control?
by Li Chen, Di Wang and Ruyi Shi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 8932; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19158932 - 22 Jul 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2547
Abstract
Achieving synergistic governance of air pollution treatment and greenhouse gas emission reduction is the way for the Chinese government to achieve green transformational development. Against this background, this paper takes the implementation of the carbon emissions trading system (ETS) as the breakthrough point, [...] Read more.
Achieving synergistic governance of air pollution treatment and greenhouse gas emission reduction is the way for the Chinese government to achieve green transformational development. Against this background, this paper takes the implementation of the carbon emissions trading system (ETS) as the breakthrough point, using the time-varying difference-in-differences (DID) model to explore the synergistic emission reduction effect of ETS on air pollution and carbon emissions and its mechanism. The results indicate that the implementation of ETS not only significantly reduces CO2 emissions but also synergistically achieves the reduction of air pollutants, and the synergistic emission reduction effect is mainly achieved through the synergistic reduction of SO2. Moreover, the emission reduction effect of ETS has economic and regional heterogeneity. On the one hand, the ETS has a more prominent carbon reduction effect in less developed provinces and cities and has a significant synergistic emission reduction effect on SO2 and PM2.5; on the other hand, the carbon emission reduction effect of ETS is more potent in Beijing, Hubei, and Shanghai, followed by Tianjin and Chongqing, and the weakest in Guangdong. In addition, through the analysis of the mediating effect, this paper finds that reducing energy consumption, optimizing the energy structure, and improving energy efficiency are effective ways for ETS to achieve synergistic emission reduction. This study provides valuable policy enlightenment for promoting the synergistic governance of pollution and carbon reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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18 pages, 1355 KiB  
Article
Fiscal Decentralization, Green Technology Innovation, and Regional Air Pollution in China: An Investigation from the Perspective of Intergovernmental Competition
by Di Wang, Zhiyuan Zhang and Ruyi Shi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8456; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148456 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2096
Abstract
Fiscal decentralization (FD), as an institutional arrangement for the fiscal division between central and local governments, gives local governments the enthusiasm and autonomy to provide public products and services. With the dominance of environmental governance, how local governments can avoid intergovernmental “race to [...] Read more.
Fiscal decentralization (FD), as an institutional arrangement for the fiscal division between central and local governments, gives local governments the enthusiasm and autonomy to provide public products and services. With the dominance of environmental governance, how local governments can avoid intergovernmental “race to the bottom” issues through green technology innovation (GTI) is a matter of regional green development and continuous improvement of atmospheric environmental quality. Based on a sample of 30 provinces in China from 2003 to 2018, this paper uses the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to examine the relationship between FD, GTI, and regional air pollution and explores their spatial spillover effect and regional heterogeneity from the perspective of intergovernmental competition. The results indicate that the FD and GTI in various provinces had significant and regionally differentiated inhibitory effects on local air pollution. In Western China, due to the regional competition among local governments in terms of economic development, economic development-oriented fiscal expenditures crowd out environmental governance-oriented fiscal expenditures, which has led to the consequence that FD can intensify local air pollution and has a positive spillover effect, but the demonstration effect of green technological innovation can well moderate the effect of FD on air pollution. FD in the eastern region has played a positive role in promoting regional air quality improvement. However, its green technological innovation has not played a positive role in reducing emissions, and it plays a significant negative regulatory role in the emission reduction effect led by FD. Finally, the article puts forward policy recommendations in terms of a fiscal decentralization system, green technological innovation, and performance evaluation mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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17 pages, 1170 KiB  
Article
Linking Housing Conditions and Energy Poverty: From a Perspective of Household Energy Self-Restriction
by Keyu Chen and Chao Feng
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8254; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148254 - 6 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1953
Abstract
Affordable and warm housing is a basic household living need, which is closely related to human health and well-being. This study attempts to establish the link between household housing conditions and energy poverty in China from the perspective of energy self-restriction using logit [...] Read more.
Affordable and warm housing is a basic household living need, which is closely related to human health and well-being. This study attempts to establish the link between household housing conditions and energy poverty in China from the perspective of energy self-restriction using logit and mediation models based on microdata. The results report that: (1) households are more likely to be exposed to energy poverty if they live in larger, older, poorly insulated houses, without basic energy service equipment, and in rental housing; (2) the area of residence and energy installations are the main characteristics that distinguish energy poverty from non-energy poverty; (3) the link between housing conditions and energy poverty is reinforced by the psychology and behavior of households, with those living in poor conditions tending to restrain their energy consumption, thus worsening their energy poverty situation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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17 pages, 1827 KiB  
Article
Precise Supervision of Enterprise Environmental Protection Behavior Based on Boolean Matrix Factorization under Low Carbon Background
by Wei Zhou and Feipeng Guo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7739; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137739 - 24 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1575
Abstract
Supervising the environmental protection behavior of enterprises is a key strategy to achieve “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”. This research innovatively proposes the concept of precise supervision, aiming to implement differentiated supervision measures for different types of enterprises, and realize the precise supervision [...] Read more.
Supervising the environmental protection behavior of enterprises is a key strategy to achieve “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”. This research innovatively proposes the concept of precise supervision, aiming to implement differentiated supervision measures for different types of enterprises, and realize the precise supervision method of enterprise environmental protection, which is different from the traditional supervision mode. Firstly, this paper proposes a novel MEBF+ method based on the benchmark algorithm MEBF, and obtains MEBF++ after incorporating the model bias. Secondly, based on the dataset of environmental supervision and certification of listed Chinese companies, the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method are verified by using multiple evaluation indicators. Finally, based on the analysis of the experimental results, two precise supervision concepts, narrow and broad, are proposed under the low-carbon background. The results show that compared with the benchmark method, the accuracy of the proposed method has been improved to a large extent. In addition, the precise supervision proposed in this paper can help reduce the consumption of manpower and resources as well as unite the public to monitor the environmental protection behavior of enterprises. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Reduction)
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