Search Results (1,722)

As one of the main sources of global greenhouse gas emissions, the low-carbon transformation and emission reduction in the construction industry are inevitable requirements for addressing climate change. Under cap-and-trade regulations, Carbon emission rights have become a key production factor. However, the price of carbon emission rights is highly random. Taking the EU carbon market in 2024 as an example, the carbon price fluctuated by more than 35%, soaring from 65 euros per ton to 80 euros per ton and then falling back. Such sharp fluctuations not only increase the cost uncertainty of enterprises but also complicate the investment decisions for emission reduction. Therefore, enterprises can enhance the flexibility of carbon emission rights trading decisions through option strategies, helping them hedge against the risks of carbon price fluctuations, and at the same time improve market liquidity and risk management capabilities. Against this background, based on the carbon cap-and-trade policy, this paper introduces the two-way option strategy into the construction supply chain game model composed of general contractors and subcontractors, and studies to obtain the optimal carbon reduction volume, carbon option purchase volume, maximum expected profit of general contractors, subcontractors and profit distribution ratio. This study shows that two-way options play a crucial role in optimizing supply decision-making and emission reduction strategies. Under the decentralized model, emission reduction responsibilities are often shifted to subcontractors by the general contractor, resulting in a decline in overall mitigation effectiveness. Furthermore, appropriately lowering the carbon emission benchmark can strengthen enterprises’ incentives for emission reduction and significantly enhance the profitability of the supply chain. The study further suggests that general contractors should enhance their competitiveness by developing environmentally friendly technologies and improving their ability to reduce emissions on their own. Meanwhile, subcontractors need to actively participate in the collaborative efforts through revenue-sharing contracts. This study reveals the strategic value of two-way carbon options in construction supply chain carbon trading and provides theoretical support for the formulation of carbon market policies, contributing to the low-carbon transition of the construction supply chain. Full article

Lightweight Aggregate Reinforced Concrete (LWARC) is increasingly used in structural systems to reduce dead load, especially in flat slabs. This study focuses on LWARC-incorporating polystyrene foam as a partial aggregate replacement, achieving a dry unit weight reduction from 23.0 kN/m³ to 19.0 kN/m³. While beneficial for lowering dead loads, this substitution exacerbates punching shear vulnerability, necessitating innovative strengthening solutions. Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs), recognized for their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and adaptability, are employed to address these limitations. This paper evaluates the punching shear strengthening of LWARC flat slabs using externally bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, embedded through-section (ETS) steel bars, and ETS glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. Ten specimens were tested under concentric loading, including an unstrengthened control slab. Experimental results were compared with predictions from ECP 203-2023, ACI 318-19, and BS 8110 to assess code applicability. Strengthened specimens demonstrated significant improvements in punching capacity and ductility. The ETS steel bar technique increased punching strength by 41% compared to the control, while inclined reinforcement configurations outperformed vertical layouts by 24% due to optimized shear transfer. Full article

Environmental protection tax (EPT), as a major tool to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions, is of great significance for promoting urban low-carbon transformation. In this context, this paper has compiled a dataset from 282 Chinese cities during 2006–2022 and empirically identify the implication of EPT for carbon emissions at the city level by using the intensity difference-in-differences (I-DID) model. The result discloses that EPT greatly lowers carbon emissions by an average of 10.9% compared to non-pilot cities. Even after conducting some robustness checks, the result remains unchanged. Mechanism testing reveals that EPT curbs carbon emissions through enhancing energy utilization efficiency, fostering green technological advancements, and modernizing urban industries. Meanwhile, we show that EPT exerts a more substantial effect on carbon emissions in innovative cities, central and western cities, non-industrial-based cities, and non-resource-dependent cities. More importantly, EPT greatly promotes imitation and learning in neighboring regions, forming a radiation impact upon carbon reduction in surrounding areas. Hence, these results offer an important decision-making guide for optimizing the EPT system, strengthening the coordinated governance of carbon emission across regions, and ultimately promoting urban low-carbon development. Full article

In response to China’s dual-carbon strategy, this study proposes a comprehensive analytical framework to identify the evolutionary pathways of key policy tasks in developing a new-type power system. A dual-channel data acquisition process was designed to extract, standardize, and segment policy documents and online texts into a unified corpus. A multi-label BERT classification model was then developed, incorporating domain-specific terminology injection, label-wise attention, dynamic threshold scanning, and imbalance-aware weighting. The model was trained and validated on 200 energy news articles, 100 official policy releases, and 10 strategic planning documents. By the 10th epoch, it achieved convergence with a Macro-F1 of 0.831, Micro-F1 of 0.849, and Samples-F1 of 0.855. Ablation studies confirmed the significant performance gain over simplified configurations. Structural label analysis showed “Build system-friendly new energy power stations” was the most frequent label (107 in plans, 80 in news, 24 in policies) and had the highest co-occurrence (81 times) with “Optimize and strengthen the main grid framework.” The label co-occurrence network revealed multi-layered couplings across generation, transmission, and storage. The Priority Evaluation Index (PEI) further identified “Build shared energy storage power stations” as a structurally central task (centrality = 0.71) despite its lower frequency, highlighting its latent strategic importance. Within the domain of national-level public policy and planning documents, the proposed framework shows reliable and reusable performance. Generalization to sub-national and project-level corpora is left for future work, where we will extend the corpus and reassess robustness without altering the core methodology. Full article

To enhance the structural performance of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns, various strengthening techniques have been proposed, including the use of internal steel stiffeners, external wrapping with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, and embedded steel elements. However, the behavior of concrete-filled stainless-steel tube (CFSST) columns remains insufficiently explored. This study numerically investigates the axial performance of square CFSST columns internally strengthened with embedded I-section steel profiles under biaxial eccentric loading. Finite element (FE) simulations were conducted using ABAQUS v. 6.2, and the developed models were validated against experimental results from the literature. A comprehensive parametric study was performed to evaluate the effects of several variables, including concrete compressive strength (f_cu), stainless-steel yield strength (f_y), the depth ratio between the stainless-steel tube and the internal I-section (D_st/D_si), biaxial eccentricities (e_x and e_y), and tube thickness (t). The results demonstrated that the axial performance of CFSST columns was most significantly influenced by increasing the D_st/D_si ratio and load eccentricities. In contrast, increasing the concrete strength and steel yield strength had relatively modest effects. Specifically, the ultimate axial capacity increased by 9.97% when the steel yield strength rose from 550 MPa to 650 MPa and by 33.72% when the tube thickness increased from 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm. A strength gain of only 10.23% was observed when the concrete strength increased from 30 MPa to 60 MPa. Moreover, the energy absorption index of the strengthened columns improved in correlation with the enhanced axial capacities. Full article

To improve the design theory of prestressed carbon fiber sheet reinforcement and enrich its practical application, a corresponding theoretical analysis and experimental study were carried out. According to the ductile failure condition of reinforced concrete (RC) beams and the plane cross-section assumption, the initial tensile strain control range of carbon fiber sheets with different reinforcement layers was analyzed. Based on the requirement of improving the flexural capacity of beams, a calculation method for reinforcement layers and the initial tensile strain of carbon fiber sheets was proposed. According to the requirements of the practice of prestressed carbon fiber sheet reinforcement, a design process for strengthening RC beams with prestressed carbon fiber sheets was proposed. Through the proposed design method and design process, the design and practice of prestressed carbon fiber sheet reinforcement of RC beams were carried out, and a four-point bending test was carried out on a reinforced beam. The results showed that the failure mode of RC beams after reinforcement was plastic failure, which met the designed bearing capacity requirement. Full article

This paper examines the evolving role of social economy organisations (SEOs) in advancing sustainability and contributing to the green transition. While traditionally focused on social inclusion and local development, SEOs are increasingly integrating environmental objectives into their operations, particularly through circular economy (CE) practices, decarbonisation strategies, and short food supply chains (SFSCs). Based on qualitative research and the analysis of 16 good practices from five European countries, the study demonstrates how SEOs create blended social and environmental value by combining economic, social, and ecological goals. The findings show that SEOs foster environmental sustainability by reducing resource consumption and carbon emissions, creating green jobs, strengthening local cooperation, and raising environmental awareness within communities. Importantly, SEOs emerge not only as service providers but also as innovators and agents of change in local ecosystems. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to enhance the role of SEOs in the green transition and identifies directions for future research, particularly regarding the measurement of their long-term environmental impact and the conditions enabling effective collaboration with public and private sector actors. Full article

Per the United Nations, enhancing climate literacy can play an essential role in advancing climate mitigation, adaptation, and promoting sustainable human behaviors. Yet, there is a lack of empirical research explicitly studying the effects of climate solutions focused education. Here, we studied the effects of a climate solutions focused course—the University of California Bending the Curve (BtC) course on: (1) climate change beliefs, (2) personal pro-environmental actions, and (3) psychological health, using baseline and post-course surveys. A total of 374 youth (median age 21 ± 1.7 years, 63% female) participated in the study, and data analysis focused on statistically comparing pre- versus post-course survey-based data. We observed that the BtC course enhanced climate change beliefs. Specifically, at post-relative to pre-course, we observed significantly increased belief that global warming will impact individuals personally as well as impact our future generations; it tripled the number of students who believe that humans can and will act to reduce global warming; it significantly increased the number of individuals who believe in a scientific basis for climate change. Notably, climate solutions education also enhanced belief in the efficacy of personal climate action and increased agreement amongst youth that many of their friends also share the same views on global warming. With regard to personal pro-environmental actions, the course significantly improved self-reported actions, including waste reduction, making food choices with reduced emissions, and purchase of carbon offsets. These actions reduced the carbon footprint per student at post- vs. pre-course by a significant 0.3 ± 0.1 CO₂ tons/year, which is equivalent to the CO₂ absorbed by about 15 trees per year. While psychological health outcomes did not show any significant post- vs. pre-course change, we found that enhanced personal pro-environmental actions as well as enhanced psychological health were predicted by course-related strengthening of climate change beliefs. Overall, our findings provide evidence that solutions-based climate education can be an important strategy to enhance individual climate change awareness as well as personal pro-environmental actions that lead to significant individual carbon footprint reduction, with potential for widespread scale-up. Full article

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is framed as a flagship of Türkiye’s national low-carbon transition. This study examines how domestic economic actors perceive the project’s socio-economic and environmental impacts, and how those perceptions align with—or diverge from—official assessments and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research draws on 28 semi-structured interviews with members of the Silifke Chamber of Commerce and Industry Council. This lens captures how locally embedded businesses read the project’s risks and rewards in real time. Four themes stand out. First, respondents see a clear economic uptick—but one that feels time-bound and vulnerable to the project cycle. Second, many feel excluded from decision-making; as a result, their support remains conditional rather than open-ended. Third, participants describe environmental signals as ambiguous, paired with genuine ecological concern. Fourth, skepticism about governance intertwines with sovereignty anxieties, particularly around foreign ownership and control. Overall, while short-term economic benefits are widely acknowledged, support is tempered by procedural exclusion, environmental worry, and distrust of foreign control. Conceptually, the study contributes to energy-justice scholarship by elevating sovereignty as an additional dimension of justice and by highlighting the link between being shut out of processes and perceiving higher environmental risk. Policy implications follow directly: create robust, domestic communication channels; strengthen participatory governance so local actors have a real voice; and embed nuclear projects within regional development strategies so economic gains are durable and broadly shared. Full article

Against the backdrop of carbon reduction and sustainable development, cities play a central role in carbon emissions. These emissions are interconnected through economic, demographic, technological, and other factors, forming a complex network. This study investigates the structural characteristics and driving factors of carbon emission linkages among Chinese cities, with the aim of providing theoretical support and practical guidance for the development of sound regional carbon reduction policies. An improved gravity model was used to measure both the presence and intensity of linkages between cities. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was applied to examine network features such as density, centrality, and hierarchical structure. In addition, the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) was employed to test the effects of geographical proximity, economic disparities, demographic differences, and technological gaps on carbon emission linkages. Based on these methods, the study constructs the Chinese Carbon Emission Correlation Network (CECN), which shows high connectivity, a clear hierarchical structure, and a strengthened role of core cities. Cities with extensive linkages are mainly located in the eastern coastal region and political centers, forming a spatial pattern with stronger connections in the east than in the west, and more along the coast than inland. The network can also be divided into five distinct sub-groups. Moreover, geographical proximity, population differences, economic affluence, and technological disparities were found to significantly shape the spatial correlation of carbon emissions. These findings offer valuable guidance for designing targeted carbon reduction policies, which are essential for fostering regional coordination and advancing sustainable urban development. Full article

Under the pressure of global low-carbon transformation, the sustainable development initiative of the United Nations has gradually become an essential orientation of corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Based on the integrated theoretical framework of sustainable development finance, this work explores the relationships among corporate ESG performance, its financing constraints in China, and its influencing mechanism, as well as the role played by green innovation in this relationship. Using a comprehensive panel dataset of 1038 A-share listed companies from 2013 to 2023, totaling 11,418 observations, we find that corporate ESG performance and financing constraints exhibit a significant negative relationship, indicating that strong corporate ESG performance can effectively alleviate corporate financing constraints. To address endogeneity concerns, we employ a systematic generalized method of moments (GMM) and a two-stage least squares regression using lagged instrumental variables. The results of the mechanism test show that ESG performance mitigates financing constraints by reducing perceived financial risks, improving information transparency, and increasing access to government green subsidies. Furthermore, moderating effect analysis reveals that green innovation strengthens the mitigating effect of corporate ESG performance on financing constraints in this process, based on SDG 9. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that this mitigating effect of corporate ESG performance on financing constraints is more pronounced for firms in China’s economically advanced eastern region, for companies facing harder budget constraints, and in the period following the implementation of the stringent new Environmental Protection Law. Distinguishing between genuine and symbolic corporate actions, we provide evidence that only substantive ESG improvements, as opposed to “greenwashing,” are rewarded by capital providers. The findings provide insights for the formulation of government policies and corporate sustainability strategies in emerging markets. Full article

Climate change poses an existential threat, spurring businesses and financial markets to integrate environmental accounting and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) disclosures into decision-making. This study aims to examine how environmental accounting practices and ESG reporting contribute to climate change mitigation in organizations. It seeks to highlight the significance of these tools in enhancing transparency and accountability, thereby driving more sustainable corporate behavior. By synthesizing the recent literature, the study contributes a comprehensive overview of best practices and challenges at the intersection of accounting and climate action, addressing a noted gap in consolidated knowledge. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) following PRISMA guidelines. A broad search (2010–2024) across Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar identified 73 records, which were rigorously screened and distilled to 47 relevant peer-reviewed studies. These studies span global contexts and include both conceptual and empirical work, providing a robust dataset for analysis. Environmental accounting was found to play a pivotal role in measuring and managing corporate carbon footprints, effectively translating climate impacts into quantifiable metrics. Firms that implement rigorous carbon accounting and internalize environmental costs tend to set more precise emission reduction targets and justify mitigation investments through a cost–benefit analysis. ESG disclosure frameworks emerged as critical external tools: a high-quality climate disclosure is linked with greater stakeholder trust and even financial benefits such as lower capital costs. Leading companies aligning reports with standards like TCFD or GRI often enjoy enhanced credibility and investor confidence. However, the review also uncovered challenges, like the lack of standardized reporting, risks of greenwashing, and disparities in adoption across regions, that impede the full effectiveness of these practices. The findings underscore that while environmental accounting and ESG reporting are powerful means to drive corporate climate action, their impact depends on improving consistency, rigor, and integration. Harmonizing global reporting standards and mandating disclosures are identified as key steps to improve data comparability. Strengthening the credibility of ESG disclosures and embedding environmental metrics into core decision-making are essential to leverage accounting as a tool for climate change mitigation. The study recommends that policymakers accelerate moves toward mandatory, standardized ESG reporting and urges organizations to proactively enhance their environmental accounting systems that will support global climate objectives and further research on actual emission outcomes. Full article

In confronting escalating economic uncertainty, achieving a win–win situation for low-carbon transition and improved employment structure will contribute to economic recovery and sustainable growth but also contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. A critical issue for China’s economy and societal welfare, as well as a core component of sustainable development, concerns whether low-carbon economic transition influences employment skill structure. This study utilizes data from 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in China from 2006 to 2021. Employing the entropy method, a low-carbon economic development level indicator system was constructed from four aspects: low-carbon output, low-carbon consumption, low-carbon resources, and low-carbon environment to measure the low-carbon economy and explore its direct and indirect effects on employment skill structure and spatial effects. The research findings indicate that low-carbon economies not only directly and significantly promote employment skill structure optimization but also indirectly generate promotional effects through pathways such as industrial structure adjustment, green innovation’s innovative effects, and factor substitution effects of increased pollution control investment. Among these, the indirect impact of industrial structure adjustment contributes most substantially. Low-carbon economies’ influence on employment skill structures exhibits spatial spillover effects, with neighboring regions’ low-carbon economies exerting positive spillover effects on local skill structures. Additionally, significant negative interdependence exists among regional employment skill structures. Based on the aforementioned research conclusions, the following recommendations are proposed: accelerate low-carbon economy development and employment skill structure enhancement in central and western regions to diminish regional disparities; encourage green innovation and promote traditional industry upgrading and transformation; formulate regional coordinated development plans, thereby strengthening the low-carbon economy’s optimizing role upon employment skills structure; and increase educational investment and strengthen labor skill training. Full article

Soil organic carbon (SOC) represents a crucial factor in agricultural production, and its accumulation is influenced by soil microbial community and microbial metabolism. Straw returning combined with decomposing agents is recognized practice to enhance SOC. On the other hand, the impacts of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer (CR) on the function of the decomposing agent in degrading straw are underexplored. In this study, an incubation experiment with ¹³C labeled straw in three nitrogen fertilizer treatments (CK, no nitrogen applied; UR, urea applied; CR, controlled-release fertilizer applied) was carried out to elucidate how CR regulates the straw decomposition agent and bacterial community to influence the SOC sequestration, based on field experiments. And we examined the changes in soil organic carbon and the stability of the bacterial networks by combining co-occurrence networks and a structural equation model. In the incubation experiment, the results demonstrated that CR increased the relative abundance of straw decomposition agent and straw-derived SOC (SO¹³C). Additionally, CR enhanced the stability of soil bacterial networks, compared with UR, by strengthening the interactions within the soil bacterial community. Pearson correlations confirmed that straw decomposition agent was positively associated with SO¹³C. Moreover, the straw decomposition agent was positively correlated with the activities of the nitrogen-cycling enzyme (urease, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase) and carbon-degrading enzyme (β-1,4-glucosidase, cellulase). Furthermore, structural equation modeling indicated that soil inorganic nitrogen played the most direct role in changes in the straw decomposition agent and then indirectly stimulated the activity of cellulase, ultimately increasing straw-derived carbon in the soil. This study elaborates the mechanism of straw returning combined with straw decomposition agent and controlled-release fertilizers to enhance the SOC of coastal saline–alkali soil from the perspective of underground biology. Collectively, the results of this research might improve the management of straw returning and sustainable utilization of fertility in saline–alkali soil. It provides a new perspective on fertilization for increasing soil carbon sequestration in future farmland ecosystems. Full article

Achieving high mechanical performance in fiber-reinforced composites is essential for developing reliable and sustainable strengthening systems that aim to enhance service life and reduce the waste of resources. In particular, fiber rope composites, with their inherent flexibility and excellent structural properties, offer significant potential as reinforcement elements in strengthening applications. The mechanical properties of these composites could be further enhanced using a remarkably basic and fundamental method. In this study, this fundamental and effective method, nanoparticle modification, is presented at its most basic level. This research presents an experimental investigation into the mechanical behavior of 8 mm diameter carbon, basalt, and glass fiber rope composites, produced in both unmodified and graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)-modified forms. GNPs were reinforced into an epoxy matrix at weight fractions of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% to enhance the mechanical properties of the fiber rope composites. Fiber rope composites were fabricated using controlled mixing, molding, and curing techniques. Subsequently, a series of mechanical tests, including flexural, compressive, and buckling tests, were conducted to evaluate the impact of nanoparticle reinforcement on structural performance. The findings reveal that GNP modification leads to notable improvements in mechanical properties, suggesting that such enhanced composites may contribute to more resilient and long-lasting strengthening solutions. These results underscore the relevance of nanoparticle-enhanced composites in the context of material efficiency and end-of-life considerations in structural systems, particularly through extended usability and improved performance. Full article