查看更多>>摘要：While the positive environmental impact of green finance has garnered significant academic attention, most studies have focused on the industry or firm level. The potential effects of green financial development on household adoption of clean renewable energy (CRE) remain underexplored. This paper leverages the quasinatural experiment of establishing the Green Finance Reform and Innovation Zone (GFRIZ) in China, using difference-in-differences and synthetic difference-in-differences methods to identify the causal impact of green financial development on household CRE use in cooking. The baseline findings indicate that the implementation of the GFRIZ policy increased the likelihood of households adopting CRE in cooking. Moreover, this positive impact can be attributed to environmental awareness, green innovation, and income growth effects. Further analyses revealed that green financial development has a more substantial positive effect on cooking CRE adoption among urban households, households engaged in services, highly educated households, and those in regions with better economic conditions and digital infrastructure. This study enhances the understanding of the environmental benefits of green financial development. Importantly, evidence from the Chinese context may offer valuable insights for other developing countries seeking to develop green finance systems to promote household energy transition.
查看更多>>摘要：Interregional energy cooperation, exemplified by China's west-to-east electricity and gas transmission projects, plays crucial roles in safeguarding energy security and promoting economic growth. However, imbalanced energy-economic flows in domestic trade could undermine these collaborative efforts. This study investigates energy-economic inequality (EEI) associated with domestic trade, defined as the uneven distribution of energy costs and economic benefits across regions, and its determinants, using a domestic value chain (DVC) decomposition within a multi-regional input-output framework. The results show that: (1) Both energy consumption and value-added embodied in three DVC components (i.e., traditional, simple, complex DVCs) have steadily increased, highlighting substantial energy and economic transfers from resource-dependent inland regions to affluent coastal regions; (2) The national EEI index has demonstrated sustained growth, rising by 134.25 % between 2012 and 2020, with accelerated growth (81.16 %) occurring during 2017-2020. This upward trend was most pronounced within the complex DVC, with the greatest mutual EEIs observed between industrialized provinces (e.g., Beijing, Zhejiang, Guangdong) and resource-rich provinces (e.g., Qinghai, Ningxia); (3) Rising mutual EEIs between 2012 and 2020 were primarily driven by interregional disparities in energy efficiency and production structure. For specific DVC pathways, the EEI in the traditional DVCs was mainly influenced by final demand structure effects, while those in simple and complex DVCs were determined by production structure effects. This study offers a methodological framework for future research on environmental and economic inequalities based on DVC decomposition and provides insights for policymakers seeking to mitigate EEI through coordinated efforts within DVCs.
Lee, Min-YongKim, Jin HwiLee, Dong HoonMendoza, Joseph Albert...
1.1-1.13页
查看更多>>摘要：The Humidifier Disinfectant Case in South Korea caused 1533 deaths in 2011. To prevent such accidents, the South Korean government implemented the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act in 2019, introducing an approval system for biocidal substances and products. The law established an environmental risk assessment based on exposure to these substances and products. We conducted an environmental risk assessment for 11 cities in South Korea to determine the degree of risk to the surrounding area that may occur during biocidal substance manufacturing. In our research, we derived predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC) based on toxicity values for each organism for microorganisms in sewage treatment plants (STP), freshwater, sediment, and terrestrial compartments for the biocides such as 2-propanol, zinc oxide, calcium oxide, imidacloprid, sodium hypochlorite, and peracetic acid. The predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) of the six biocides were calculated based on the discharge from 11 manufacturing facilities. Local PECs were as high as 1000 mg/L for 2-propanol in STP and 3-90 mg/L for zinc oxide and calcium oxide in STP, while regional PECs were as low as 0.03 mg/L for 2-propanol in surface water. The hazard quotient (HQ) for the six substances shows that 2-propanol, zinc oxide, calcium oxide, and peracetic acid exceed the hazard at STP in Tier 1. However, we found no risk in Tier 2, which considers the characteristics of the actual substances and their behavior in the sewer system. We developed a model that reflects the regional characteristics of each environmental medium through predicted emissions and PECs that may occur during the manufacture of biocidal substances. The model provides a valuable tool for tiered evaluation and control for environmental risk assessment of biocidal substances.
查看更多>>摘要：Ecological compensation and offsets have been used worldwide to repair the residual impacts caused by human activities. Achieving ecological equivalence in them has been challenging, and conflicts between development and environmental sectors commonly arise. We addressed this issue by testing an approach that is cost-effective and includes equivalence in compensation. We used the Brazilian Native Vegetation Protection Law's Legal Reserve (a native vegetation percentage of every rural property that must be conserved) compensation scheme as a study case. We created scenarios to test the law's three main compensation strategies (vegetation protection, restoration, and regularization of private lands inside public protected areas) separately and combined. We used a recently developed framework to assess ecological equivalence, including biodiversity, landscape, and ecosystem attributes measured and exchanged in a disaggregated manner. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated regarding deficit resolution (deficit in Legal Reserve needing compensation), economic costs, and native vegetation gained (additionality). The most effective strategy for deficit resolution was restoration (98.99 % of resolution), followed by protection (40.22 %) and regularization (0.15 %). Restoration was the most expensive strategy, but it also had the highest additionality. Combined scenarios resulted in balanced cost-effectiveness. The combination of protection followed by restoration was the best strategy, since its deficit resolution was high (99.47 %), with an intermediate cost and additionality. It is thus possible to make cost-effective compensation exchanges accounting for ecological equivalence adequately. We also used simple calculations in a new spatial optimization automated deficit and compensation prioritization path to generate spatially explicit results. Considering ecological equivalence guarantees additionality and more equitable spatial distribution of ecological benefits. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating equivalence in compensation, offering a promising avenue for bolstering efforts in compensation and offset schemes to address the ongoing climate and environmental global crisis by proposing a new approach to achieve this.
查看更多>>摘要：In the global context of environmental degradation and energy crises, projects to reuse abandoned industrial buildings (AIBs) have become a more effective way to achieve energy efficiency goals because of their sustainability and environmental benefits. However, its societal acceptance is still a topic that deserves further research. We collected discrete energy and resource information on AIBs during the reuse phase taking a bottom-up approach. Seven environmental impact categories were screened in terms of ecosystem damage, resource and energy depletion, and human health damage to evaluate the actual environmental impacts of AIB reuse. The Willingness to Pay (WTP) and distance-to-target coupling methods were used to determine the willingness of Chinese society to accept AIB reuse projects. The results show that there is a significant difference in WTP between different environmental impact categories, with fossil fuel depletion having the lowest WTP (577.082 RMB/m2) and ozone depletion potential having the highest WTP (3.542 * 10-3 RMB /m2). Additionally, comparative analyses of building components and materials found that reinforced concrete had a significantly lower WTP than steel structures and floor slabs had a lower environmental benefit than other components. This study innovatively explores the feasibility and appropriateness of promoting AIB reuse in China from an environmental impact perspective. These findings can help to consider the extent to which different life cycle indicators in AIB reuse support decision-making and help to streamline the application of life cycle assessment in the field of renovation of existing buildings.
Bojorquez-Tapia, Luis A.Pedroza-Paez, DanielaHernandez-Aguilar, Bertha
1.1-1.15页
查看更多>>摘要：Large-scale development projects significantly impact the biocultural heritage of indigenous and tribal peoples. However, conventional Social Impact Assessment (SIA) predominantly relies on Scientific Ecological Knowledge (SEK), often overlooking Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), creating an "epistemological divide". This paper addresses this limitation by proposing an approach anchored in two core analytical methods-Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and Analytic Network Process (ANP)-supported by three conceptual tools-Plausible Reasoning, Hermeneutical Phenomenology, and Actor Network Theory (ANT). The approach is illustrated through an ex-post SIA conducted within the context of environmental litigation involving the construction of an airport on the ancestral lands of the Bosques de San Elias-Repechique Community of the Rara<acute accent>muri people in northern Mexico. By addressing the epistemological divide, our method provides a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of the impacts of planned interventions on biocultural heritage, contributing to more effective environmental justice outcomes.
查看更多>>摘要：Dynamic changes in the carbon emission intensity of cultivated land utilization (CEICLU) have important impacts on food security and "dual carbon" goals. We used benchmark regression models, Moran's index, and spatial Durbin's model to explore the impact and spatial effects of agricultural green transformation (AGT) on China's major grain-producing areas (MGPA), major grain-selling areas (MGSA), and production and sales balance areas (PASBA) on CEICLU from 2006 to 2022. The motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) analysis framework provides a comprehensive approach to explain the mechanism and construct indicators from the perspective of cultivated land production entities (CLPEs). Our results showed that (1) from 2006 to 2022, China's AGTL increased from 0.168 to 0.336. The spatial differences in AGTL are significant, with those in the MGSA being the greatest, followed by those in the MGPA and PASBA. (2) The increase in carbon emissions from cultivated land use in China slowed, while that in the CEICLU decreased from 2.345 t/104 yuan to 0.717 t/104 yuan. The MGPA, MGSA and PASBA showed a downward trend in the CEICLU district. (3) The increase in AGTL in China significantly inhibited CEICLU. The inhibitory effect shows a decreasing pattern of MGSA, MGPA, and PASBA between regions. (4) There was a significant spatial spillover effect of Chinese AGTL on the inhibitory effect of CEICLU. This spillover effect is crucial in the MGPA and PASBA but not in the MGSA. Based on the results, a policy reference is provided for the differentiated regulation of the low-carbon utilization behavior of the CLPE in different food production areas.
查看更多>>摘要：Although social norms-what other people commonly do and approve of-are widely cited as a key antecedent of individuals' pro-environmental behavior (PEB), empirical research has revealed considerable variability in the norm-PEB relationship. Through a large survey of residents in Hangzhou, China, this study investigates the impact of perceived social norms on climate change mitigation behaviors, focusing on both private-sphere PEB and public-sphere environmental activism. It seeks to advance the current understanding of norm effect heterogeneity by exploring the unique roles of intrapersonal environmental beliefs and perceptions of government institutions and policy incentives in moderating normative influence. The results show that perceived social norms had an overall positive effect on both private behavior and environmental activism scales, emerging as the most powerful predictor for each. Importantly, the normative influence on the activism scale was more pronounced among individuals with higher levels of climate change risk concerns or personal moral obligation toward mitigation, and those who endorsed the quality of government more strongly, whereas on the private behavior scale, normative influence was greater among those who perceived external financial incentives for private PEBs as more salient. The moderation patterns observed based on composite scales remained consistent across individual PEBs, except that risk concerns and moral obligation also positively moderated the norm impact on one private behavior (energy saving). Overall, the findings highlight the substantial interactions between social norms and other behavioral determinants, with important implications for refining PEB theories and informing climate policies.
查看更多>>摘要：Human well-being (HWB) cannot be sustained without ecosystem services (ESs). While many studies have explored the complex relationship between ESs and HWB, few have focused on their non-linear relationships and threshold effects, and how these vary under different land-use intensities. This study quantified and mapped ESs and HWB from 2000 to 2020 in the Xiamen-Zhangzhou-Quanzhou area in China. To examine how each ES contributed to HWB and their variation across land-use intensities, the random forest was employed. Restricted cubic splines were applied to identify non-linear relationships and critical thresholds, examining how these relationships changed with varying land-use intensity. The findings show that among different ESs, grain production had the greatest impact on HWB throughout the entire area, as well as in both areas with low and high land-use intensities. ESs and HWB had a significant variation of relationships, most of which displayed non-linear patterns and threshold effects. Many associations followed an inverted "U" shape, with a maximum threshold. The non-linear relationship between ESs and HWB differed across land-use intensities. It is manifest mostly from a significant nonlinear relationship in the low land-use intensity areas to a non-significant one in the high land- use intensity areas. HWB was less dependent on local ESs in areas with high land-use intensity than low land-use intensity, revealing a social-ecological system archetype of change. Critical threshold identification of how ESs and HWB interact can help guide social-ecological systems toward sustainable development.
查看更多>>摘要：China has proposed the Beautiful China Goals (BCGs), outlining a long-term, comprehensive environmental strategy and a localized pathway for achieving environmentally sustainable development. The present study establishes a research framework integrating an evaluation indicator system, interaction identification methods, and a city-level case study for the BCGs, providing the evaluation of BCG progress, the identification of interactions between BCGs, and an in-depth examination of the dynamics between BCG progress and interaction. The results indicate a positive yet significantly north-south differentiated progress in developing a Beautiful China. BCG interaction identification based on document interpretation, correlation analysis, and city-level information mining reveals the differentiation among BCGs at global and local levels. The decoupling-recoupling process observed between the BCGs throughout the overall development of Beautiful China deepens our understanding of China's path toward environmentally sustainable development, which may inform policymaking for comprehensively and synergistically developing a Beautiful China.
NETL
NSTL
Elsevier