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16 pages, 361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Environmental Regulation on the Efficiency of the Green Economy: The Intermediary Role of the Aggregation of Innovative Elements

by Xiaoyang Guo and Xiuwu Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4575; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054575 - 4 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1421

Abstract

Green development is the only way to realize harmonious coexistence between people and nature, so it is of great significance to create a benchmark for high-quality development. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces (except Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) in [...] Read more.

Green development is the only way to realize harmonious coexistence between people and nature, so it is of great significance to create a benchmark for high-quality development. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces (except Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) in China from 2009 to 2020, the super-efficiency slacks-based measure model was used to calculate the green economic efficiency of various regions in China, and a related statistical model was used to verify the influence of different types of environmental regulation policies on green economic efficiency and the intermediary effect of innovation factor agglomeration. The results show that: (1) during the inspection period, the influence of public-participation environmental regulation on the efficiency of the green economy presents an “inverted U” trend, while command-control and market-incentive environmental regulation policies inhibit the improvement of green economic efficiency; (2) the agglomeration of innovative elements plays a significant intermediary role in the transmission path of environmental regulation affecting green economic efficiency, but the intermediary effects of different types of environmental regulation are slightly different. Finally, we discuss environmental regulation and innovative elements, and some corresponding suggestions are put forward. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

17 pages, 1567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Indirect Economic Losses from Flooding Using Input–Output Analysis: An Application to China’s Jiangxi Province

by Yanfang Lyu, Yun Xiang and Dong Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4509; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054509 - 3 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2072

Abstract

Quantifying total economic impacts of flood disaster in a timely manner is essential for flood risk management and sustainable economic growth. This study takes the flood disaster in China’s Jiangxi province during the flood season in 2020 as an example, and exploits the [...] Read more.

Quantifying total economic impacts of flood disaster in a timely manner is essential for flood risk management and sustainable economic growth. This study takes the flood disaster in China’s Jiangxi province during the flood season in 2020 as an example, and exploits the input–output method to analyze indirect economic impacts caused by the agricultural direct economic loss. Based on regional IO data and MRIO data, a multi-dimensional econometric analysis was undertaken in terms of inter-regional, multi-regional, and structural decomposition of indirect economic losses. Our study reveals that the indirect economic losses caused by the agricultural sector in other sectors in Jiangxi province were 2.08 times the direct economic losses, of which the manufacturing sector suffered the worst, accounting for 70.11% of the total indirect economic losses. In addition, in terms of demand side and supply side indirect losses, the manufacturing and construction industries were found to be more vulnerable than other industries, and the flood disaster caused the largest indirect economic loss in eastern China. Besides, the supply side losses were significantly higher than the demand side losses, highlighting that the agricultural sector has strong spillover effects on the supply side. Moreover, based on the MRIO data of the years 2012 and 2015, dynamic structural decomposition analysis was undertaken, which showed that changes in the distributional structure appear to be influential in the evaluation of indirect economic losses. The findings highlight the spatial and sectoral heterogeneity of indirect economic losses caused by floods, and have significant implications for disaster mitigation and recovery strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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21 pages, 2688 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heterogeneous Learning of Functional Clustering Regression and Application to Chinese Air Pollution Data

by Tingting Wang, Linjie Qin, Chao Dai, Zhen Wang and Chenqi Gong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4155; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054155 - 25 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1454

Abstract

Clustering algorithms are widely used to mine the heterogeneity between meteorological observations. However, traditional applications suffer from information loss due to data processing and pay little attention to the interaction between meteorological indicators. In this paper, we combine the ideas of functional data [...] Read more.

Clustering algorithms are widely used to mine the heterogeneity between meteorological observations. However, traditional applications suffer from information loss due to data processing and pay little attention to the interaction between meteorological indicators. In this paper, we combine the ideas of functional data analysis and clustering regression, and propose a functional clustering regression heterogeneity learning model (FCR-HL), which respects the data generation process of meteorological data while incorporating the interaction between meteorological indicators into the analysis of meteorological data heterogeneity. In addition, we provide an algorithm for FCR-HL to automatically select the number of clusters, which has good statistical properties. In the later empirical study based on PM_2.5 concentrations and PM₁₀ concentrations in China, we found that the interaction between PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 varies significantly between regions, showing several types of significant patterns, which provide meteorologists with new perspectives to further study the effects between meteorological indicators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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18 pages, 750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Big Data in Promoting Green Development: Based on the Quasi-Natural Experiment of the Big Data Experimental Zone

by Jiangying Wei and Xiuwu Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4097; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054097 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1707

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the pressing issue of global warming, the concept of green development, which emphasizes the rational utilization of resources and energy, has emerged as a viable model for future economic growth. Despite this, the interplay between big data technology and [...] Read more.

Against the backdrop of the pressing issue of global warming, the concept of green development, which emphasizes the rational utilization of resources and energy, has emerged as a viable model for future economic growth. Despite this, the interplay between big data technology and green development has yet to receive due consideration. This study aims to shed light on the role of big data in green development from the perspective of factor configuration distortion. To this end, a panel data analysis of 284 prefecture-level cities spanning from 2007 to 2020 was conducted, utilizing the Difference-in-Differences (DID) and Propensity Score Matching-Difference-in-Differences (PSM-DID) models to assess the impact of the establishment of the National Big Data Comprehensive Experimental Zone on green total factor productivity. The findings reveal that the establishment of the National Big Data Comprehensive Experimental Zone has a positive impact on green total factor productivity, primarily through optimizing the capital and labor allocation distortions, with the effect being more pronounced in areas with high levels of human capital, financial development, and economic activity. This research provides empirical evidence to evaluate the impact of the establishment of the National Big Data Comprehensive Experimental Zone and offers valuable policy implications for the pursuit of high-quality economic development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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28 pages, 14179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Key Carbon Emission Industries and Emission Reduction Control Based on Complex Network of Embodied Carbon Emission Transfers: The Case of Hei-Ji-Liao, China

by Shaonan Shan, Yulong Li, Zicheng Zhang, Wei Zhu and Tingting Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2603; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032603 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1985

Abstract

Similar to the problems surrounding carbon transfers that exist in international trade, there are severe carbon emission headaches in regional industrial systems within countries. It is essential for emission reduction control and regional industrial restructuring to clarify the relationship of carbon emissions flows [...] Read more.

Similar to the problems surrounding carbon transfers that exist in international trade, there are severe carbon emission headaches in regional industrial systems within countries. It is essential for emission reduction control and regional industrial restructuring to clarify the relationship of carbon emissions flows between industrial sectors and identify key carbon-emitting industrial sectors. Supported by the input–output model (I-O model) and social network analysis (SNA), this research adopts input–output tables (2017), energy balance sheets (2021) and the energy statistics yearbooks (2021) of the three Chinese provinces of Hei-Ji-Liao to construct an Embodied carbon emission transfer network (ECETN) and determine key carbon-emitting industrial sectors with a series of complex network measurement indicators and analysis methods. The key abatement control pathways are obtained based on the flow relationships between the chains in the industrial system. The results demonstrate that the ECETNs in all three provinces of Hei-Ji-Liao are small-world in nature with scale-free characteristics (varying according to the power function). The key carbon emission industry sectors in the three provinces are identified through centrality, influence, aggregation and diffusion, comprising coal mining, the chemical industry, metal products industry, machinery manufacturing and transportation in Liaoning Province; coal mining, non-metal mining, non-metal products, metal processing and the electricity industry in Jilin Province; and agriculture, metal processing and machinery manufacturing in Heilongjiang. Additionally, key emission reduction control pathways in the three provinces are also identified based on embodied carbon emission flow relationships between industry sectors. Following the above findings, corresponding policy recommendations are proposed to tackle the responsibility of carbon reduction among industrial sectors in the province. Moreover, these findings provide some theoretical support and policy considerations for policymakers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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22 pages, 861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Environmental Regulation, Green-Technology Innovation and Green Total-Factor Productivity—Evidence from 279 Cities in China

by Yuhua Ma, Tong Lin and Qifang Xiao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316290 - 5 Dec 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2372

Abstract

This paper employs the SBM-DDF method to measure the index of green total-factor productivity (GTFP), based on the panel data of 279 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2019, and constructs a spatial Durbin model (SDM) and a threshold effect to empirically [...] Read more.

This paper employs the SBM-DDF method to measure the index of green total-factor productivity (GTFP), based on the panel data of 279 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2019, and constructs a spatial Durbin model (SDM) and a threshold effect to empirically test the effects of dual environmental-regulations and green technological innovation on GTFP. The results are as follows: (1) the SDM supports a nonlinear contribution of dual environmental-regulations spillover to GTFP. The relationship between formal environmental-regulation and GTFP is an inverted U-shape, while a U-shaped nonlinear relationship is found between informal environmental regulation and GTFP. (2) Green technology innovation has a significant negative moderating effect on the process of dual environmental-regulations affecting GTFP in local regions, but a positive moderating effect on informal environmental regulation in neighboring regions. (3) There is a significant green technology innovation threshold effect of dual environmental-regulations affecting GTFP. Specifically, the promotion effect of dual environmental-regulations on GFFP gradually increases as the level of green technology innovation increases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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19 pages, 2723 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measurement of China’s Green Total Factor Productivity Introducing Human Capital Composition

by Can Cheng, Xiuwen Yu, Heng Hu, Zitian Su and Shangfeng Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13563; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013563 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1999

Abstract

In the face of resource and environmental problems caused by extensive economic development, China has put forward a green development strategy. Scientific measurement and analysis of green total factor productivity (GTFP) is of great significance for achieving high-quality economic development. By introducing the [...] Read more.

In the face of resource and environmental problems caused by extensive economic development, China has put forward a green development strategy. Scientific measurement and analysis of green total factor productivity (GTFP) is of great significance for achieving high-quality economic development. By introducing the human capital composition, including education, health, scientific research, and training, this paper study adopts the Slack Based Measure-Global Malmquist-Luenberger (SBM-GML) index to re-measure the GTFP and its decomposition of 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China from 2000 to 2019. The results show that: (1) China’s GTFP has a fluctuating growth trend, with an average annual growth rate of 2.31%. (2) In terms of its decomposition, technical progress is the main force driving GTFP growth, with a contribution rate of 1.59%; the improvement of technical efficiency is a secondary driving force, with a contribution rate of 0.71%. (3) The measurement results of GTFP, considering the human capital composition, are generally higher than those without consideration, and the GTFP growth under the two modes shows a trend of “high in the east and low in the west”. The conclusions have enlightening significance for improving GTFP and the growth potential of the economy in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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21 pages, 1526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Transformation and Green Innovation of Chinese Firms: The Moderating Role of Regulatory Pressure and International Opportunities

by Jinqiu He and Huiwen Su

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13321; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013321 - 15 Oct 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4777

Abstract

The digitalization of business processes has increasingly challenged conventional wisdom in corporate green innovation. This empirical paper studies the timely but theoretically underexplored relationship between digital transformation and green innovation in a developing country context. Given that firms’ digital transformation shifts organizational structures [...] Read more.

The digitalization of business processes has increasingly challenged conventional wisdom in corporate green innovation. This empirical paper studies the timely but theoretically underexplored relationship between digital transformation and green innovation in a developing country context. Given that firms’ digital transformation shifts organizational structures toward decentralization, we employ a digital perspective to analyze organizational coordination, control, and learning mechanisms and propose that digital transformation positively affects corporate green innovation. Moreover, drawing on structural contingency theory, we demonstrate that such effects can be strengthened by external contingencies, specifically regulatory pressure and international opportunities. Using a dataset of Chinese listed firms, we find empirical support for our hypotheses. Our study is one of the first to examine how firms can leverage organizational digital transformation to enhance their green innovation performance and thus provides new insights into the drivers of sustainable practices for firms in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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13 pages, 372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Local Government Debt and Green Total Factor Productivity—Empirical Evidence from Chinese Cities

by Ke Mao and Pierre Failler

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12425; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912425 - 29 Sep 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

In recent years, the expansion of local government debt (LGD) in China has caused widespread concern. Enhancing green total factor productivity (GTFP) is an important way to coordinate resources, environment, and regional development and is an important indicator to realize the transformation of [...] Read more.

In recent years, the expansion of local government debt (LGD) in China has caused widespread concern. Enhancing green total factor productivity (GTFP) is an important way to coordinate resources, environment, and regional development and is an important indicator to realize the transformation of green economic development. Scientific assessment of the impact of LGD on GTFP helps promote the transformation of green economic development. This paper selects sample data from 271 cities in China from 2010 to 2019 and empirically investigates the mechanisms of LGD, green innovation, and financial market development on GTFP. The results show that (1) LGD expansion significantly suppresses GTFP in China; (2) green innovation mediates between the two, and LGD suppresses GTFP by reducing the level of green innovation; and (3) financial market development can mitigate the negative impact of LGD on urban GTFP. Therefore, the governance of LGD should be strengthened, the financial market environment should be optimized, the distortion of financial resources should be corrected, and innovative financing modes such as green finance and green credit should be encouraged to enhance GTFP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

25 pages, 884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence and Action Mechanisms of Governmental Relations Embeddedness for Fostering Green Production Demonstration Household: Evidence from Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Anhui Province, China

by Lipeng Li, Apurbo Sarkar, Xi Zhou, Xiuling Ding and Hua Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 11923; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911923 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2144

Abstract

As an innovative tactic, the core aspects of green products should be comprehensively demonstrated and firmly promoted to enhance their adoption. For doing so, continuous governmental support and interventions through distinct sets of networking and relationships could be crucial for synthesizing and diffusing [...] Read more.

As an innovative tactic, the core aspects of green products should be comprehensively demonstrated and firmly promoted to enhance their adoption. For doing so, continuous governmental support and interventions through distinct sets of networking and relationships could be crucial for synthesizing and diffusing the extent of green production demonstration households. Interestingly, the structural relationship between these two has not yet been evaluated comprehensively by the existing literature. Therefore, the study empirically analyzes the impact and mechanism of government relationships embedded in fostering green production demonstration households. The study compiles the empirical data from 963 farmers which were collected from the major tea-producing areas of Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Anhui provinces, China. In order to craft the findings, first we constructed the ordered Probit for benchmark regression analysis. Meanwhile, the Ordinary Standard Error Ordered Probit model, Ordered Logit model, and multivariate linear model were constructed for the robustness test. Third, the Extended Ordered Probit model and Bootstrap mediation effect model were used to test the path diagram. Finally, robustness testing and endogeneity processing test were used to explore the reliability of the findings. The results showed that: (i) Government relationship embedding has a positive effect on fostering green production demonstration households. In particular, factors such as relationships with general government staff, professional and technical personnel, and village cadre are most significant. (ii) Seemingly, the heterogeneity analysis shows that the farmers with large operating scales and low family economic status have a relatively stronger impact. (iii) Further mechanism research results show that government relations are embedded through government identification (policy identification, government trust), improving farmers’ behavioral ability (production knowledge reserve, self-efficacy), and strengthening farmers’ perceived value of green production (self-interest perception, altruistic values). Therefore, the government should strengthen the interactive mechanism embedded with farm households and extend support for green production demonstration zones. The farmers’ information-sharing facilities and platforms should be modernized and highlighted according to the local conditions and long-term targeted strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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20 pages, 549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fostering Green Innovation Adoption through Green Dynamic Capability: The Moderating Role of Environmental Dynamism and Big Data Analytic Capability

by Danni Yu, Shen Tao, Abdul Hanan, Tze San Ong, Badar Latif and Mohsin Ali

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10336; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610336 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5705

Abstract

Though the concept of green dynamic capability has been increasingly gaining traction among academics, practitioners, and policymakers, its association with green innovation adoption remains unclear. The present study addresses this gap and aims to provide clarity by distinguishing green innovation adoption in the [...] Read more.

Though the concept of green dynamic capability has been increasingly gaining traction among academics, practitioners, and policymakers, its association with green innovation adoption remains unclear. The present study addresses this gap and aims to provide clarity by distinguishing green innovation adoption in the context of developing countries. Drawing on dynamic capability and stakeholder theory, this research shed light on the significance of green dynamic capability for green innovation adoption. Additionally, this study examines the moderating role of environmental dynamism and big data analytics capability in the link between green dynamic capability and green innovation adoption. Adopting a two-wave research design, the sample for this study contained SMEs from Pakistan and Malaysia. Data was obtained from 220 SMEs (105 from Pakistan, 115 from Malaysia). To test the hypotheses, covariance-based structural equation modelling was performed to analyze causal relationships in the model, by using AMOS 23 software. The results showed that green dynamic capability positively impacts green innovation adoption, but environmental dynamism does not positively moderate between green dynamic capability and green innovation adoption. In addition, big data analytics capability positively moderates between green dynamic capability and green innovation adoption. We believe that this study opens a new avenue in the environmental literature under which green innovation adoption is useful for SMEs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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18 pages, 413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Clean Energy Use Have Threshold Effects on Economic Development? A Case of Theoretical and Empirical Analyses from China

by Minglin Wang, Shaolong Zeng, Yunzhe Wang and Zhengxia He

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9757; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159757 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1955

Abstract

Increasingly serious energy security and environmental problems have become the main constraints to China’s economic development. Therefore, it is critical to explore the threshold effect of clean energy use on China’s economic growth. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from [...] Read more.

Increasingly serious energy security and environmental problems have become the main constraints to China’s economic development. Therefore, it is critical to explore the threshold effect of clean energy use on China’s economic growth. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2019 and using energy intensity (EI) as the threshold variable, this study adopts a panel threshold model to explore the threshold effect of clean energy development on the economy. Empirical results indicate that clean energy has a significant threshold effect on economic development, with the threshold value of EI being 0.7655. When EI is less than 0.7655, clean energy development has a more positive effect on economic growth. When the EI exceeds 0.7655, the impact is significantly positive but with a smaller coefficient. EI weakens the role of clean energy development in promoting economic growth. After 2015, the EI of most provinces in the sample was below the threshold value, which indicates that in recent years, with the economic cost of developing clean energy decreasing, the role of clean energy development in promoting the economy has become more significant. Therefore, we propose policy implications to better promote the effect of clean energy development in promoting economic growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

20 pages, 652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Economic Development, Digital Payment, and Consumer Demand: Evidence from China

by Rui Zhou

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148819 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4782

Abstract

In this era, the global COVID-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard. In the context of great challenges to sustainable economic development, it is of great practical significance to study how digital payment can promote consumer demand and sustainable economic development. From the [...] Read more.

In this era, the global COVID-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard. In the context of great challenges to sustainable economic development, it is of great practical significance to study how digital payment can promote consumer demand and sustainable economic development. From the perspective of sustainable economic development, this paper selects panel data of various provinces in China from 2011 to 2020 to test the correlation between digital payment and consumer demand by constructing econometric models and selecting relevant indicators, so as to reveal the impact of digital payment on consumer demand and sustainable economic development. Research shows that: (1) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital payments play a special and very important role in promoting household consumption and sustainable economic development; (2) the empirical results show that digital payment has a significant positive impact on consumer demand, which indicates that digital payment has an obvious promotion effect on consumer demand; (3) further research shows that the impact of digital payment on consumer demand has obvious heterogeneity. From the perspective of regional differences, digital payment has a significant positive impact on consumer demand in the eastern and western regions, while the impact is not obvious in the northeast and central regions, even though it also has a positive impact. From the perspective of urban-rural differences, digital payment has a significant impact on consumer demand in both urban and rural areas, and this impact is greater in rural areas than in urban areas. However, from the perspective of development stage, the stage characteristics of digital payment’s impact on consumer demand in each region are not obvious, which may be caused by the short sample range. In addition, this paper also puts forward relevant suggestions for other countries to learn from. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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17 pages, 550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Global Value Chain Participation and Green Innovation: Evidence from Chinese Listed Firms

by Shuang Meng, Huan Yan and Jiajie Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8403; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148403 - 9 Jul 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3126

Abstract

Green innovation is one of the most important approaches to prevent environmental pollution and foster sustainable development. Embedded in the global production networks, manufacturing firms have been found not only to be the main drivers of innovation but also the main polluters in [...] Read more.

Green innovation is one of the most important approaches to prevent environmental pollution and foster sustainable development. Embedded in the global production networks, manufacturing firms have been found not only to be the main drivers of innovation but also the main polluters in developing countries. However, relatively few studies have systematically considered the effect of global value chain (GVC) participation on green innovation in the context of developing countries. By using a panel dataset of Chinese listed manufacturing firms, this study conducts panel data fixed-effect analyses and uses the instrumental variable two-stage least square model to investigate the effect of GVC participation on firms’ green innovation performance. The results show that increased GVC participation leads to improved green innovation performance of Chinese firms. Meanwhile, further heterogeneity analyses show that the impact of GVC participation on green innovation is more pronounced for firms with greater financial constraints, state-owned firms and firms in labor- or pollution-intensive industries, located in the eastern regions of China. Therefore, this study sheds light on the implication that actively participating in GVC is the key to promoting sustainable growth when facing the need for transformation in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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18 pages, 376 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Economic Policy Uncertainty: An Empirical Evidence from 22 Countries

by Wentao Gu, Hairui Pan, Zimin Hu and Zhongdi Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7758; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137758 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3785

Abstract

Based on the data of 22 different countries from 2005 to 2018, this paper mainly studies the influence of entrepreneurship on sustainability, and further explores the influence of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) and the interaction effect between EPU and entrepreneurship on sustainability. The [...] Read more.

Based on the data of 22 different countries from 2005 to 2018, this paper mainly studies the influence of entrepreneurship on sustainability, and further explores the influence of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) and the interaction effect between EPU and entrepreneurship on sustainability. The results show that EPU can promote economic, environmental, and social development, the interaction between EPU and green entrepreneurship is beneficial to social development, and the interaction between EPU and non-green entrepreneurship inhibits social development. For the heterogeneity analysis, 22 countries are grouped by high and low Human Development Index (HDI). The empirical results find that EPU has a better performance in low HDI countries than that in high HDI countries. In high HDI countries, the interaction between EPU and green entrepreneurship will weaken the positive effects of green entrepreneurship on the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

20 pages, 824 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Air Pollution on Residents’ Happiness: A Study on the Moderating Effect Based on Pollution Sensitivity

by Xuan Tian, Cheng Zhang and Bing Xu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7536; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127536 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2376

Abstract

Promoting people’s happiness is a vital goal of public policy, and air pollution, as the focus of public opinion, is an important influencing factor of residents’ happiness. Although previous literature has explored the relationship between air pollution and happiness, the impact of pollution [...] Read more.

Promoting people’s happiness is a vital goal of public policy, and air pollution, as the focus of public opinion, is an important influencing factor of residents’ happiness. Although previous literature has explored the relationship between air pollution and happiness, the impact of pollution sensitivity on the relationship has so far received little attention. This paper uses the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey database (CLDS) to study the impact of air pollution on personal happiness and dissects the moderating effect of air pollution sensitivity from the stock and incremental perspectives. The results found that (1) there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between air pollution and residents’ happiness, such that happiness increases and then decreases with increasing air pollution. The PM10 concentration at the turning point is 119.69 μg/m³, which exceeds the national secondary standard limit (70 μg/m³) by 70.99% and is at the intermediate stage of mild pollution, exceeding the WHO recommended standard (20 μg/m³) by 498.45%, far higher than the international standard recommended level; (2) both air pollution stock sensitivity and incremental sensitivity have a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between air pollution and happiness, and pollution sensitivity exacerbates the negative effect of air pollution on residents’ happiness by shifting the curve turning point to the left and steepening the curve shape; (3) in addition, the effect of air pollution on different groups is significantly heterogeneous, with lower-age and male groups more likely to have lower happiness due to air pollution; the positive moderating effect of pollution sensitivity is more significant in lower-age, female, and higher-income groups. Therefore, in order to enhance residents’ happiness, the government should not only improve air quality, but also focus on helping residents establish an appropriate subjective perception of air quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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16 pages, 4293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Coupling Synergy Effect of Economic and Environment in Developed Area: An Empirical Study from the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China

by Yongqiang Yin and Zhenxiao Xu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127444 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1775

Abstract

Coordination between economic development (ED) and ecological environment (EE) is an important challenge for high-quality urban development. Taking the panel data related to the ED and EE of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YUA) from 2009 to 2019 as the research objective, [...] Read more.

Coordination between economic development (ED) and ecological environment (EE) is an important challenge for high-quality urban development. Taking the panel data related to the ED and EE of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YUA) from 2009 to 2019 as the research objective, the evaluation system of ED and EE was constructed by introducing the coupling coordination degree model and the gray correlation degree model to analyze their development indices, coupling coordination degree and gray correlation degree in two spatial and temporal dimensions. Research results: (1) The ED indexes and EE indexes of the 26 cities in the YUA have obvious differences in different cities, and there is no synergy between the two indices. (2) The coupling coordination degree of the YUA shows a pattern of high in the east and low in the west, high in the center and low in the north and south in space, and an overall increasing trend in time. (3) In terms of gray correlation, the correlation between ED quality dimension and EE level dimension is the highest. According to the conclusion, when both the economy and environment present consistency at a high level, it will help the city’s economy to develop more efficiently and rapidly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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17 pages, 514 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Total Factor Productivity and High-Quality Economic Development: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

by Shaolong Zeng, Xianfan Shu and Wenxian Ye

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2783; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052783 - 27 Feb 2022

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 3600

Abstract

This paper focuses on the total factor productivity (TFP) and high-quality economic development in China by examining 11 Chinese provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2007 to 2018. We use the Solow residual method to calculate the TFP growth [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the total factor productivity (TFP) and high-quality economic development in China by examining 11 Chinese provinces and cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2007 to 2018. We use the Solow residual method to calculate the TFP growth rate of the 11 provinces and cities. Based on the panel data, we have analyzed the influencing factors of TFP theoretically and empirically from the overall region and upstream region, and midstream region and downstream region, respectively. The regression results show that: (1) The whole characteristics generally show the TFP growth trend of the upstream region, midstream region and downstream region are consistent with that of the overall region, and the growth rate of TFP slows down gradually. Meanwhile the differences in TFP growth between the upstream region, midstream region and downstream region show an increase at first and then a decrease. (2) Regarding the influencing factors, there are differences in the direction and extent of the impact of each factor such as the level of openness, R&D investment, industrial structure, government expenditure and human capital on the TFP of the overall region, upstream region, midstream region and downstream region. (3) Based on the results of the theoretical and empirical analysis, we have proposed a series of measures for the sustainable high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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21 pages, 578 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

A Review of Climate Security Discussions in Japan

by Christo Odeyemi and Takashi Sekiyama

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148253 - 6 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3095

Abstract

This review paper provides preliminary analysis and answers to three key questions that were identified by synthesizing qualitative evidence from climate security research in Japan. The questions identified are: (1) Has Japan participated in the global climate security debate at all? (2) Why [...] Read more.

This review paper provides preliminary analysis and answers to three key questions that were identified by synthesizing qualitative evidence from climate security research in Japan. The questions identified are: (1) Has Japan participated in the global climate security debate at all? (2) Why did climate security struggle to become a major political theme in Japan until 2020? (3) Why did Japan explicitly start dealing with climate security as a policy issue in 2020? We identify and discuss four key reasons relative to the second question. The review provides key details (and general parameters) of these questions that have been overlooked by not only Japanese researchers but also climate security research conducted between 2017 and 2022 in Europe and the United States. Climate security suddenly became a trending topic among Japanese researchers and political elites in 2020; we find evidence that future studies could provide important and more robust insight if an analysis of the above questions is supported by interview data obtained from Japanese government officials. In doing so, researchers will be able to provide valuable insight into the possibility (and extent) that inter-ministerial rivalry between key ministries has impeded domestic progress on climate security action. Furthermore, three separate projects on climate security have been commissioned and recently implemented in Japan. These form the basis for this first systematic literature review of 34 papers and the related research reports resulting from these projects. These papers and reports were retrieved from the electronic databases of Google Scholar, ProQuest, and the National Institute for Environmental Studies in April 2022. While the main limitation of this review paper is that readers are expected to connect these questions to their own experiences at the global level, we reduce the possibility of presenting biased information by identifying and verifying missing details. For example, we had difficulty identifying the method used in one of the co-authored papers and contacted the corresponding author. In summary, sustained discussion in academia and high-politics settings should eventually lead to a greater awareness about climate security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Recent Development of Environmental Management in Asia)

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