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24 pages, 3513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Market Segmentation and Green Development Performance: Evidence from Chinese Cities

by Xuebing Dong, Benbo Liang, Haichao Yu and Hui Zhu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4411; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054411 - 01 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1248

Abstract

This study is based on 2006–2019 panel data from 282 Chinese cities. Market segmentation and green development performance are empirically investigated to examine their non-linear relationship using static panel, dynamic panel, and dynamic spatial panel models. The results reveal the following: (1) Green [...] Read more.

This study is based on 2006–2019 panel data from 282 Chinese cities. Market segmentation and green development performance are empirically investigated to examine their non-linear relationship using static panel, dynamic panel, and dynamic spatial panel models. The results reveal the following: (1) Green development performance is found to have a high degree of temporal and spatial path dependence, exhibiting spatial linkage between cities. (2) Market segmentation stemming from local government protection has a clear inverted U-shaped structure in relationship with the green development performance. (3) Our analysis suggests that the upgrading of industrial structures significantly enhances green development, while factor price distortion inhibits it. The relationship between market segmentation and industrial structure upgrading is also an inverted U-shape. (4) The analysis further reveals that market segmentation has an inverted U-shaped correlation with the green development performance in western, central, and eastern cities. However, the different rates of development of industrial structures within the three regions result in varying degrees of market segmentation according to inflection point values. Moreover, aligned with the theoretical hypothesis of “resource curse,” in resource-based cities (exclusively), market segmentation still affects the green development performance with a significant inverted U-shaped structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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13 pages, 297 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Predicament and Outlet of Environmental Impact Assessment Mechanism from the Perspective of Risk Society: Taking Japan’s Accident-Type Nuclear Sewage Disposal as a Cut-In

by Qiang Zhang, Fang Yang and Yaru Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3929; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20053929 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2151

Abstract

As an important yardstick of social modernization, nuclear technology not only promotes the in-depth development of the national economy but also hangs a sword of Damocles in the field of the risk society. Against the background of the unrest of the nuclear leakage [...] Read more.

As an important yardstick of social modernization, nuclear technology not only promotes the in-depth development of the national economy but also hangs a sword of Damocles in the field of the risk society. Against the background of the unrest of the nuclear leakage disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Japanese government has announced its unilateral decision to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea, undoubtedly putting at least the Pacific Rim countries at huge potential risks. In order to maximize risk reduction and focus on preventive construction in advance, Japan’s measures to discharge accident nuclear sewage into the sea have a legitimate basis for the application of an environmental impact assessment system. At the same time, in the process of operation, there are numerous risk dilemmas, such as lack of safety treatment standards, long follow-up disposal cycle and negative domestic supervision system, which need to be broken through one by one. The effective application of the environmental impact assessment system in the Japanese nuclear accident not only helps to reduce the environmental crisis caused by accidental nuclear effluent discharge to the sea but also has a positive and far-reaching international demonstration significance, which helps to better build a foundation of international trust and preventive guarantee system in advance for the possible accidental nuclear effluent treatment in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

10 pages, 312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Coordination of Environmental Protection and Female Discrimination Based on the Concept of Affirmative Action

by Xia Ling and Yanhong Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3419; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043419 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1277

Abstract

With the development of society, the chemical industry is expanding, and the hazy weather everywhere is becoming increasingly frequent, already affecting people’s lives and causing them to pay more attention to environmental issues. Therefore, this paper highlights the role of women in environmental [...] Read more.

With the development of society, the chemical industry is expanding, and the hazy weather everywhere is becoming increasingly frequent, already affecting people’s lives and causing them to pay more attention to environmental issues. Therefore, this paper highlights the role of women in environmental protection by studying the coordination of environmental protection and female discrimination based on the concept of affirmative action. Through this study and a survey, we found that China has not yet realized that women’s participation in environmental protection plays a key role in improving the quality of our environment and the development of ecological civilization. However, we should clearly understand that environmental issues are not only personal, they are related to the survival and development of a country, and as a member of that country, both women and men should have the right and obligation to protect the environment. Therefore, this article discusses the concept and meaning of affirmative action and gender discrimination in the context of research on these concepts, discussing the problems and phenomena that women encounter in environmental protection. These include the system of women’s environmental protection, gender issues for women in society, and the unequal treatment from the Government based on some studies. Through the study and analysis of the system of women’s environmental protection, the role and position of women in this regard is summarized. Finally, it is suggested that, for the construction and development of ecological civilization in China, it is necessary to fully integrate ecological civilization into all aspects of society and pay attention to environmental protection issues. Therefore, we should pay attention to the role of women in environmental protection, provide corresponding policies, and actively encourage women to partake in environmental protection in order to build an environmentally friendly and resource-saving society together. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

21 pages, 351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Types of Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China and Exploration of New Frontiers

by Wei You, Shan Liang, Lei Feng and Zexuan Cai

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3273; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043273 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1905

Abstract

Since “ecological civilization” was written into the constitution, China has continuously strengthened ecological and environmental protection and innovatively established an environmental public interest litigation system. However, China’s current environmental public interest litigation system is not sound, especially since the types and scope of [...] Read more.

Since “ecological civilization” was written into the constitution, China has continuously strengthened ecological and environmental protection and innovatively established an environmental public interest litigation system. However, China’s current environmental public interest litigation system is not sound, especially since the types and scope of environmental public interest litigation are unclear, which is the core problem we aim to solve. To explore the types of environmental public interest litigation in China and the possibility of expanding new fields, we first used the normative analysis method to review the legislation of environmental public interest litigation in China and then conducted an empirical analysis of 215 judgment documents of environmental public interest litigation in China, and we concluded that the legal types and scope of application of environmental public interest litigation in China are constantly expanding. To reduce environmental pollution and ecological damage as much as possible, we argue that China should further expand the application of environmental administrative public interest litigation to improve the environmental civil public interest litigation system and adhere to the criteria of “behavior standards first, result standards second” and “prevention first, recovery second”. At the same time, through the internal connection mechanism between procuratorial suggestions and environmental administrative public interest litigation, the external cooperation between environmental organizations, procuratorates, and environmental administrative departments should be strengthened, and a new mechanism for environmental public interest litigation should be established and improved to accumulate useful experience in the judicial protection of China’s ecological environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

12 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Legal Guarantee for Achieving Carbon Peak and Neutrality Goals in China

by Hui Shi and Xiaobin He

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2555; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032555 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2272

Abstract

In order to actively fulfill its international treaty obligations, China has established the goal of peaking CO₂ emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Since 2018, when ecological civilization was written into the Constitution, the realization of carbon peak and [...] Read more.

In order to actively fulfill its international treaty obligations, China has established the goal of peaking CO₂ emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Since 2018, when ecological civilization was written into the Constitution, the realization of carbon peak and neutrality goals has had an ideological foundation and a constitutional basis. China has formulated various special laws and built a 1 + N policy system to reduce carbon emissions, which together with the environmental protection law, climate change law, energy law and other related laws and regulations constitute a unified legal system and provide legal support to achieve carbon peak and neutrality goals. At the same time, China has taken advantage of the new national system with concentrated efforts and resources to delineate the different roles of the government and market mechanisms in carbon emission reduction, and to make the operation of the legal system of carbon peak and neutrality suitable for its actual situation by giving full paly to the initiative of both central and local governments. This article analyzes the current legal system and its characteristics in China in the process of achieving carbon peak and neutrality goals in the context of the new era, and outlooks on the improvement path of the legal system from both domestic and international dimensions. The practice, experience and development direction of China in the construction of the legal guarantee for carbon peak and neutrality goals can provide reference for other countries to achieve carbon reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

17 pages, 366 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Interaction Effect between the Intensity of Government Low-Carbon Subsidies and the Growth Ability of Green and Low-Carbon Emerging Enterprises

by Lixia Chen and Jianyuan Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2438; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032438 - 30 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1235

Abstract

With the development of science and technology and society, people’s demand for a healthy living environment is increasing, and the expression “low carbon” has become a daily feature of people’s lives. The emergence of a low-carbon economy, the impact on the traditional industrial [...] Read more.

With the development of science and technology and society, people’s demand for a healthy living environment is increasing, and the expression “low carbon” has become a daily feature of people’s lives. The emergence of a low-carbon economy, the impact on the traditional industrial structure and the formation of a new economic landscape make China, a developing country, eager to seize this opportunity to enhance its international competitiveness. To achieve this, it is necessary to establish a low-carbon concept, to actively restructure industrial and develop low-carbon industries; only in this way can we take advantage of the new round of industrial restructuring and grasp the initiative of development. Therefore, this paper selects data from enterprises in the emerging low-carbon industry, and uses a SVAR model to conduct a dynamic interaction analysis between government subsidy intensity, enterprise profitability, asset growth capacity and enterprise size. The results of the study show that the intensity of government subsidies in the first period has a certain positive effect on a company’s current profitability and asset growth, the improvement being most significant on its profitability. Among the larger companies, asset growth and profitability in the first period had a significant positive impact on current earnings, and the contribution of profitability to the company’s own performance was much larger than the average; among the smaller companies, asset growth and profitability in the first period had a significant positive impact on current earnings, and the contribution of asset growth to the company’s own performance was much larger than the average. The intensity of prior government subsidies in the Highs group has a significant positive relationship with the intensity of current government subsidies, the firm’s asset growth capacity and profitability; the intensity of prior government subsidies in the Lows group only has a significant positive impact on the asset growth capacity in the current period. In addition, the interaction between the three core variables in the Highs group is also significantly higher than that in the Lows group. This indicates that the government should implement differential policies and financial subsidies according to the actual needs of enterprises to maximize the effect of capital use and promote the development and growth of emerging enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

17 pages, 369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sponge City Construction and Urban Economic Sustainable Development: An Ecological Philosophical Perspective

by Jing Ma, Dan Liu and Zhengwen Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1694; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031694 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2251

Abstract

The Party’s 14th Five-Year-Plan and the 2035 Visionary Goals point out that green and sustainable development is the direction of China’s road in the present age, and provide a theoretical basis for further improvement of ecological civilization. “Sponge city” is a new type [...] Read more.

The Party’s 14th Five-Year-Plan and the 2035 Visionary Goals point out that green and sustainable development is the direction of China’s road in the present age, and provide a theoretical basis for further improvement of ecological civilization. “Sponge city” is a new type of urban construction idea in China; moving from pilot to vigorous implementation at present, it is an important element of China’s promotion of green development and development of ecological civilization. At present, a number of sponge city pilot projects have been built in China, and evaluation of their effects is already a matter of urgency. The overall planning of China’s current policies in sponge city construction and the specific analyses conducted by experts from both subjective and objective aspects have not been able to completely fill the gap in this regard, thus making it particularly urgent to conduct in-depth studies. Based on this, this paper discusses the performance assessment of sponge cities in China on the basis of the prediction and analysis of the development trend of sponge cities in China. In the performance assessment system, the correctness and timeliness of the index system should be considered in terms of practical effects; in the city performance assessment, the ideas of new city development such as low-carbon cities and smart cities should be combined to build a comprehensive and multi-perspective intelligent assessment system, so as to provide a strong boost to promote the development of city construction and its evaluative research. Firstly, a system-dynamic model is applied to sort out and combine its internal operation mechanism, and a set of evaluation systems based on the ecological philosophical perspective of the sponge city and urban sustainable development performance is established. Second, to improve the accuracy of the research results, parallelism tests and robustness analysis were conducted on this performance index evaluation system. The study’s results show that sponge city construction has achieved good results in sustainable urban development and has contributed to future development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

18 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Demonstration and Suggestion on the Communication Efficiency of New Media of Environmental Education Based on Ideological and Political Education

by Huiyu Ren and Liang Zhao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021569 - 15 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2224

Abstract

With the rapid development of the economy, we are facing more and more problems, and the construction of ecological civilization has become the focus of our national concern. With the rapid development of network technology, the immediacy of the new media and the [...] Read more.

With the rapid development of the economy, we are facing more and more problems, and the construction of ecological civilization has become the focus of our national concern. With the rapid development of network technology, the immediacy of the new media and the huge audience have brought new development trends to the dissemination of environmental information. The number of new environmental media is increasing, but there are still some problems, such as formality, rigid content and lack of innovation, which make it difficult to achieve better communication effects. However, the research on new environmental media is still in its infancy, and there is not yet a set of targeted and specialized new media evaluation systems. Based on the social function of new environmental news media and the social responsibility of media as the entry point, the article establishes a set of index systems to measure the efficiency of environmental news dissemination and proposes corresponding improvement measures accordingly. The results of the study show that the best use of environmental education publicity is at 81.3%. In terms of cognitive efficiency and attitudinal efficacy, the scores of environmental education weibo public numbers were not high, at 60.7% and 71.5%, respectively. From the perspective of ideological and political education, the environmental protection class of WeChat plays a good role in attracting the attention of college students, and can provide ideological and political education to them and improve their ideological awareness. In terms of cognition, new media is responsible for conveying environmental knowledge and concepts to college students, so the development of new media centers on environmental information, and the content directly affects the cognitive level of college students, fully reflecting the importance of cognitive efficacy in new media of environmental education. On attitude efficacy, only one indicator is set for identity shaping, which has the highest score, but the lowest is 4.0, showing that the public number is still not obvious enough in terms of identifying with college student groups, influencing college students’ emotions and attitudes. Based on this, this paper points out the problems of the current communication efficiency of environmental education new media through the analysis of the evaluation results and puts forward suggestions to improve its communication efficiency in this regard. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

19 pages, 1183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Environmental Philosophy of China’s Environmental Crime Legislation from the Perspective of Ecological Civilization Construction

by Ran An and Peng Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021517 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1458

Abstract

Modern environmental philosophy is a new type of philosophy for humans re-examining the relationship between man and nature and provides the value guidance for modern environmental law. China’s environmental crime legislation has gone through the exploration period, establishment period, and optimization period. The [...] Read more.

Modern environmental philosophy is a new type of philosophy for humans re-examining the relationship between man and nature and provides the value guidance for modern environmental law. China’s environmental crime legislation has gone through the exploration period, establishment period, and optimization period. The environmental philosophy behind this is worth discussing and determines the direction China will take environmental crime in the future and whether China’s environmental strategy can really be implemented. At present, the disputes about the environmental philosophy of environmental crime in China are mainly reflected in the contention between anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and eco-anthropocentrism. There are radical risks of pure human centrism or pure ecological centrism, and these two theories struggle to serve as a value basis for environmental crime legislation. Although eco-anthropocentrism seems to be comprehensive, it is actually ambiguous, and it is still difficult to deal with the conflict between people and nature. In recent years, China has continuously emphasized the construction of ecological civilization construction and written this into the constitution. Therefore, in the environmental philosophy issues of environmental crimes in China, we should consider absorbing the advantages of anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and eco-anthropocentrism, while taking the original Chinese ecological civilization philosophy as the value foundation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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12 pages, 302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Dilemma and Path of Rural Environmental Governance in China: From the Perspective of a Community with a Shared Future

by Yigang Zhang and Xiaoyan Guo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1446; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021446 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2296

Abstract

With the aim of achieving the goal of ecological livability in Chinese rural society, the issue of rural environmental governance has received great attention from the CCP and the government. However, due to local governments’ model of development in exchange for economic interests [...] Read more.

With the aim of achieving the goal of ecological livability in Chinese rural society, the issue of rural environmental governance has received great attention from the CCP and the government. However, due to local governments’ model of development in exchange for economic interests and the “urban and rural binary” structure of environmental governance, rural environmental governance faces many dilemmas, such as lack of normative standards, lack of environmental governance subjects, and lack of judicial security. In order to improve the development of rural ecological civilization and realize ecologically friendly agriculture, this paper proposes a solution path for rural environmental governance from the perspective of the idea of the community with a shared future for humanity. Specifically, this solution path includes establishing the concepts of cooperation and governance of environmental protection, improving villagers’ participation in environmental protection, balancing economic and environmental interests in rural environmental governance, and building a long-term mechanism for the rule of law in rural environmental governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

13 pages, 307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Institutional Positioning of Environmental Tort Remedy in China: Executive-Led or Judicial-Led?

by Tian Sang and Lijun Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1443; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021443 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

There are two options for environmental tort remedy in China: resorting to environmental administration or environmental justice, with an ongoing debate over which of the two should lead. Firstly, it compares the structure of China’s environmental tort remedy system and the two types [...] Read more.

There are two options for environmental tort remedy in China: resorting to environmental administration or environmental justice, with an ongoing debate over which of the two should lead. Firstly, it compares the structure of China’s environmental tort remedy system and the two types of power: administrative power and judicial power, concluding that administrative power is dominant. Then, it argues for the indispensability of judicial power, attempts to find a clear boundary between the two sides, and justifies their mutual division of labor and collaboration. Through sufficient demonstration, it clarifies why the dominant position of environmental administrative power must be guaranteed. Then, it summarizes the experience of other countries and the practice of environmental protection in China; and provides three innovative paths of the future environmental rights remedy system. These three aspects are setting up a review procedure for administrative priority judgment before filing an environmental lawsuit, establishing the independent position of experts in environmental litigation, advocating a risk communication mechanism other than litigation, and providing a richer institutional guarantee for the relief of environmental rights. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

18 pages, 329 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reflection and Foresight on Personal Information Protection and Optimization in Public Health Emergencies in China—From the Perspective of Personal Information Collection during the Period of China’s Dynamic-Zero COVID-19 Prevention and Control Policy

by Huimin Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021290 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2082

Abstract

Public health emergencies threaten the overall public health security of the country. Based on the need to control the ways of infection, the collection and processing of personal information by the government have become an important part of epidemic prevention and control. However, [...] Read more.

Public health emergencies threaten the overall public health security of the country. Based on the need to control the ways of infection, the collection and processing of personal information by the government have become an important part of epidemic prevention and control. However, personal information related to the epidemic is highly sensitive, which contains other personal information and even private information in addition to information on personal health. In the early days of China’s response to the public health emergency of COVID-19, a great deal of non-desensitized information was transmitted in an unaccredited manner. With the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures, the collection and processing of personal information in China have gradually transited from the initial disorder and chaos to the current orderly, legal, and effective situation, continuously optimizing the processing paths of personal information. Serious summary and reflection on the optimization path of China’s epidemic-related information collection and processing methods by looking for a border at which the way and scope of personal information disclosure in future major public health emergencies are compatible with its purpose and role may help to improve the development of China’s personal information protection legal system from a long-term perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

15 pages, 372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Regulation, Resource Misallocation, and Total Factor Productivity: An Empirical Analysis Based on 284 Cities at the Prefecture-Level and Above in China

by Xu Dong, Kejia Guo, Guizhi Xue, Yali Yang, Weili Xie and Chenguang Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 854; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010854 - 02 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2456

Abstract

We investigated the impact of environmental regulation on total factor productivity (TFP) based on a panel dataset of 284 cities at the prefecture-level and above in mainland China from 2006 to 2020 and examined whether environmental regulation had a resource reallocation effect and [...] Read more.

We investigated the impact of environmental regulation on total factor productivity (TFP) based on a panel dataset of 284 cities at the prefecture-level and above in mainland China from 2006 to 2020 and examined whether environmental regulation had a resource reallocation effect and thus affected TFP. The results showed that there was an “inverted U-shaped” pattern in the impact of environmental regulation on TFP in China and a moderate strengthening of environmental regulation helped to increase TFP, which still held after endogeneity treatment and robustness tests. The “inverted U-shaped” relationship between environmental regulation and TFP in eastern, central, and western cities still held, while environmental regulation did not produce significant effects on TFP in the northeast. The effect of environmental regulation on TFP in large, medium, and small cities tested in groups by city size was consistent with the full sample findings, but the effects decreased in a gradient with city size. The analysis of the impact mechanism showed that environmental regulation had a suppressive effect on resource misallocation and could generate a positive resource reallocation effect and enhance city TFP. The labor reallocation effect of environmental regulation for TFP was stronger than the capital reallocation effect. The findings of our study are of policy reference value for optimizing resource allocation through environmental regulation and thus promoting high-quality city development in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

16 pages, 2609 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transportation Infrastructure, Population Mobility, and Public Health

by Fen Zhang, Tianyi Song, Xiang Cheng, Tianhao Li and Ziming Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010751 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1680

Abstract

This paper constructs an overlapping generations model, including health human capital, to investigate the impact of transportation investment on public health with population mobility. The theoretical analysis shows that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between transportation infrastructure and population flow, which also [...] Read more.

This paper constructs an overlapping generations model, including health human capital, to investigate the impact of transportation investment on public health with population mobility. The theoretical analysis shows that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between transportation infrastructure and population flow, which also exists between transportation and health. Health is affected by transportation from three aspects: positive output effect, negative substitution effect on public health investment, and an indirect effect through population flow. In the empirical part, considered with the infectious diseases, we found that the more intensive the traffic facilities, the greater the population flow, and therefore, the traffic facilities will have a negative impact on health. When population mortality is used to measure the level of public health, transportation improvement will significantly enhance public health with an inverted U-shaped relationship, which is consistent with the theoretical portion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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17 pages, 379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Empirical Study on the Impact of Government Environmental Subsidies on Environmental Performance of Heavily Polluting Enterprises Based on the Regulating Effect of Internal Control

by Weiqi Pei and Weiran Pei

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010098 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1683

Abstract

At present, China’s economy is developing rapidly; however, at the same time, it is also bringing more and more serious environmental problems. Although many laws have been established in the country to limit pollution by enterprises—and enterprises are actively saving energy and reducing [...] Read more.

At present, China’s economy is developing rapidly; however, at the same time, it is also bringing more and more serious environmental problems. Although many laws have been established in the country to limit pollution by enterprises—and enterprises are actively saving energy and reducing pollution—the situation is still not optimistic. In 2016, there were 35 cities across the country that exceeded the annual average air quality standard; these regions have been plagued by haze for a long time, which seriously threatens people’s health and sustainable social and economic development. Therefore, while pursuing economic benefits and realizing greater value, importance must be attached to environmental performance, especially for enterprises with serious pollution. Using the panel regression analysis method, based on the data of enterprises from 2010 to 2019, this paper empirically analyzes the effects of government environmental protection subsidies and internal control quality on the environmental performance of heavily polluting enterprises, and verifies the nonlinear critical effect of government subsidies and internal control on environmental performance. In addition, this paper also uses the intermediate effect model to verify the mechanism by which environmental subsidies impact the environmental performance of heavily polluting enterprises. Through the empirical analysis, the effects of environmental protection subsidies and internal control on the environmental performance of enterprises with serious pollution are obtained. In the process of environmental subsidy affecting the environmental performance of heavy-polluting enterprises, internal control plays a key intermediary role. In addition, environmental subsidies and internal controls have a certain impact on the environmental performance of heavily polluting enterprises. Through the empirical analysis, it is concluded that there are obvious differences between government subsidies and internal control on the environmental governance effects of heavily polluting enterprises in different regions and with different property rights. Among them, the environmental protection subsidies have the greatest impact on pollution degree in the central region, followed by the eastern region; in the western region, it is not obvious. Secondly, the incentive effect of government environmental subsidies on state-owned enterprises with serious environmental pollution is better than the environmental governance effect of non-state-owned enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

16 pages, 376 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Empirical Study on the Influence of Urban Environmental Industrial Structure Optimization on Ecological Landscape Greening Construction

by Lili Yang and Ning Ma

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16842; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416842 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1811

Abstract

With the rapid development of the economy in China, the ecological environment problem of the city has become an important factor that restricts the development of our economy and society. People gradually realize that, while rapidly generating wealth, they have been shrouded by [...] Read more.

With the rapid development of the economy in China, the ecological environment problem of the city has become an important factor that restricts the development of our economy and society. People gradually realize that, while rapidly generating wealth, they have been shrouded by the shadow of environmental pollution for a long time, which makes people feel more and more frightened and thoughtful. Industry is the carrier of economic activities, so we must pay attention to the relationship between industry and the natural environment. In this case, people pay more and more attention to the study of ecological construction and bring it into the optimization of environmental industrial structure. During this period, to correctly handle the relationship between industrial structure and ecological construction, to realize the overall transformation, development and cultivation of industrial structure, is the inevitable choice to promote the healthy and sustainable development of enterprises. From the perspective of industrial structure adjustment and the green space system, this paper makes theoretical assumptions about the impact of environmental industrial structure adjustment on urban ecological green space construction. Then, through the panel data of 260 cities from 2008 to 2018, the impact of China’s industrial structure adjustment on the scale of urban ecological green space was empirically analyzed. On this basis, this paper puts forward some policy recommendations for the development of urban ecological green space in our country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

22 pages, 11154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Carbon Neutrality: Carbon Emission Performance of Science and Technology Finance Policy

by Hong Xu, Baozhen Liu, Kai Lin, Yunyun Zhang, Bei Liu and Mingjie Xie

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16811; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416811 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1332

Abstract

Combining technology with finance is the focus of supporting economic structure adjustment, and environmental benefits are also the proper meaning of the policy. Using the panel data of 274 cities in China from 2006 to 2017, this paper examines the impact of the [...] Read more.

Combining technology with finance is the focus of supporting economic structure adjustment, and environmental benefits are also the proper meaning of the policy. Using the panel data of 274 cities in China from 2006 to 2017, this paper examines the impact of the Science and Technology Finance Policy (STFP) on carbon emission intensity in pilot cities and the transmission mechanisms through the difference-in-differences method and further explores the impact of STFP on the carbon emission intensity in neighboring cities. The results show that (1) STFP has significantly reduced carbon emission intensity in pilot cities and has dynamic effects, which gradually increase over time. There is significant heterogeneity in the carbon emission reduction effect of STFP, which produces stronger policy effects in first and second-tier cities and cities with higher information levels. (2) STFP achieves carbon emission reduction effects through three main pathways: the total factor productivity improvement effect, innovative elements agglomeration effect, and industrial structure optimization effect. (3) The STFP and national e-commerce demonstration policy have an interactive effect, and the two jointly contribute to the reduction in carbon emission intensity. From the perspective of a spatial effect, STFP has a radiation effect; that is, STFP not only reduces local carbon emission intensity but also curbs the carbon emission intensity in neighboring areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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23 pages, 3115 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Population Aging Affects Industrial Structure Upgrading: Evidence from China

by Xiao Shen, Jingbo Liang, Jiangning Cao and Zhengwen Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316093 - 01 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2226

Abstract

The question of how to proactively respond to population aging has become a major global issue. As a country with the largest elderly population in the world, China suffers a stronger shock from population aging, which makes it more urgent to transform its [...] Read more.

The question of how to proactively respond to population aging has become a major global issue. As a country with the largest elderly population in the world, China suffers a stronger shock from population aging, which makes it more urgent to transform its industrial and economic development model. Concretely, in the context of the new macroeconomic environment that has undergone profound changes, the shock of population aging makes the traditional industrial structure upgrading model (driven by large-scale factor inputs, imitation innovation and low-cost technological progress, and strong external demand) more unsustainable, and China has an urgent need to transform it to a more sustainable one. Only with an in-depth analysis of the influence mechanism of population aging on the upgrading of industrial structure can we better promote industrial structure upgrading under the impact of population aging. Therefore, six MSVAR models were constructed from each environmental perspective based on data from 1987 to 2021. The probabilities of regime transition figures show that the influencing mechanisms have a clear two-regime feature from any view; specifically, the omnidirectional environmental transition occurs in 2019. A further impulse–response analysis shows that, comparatively speaking, under the new environment regime the acceleration of population aging (1) aggravates the labor shortage, thus narrowing the industrial structure upgrading ranges; (2) has a negative, rather than positive, impact on the capital stock, but leads to a cumulative increase in industrial structure upgrading; (3) forces weaker technological progress, but further leads to a stronger impact on the industrial structure upgrading; (4) forces greater consumption upgrading, which further weakens industrial structure upgrading; (5) narrows rather than expands the upgrading of investment and industrial structures; and (6) narrows the upgrading of export and industrial structures. Therefore, we should collaboratively promote industrial structure upgrading from the supply side relying heavily on independent innovation and talent, and the demand side relying heavily on the upgrading of domestic consumption and exports. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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15 pages, 528 KiB

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The Economic Value of Water Ecology in Sponge City Construction Based on a Ternary Interactive System

by Wenzhao Zhou, Yufei Wang, Xi Wang, Peng Gao and Ciyun Lin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15844; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315844 - 28 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1382

Abstract

Ecological water resources occupy a vital position in the national economy; without sufficient ecological water resources, the construction and economic development of sponge cities would be seriously restricted. Appropriately, the Chinese government proposed that sponge city planning should be carried out in accordance [...] Read more.

Ecological water resources occupy a vital position in the national economy; without sufficient ecological water resources, the construction and economic development of sponge cities would be seriously restricted. Appropriately, the Chinese government proposed that sponge city planning should be carried out in accordance with the number of available ecological water resources. The government therefore put forward the method of conservation and intensification to solve the problem of water shortage. This paper highlights the interactions between ecological water resources, sponge cities, and economic development in northern China, starting with the interaction and mechanism of action that concerns ecological water resource utilization, sponge cities, and economic development. In the empirical test, the dynamic changes of the three indicators were analyzed empirically using the panel data vector autoregression method, and the dynamic relationship of each factor was measured using generalized moment estimation. It was found that ecological water resources are a key factor in promoting regional economic development, and the relationship between ecological water resources and sponge cities is both supportive and constraining; therefore, the constraints that ecological water resources place on sponge cities also indirectly affects economic development. To disconnect the use of water and ecological resources from economic development, it is necessary to note the following: the feedback effect of economic development and the resolution of the contradiction between sponge cities, water, and ecological resource use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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22 pages, 3311 KiB

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Characteristics and Spatial–Temporal Differences of Urban “Production, Living and Ecological” Environmental Quality in China

by Le Zhang, Qinyi Gu, Chen Li and Yi Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15320; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215320 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1646

Abstract

The article analyses the spatial and temporal differences in the environmental quality of production, living and ecology of 285 cities in China from 2010 to 2020 by using the entropy method, the Theil index and correlation analysis. The study concludes the following: (1) [...] Read more.

The article analyses the spatial and temporal differences in the environmental quality of production, living and ecology of 285 cities in China from 2010 to 2020 by using the entropy method, the Theil index and correlation analysis. The study concludes the following: (1) in terms of overall differences, the overall differences in the “production, living and ecological” environmental quality indices of 285 cities during the study period undergo a process of “narrowing–widening–narrowing”. The differences within the four major zones of the country are higher than those between the four major zones, and the differences within the zones show an increasing trend year by year. (2) In terms of temporal differences, the combined scores of “production, living and ecological” environmental quality of the 285 cities in the study period show a decreasing trend, and the contribution of the PLE subsystem scores are, in descending order, production environmental quality > living environmental quality > ecological environmental quality. (3) In terms of overall ranking, the head effect of the combined production, living and ecological environmental quality (PLE) scores of cities in the study period is significant, and the top 10 cities in terms of combined scores are all small and medium-sized cities with significant regionalization characteristics. (4) In terms of spatial pattern, there is a significant spatial gradient in the east, central and western regions, with the overall PLE scores of the four major regions in descending order: eastern region > central region > western region > northeastern region. The regions with high scores in the “production, living and ecological” environmental quality of cities can be divided into three types: multi-core, dual-core and single-core. (5) In terms of influencing factors, there is a logarithmic curve relationship between the combined production, living and ecological environmental quality (PLE) score and the built-up area (BUA) of cities. The study proposes to optimize the layout of urban production, strengthen the industrial links of urban clusters, improve the level of public services, ensure the equalization of urban public services, strengthen the management of ecological environment and improve the quality of ecological environment in order to optimize the quality of urban “production, living and ecological” environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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16 pages, 327 KiB

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The Guarantee Mechanism of China’s Environmental Protection Strategy from the Perspective of Global Environmental Governance—Focusing on the Punishment of Environmental Pollution Crime in China

by Ran An and Tian Sang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14745; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214745 - 09 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1656

Abstract

Effective global environmental governance is the only viable way to solve the human environmental crisis. For a long time, China has been an active promoter and contributor to the global environmental governance system. In recent years, China has enhanced the penalty intensity of [...] Read more.

Effective global environmental governance is the only viable way to solve the human environmental crisis. For a long time, China has been an active promoter and contributor to the global environmental governance system. In recent years, China has enhanced the penalty intensity of environmental crimes, the environmental pollution crimes in particular, and received good results in order to better realize the construction of ecological civilization and better fulfill the emission reduction targets of international environmental treaties. The deterioration of China’s environmental crisis in the past and the lack of deterrent effect of China’s environmental laws are closely related to the ineffective punishment of environmental crimes. In order to better promote environmental protection careers, China’s environmental crimes still need to be continuously optimized in terms of adding charges, legislative models and restorative justice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

18 pages, 1234 KiB

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China’s Accession to the WTO as a Shock to Residents’ Health—A Difference-in-Difference Approach

by Yiping Sun, Chengjun Wu, Xiaoming Zhu and Pingguan Bian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214728 - 09 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1864

Abstract

The impact of regional trade shocks on population health has been a topic of interest in health economics in recent years. Unfortunately, there are few studies directly discussing the impact of regional trade shocks caused by China’s WTO accession on the health of [...] Read more.

The impact of regional trade shocks on population health has been a topic of interest in health economics in recent years. Unfortunately, there are few studies directly discussing the impact of regional trade shocks caused by China’s WTO accession on the health of Chinese residents, which is essential to explore the connection between a country´s opening to international trade and the health of its residents. Taking China’s accession to the WTO as a quasi-natural experiment, based on the micro individual samples of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 1993 to 2011, this paper, for the first time, studies the impact of regional tariff uncertainty caused by China’s accession to the WTO on the health of Chinese residents and its mechanisms by adopting the Difference-in-Difference (DID) model. The study finds that compared with the areas initially facing low tariff uncertainty, the areas with high initial tariff uncertainty have a greater negative impact on the health of residents after China acceded to WTO, which means that the trade shock caused damage to the health of residents. After a series of tests on the effectiveness and robustness of DID, this conclusion is still valid. The impact of the trade shock on residents’ health varies with the type of residence, gender, and geographical location, and there is a nonlinear relationship. Further mechanism tests show that the trade shock has worsened the health status of residents through rural migration channels, working hours channels, and pollution emission channels. This study provides micro evidence for objectively evaluating the health effects of trade shock and has important implication for considering the health loss of Chinese residents in the process of trade liberalization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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13 pages, 329 KiB

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Judicial Response to Ecological Environment Risk in China—From the Perspective of Social Systems Theory

by Tian Sang, Peng Liu and Liang Zhao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14355; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114355 - 02 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1299

Abstract

In modern society, law is one of the most important means of risk prevention and control. Under the challenge of ecological and environmental risks, China’s legal governance experience provides important historical experience and theoretical samples for other countries. Faced with problems, such as [...] Read more.

In modern society, law is one of the most important means of risk prevention and control. Under the challenge of ecological and environmental risks, China’s legal governance experience provides important historical experience and theoretical samples for other countries. Faced with problems, such as the difficulty of eliminating risks, risk decisions themselves bring risks, and the huge social cost of risk response, the social system theory can provide novel and new ideas for the cognition and response of environmental risks. Combining the experience of judicial practice with social theory, especially Niklas Luhmann’s doctrine of the risk/danger dichotomy, a clearer functional orientation can be given to judicial powers based on risk communication and risk attribution. By reviewing the ecological judicial practices in China, Germany, and other countries, the role of the legal system in stabilizing the normative expectations of the whole of society can be summarized, which will provide a reference for the risk response and legal governance of the global ecological environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

15 pages, 1052 KiB

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Can Green Innovation Improve Regional Environmental Carrying Capacity? An Empirical Analysis from China

by Juan Hu, Chengjin Ma and Chen Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13034; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013034 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1504

Abstract

Green innovation has become an important driving force for China’s economic transformation and development. This paper selects the 2010–2020 provincial-level regions in China as samples, and adopts a multi-indicator comprehensive evaluation method to comprehensively, objectively and scientifically evaluate the environmental carrying capacity of [...] Read more.

Green innovation has become an important driving force for China’s economic transformation and development. This paper selects the 2010–2020 provincial-level regions in China as samples, and adopts a multi-indicator comprehensive evaluation method to comprehensively, objectively and scientifically evaluate the environmental carrying capacity of air pollution in two dimensions: natural resource endowment and human activity impact, and also measures and calculates the green innovation in each province, city and autonomous region to explore the specific impact of green innovation on environmental carrying capacity and its spatial spillover effect; it also explores the heterogeneous effects of green innovation on environmental carrying capacity under different pollution environments. The conclusions show that: (1) Green innovation has a positive impact on environmental carrying capacity. (2) There is a spatial spillover effect of green innovation on environmental carrying capacity. In other words, in areas with higher PM2.5 concentration, that is, lower environmental quality, green innovation has a weaker ability to improve environmental carrying capacity; in areas with lower PM2.5 concentration, that is higher environmental quality, green innovation has a stronger ability to improve environmental carrying capacity. (3) In the process of green innovation affecting environmental carrying capacity, PM2.5 plays the part of a mediating effect, indicating that green innovation is an intermediate transmission mechanism affecting environmental carrying capacity, and the results show that the absolute value of the short-term indirect effect is greater than the absolute value of the short-term direct effect, and the long-term direct effect is greater than the long-term indirect effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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14 pages, 568 KiB

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A Study on the Impact of Organizing Environmental Awareness and Education on the Performance of Environmental Governance in China

by Yifei Niu, Xi Wang and Ciyun Lin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12852; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912852 - 07 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2296

Abstract

The advancement of technology and economic development has raised the standard of living and at the same time brought a greater burden to the environment. Environmental governance has become a common concern around the world, and although China’s environmental governance has achieved some [...] Read more.

The advancement of technology and economic development has raised the standard of living and at the same time brought a greater burden to the environment. Environmental governance has become a common concern around the world, and although China’s environmental governance has achieved some success, it is still a long way from the ultimate goal. This paper empirically analyzes the impact of environmental publicity and education on environmental governance performance, using public participation as a mediator. The results show that: the direct effect of environmental publicity and education on environmental governance performance is not significant; environmental publicity and education have a significant positive effect on public participation; public participation significantly contributes to environmental governance performance; public participation shows a good mediating effect between environmental publicity and education and environmental governance performance. The government should adopt diversified environmental protection publicity and education in future environmental governance, and vigorously promote public participation in environmental governance so that the goal of environmental governance can be fundamentally accomplished by all people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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19 pages, 752 KiB

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Can Inbound Tourism Improve Regional Ecological Efficiency? An Empirical Analysis from China

by Liang Zhao, Lifei Xu, Ling Li, Jing Hu and Lin Mu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12282; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912282 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1431

Abstract

Inbound tourism has an important impact on regional eco-efficiency. This paper uses the panel data of 31 provincial administrative units in China from 2005 to 2019; uses the improved DEA model to measure the regional ecological efficiency; and uses the panel threshold model [...] Read more.

Inbound tourism has an important impact on regional eco-efficiency. This paper uses the panel data of 31 provincial administrative units in China from 2005 to 2019; uses the improved DEA model to measure the regional ecological efficiency; and uses the panel threshold model to investigate input, output, and efficiency from the perspective of green technology innovation. Then, it explores the heterogeneous effects of inbound tourism on ecological efficiency. This paper finds that cross-border tourism has a positive impact on the ecological efficiency of tourist destinations. However, the degree of influence varies and will be changed with the level of regional green innovation. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) From an overall perspective, inbound tourism has a significant positive effect on ecological efficiency. (2) With the increase in green innovation investment and output, the promotion effect of inbound tourism on regional ecological efficiency first increases and then decreases. (3) The higher the green innovation efficiency, the greater the promotion effect of inbound tourism on ecological efficiency. Therefore, the Chinese government should encourage the development of inbound tourism, adopt greener innovative technologies that are cleaner and more environmentally friendly, and enhance the welfare effect of tourism on green economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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31 pages, 5686 KiB

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Projections in Various Scenarios and the Impact of Economy, Population, and Technology for Regional Emission Peak and Carbon Neutrality in China

by Song Wang, Yixiao Wang, Chenxin Zhou and Xueli Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912126 - 25 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2104

Abstract

Owing to the surge in greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is attracting increasing attention worldwide. As the world’s largest carbon emitter, the achievement of emission peak and carbon neutrality by China is seen as a milestone in the global response to the threat. [...] Read more.

Owing to the surge in greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is attracting increasing attention worldwide. As the world’s largest carbon emitter, the achievement of emission peak and carbon neutrality by China is seen as a milestone in the global response to the threat. By setting different “emission peak” and “carbon neutrality” paths, this study compares the different pathways taken by China towards regional emission reduction to illustrate China’s possible contribution to global emission reduction, and analyzes the role that China’s economy, population, and technology need to play in this process through the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology model. In terms of path setting, based on actual carbon emissions in various regions from 2000 to 2019 and grid data on land use from 2000 to 2020, the model simulates three emission peak paths to 2030 and two carbon neutrality paths to 2060, thus setting six possible carbon emission trends from 2000 to 2060 in different regions. It is found that the higher the unity of policy objectives at the emission peak stage, the lower the heterogeneity of the inter-regional carbon emission trends. In the carbon neutrality stage, the carbon emissions in the unconstrained symmetrical extension decline state scenario causes the greatest environmental harm. Certain regions must shoulder heavier responsibilities in the realization of carbon neutrality. The economic development level can lead to a rise in carbon emissions at the emission peak stage and inhibit it at the carbon neutrality stage. Furthermore, the dual effects of population scale and its quality level will increase carbon emissions at the emission peak stage and decrease it at the carbon neutrality stage. There will be a time lag between the output of science and technology innovation and its industrialization, while green innovation is a key factor in carbon neutrality. Based on the results, this study puts forward policy suggestions from a macro perspective to better realize China’s carbon emission goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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19 pages, 411 KiB

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Agglomeration of Productive Services, Industrial Structure Upgrading and Green Total Factor Productivity: An Empirical Analysis Based on 68 Prefectural-Level-and-Above Cities in the Yellow River Basin of China

by Xu Dong, Yang Chen, Qinqin Zhuang, Yali Yang and Xiaomeng Zhao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11643; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811643 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1782

Abstract

Improving green total factor productivity (GTFP) is the inherent requirement for practicing the philosophy of green development and achieving regional high-quality development. Based on panel data for 68 prefectural-level-and-above cities in the Yellow River Basin of China from 2006 to 2019, we measured [...] Read more.

Improving green total factor productivity (GTFP) is the inherent requirement for practicing the philosophy of green development and achieving regional high-quality development. Based on panel data for 68 prefectural-level-and-above cities in the Yellow River Basin of China from 2006 to 2019, we measured their GTFPs and degrees of productive-services agglomeration using the non-radial directional distance function and industrial agglomeration index formulas, respectively. Furthermore, we empirically investigated the interactive relationship between agglomeration of productive services, industrial-structure upgrading, and GTFP using the dual fixed-effects model, the mediating-effect model, and the moderating-effect model. The findings were as follows. (1) Both specialized and diversified agglomeration of productive services significantly improved the GTFPs of cities in the Yellow River Basin, and the promoting effect of specialized agglomeration was stronger than that of diversified agglomeration. (2) The diversified agglomeration of productive services (hereinafter referred to as diversified agglomeration) made a significant contribution to GTFP in all sample cities of the Yellow River Basin, while the specialized agglomeration of productive services (hereinafter referred to as specialized agglomeration) only significantly improved GTFP in the upstream cities and had no significant effect on the midstream and downstream cities. (3) When examined according to city size, specialized agglomeration was found to have a positive impact on the GTFPs of small and medium-sized cities in the Yellow River Basin but a non-significant negative impact on large cities, while the effect of diversified agglomeration on GTFP was found not to be significant. (4) Industrial-structure upgrading played partially mediating and negative moderating roles in the process of specialized agglomeration affecting the GTFPs of cities in the Yellow River Basin, but it did not become a mediating channel and moderating factor that influenced diversified agglomeration in relation to GTFP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

14 pages, 2382 KiB

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Assessing the Impact of Air Pollution on Inbound Tourism along the Yangtze River across Space and Time

by Xiang Zhang, Chenjiao Ma, Xingming Li, Lina Xiong and Silin Nie

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10944; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710944 - 02 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1415

Abstract

The prevalent air pollution along the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) possesses a significant threat to the natural environment, which further affects nearby tourism destination development. The paper seeks to assess the impact of air pollution on tourism in this region through a [...] Read more.

The prevalent air pollution along the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) possesses a significant threat to the natural environment, which further affects nearby tourism destination development. The paper seeks to assess the impact of air pollution on tourism in this region through a 2002–2012 panel data of 31 prefecture-level cities, along with geographic information system (GIS) and cluster analyses. The results reveal that air pollution is negatively associated with the number of inbound tourists along the YREB. In general, when air pollution intensifies by 1%, the number of inbound tourists decreases by 1.171%. This impact is more evident when air pollution is more severe, in the long term, and in areas that are larger, more central, and with more tourism resources. The paper contributes to the literature by addressing common limitations in previous studies and providing a more comprehensive evaluation of air pollution’s impact on inbound tourism in the YREB. Practical implications regarding public policies and development directions based on air pollution periods, regions, and tourism resource allocations are provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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21 pages, 2717 KiB

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Does Eco-Compensation Alleviate Rural Poverty? New Evidence from National Key Ecological Function Areas in China

by Bingtao Qin, Yongwei Yu, Liming Ge, Le Yang and Yuanguo Guo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10899; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710899 - 01 Sep 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1750

Abstract

The Transfer Payment Policy of National Key Ecological Functional Areas (TPEFAP), a well-known ecological compensation (eco-compensation) scheme in China, has been proposed by the government to alleviate ecological poverty and protect the environment. In literature, the effectiveness of the TPEFAP on environmental conservation [...] Read more.

The Transfer Payment Policy of National Key Ecological Functional Areas (TPEFAP), a well-known ecological compensation (eco-compensation) scheme in China, has been proposed by the government to alleviate ecological poverty and protect the environment. In literature, the effectiveness of the TPEFAP on environmental conservation has been widely examined, while few pay attention to the effect of the TPEFAP on poverty alleviation, especially with the consideration of its spatial spillovers as well. In this paper, we utilize panel data covering the key ecological functional areas of China during the period 2011–2018 to evaluate the impact of the TPEFAP on poverty alleviation and also its spatial spillovers by employing the synthetic control method (SCM) and the dynamic spatial Durbin model, respectively. Specifically, we apply the entropy weight method (EWM) to calculate the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and measure pro-poor effect in terms of MPI change. The results show that: (1) TPEFAP has stable positive effects on MPI in Hubei, Yunnan, Jilin, Gansu, and Ningxia, while the impact on Qinghai fluctuates. (2) MPI presents a significant spatial correlation. Furthermore, both the direct and indirect effects of TPEFAP on MPI are significant and stable positive, for both short- or long-term. (3) For potential channels, rural non-farm employment, rural labor mobility, and agricultural productivity are the key pathways through which the TPEFAP can alleviate poverty both in local and adjacent provinces. However, it is difficult to find significant positive spatial spillovers for the TPEFAP if only the natural resources scale is considered. This study indicates that the government should pay attention to the policy expectations of ecological poverty alleviation and, in future eco-compensation, must further increase the coverage of subsidies and diversify the forms of subsidies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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14 pages, 334 KiB

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The Impact of Air Pollution on the Protection of World Cultural Heritage in China

by Bo Xiao, Lanyu Ning, Zixiang Lin, Shiyi Wang and Hua Zang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10226; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610226 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1438

Abstract

The damage of air pollution to cultural heritage is widely known. However, the quantitative effects still need to be explored at a holistic level. Different from existing research which focuses on the “model calculation” methods, this paper uses an econometric approach to assess [...] Read more.

The damage of air pollution to cultural heritage is widely known. However, the quantitative effects still need to be explored at a holistic level. Different from existing research which focuses on the “model calculation” methods, this paper uses an econometric approach to assess the overall impact of air pollution on the sustainable protection of world cultural heritage in China. Based on the data of the annual monitoring report from 2014 to 2020 released by the China World Cultural Heritage Monitoring Platform, this paper uses the thermal inversion as an instrument variable of air pollution to estimate the overall effects of air pollution on all world cultural heritage sites in China. The results indicate that almost all the air pollutants (except for CO) have significantly negative effects on heritage. The damaging effects of gaseous pollutants including SO₂, NO₂ and O₃ is greater than that of particulate pollutants such as PM2.5 and PM10. Rainfall can exacerbate the worsening effects of gaseous pollutants, but will mitigate the negative effects of particulate pollutants; the windy weather may weaken the negative impact. In addition, environmental regulations from the local government can also alleviate the negative influence of air pollution on heritage protection. This research can provide a more comprehensive environmental prevention policy reference for the protection of world cultural heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

14 pages, 355 KiB

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Codification and Prospect of China’s Codification of Environmental Law from the Perspective of Global Environmental Governance

by Kai Xu and Guangdong Tian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 9978; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169978 - 12 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1768

Abstract

Global environmental governance is the fundamental way to solve the human environmental crisis. With China as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the development of China’s environmental law is a key component of global environmental governance. In order to better realize the [...] Read more.

Global environmental governance is the fundamental way to solve the human environmental crisis. With China as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the development of China’s environmental law is a key component of global environmental governance. In order to better realize the construction of an ecological civilization, the compilation of China’s Environmental Code has been officially put on the work schedule of the legislature. The compilation of the code is a sincere action, showing that China has taken the initiative to assume its own responsibility for environmental governance. In the past 50 years, China’s environmental legislation has achieved a great leap forward: from nothing to something, from something to something more comprehensive. Aside from this progress, defects such as the internal imbalance of the environmental law system, the backwardness of some environmental legislation ideas, and the inability of environmental legislation and its academic research to fully match China’s national conditions also exist. With the helping hands of conditions and times, it is most appropriate for China to start the compilation of the Environmental Code now. Environmental Codes such as the Swedish Environmental Code, the French Environmental Code and the German Environmental Code (Draft of the Committee of Experts) provide many empirical references for the compilation of China’s Environmental Code. China will make important an contribution to world environmental governance again—an Environmental Code in line with international standards while maintaining native characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

19 pages, 3649 KiB

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Spatiotemporal Regularity and Socioeconomic Drivers of the AQI in the Yangtze River Delta of China

by Dan Yan, Guoliang Chen, Yu Lei, Qi Zhou, Chengjun Liu and Fan Su

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159017 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1346

Abstract

Air pollution has caused adverse effects on the climate, the ecological environment and human health, and it has become a major challenge facing the world today. The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is the region with the most developed economy and the most concentrated [...] Read more.

Air pollution has caused adverse effects on the climate, the ecological environment and human health, and it has become a major challenge facing the world today. The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is the region with the most developed economy and the most concentrated population in China. Identifying and quantifying the spatiotemporal characteristics and impact mechanism of air quality in this region would help in formulating effective mitigation policies. Using annual data on the air quality index (AQI) of 39 cities in the YRD from 2015 to 2018, the spatiotemporal regularity of the AQI is meticulously uncovered. Furthermore, a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model is used to qualify the geographical heterogeneity of the effect of different socioeconomic variables on the AQI level. The empirical results show that (1) the urban agglomeration in the YRD presents an air pollution pattern of being low in the northwest and high in the southeast. The spatial correlation of the distribution of the AQI level is verified. The spatiotemporal regularity of the “high clustering club” and the “low clustering club” is obvious. (2) Different socioeconomic factors show obvious geographically heterogeneous effects on the AQI level. Among them, the impact intensity of transportation infrastructure is the largest, and the impact intensity of the openness level is the smallest. (3) The upgrading of the industrial structure improves the air quality status in the northwest more than it does in the southeast. The impact of transportation infrastructure on the air pollution of cities in Zhejiang Province is significantly higher than the impact on the air pollution of other cities. The air quality improvement brought by technological innovation decreases from north to south. With the expansion of urban size, there is a law according to which air quality first deteriorates and then improves. Finally, the government should promote the upgrading of key industries, reasonably control the scale of new construction land, and increase the cultivation of local green innovative enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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21 pages, 778 KiB

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Uncoordinated Coupling Assessment of New Urbanization and Ecological Carrying Capacity in the Yellow River Basin

by Dongmin Zhang, Libo Zhu, Xiuying Ma, Zuoming Liu and Hongwei Cui

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9016; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159016 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1304

Abstract

Under the restriction of the national “double carbon” goal, how to realize the coordination between urbanization and low-carbon development in the Yellow River Basin is a problem worthy of attention. In this paper, a new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity evaluation index system [...] Read more.

Under the restriction of the national “double carbon” goal, how to realize the coordination between urbanization and low-carbon development in the Yellow River Basin is a problem worthy of attention. In this paper, a new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity evaluation index system is established to evaluate the new urbanization level and ecological carrying capacity of the Yellow River Basin. On this basis, the uncoordinated coupling level of new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity in the Yellow River Basin is measured by using the improved uncoordinated coupling model, and its temporal and spatial characteristics and internal impact mechanism are analyzed. The study shows that the new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity of the Yellow River Basin has a benign development trend as a whole. Shandong province belongs to the low-level uncoordinated coupling type; Gansu Province and Qinghai Province belong to the running-in uncoordinated type; and Shanxi Province, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shaanxi Province, and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region belong to the antagonistic uncoordinated coupling type. The uncoordinated coupling degree between new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity in the Yellow River Basin has a spatial interaction effect. It presents a low-level cluster centered on Shaanxi Province and Shandong Province and a high-level cluster centered on Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. From the perspective of the internal main impact mechanism, water resources have a two-way impact on the development of the two systems of new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity; the number of permanent residents and the level of scientific and technological investment have a one-way impact on the process of new urbanization; and the green coverage rate of built-up areas has a one-way impact on the development of ecological carrying capacity. The main contributions of this paper are as follows. First, the evaluation index system of new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity has been improved in combination with the new development concept. The evaluation of new urbanization by this index system is more in line with the current national requirements for high-quality development. Second, the impact of potential resources and human regulation has been added to the traditional ecological carrying capacity evaluation index system, and the evaluation of ecological carrying capacity by this index system is more in line with reality. Thirdly, taking the time effect into account, an improved uncoordinated coupling method is proposed. Using this method to evaluate the relationship between systems is conducive to bringing the dynamic relationship within the system into the evaluation system, which is more in line with the reality of system changes. Fourth, from the perspective of problem diagnosis, research on the relationship between new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity will help to find the internal mechanism that affects the coordinated development of new urbanization and ecological carrying capacity in the Yellow River Basin. This method is universal for exploring the internal influence mechanism of the relationship between systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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18 pages, 408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Business Strategy and Environmental Information Disclosure Quality: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Heavy Pollution Listed Firms

by Zhengguang Li, Ping Li, Xibo Zhao and Ziying Tu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8325; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148325 - 07 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

Using the data of listed firms in China’s A-share heavy pollution industry between 2008 and 2020, based on organizational theory, this study examines the impact of prospector-type firms and defender-type firms on environmental information disclosure quality. Empirical evidence shows that prospector-type firms reduce [...] Read more.

Using the data of listed firms in China’s A-share heavy pollution industry between 2008 and 2020, based on organizational theory, this study examines the impact of prospector-type firms and defender-type firms on environmental information disclosure quality. Empirical evidence shows that prospector-type firms reduce environmental information disclosure quality, compared with defender-type firms. After a series of robustness tests, the conclusion is still valid. This paper tests the impact mechanism of business strategy on environmental information disclosure quality and finds that financing constraints play a mediating effect in the relationship between business strategy and environmental information disclosure quality. This paper enriches and expands the literature in the field of influencing factors of environmental information disclosure quality and economic consequences of business strategy. At the same time, the conclusion of this paper has important reference significance for regulators to formulate policies to improve environmental information disclosure quality according to the heterogeneity of business strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

26 pages, 774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Africa: The Role of Renewable Energy Consumption, Natural Resources, and Government Effectiveness—Evidence from Symmetric and Asymmetric ARDL Models

by Li Yang, Sumaiya Bashiru Danwana and Fadilul-lah Yassaanah Issahaku

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8038; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138038 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2714

Abstract

This study investigates the symmetric and asymmetric linkages within environmental sustainability proxied by ecological footprint (EFP), natural resources (NRR), renewable energy consumption (REC), urbanization (URB), human capital (HC), and government effectiveness (GE) in 27 African countries divided into two subgroups (ecological deficit countries [...] Read more.

This study investigates the symmetric and asymmetric linkages within environmental sustainability proxied by ecological footprint (EFP), natural resources (NRR), renewable energy consumption (REC), urbanization (URB), human capital (HC), and government effectiveness (GE) in 27 African countries divided into two subgroups (ecological deficit countries and ecological reserve countries) over the period 1990 to 2018. The study employs the auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to investigate the symmetric (linear) effect and the nonlinear auto-regressive distributed lag (NARDL) model to study the asymmetric (nonlinear) effects of the variables on EFP. Results of ARDL show that a 1% increase in REC is projected to reduce ecological footprint by 0.17 and 0.2% in ecological deficit and ecological reserve countries. A 1% increase in NRR is estimated to increase ecological footprint by 0.02% in ecological deficit countries but has no impact on the environment in countries with ecological reserves. Similarly, a 1% rise in GE is estimated to increase EFP by 0.04% in Africa but has no impact on the environment in ecological deficit countries. NARDL estimations decomposed REC into positive (negative) shocks, which show that a 1% increase (decrease) in REC is projected to decrease EFP by 0.16% (0.13%) in countries with ecological reserves. Similarly, a positive (negative) shock in NRR is expected to decrease EFP in ecological reserve countries and increase EFP in ecological deficit countries. Results of the Wald tests prove the existence of long-run asymmetry among the variables. The findings indicate that renewable energy consumption enhances environmental quality, while economic growth and natural resource rents reduce environmental quality in Africa over the sampled period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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25 pages, 2608 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can Nuclear Power Products Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions? Evidence from Global Trade Network

by Tingzhu Li, Debin Du, Xueli Wang and Xionghe Qin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7808; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137808 - 25 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2280

Abstract

Since its birth, nuclear power has been a hot topic of academic research while being subject to much controversy. As a new green energy source with zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nuclear power plays a vital role in combatting global climate change. Based [...] Read more.

Since its birth, nuclear power has been a hot topic of academic research while being subject to much controversy. As a new green energy source with zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nuclear power plays a vital role in combatting global climate change. Based on global databases and various empirical analysis methods, this study aimed to explore the changes in the global nuclear power product trade (GNT) network and its impact on GHG emissions from 2001 to 2018. The main findings are summarized as follows. (1) Global trade in nuclear power products and GHG emissions showed a non-linear and fluctuating growth during the research period. The geographical pattern of GNT not only has prominent spatial heterogeneity, but it also has some spatial reverse coupled with the spatial distribution of global GHG emissions. (2) The overall regression analysis finds that nuclear power product trade had a significant suppressive effect on global GHG emissions and had the greatest influence among all the selected variables. (3) As for the impact of the GNT network on GHG emissions, nuclear power product trade was better able to curb GHG emissions in countries with the dominate positions compared to those with affiliated positions, which reflects the heterogeneous effect of nuclear power product trade on GHG emissions. These results provide further evidence for the dialectical debate on whether nuclear power products contribute to GHG emissions reductions. This paper also provides corresponding recommendations for policymakers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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20 pages, 3405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Pattern of Technological Innovation in the Yangtze River Delta Region and Its Impact on Water Pollution

by Jianwei Zhang, Heng Li, Guoxin Jiao, Jiayi Wang, Jingjing Li, Mengzhen Li and Haining Jiang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7437; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127437 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1714

Abstract

The impact of technological innovation on water pollution is an important parameter to determine and monitor while promoting and furthering a region’s economic development. Here, exploratory spatial data analysis was used to analyze: the spatial patterns of technological innovation and water pollution in [...] Read more.

The impact of technological innovation on water pollution is an important parameter to determine and monitor while promoting and furthering a region’s economic development. Here, exploratory spatial data analysis was used to analyze: the spatial patterns of technological innovation and water pollution in the Yangtze River, the changes in technical innovation and the resulting changes in water pollution, and the impact of technological innovation on water pollution. The following major inferences were drawn from the obtained results: (1) The spatial pattern of innovation input has a single-center structure that tends to spread. The patent innovation output has evolved, from a single spatial pattern with Shanghai as the core to a diffusion structure with three cores-Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Nanjing. (2) The aggregation mode of water pollution has evolved from the original “Z” mode to a new mode of core agglomeration, and water pollution is constantly being reduced. (3) The trends of change in patent innovation output and innovation input are roughly the same, while the trends of both and that of water pollution are contrary to each other. (4) The correlations between innovation input, patented innovation output, and water pollution are relatively low. From the perspective of spatial distribution, the number of cities with medium and high levels of gray correlation with water pollution is the same. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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21 pages, 962 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Performance Evaluation of Key Polluting Industries in China—Taking the Power Industry as an Example

by Zuoming Liu, Changbo Qiu, Min Sun and Dongmin Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7295; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127295 - 14 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1456

Abstract

This paper analyzes the environmental performance, spatial and temporal characteristics, and optimization paths of key polluting industries, represented here by the power industry, using the super-efficient MinDS model. The study shows that the environmental performance as a whole presents the characteristics of an [...] Read more.

This paper analyzes the environmental performance, spatial and temporal characteristics, and optimization paths of key polluting industries, represented here by the power industry, using the super-efficient MinDS model. The study shows that the environmental performance as a whole presents the characteristics of an inverted U-shaped and then a U-shaped trend; each region presents an asymmetric state of convergent development followed by differentiated development, with 2014 as the structural change point; the development trend of environmental performance in each region is divided into three categories (rising, falling, and stable) and four types of spatial clustering (ultra-high, high, medium, and low levels); and input–output indicators of environmental performance in China and across regions have varying degrees of redundancy, with labor input redundancy being the greatest, followed by capital input, technology input, and pollution emissions. On this basis, we propose to improve the monitoring and inspection mechanism of the implementation process of pollution control in key polluting industries and to improve the level of environmental performance of key polluting industries by optimizing the combination of labor, capital, and technology input factors in each region according to local conditions and adopting differentiated strategies. The main contributions of this paper are threefold: first, we incorporate technological inputs into the environmental performance evaluation index system of the electric power industry, which can better reflect the real inputs of the electric power industry and measure the results more accurately; second, we adopt the MinDS model for measuring the environmental performance level, which can quantitatively analyze the gap between each indicator and the optimal level; and third, we propose a redundancy index, which can be used to compare the redundancy of each indicator and then judge the main efficiency levels of the different factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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15 pages, 5070 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing the Asymmetric Effect of Renewable Energy Consumption on Environment in STIRPAT-Kaya-EKC Framework: A NARDL Approach for China

by Youxue Jiang, Zakia Batool, Syed Muhammad Faraz Raza, Mohammad Haseeb, Sajjad Ali and Syed Zain Ul Abidin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7100; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127100 - 09 Jun 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2683

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the asymmetric relation between renewable energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in China using the STIRPAT-Kaya-EKC framework. To delve into the asymmetric effect of renewable energy consumption on the environment, the non-linear ARDL model is used. The results [...] Read more.

This study aims to analyze the asymmetric relation between renewable energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in China using the STIRPAT-Kaya-EKC framework. To delve into the asymmetric effect of renewable energy consumption on the environment, the non-linear ARDL model is used. The results of this study confirm the asymmetric impact of renewable energy on the environment in the long run as well as in the short run. However, the negative shocks to renewable energy have a greater detrimental influence on the environment than the benign effect due to the positive shock to renewable energy. Population growth affects the environment in the short run, whereas technology only affects environment quality in the long run. Moreover, the study supports the EKC theory in China. This research emphasizes that the administration can improve the economy’s lifespan by allocating substantial funds to establish legislation to maintain a clean environment by subsidizing renewable energy infrastructure and research and innovations for low-carbon projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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16 pages, 347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Heterogeneous Impact of Innovation Efficiency on Urban Ecological Footprint in China

by Hui Zhang and Haiqian Ke

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6054; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106054 - 16 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1500

Abstract

Under the background of tightening resource constraints and a deteriorating ecological environment, innovation is aimed at saving energy, reducing consumption, abating pollution and achieving sustainable economic growth. This has gradually become an important way to improve industrial structure, competitiveness and environmental performance worldwide. [...] Read more.

Under the background of tightening resource constraints and a deteriorating ecological environment, innovation is aimed at saving energy, reducing consumption, abating pollution and achieving sustainable economic growth. This has gradually become an important way to improve industrial structure, competitiveness and environmental performance worldwide. In this study, we use the super-efficiency SBM model to calculate the innovation efficiency of 283 cities in China from 2009 to 2019. Then, based on the dynamic threshold regression model, we explore the impact of innovation efficiency on ecological footprint in innovative cities or non-innovative cities under different economic development levels. The main conclusions that can be drawn are as follows. (1) Within the research period, the influence of innovation efficiency on ecological footprint in China shows a negative double threshold feature, that is, increasing regional innovation efficiency has an inhibitory effect on ecological footprint. (2) For innovative cities, innovation efficiency has a strong inhibitory effect on ecological footprint, and it becomes stronger and stronger with the growth of night light data; but this inhibitory effect is gradually decreasing with improvement of economic development level in non-innovative cities. (3) Under the threshold of different levels of economic development, the number of scientific human resources, scientific financial resources, scientific information resources and scientific papers has a positive effect on ecological footprint, while the number of patent applications has a negative effect on ecological footprint. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

19 pages, 390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Affects Rural Ecological Environment Governance Efficiency? Evidence from China

by Min Qian, Zhenpeng Cheng, Zhengwen Wang and Dingyi Qi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5925; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105925 - 13 May 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2876

Abstract

With rapid economic development, the protection of the ecological environment has become very important. The modernization of rural ecological governance is the basis and prerequisite for the sustainable economic and social development of vast rural areas of China in the current era. It [...] Read more.

With rapid economic development, the protection of the ecological environment has become very important. The modernization of rural ecological governance is the basis and prerequisite for the sustainable economic and social development of vast rural areas of China in the current era. It is urgent to analyze the influencing factors and to improve China’s rural ecological environment governance efficiency for Rural Revitalization in the new era, and to promote the modernization of the national environmental governance system and governance capacity. This paper empirically examines the influencing factors on rural ecological environment governance efficiency in the whole country, and in the eastern, central and western regions separately, at the provincial level, using the Tobit regression model. The results show that, at the national scale, the level of rural economic development, the size of village committees and rural public participation all have positive roles in promoting the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance. Rural population agglomeration, financial support for agriculture. And environmental protection social organizations have negative roles, hindering the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance. From the perspective of the eastern, central, and western regions, the factors affecting the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance are different due to regional differences. According to the results of empirical analysis, it is proposed that the key issue in improving the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance in China is to promote differentiated regional coordinated governance mechanisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

22 pages, 1886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatio-Temporal Differentiation Characteristics and Urbanization Factors of Urban Household Carbon Emissions in China

by Chen Li, Le Zhang, Qinyi Gu, Jia Guo and Yi Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4451; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084451 - 07 Apr 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2253

Abstract

This paper explores the spatial relationship between urbanization and urban household carbon emissions at the prefectural level and above cities in China and uses Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to reveal the extent of the impact of urbanization [...] Read more.

This paper explores the spatial relationship between urbanization and urban household carbon emissions at the prefectural level and above cities in China and uses Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to reveal the extent of the impact of urbanization on urban household carbon emissions and the spatial and temporal variation characteristics. The results show that: Overall carbon emissions of urban households in cities of China showed a decreasing trend during the study period, but there were significant differences in the carbon emissions of urban households in the four major regions. In terms of the spatial and temporal characteristics of urban household carbon emissions, the urban “head effect” of urban household carbon emissions is obvious. The high-high clustering of urban household carbon emissions is characterized by a huge triangular spatial distribution of “Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Chengdu-Chongqing, and Shanghai”. The level of urbanization in Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above shows a spatial pattern of decreasing levels of urbanization in the east, middle, and west. The four subsystems of urbanization are positively correlated with urban household carbon emissions in the same direction. The urbanization factors have a contributory effect on some cities’ carbon emissions of urban households, but there are significant regional differences in the impact of urbanization factors on urban household carbon emissions in the eastern, central, and western regions of China, as they are at different stages of rapid urbanization development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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17 pages, 2006 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Tourism Economy on Air Quality—An Empirical Analysis Based on Panel Data of 102 Cities in China

by Fen Zhang, Haochen Peng, Xiaofan Sun and Tianyi Song

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4393; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074393 - 06 Apr 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2016

Abstract

The relationship between regional tourism development and air quality is complex. Although air pollution restricts tourists’ willingness to travel, the air pollution produced by tourism and its ancillary industries can also not be ignored. Using the annual panel data of PM_2.5 concentration [...] Read more.

The relationship between regional tourism development and air quality is complex. Although air pollution restricts tourists’ willingness to travel, the air pollution produced by tourism and its ancillary industries can also not be ignored. Using the annual panel data of PM_2.5 concentration and tourism revenue at the city level, and comprehensively using the Panel VAR model, Geodetector and other analysis methods, we explored the spatio-temporal relationship between the tourism economy and its impact on air quality in China. The main conclusions are as follows: first, the “Kuznets” curve of tourism development and air pollution in mainland China from 2004 to 2016 is generally significant—that is, the tourism economy and air pollution generally show an “inverted U-shaped” relationship. Second, the tourism economy has a positive effect on air pollution in the short term, and this effect is stronger in the eastern region. Third, tourism economy is not the leading factor affecting the change in regional air pollution. GDP and industrial structure are more likely to have the greatest impact on air pollution, and the effect of this “joint force” factor on air pollution is greater than that of other single factors. In the future, the high-quality development of China’s tourism economy needs to take environmental protection into consideration, and advocate for low-carbon travel and green tourism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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11 pages, 339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Threshold Effect of Urban Levels on Environmental Collaborative Governance: An Empirical Analysis from Chinese Cities

by Jie Fan, Zhuo Shen and Zhengwen Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 3980; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073980 - 27 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1851

Abstract

Taking 286 cities above the prefecture level in China as the research object and the research period from 2003 to 2019, through the two-way fixed effect model, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of the city level on environmental collaborative governance. The threshold [...] Read more.

Taking 286 cities above the prefecture level in China as the research object and the research period from 2003 to 2019, through the two-way fixed effect model, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of the city level on environmental collaborative governance. The threshold regression model is used to reveal the nonlinear relationship between urban levels and environmental collaborative governance and to analyze the phase characteristics of different urban levels for environmental collaborative governance. The results show that: (1) The city level has a significant role in promoting collaborative environmental governance. (2) The regression results of the three major sections show that the urban level promotion in the eastern region has the strongest promoting effect on the coordinated environmental governance, and the western region is the weakest. (3) The impact of the city level on collaborative environmental governance is nonlinear. When the city scale reaches a certain critical point, its impact on the collaborative environmental governance tends to intensify. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

19 pages, 391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Government Official Assessment on Ecological Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

by Yujing Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3470; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063470 - 15 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1822

Abstract

Ecological poverty alleviation launched by the Chinese government is an innovative green development measure that combines targeted poverty alleviation with ecological protection to realize the ecological environmental protection and income growth of the impoverished population. Based on the Chinese government’s policy of poverty [...] Read more.

Ecological poverty alleviation launched by the Chinese government is an innovative green development measure that combines targeted poverty alleviation with ecological protection to realize the ecological environmental protection and income growth of the impoverished population. Based on the Chinese government’s policy of poverty alleviation assessment for provincial government officials in 2016, this paper studies whether the assessment of government officials promote enterprises’ participation in ecological poverty alleviation. Using the sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2016 to 2020, the empirical test shows that the more important the assessment of poverty alleviation by officials, the more likely local enterprises are to participate in targeted poverty alleviation and the higher the investment level is likely to be. The results pass a series of robustness tests. In addition, this paper further finds that enterprise participation in ecological poverty alleviation can effectively reduce local water pollution, air pollution and solid pollution, thus improving the ecological environment. It suggests that the assessment mechanism of Chinese government officials can effectively promote multi-dimensional ecological poverty alleviation. The contributions of this paper are as follows. Firstly, it is helpful to expand the relevant literature on enterprise environmental protection from the perspective of ecological poverty alleviation. Secondly, it is helpful to expand the literature related to government–enterprise interaction from the perspective of the assessment of government officials. Finally, it is helpful to enrich and expand the relevant literatures on promotion incentives of government officials from the perspective of ecological poverty alleviation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

14 pages, 2198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying the Impact of Urban Form and Socio-Economic Development on China’s Carbon Emissions

by Cheng Huang, Yang Qu, Lingfang Huang, Xing Meng, Yulong Chen and Ping Pan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2976; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052976 - 03 Mar 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1941

Abstract

Carbon emissions (CEs) are one of the most important factors causing global warming. The development of social economy and the acceleration of the urbanization process leads to increasing CEs, especially in China. Therefore, it has become an international community consensus to control the [...] Read more.

Carbon emissions (CEs) are one of the most important factors causing global warming. The development of social economy and the acceleration of the urbanization process leads to increasing CEs, especially in China. Therefore, it has become an international community consensus to control the growth of CEs and mitigate global warming. Understanding the changing patterns and driving forces of CEs are important prerequisites for formulating policies that target the reduction of CEs in response to global warming. This study developed an improved logarithmic mean Divisia index (Spatial-LMDI) to explore the urban form and socio-economic driving forces of CEs in China. Comparing with previous studies, this study is unique in the way of applying spatial landscape index to LMDI decomposition analysis. The results show that population, per capita GDP, investment intensity and urban expansion are the top driving forces of CEs growth from 1995 to 2019. Investment efficiency, technology level, and aggregation are the most important factors in terms of restraining the growth of CEs. To achieve the goal of energy saving, CEs reduction and climate change mitigation, we proposed that strategies should be formulated as follows: improving efficiency of energy investment, optimizing the spatial distribution of construction land aggregation, and rationalizing distribution of industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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16 pages, 903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Financing Constraints, Carbon Emissions and High-Quality Urban Development—Empirical Evidence from 290 Cities in China

by Shaobo Wang, Junfeng Liu and Xionghe Qin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2386; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042386 - 18 Feb 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2328

Abstract

The tightening of the financing environment and global climate change have become urgent problems for high-quality economic development all over the world. Facing these challenges, the Chinese government is committed to alleviating regional financing constraints and setting carbon-emission reduction targets. However, are these [...] Read more.

The tightening of the financing environment and global climate change have become urgent problems for high-quality economic development all over the world. Facing these challenges, the Chinese government is committed to alleviating regional financing constraints and setting carbon-emission reduction targets. However, are these measures effective for high-quality urban development? This paper attempts to use unbalanced panel data from 290 cities on the Chinese mainland from 2004–2017 to provide an answer to the problem using a scatter plot and the mediator effect model. Results show that: (1) financing constraints limit the funds required for urban development, which is not conducive to high-quality urban development, but high-quality urban development has the characteristics of “path dependence”; (2) In the context of environmental regulation, financing constraints are mainly enacted through reducing carbon emissions, which is inconducive to high-quality urban development. Carbon emissions are the transmission mechanism whereby financing constraints affect high-quality urban development; (3) Cities with large financing constraints have insufficient capital investment for high-quality urban development, and the aggravation of financing constraints has an increasingly obvious inhibitory effect on high-quality urban development. Moreover, due to the effect of the global economic crisis in 2008, the negative effect of financing constraints on high-quality urban development had the characteristics of U-shaped fluctuation. Thus, this paper believes that the implementation of China’s double carbon policy is at the expense of high-quality urban development, and there is a long way to go before high-quality urban development reaches later stages. Other countries should carefully weigh up the relationship between environmental pollution and economic development when facing financing constraints. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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21 pages, 866 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Trade Policy Uncertainty Exacerbate Environmental Pollution?—Evidence from Chinese Cities

by Yiping Sun, Xiangyi Li, Tengyuan Zhang and Jiawei Fu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042150 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3083

Abstract

Although the relationship between trade and environment has been widely discussed in past studies, trade policy has been in a state of continuous change in recent years. Previous studies have focused on the impact of trade opening or liberalization on the environment, ignoring [...] Read more.

Although the relationship between trade and environment has been widely discussed in past studies, trade policy has been in a state of continuous change in recent years. Previous studies have focused on the impact of trade opening or liberalization on the environment, ignoring discussion of the dynamic changes of trade policy. Therefore, it is very important to explore the connection between trade policy changes and environmental pollution for future environmental protection. In order to realize the in-depth study of this mechanism, the paper will try to solve the following three problems: (1) What is the relationship between change in trade policy uncertainty and China’s environmental pollution? (2) What is the mechanism by which trade uncertainty changes environmental pollution? (3) Due to China’s vast territory and regional differences, will changes in trade policy uncertainty have heterogeneous effects due to regional differences? To solve these problems, based on China’s accession to the WTO at the end of 2001, this paper, for the first time, uses PM_2.5 concentration data of 246 prefecture-level cities in China to explore the impact of trade policy uncertainty on China’s environmental pollution, then we make an in-depth analysis of the impact path and heterogeneity of urban spatial distribution and city size. We found that, after China’s accession to the WTO, the growth rate of PM_2.5 concentration reduced in cities with lower trade policy uncertainty and the inhibition effect was different due to the spatial distribution of city size. A further mechanism test shows that reduction in trade policy uncertainty can improve environmental pollution through industrial, structural and technological effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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9 pages, 6326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Online Consultations and Emergent Treatments of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics during the COVID-19 Epidemic

by Fushi Wang, Weiwei Qiao, Fei Wang and Liuyan Meng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 1931; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19041931 - 09 Feb 2022

Viewed by 1624

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the characteristics of online consultations and emergent dental treatments and analyze the status of diseases related to operative dentistry and endodontics (ODE) during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: Online consultations were collected from 3 [...] Read more.

Background: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the characteristics of online consultations and emergent dental treatments and analyze the status of diseases related to operative dentistry and endodontics (ODE) during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: Online consultations were collected from 3 February to 21 April 2020. The electronic medical record system was accessed to collect clinical diagnoses and emergent dental treatments from 9 January to 21 April 2020. Results: A total of 2419 patients visited us and received treatments 2 weeks before the lockdown. The number of patients decreased to 537 during the 76 days of the lockdown. Among them, dental examinations accounted for the majority of visits (88.83%). After 7 April, the outpatient number increased to 36.79 ± 6.63 per day, but the proportion of dental examinations and treatments did not change significantly. A total of 1218 online consultations were completed before the lockdown. The most common dental problem was pulpitis (48.1%). After 7 April, consultations surged from 23.15 ± 8.54 to 44.43 ± 12.63 per day. Consultations related to pulpitis, apical periodontitis, or dental caries remained stable. Conclusions: Correct understanding, active treatments, and appropriate psychological interventions for the ODE staff during the COVID-19 epidemic are necessary. Our results may provide references to arrange staff and treat patients more efficiently for future epidemics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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20 pages, 857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can Green Technological Innovation Reduce Hazardous Air Pollutants?—An Empirical Test Based on 283 Cities in China

by Ning Ma, Puyu Liu, Yadong Xiao, Hengyun Tang and Jianqing Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1611; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031611 - 30 Jan 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3033

Abstract

Based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2009 to 2018, this paper analyzes the effect of urban green scientific and technological innovation enhancement on hazardous air pollutants using the GS2SLS method, which simultaneously controls for model endogeneity and spatial [...] Read more.

Based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2009 to 2018, this paper analyzes the effect of urban green scientific and technological innovation enhancement on hazardous air pollutants using the GS2SLS method, which simultaneously controls for model endogeneity and spatial spillover effects and reveals the transmission mechanism of urban green scientific and technological innovation level. It was found that (1) There is a significant spatial spillover effect of hazardous air pollutants between regions, both in China as a whole and in the eastern, central, and western parts of the country, and the spatial spillover effect of hazardous air pollutants is significantly greater in the eastern and central parts of China than in the western parts. (2) Green technological innovation has a significant inhibitory effect on hazardous air pollutants in cities in eastern and central China. An extended study found that the improvement in green technology levels in innovative cities has a better effect on controlling hazardous air pollutants than in non-innovative cities. (3) The energy- saving and green economy effects have a mediating influence on the effect of green technological innovation on hazardous air pollutants in cities, and the simultaneous occurrence of these two effects in green technological innovation serves to enhance the transmission of hazardous air pollutants in order to facilitate the long-term management of haze. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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29 pages, 3944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Heterogeneity of Carbon Emissions and Its Influencing Factors in China: Evidence from 286 Prefecture-Level Cities

by Chen Li, Heng Li and Xionghe Qin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1226; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031226 - 22 Jan 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2946

Abstract

In the face of the severe challenge of global warming, promoting low-carbon emission reductions is an important measure to cope with global climate change and achieve a green cycle of sustainable development. The purpose of this study was to reveal the spatial heterogeneity [...] Read more.

In the face of the severe challenge of global warming, promoting low-carbon emission reductions is an important measure to cope with global climate change and achieve a green cycle of sustainable development. The purpose of this study was to reveal the spatial heterogeneity of carbon emissions and the influencing factors in 286 prefecture-level-and-above cities in China, and to provide an empirical basis for the formulation of low-carbon emission reduction policies in China. This study used a combination of comparative analysis, regional difference analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and stepwise regression analysis to analyze the spatial differences in carbon emissions and their influencing factors in 286 prefecture-level-and-above cities in China, and draws the following main conclusions: (1) From 2005 to 2015, regional differences in six sectors, including household carbon emissions, widened in the 286 prefecture-level-and-above cities in China, while regional differences in 14 sectors, including rural household carbon emissions, narrowed. (2) There were significant intra-group differences in urban household carbon emissions, and the contributions to intra-group differences in carbon emissions differed across the six sectors in the northeast, east, central, and west regions. (3) Although the total and average carbon emissions of each sector increased from 2005 to 2015, China’s carbon emission intensity was decreasing, and carbon productivity is increasing. (4) Carbon emissions per capita (CCE) were positively correlated with GRP per capita, industrial SO₂ emissions per capita, and the proportion of employees in the secondary sector, and negatively correlated with population density and the proportion of employees in the tertiary sector. (5) Resident savings and consumption factors, pollution emission factors, and economic structure factors had a facilitating effect on CCE, while population density factors and economic growth factors have a weakening effect on CCE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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20 pages, 1279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Impact of Government Environmental Information Disclosure on Green Total Factor Productivity: Empirical Experience from Chinese Province

by Liang Zhao and Liangyu Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020729 - 10 Jan 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2539

Abstract

Government environmental information disclosure is an important means to promote environmental supervision and law enforcement, and improve the level of environmental management. In order to explore the impact of government environmental information disclosure on the sustainability of urban economic growth, this paper uses [...] Read more.

Government environmental information disclosure is an important means to promote environmental supervision and law enforcement, and improve the level of environmental management. In order to explore the impact of government environmental information disclosure on the sustainability of urban economic growth, this paper uses the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) to measure the degree of government environmental information disclosure, studies its effect on green total factor productivity through two-way fixed effect model and systematic GMM estimation method, and further adopts threshold model to study whether there is heterogeneity in this effect. The results show that: (1) Each unit of government environmental information disclosure will increase green total factor productivity by 0.2 units. (2) Considering the endogeneity, the promotion of government environmental information disclosure to green total factor productivity has increased. (3) The degree of government environmental information disclosure plays a non-linear role in the path of green total factor productivity. The greater the degree of economic development, the more obvious the effect of government environmental information disclosure on green total factor productivity. Therefore, this paper believes that the government should strengthen the disclosure of environmental information based on the urban economic development to ensure the sustainability of urban economic development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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Review

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 4119 KiB

Open AccessReview

Progress of Research on Urban Growth Boundary and Its Implications in Chinese Studies Based on Bibliometric Analysis

by Xiaoyang Liu, Weihao Shi and Sen Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16644; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416644 - 11 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1814

Abstract

Urban sprawl is a development theme of cities all over the world, especially in developing countries with rapid urbanization, and the long-established rough and outward urban growth pattern has brought about a series of social and ecological problems. As an important tool in [...] Read more.

Urban sprawl is a development theme of cities all over the world, especially in developing countries with rapid urbanization, and the long-established rough and outward urban growth pattern has brought about a series of social and ecological problems. As an important tool in controlling urban sprawl in western countries, the urban growth boundary (UGB) has become one of the three major policy tools in the national spatial planning system since it was introduced into China. Combined with a bibliometric analysis, this literature review summarizes UGB studies on development and evolution, delimitation means, and implementation management and provides references for studying UGB adaptability in China. The results show that: (1) Originating from Howard’s garden city concept, UGB studies have formed a relatively complete system of “theoretical basis, technical methods, supporting policies, and implementation management” through long-term empirical research in foreign countries. With a relatively late start in China, UGB research currently focuses on different situations between China and abroad and the adaptation of China’s localization. (2) UGB delimitation mainly includes two aspects: forward expansion, which, from the urban development perspective, is mainly supported by cellular automata (CA) urban growth simulation; and reverse restriction, which, from the ecological protection perspective, is supported by ecological security pattern construction, ecological sensitivity evaluation, and land suitability evaluation. (3) Many foreign UGB implementations have different forms and more flexible and comprehensive corresponding supporting policies. However, the current state of research in China in this area is still insufficient. Against the background of the national spatial planning system reform, the findings of this review provide references for delineating UGB that considers ecological protection and urban development under the scenarios of planning, formulating a supporting mechanism for multi-subject participation and multi-party coordination, and establishing an adjustment system based on implementation effect evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Quality and Stability)

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