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Sustainability
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Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality
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Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 6853

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yafei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of National Accounts, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: input–output analysis; environmental accounting
Dr. Chunyun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mathematics and Statistics, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: social accounting and productivity; input–output analysis
Dr. Lixiao Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Data Science, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: input–output analysis; environmental accounting

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon neutrality, also referred to as “zero net emissions”, is one of the central concerns of countries, households and companies worldwide. Simultaneously, the COVID-19 pandemic has been transforming our economies and societies into greener, more inclusive and more resilient ones for today and the future. It is thus key to chart a feasible and practicable path to achieving carbon neutrality while building a resilient and strong recovery. This raises various scientific questions related to quantifying the interwoven coupling and feedback of multiple systems, including nature, society and economy, or exploring the underlying transmission mechanisms among the systems.

The aim of this Special Issue is to quantify the feasible and practicable paths to achieving carbon neutrality when our economic system is experiencing recovery from the pandemic. This is closely related to the journal's scope of environmental, economic and social sustainability of human beings.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. Sustainable consumption and carbon footprint;
  2. Digitalization and carbon neutrality;
  3. Green productivity and carbon neutrality;
  4. Industrial chains and carbon neutrality;
  5. Economic and environmental policies and carbon neutrality;
  6. Population aging and carbon neutrality;
  7. Key areas for carbon mitigation;
  8. Scenarios for carbon neutrality.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Yafei Wang
Dr. Chunyun Wang
Dr. Lixiao Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • growth
  • carbon neutrality
  • industrial chains
  • scenario

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2032 KiB  
Article
Structural Characteristics of the Household Carbon Footprint in an Aging Society
by Ying Long, Jiahao Feng, Aolong Sun, Rui Wang and Yafei Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12825; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712825 - 24 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1007
Abstract
The aging population has posed a challenge to China’s carbon neutrality pledge. To study the household carbon footprint in an aging society, this paper has combined the age-specific consumption pattern and environmental input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) to calculate the carbon footprint of [...] Read more.
The aging population has posed a challenge to China’s carbon neutrality pledge. To study the household carbon footprint in an aging society, this paper has combined the age-specific consumption pattern and environmental input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) to calculate the carbon footprint of household consumption across age groups, and then identified the key pathways of carbon emissions via structural path analysis (SPA). Results indicate that the elderly contribute 11.65% to total consumption-based carbon emissions. The working group (ages 15–64) has the highest average carbon footprint (0.85 tCO2e), while the elderly group (ages 65 and above) has the lowest average carbon footprint (0.82 tCO2e). Urban households of all ages have a higher carbon footprint than rural households. Housing and food are the dominant sources of the elderly carbon footprint. Notably, the production and distribution of electric power and heat power sector associated with housing energy consumption plays a leading role in the carbon emissions pathways of elderly consumption. Measuring the carbon footprint of older people can support policy designs and decision making in key sectors along the supply chain, and further encourage low-carbon lifestyles among China’s elderly. Additionally, the findings of this study have broad applications, especially for developing countries undergoing demographic transitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality)
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20 pages, 1181 KiB  
Article
The Induced Effects of Carbon Emissions for China’s Industry Digital Transformation
by Xuemei Jia, Qing Liu, Jiahao Feng, Yuru Li and Lijun Zhang
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12170; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612170 - 09 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1292
Abstract
Studying the carbon emissions resulting from digital transformation can provide a reference for the realization of the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the era of the digital economy. This study calculated the value added to the digital economy and carbon [...] Read more.
Studying the carbon emissions resulting from digital transformation can provide a reference for the realization of the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the era of the digital economy. This study calculated the value added to the digital economy and carbon emissions for 97 industry divisions from 1997 to 2018. Using the input–output model, we estimated the carbon emissions induced by the digital transformation of different industries, and used the structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to identify their driving factors. The results show that the carbon emissions induced by the digital economy in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery decreased in 2010, those from mining increased year by year, and those from scientific research and technical services showed a decreasing trend from 2011 to 2015. The induced rate of digital economy carbon emissions for production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water has persistently remained high. At present, digital economy labor productivity has not shown a promoting effect on carbon emission reduction. China should strengthen the construction of a digital platform for ecological and environmental governance and build a green and low-carbon industrial chain and supply chain to promote the realization of the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality)
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18 pages, 2106 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Regional Input–Output Model to Measure the Spatial Spillover of R&D Capital
by Chunyun Wang, Senyu Xing and Lixiao Xu
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11208; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411208 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 981
Abstract
Reallocating innovative capital elements can improve the growth of total factor productivity and promote high-quality economic development. The multi-regional multiplier model measures the spatial spillover effects of R&D capital to trace the interregional R&D flows and explore the engines of the longer-term economic [...] Read more.
Reallocating innovative capital elements can improve the growth of total factor productivity and promote high-quality economic development. The multi-regional multiplier model measures the spatial spillover effects of R&D capital to trace the interregional R&D flows and explore the engines of the longer-term economic growth in China. Results show that the direct R&D intensity in different regions is all concentrated in basic research sectors supported by government funds, and decreased from coastal areas to inland areas. Second, R&D gradually flowed from China’s coastal regions to inland regions, from upstream basic research sectors to downstream infrastructure construction sectors. Third, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Beijing are the main contributors, with R&D spillover intensities reaching 1.69%, 1.40%, and 1.37%, respectively. Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hainan are the main beneficiaries, with R&D inflow intensities reaching 0.49%, 0.53%, and 0.50%, respectively. Finally, the channel of R&D spatial spillover manifests a circular distribution and contact-type and jump-type modes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality)
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16 pages, 10768 KiB  
Article
Demand Priority of Green Space from the Perspective of Carbon Emissions and Storage
by Lige Xu, Kailun Fang, Yu Huang and Shuangyu Xu
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11199; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411199 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
During the process of rapid urban expansion, there has been a growing interest in understanding the spatial requirements of green spaces. However, limited research has evaluated green space demand specifically in terms of carbon storage and carbon emissions. This study introduces a novel [...] Read more.
During the process of rapid urban expansion, there has been a growing interest in understanding the spatial requirements of green spaces. However, limited research has evaluated green space demand specifically in terms of carbon storage and carbon emissions. This study introduces a novel methodological framework that aligns ecosystem service functions with both supply and demand, considering carbon storage and carbon emissions as crucial perspectives. The goal was to develop a comprehensive approach to assess the matching between the supply and demand of green spaces based on their carbon-related ecosystem services. The following research questions were developed to guide this study: (1) What are the spatial and temporal characteristics of carbon storage? (2) What are the spatiotemporal variations in carbon emissions on a city scale? (3) How does a city obtain the demand priority evaluation of green spaces in terms of carbon neutrality? Using Guangzhou as a case study, we employed the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model to measure the spatial and temporal patterns of carbon storage. Remote sensing data were utilized, along with emission factors, to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of carbon emissions. The line of best fit method was employed to predict future carbon storage and carbon emissions, as well as population density and average land GDP. Based on these predictions, we prioritized the demand for green spaces. The results indicate the future demand priority order for green spaces in different districts. We suggest that this green space demand evaluation model can serve as a reference for future policy making and be applied to other cities worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality)
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16 pages, 676 KiB  
Article
School Energy Consumption and Children’s Obesity: Evidence from China
by Shangrong Han, Bo Han, Yan Zhu, Xiaojie Liu and Limin Fu
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8226; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108226 - 18 May 2023
Viewed by 932
Abstract
Rising obesity rates may lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, undermining carbon neutrality goals. However, evidence of the determinants of obesity from the perspective of energy economics is relatively limited. We contribute to the literature on the determinants of obesity by [...] Read more.
Rising obesity rates may lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, undermining carbon neutrality goals. However, evidence of the determinants of obesity from the perspective of energy economics is relatively limited. We contribute to the literature on the determinants of obesity by empirically studying the relationship between the school energy consumption and children’s BMI. Based on a combined dataset of Chinese children’s physical health data, kindergarten energy consumption data, and kindergarten geographic information data, we find that school energy consumption is negatively correlated with obesity, and there is considerable heterogeneity in the relationship of school energy consumption between kindergartens in cold areas and severe cold areas and between young girls and young boys. Our results are robust to alternative modeling techniques, the inclusion of additional control variables, and unobservable potential effects. We also find that children’s exercise ability is an important transmission channel between school heating and the probability of obesity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Growth and Carbon Neutrality)
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