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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: closed (1 November 2023) | Viewed by 8069

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Prof. Dr. Xiongfeng Pan

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Guest Editor

School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology, No.2 Linggong Road, Ganjingzi District, Dalian, China
Interests: innovation economy and management; energy economy and management; environmental economy and management

Dr. Xianyou Pan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Electric Power, No.1851, Hucheng Ring Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China
Interests: energy economy and management; enterprise green innovation management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy is distinguished from production capital as an essential input factor, and climate externalities have a far-reaching impact on sustainable development. According to the World Energy Outlook report from BP, global energy demand is set to recover the ground that was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the previous year, with a 4% increase, returning it to pre-pandemic levels. In the interest of simultaneously considering environmental protection, global energy transformation is urgently needed to meet the objectives of limiting the increase in the average global surface temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, which has become the fundamental driving force for achieving net-zero emissions in energy systems.

This Special Issue focuses on the urgent need for low-carbon energy transformation and green economic development, focusing on the clean and efficient use of energy resources, low-carbon development models, regional development strategies, etc., and aims to provide scientific support for the global and national economy and green and low-carbon sustainable development of energy. Therefore, the purpose of the Special Issue is highly consistent with the scope of Sustainability, that is, "encouraging scientists to publish experimental and theoretical research relating to natural sciences, social sciences and humanities in as much detail as possible, in order to promote scientific prediction and impact assessment of global change and development", as well as the research field of “Socio-economic, scientific and integrated approaches to sustainable development”.

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

Green exploitation and efficient utilization of energy and environmental resources;
Carbon neutrality and low-carbon development;
Energy system optimization under low-carbon constraints;
Decision-making analysis of low-carbon transformation of energy enterprises;
Research on coordinated development strategy of economy and environment;
Technical analysis related to green transformation of economy and energy;
The role of external entities in low-carbon development, such as the government and the public;
Collaborative strategies for low-carbon transformation among different regions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Xiongfeng Pan
Dr. Xianyou Pan
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

low-carbon development
energy transformation
resource utilization
technological innovation
optimization model

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Are Consumer Perspectives of PV Rooftops and New Business Initiatives in Indonesia’s Energy Transition?

by Putu Agus Aditya Pramana, Dzikri Firmansyah Hakam, Handrea Bernando Tambunan, Kemas Muhammad Tofani and Kevin Gausultan Hadith Mangunkusumo

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1590; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041590 - 14 Feb 2024

Viewed by 547

Abstract

In the evolving landscape of the energy sector, it is vital for energy companies to grasp consumer behaviors to foresee future business prospects and risks. This study delves into how consumers react to Indonesia’s Electricity Company’s innovative business propositions, particularly the PV rooftop product. It also seeks to understand market reactions to other novel business concepts beyond the PV rooftop product. This research employs a quantitative approach, utilizing surveys for data gathering and statistical methods for analysis. Key variables examined include Attitude, Environmental Concern, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavior Control, Personal Norm, and Regulation, with the primary focus on the Purchase Intention for the PV rooftop product. The findings reveal that key variables, specifically Personal Norm, Subjective Norm, and Regulation, significantly influence consumer behavior toward rooftop PV. This study also uncovers a high market demand for yet-to-be-launched services like electrical repairs, smart home consultancy, and micro-loans, indicating a diverse market potential for these innovative ideas. This research highlights the importance of analyzing consumer behavior in predicting the potential for both opportunities and challenges in a company’s new business ventures, particularly in the renewable energy sector. The results underscore the significant impact of sociocultural factors and regulatory frameworks on consumer decision-making processes. These insights offer critical guidance for Indonesia’s energy stakeholders in developing countries, aiding in formulating new business strategies and identifying market opportunities amidst the global shift towards renewable energy. This study’s key results emphasize the need for energy companies to adapt and innovate in response to consumer preferences and regulatory environments in order to capitalize on emerging market trends. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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21 pages, 2969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Collaborative Optimization Scheduling of Resilience and Economic Oriented Islanded Integrated Energy System under Low Carbon Transition

by Haotian Ma, Yang Wang and Mengyang He

Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115663 - 06 Nov 2023

Viewed by 730

Abstract

With the development of new energy sources and the increase in the installed scale of energy coupling equipment, the low-carbon transformation of the energy supply of the integrated energy system (IES) has a serious impact on the reliability of the IES supply, and there is an urgent need for a reasonable and accurate assessment and trade-off between the IES resilience and economics. In this regard, this paper models the overall optimization of the resilience and economic configuration and operation scheduling of the IES in the islanded operation mode after grid faults, proposes a two-layer optimization strategy model of resilience and economy, and solves the unit configuration, coupled output characteristics, and optimal scheduling of the islanded IES using the Markov decision-making process and forbearing stratified sequencing method, and evaluates and analyzes the resilience and cost of the various types of IES configuration schemes. Resilience and cost are also evaluated and analyzed. Finally, an example analysis is carried out in an electric-heat-cooling integrated energy system. The results show that the proposed two-tier optimization strategy model can optimize the IES configuration scheme and coordinate the scheduling of each equipment, and the overall annualized cost of the energy system decreases by CNY 45.21 thousand, or a percentage decrease of 5.24%, compared to the same configuration of the conventional strategy. The typical day toughness index improved by 7.33%, 7.56%, and 13.01% in the spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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22 pages, 3921 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Carbon Transformation Strategy for Blockchain-Based Power Supply Chain

by Hua Pan, Huimin Zhu and Minmin Teng

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12473; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612473 - 16 Aug 2023

Viewed by 964

Abstract

Carbon abatement in the power sector is essential to achieving the “double carbon” goal, and blockchain technology, one of the most promising emerging technologies, will assist the power sector in efficiently achieving this goal. In terms of the effectiveness of carbon abatement, comparative studies on coordination mechanisms are absent in the existing literature. On this basis, aiming at the cooperative abatement strategy between power generation generators and sellers under the carbon tax policy, this paper has developed four decision models: the Stackelberg game led by power generation enterprises, the simultaneous Nash bargaining decision by both parties, the vertical integration decision by supply chain enterprises, and the cooperative carbon emission reduction game by supply chain enterprises, to analyze the changes in electricity price, sustainability level, power sales, and profits of supply chain members. The results of the numerical analysis show that user preference for blockchain technology and an increase in the proportion of low-carbon electricity information uploaded to the blockchain can significantly improve the sustainability level of the electricity supply chain. The level of investment in green technologies by electricity producers under cooperative abatement decision-making increases compared to the electricity producer-dominated Stackelberg game model. The sustainability level of the electricity supply chain is higher under the Nash simultaneous decision than under the abatement cost-sharing decision, but the decision-maker’s profit is lower. The values of overall profit and sustainability level of the electricity supply chain are both highest under the vertically integrated decision. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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22 pages, 1108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Credit Guideline Influencing Enterprises’ Green Transformation in China

by Xianchun Liao, Jie Wang, Ting Wang and Meicun Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12094; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512094 - 07 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1204

Abstract

To achieve high-quality corporate development, it is essential to undergo green transformation. Unlike previous literature, this paper explores relevant mechanisms affecting firms’ green transformation from a novel perspective of green credit guidelines (GCG). Using A-share listed industrial enterprises in China from 2010 to 2020 as a sample, we combine the generalized moment estimation model (GMM) with the difference-in-difference model (DID) and demonstrate that (1) GCG significantly promotes enterprises’ green transformation measured by the method of super-efficient Slacks-Based Measure and Data Envelopment Analysis (SBM-DEA). (2) GCG tends to improve green technology innovation, which further facilitates firms’ green transformation, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reinforces the positive relationship between GCG and firms’ green transformation. Correspondingly, we provide policy recommendations for China and other developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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12 pages, 640 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Government’s Environmental Attention and the Sustainability of Environmental Protection Expenditure: Evidence from China

by Jing Sun, Jienan Hu, Hongmei Wang, Yinfeng Shi, Ziru Wei and Tangzhe Cao

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11163; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411163 - 18 Jul 2023

Viewed by 984

Abstract

Transformation to a green economy depends on long-term, continuous government financial investments in the environmental protection field. This study used the budget and final accounts of provincial environmental protection expenditure in China from 2007 to 2019 to establish a two-way fixed-effects model to verify the impact of government attention on environmental protection expenditure. The sustainability of Chinese local governments’ environmental protection expenditure is weak, and the fluctuations conform to the punctuated equilibrium characteristics. Fluctuations in government attention have a significant positive impact on changes in fiscal environmental protection expenditure, and the characteristics of campaign governance are relatively obvious. Fiscal transparency can strengthen the relationship between government attention and the environmental protection expenditure budget; however, the adjustment effect on the final accounts of environmental protection expenditure, which depend more on the budget implementation process, is not significant. To improve the effectiveness of environmental governance, government departments must pay long-term and sustained attention to environmental issues, improve the transparency of the implementation process of environmental protection expenditure budgets, strengthen the role of public supervision, and ensure investment in environmental governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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15 pages, 1104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Transportation Model in Logistics Considering the Carbon Emissions Costs Based on Improved Grey Wolf Algorithm

by Yiqin Lu and Shuang Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11090; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411090 - 16 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

The use of new energy vehicles in transportation can effectively promote the development of green logistics. This study selects heavy–duty diesel trucks as traditional logistics vehicles and heavy–duty electric trucks as new energy logistics vehicles. A green transportation model considering carbon emission costs is established to analyze whether new energy logistics vehicles should be used in long–distance freight delivery and how to arrange the use of two types of logistics vehicles. The model is solved using a grey wolf optimization algorithm, which incorporates good point sets, dynamic adaptive inertia weights, and memory–guided location update equations. The model is then applied to three logistics companies in Zhejiang province, China. In addition, considering the time constraints of the logistics industry, the model is used to simulate the arrangement of logistics transport companies for two types of vehicles in long–distance transportation of goods under realistic situations. Finally, this paper studies the future arrangements for long–distance transportation of goods by logistics companies considering the growing popularity of charging piles and advancements in production technology for new energy vehicles. The results show that the involvement of more new energy logistics vehicles in long–distance transport results in lower transportation costs and reduced pollution generated during transportation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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18 pages, 3886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Critical Peak Price Decision Optimization Considering Industrial Consumer’s Risk Appetite under the Carbon Neutrality Goal

by Xiaobao Yu, Zhenyu Dong and Dandan Zheng

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9347; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129347 - 09 Jun 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 866

Abstract

The existing research on critical peak price (CPP) decision-making ignores the difference in risk appetite between industries within the consumer population, resulting in a serious lag in the enthusiasm of some users to respond to CPP, and unsatisfactory improvement of power systems and carbon emission reduction on the supply and demand side. Firstly, the problem of consumer risk appetite was comprehensively analyzed, and the industrial consumer population was secondarily stratified according to the influencing factors and the enthusiasm of responding to CPP, namely: stubborn, active and conformist, and quantitatively verified by cluster analysis. Secondly, by combing the relevant paths of CPP decision-making, the critical-peak window determination model and CPP multi-objective optimization model were constructed, and the calculation of relevant indicators was introduced. Finally, taking 10 industrial enterprises in a city in Sichuan Province as an example, the clustering method was used to verify the stratification results, and the index analysis method was used to measure the load and carbon emission improvement of two typical enterprises after CPP optimization. The results showed that the stubborn users insist on using electricity, the improvement effect of load and carbon emission reduction was poor, and additional production costs will be caused. The conformist and active users had high sensitivity to electricity price fluctuations, good load and carbon emission reduction improvement effects, and significantly reduced electricity costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Economics: Environmental Economics and Energy Economics)

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