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Economic Transition and Green Development

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 (10 January 2024) | Viewed by 14669

Special Issue Editors

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: environmental econom; circular economy; low carbon development
School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: environmental economics and green development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Eco-environmental problems such as environmental pollution, ecological destruction, global climate warming, etc., require an economic transition and green development, so as to achieve the sustainable development of human society and the ecological environment. The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in 2020 and the increasingly complex international geographical environment have accelerated the pace of the economic transition and green development. Aiming at the urgent needs of the economic transition and green development, this Special Issue seeks to collect a series of research results from the aspects of characteristic economic development modes, clean and efficient utilization of resources, low-carbon development, regional development risks and countermeasures, etc., and aims at producing a series of high-level research achievements to provide scientific support for global and national green, low-carbon and sustainable development.

This Special Issue targets the urgent needs of economic transition and green development, focusing on characteristic economic development modes, the clean and efficient utilization of resources, low-carbon development, regional development risks and countermeasures, green human settlements, etc., and aims to provide scientific supports for global and national green and low-carbon sustainable development. The aim of the Special Issue is, therefore, highly consistent with the scope of Sustainability in terms of “encouraging scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical research relating to natural sciences, social sciences and humanities in as much detail as possible in order to promote scientific predictions and impact assessments of global change and development”, and 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:

  • Characteristic economic development modes;
  • Green exploitation and efficient utilization of resources;
  • Carbon neutrality and low carbon development;
  • Regional development risks and countermeasures;
  • Green human settlements.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fujia Li
Dr. Yang Yang
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

  • economic transition
  • green development
  • development mode
  • resource exploitation and utilization
  • carbon neutrality
  • human settlements
  • development risks
  • countermeasures

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 1658 KiB  
Article
Big Data Management Capabilities and Green Innovation: A Dynamic Capabilities View
by Hongyi Mao and Jiang Lu
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14637; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914637 - 09 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1177
Abstract
In recent years, both industry professionals and scholars have shown increased interest in the ability of big data management capabilities (BDMCs) to drive green innovation, emphasizing their potential in fostering environmentally sustainable practices. While many studies highlight the positive influence of big data [...] Read more.
In recent years, both industry professionals and scholars have shown increased interest in the ability of big data management capabilities (BDMCs) to drive green innovation, emphasizing their potential in fostering environmentally sustainable practices. While many studies highlight the positive influence of big data technology on green innovation, there is a notable gap in understanding the managerial process required for such innovation. Moreover, the roles of green dynamic capabilities and environmental turbulence in this context are underexplored. This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by examining the mechanisms and boundary conditions of the relationship between BDMCs and green innovation. We gathered data from 266 Chinese manufacturing enterprises using questionnaires and analyzed the results using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Our findings indicate that, despite the inherent qualities of BDMCs such as rarity, applicability, nonreplicability, and non-substitutability, their influence on green innovation is reduced in the absence of effective green dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, our study suggests that environmental turbulence does not weaken the influence of BDMCs on green dynamic capabilities; rather, it amplifies the effects of BDMCs on green dynamic capabilities and their impact on two types of green innovation. This study provides new insights for manufacturing enterprises aiming to achieve green transformation. We also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the research, along with its limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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24 pages, 3736 KiB  
Article
Rethinking National Competitiveness for Europe 2050: The Case of EU Countries
by Jurgita Bruneckienė, Ineta Zykienė and Ieva Mičiulienė
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10697; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310697 - 06 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1145
Abstract
The EU climate policy affects the competitiveness of both the European Union (EU) as a whole and individual member states, leading countries to search for new knowledge to increase their national competitiveness. However, there has been little empirical research about the implementation of [...] Read more.
The EU climate policy affects the competitiveness of both the European Union (EU) as a whole and individual member states, leading countries to search for new knowledge to increase their national competitiveness. However, there has been little empirical research about the implementation of green competitive strategies in the common European space from different countries’ perspectives. Using the Porter Hypothesis and system theory, this paper explores national competitive strategies that align with climate neutrality in the EU. We used index construction, clusterization, principal components analysis and trajectories change analysis to analyze data from the 24 EU countries from a 10-year period (2012–2021). The main findings reveal three green competitiveness profiles and five green competitiveness progress strategies in the EU. We found that EU countries have different strategies and conditions in terms of their transition towards climate neutrality and competitiveness, which ultimately lead to different rates of progress. Our results provide an initial basis for the development of nation-specific policies to achieve green competitiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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29 pages, 2063 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Influence of Green Industrial Policy on Urban Green Development: Based on the Empirical Data of Ecological Industrial Park Pilot Construction
by Xiaoyu He and Bo Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10065; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310065 - 25 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1130
Abstract
Balancing economic development and ecological protection is a dilemma that requires a solution. The construction of ecological industrial parks is expected to be the key to resolving this situation. Based on panel data from 276 prefecture-level cities in China spanning from 2004 to [...] Read more.
Balancing economic development and ecological protection is a dilemma that requires a solution. The construction of ecological industrial parks is expected to be the key to resolving this situation. Based on panel data from 276 prefecture-level cities in China spanning from 2004 to 2019, this paper presents a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model to identify the causal relationship between eco-industrial parks and the development of urban green spaces. The research indicates that the creation of eco-industrial parks can significantly promote the sustainable development of urban areas, with a policy promotion effect of approximately 0.0279. The analysis of the mechanism indicates that the implementation of a green industrial policy can enhance the level of sustainable development in cities. This can be accomplished by promoting eco-friendly innovation, facilitating the optimization of industrial structures, and strengthening environmental regulations. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of eco-industrial parks on promoting green development is more significant in cities located in the eastern and northern regions, as well as those with abundant human capital and financial resources. Conversely, cities situated in the central and western regions, as well as those with low levels of financial resources and non-human capital, tend to experience limited benefits from policies. The conclusions of this study can provide guidance for urban transformation and facilitate sustainable development. Moreover, these parks can function as case studies and provide valuable reference experiences for countries that have not yet established eco-industrial parks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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25 pages, 6362 KiB  
Article
Potential for Economic Transition and Key Directions of Cross-Border Cooperation between Primorsky Krai (Russia) and Jilin (China)
by Mengchen Ji, Fujia Li, Shuangjie Xu, Yan Zhuang, Tsydypov Bair, Alexey Bilgaev and Kexin Guo
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4163; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054163 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1366
Abstract
The potential of cross-border regional cooperation development is important for evaluating the present and future capacity for regional development. Primorsky Krai (Russia) and Jilin (China) share borders and complementary advantages. China and Russia have growing intention to strengthen cooperation, with geopolitical considerations. This [...] Read more.
The potential of cross-border regional cooperation development is important for evaluating the present and future capacity for regional development. Primorsky Krai (Russia) and Jilin (China) share borders and complementary advantages. China and Russia have growing intention to strengthen cooperation, with geopolitical considerations. This study constructs a regional development potential assessment index system from the perspective of cross-border cooperation, and it establishes a multilayer cross-border regional development potential assessment (RDPA) model with three layers: target, factor, and indicator. By coupling four modules (economic, social, transportation, and resource environment), this study builds a development potential value system. The results illustrate that Primorsky Krai and Jilin have potential for cross-border cooperative development. The results reveal that Primorsky Krai has comparative advantages in port logistics, agriculture, fishery, and mining, which are all complementary to Jilin. These are important directions for cross-border international cooperation. Additionally, this study provides suggestions on decision-making and strategy consultation for the international cooperation between Jilin and Primorsky Krai and creates references for the study of cross-border cooperation opportunities and challenges for other neighboring regions around the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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17 pages, 6365 KiB  
Article
Effects and Mechanisms of China’s Pilot Free Trade Zones on Green and High-Quality Development from the Dual-Circulation Perspective
by Yanjun Chang and Liuliu Lai
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15020947 - 04 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1424
Abstract
Under the dual pressure of economic growth and environmental pressure, green and high-quality development become a critical strategy for China to achieve win-win development for both the economy and the environment. In the dual-circulation pattern, a deep and high level of openness is [...] Read more.
Under the dual pressure of economic growth and environmental pressure, green and high-quality development become a critical strategy for China to achieve win-win development for both the economy and the environment. In the dual-circulation pattern, a deep and high level of openness is the primary prerequisite for encouraging green and high-quality development. Previous studies have overlooked the crucial pivotal role of pilot free trade zones (PFTZs) in domestic and international circulation. The PFTZ is essential in driving China’s green modernization and high-quality development as a crucial area of opening up. This paper utilizes the propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) on panel data from 27 provinces from 2007 to 2020 to investigate the green policy effects of PFTZ building and its underlying mechanism. The results show that (1) the establishment of PFTZs significantly enhances regional green and high-quality development, with a net policy impact of roughly 4%. The several robustness tests demonstrate that the outcomes are extremely reliable; (2) According to the heterogeneity analysis, compared with inland areas, coastal locations may more effectively foster green and high-quality development; and (3) The influencing mechanism test results show that PFTZs primarily have a positive impact on technological progress, scale expansion, and innovation-driven effects, which, in turn, support green and high-quality development. The mediating effect of innovation-driven and technological progress is extremely significant among them. These research findings can provide empirical support and policy rationale for PFTZs to better promote China’s green and high-quality development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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16 pages, 4102 KiB  
Article
Assessment and Adjustment of Export Embodied Carbon Emissions with Its Domestic Spillover Effects: Case Study of Liaoning Province, China
by Shuangjie Xu, Hao Cheng, Menghan Zhang, Kexin Guo, Qian Liu and Yuan Gao
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416989 - 18 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1322
Abstract
Export embodied carbon emissions (EECE) and their domestic spillover effects (DSE) are typical interregional carbon transfer phenomena. They have diversified impacts for different regions within a country, and result in the associated effect on the economy and environment. From 2007 to 2017, the [...] Read more.
Export embodied carbon emissions (EECE) and their domestic spillover effects (DSE) are typical interregional carbon transfer phenomena. They have diversified impacts for different regions within a country, and result in the associated effect on the economy and environment. From 2007 to 2017, the EECE of China was mainly concentrated in five provinces, and EECE intensity mostly decreased. Liaoning Province had the largest EECE intensity and EECE growth from 2012 to 2017. Based on the multi-region input-output tables of China, we applied the Multi-region Input-output Model and constructed the Coupling Relationship Model for trade value and carbon emission, quantitatively assessed the EECE and its DSE for Liaoning Province, depicted the spatial-temporal evolution patterns, proposed sectoral adjustment countermeasures, and evaluated the adjustment effects. The research found that the EECE and its DSE of Liaoning Province was 32.08 MtCO2 and 5.43 MtCO2 in 2017. It was mainly concentrated in the metal smelting and rolling processing sector (MetalSmelt) and the petroleum processing, coking and nuclear fuel processing sectors (RefPetral). The spatial agglomeration effect was obvious, and Jilin Province was the largest DSE region. According to the Coupling Relationship Model of export trade value and export embodied carbon emissions, the sectors were divided into four types, and different adjustment countermeasures were proposed, such as encouragement, control, targeted promotion and targeted reduction. For the MetalSmelt and the RefPetral, if the export value reduced 100 million CNY, the EECE would be reduced by 21.57 ktCO2 and 23.35 ktCO2, respectively, and the DSE would be reduced by 1.59 ktCO2 and 1.65 ktCO2, respectively. The conclusions could provide a decision-making basis for the case area to formulate lower-cost and better-effective carbon reduction adjustment countermeasures. It could also provide reference and scientific support for the achievement of “Carbon Neutrality” and sustainable development in similar regions of the world with the rapid growth of EECE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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19 pages, 568 KiB  
Article
How Do Rising Labor Costs Affect Green Total Factor Productivity? Based on the Industrial Intelligence Perspective
by Wei Qian and Yongsheng Wang
Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13653; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013653 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
In the context of the fading demographic dividend, rising labor costs present both opportunities and challenges to China’s green and sustainable development. This paper aims to investigate the impact of rising labor costs on the inter-provincial green total factor productivity (GTFP) of China [...] Read more.
In the context of the fading demographic dividend, rising labor costs present both opportunities and challenges to China’s green and sustainable development. This paper aims to investigate the impact of rising labor costs on the inter-provincial green total factor productivity (GTFP) of China and to explore the moderating effect of industrial intelligence. Both provincial panel data from 2010 to 2019 and the system GMM model, moderating effect model, and panel threshold model are used to empirically analyze the relationship between the three economic variables. The results show that: Firstly, during the sample period, China’s rising labor costs significant contribute to GTFP, and strengthening green technological progress (GTP) is the main delivery path, though it hinders the improvement of green technological efficiency (GTE). Secondly, industrial intelligence plays an enhanced positive moderating role in the path of labor costs affecting GTFP. Thirdly, grouped regressions show that the role of labor costs only emerges when industrial intelligence reaches a certain high level. Finally, taking industrial intelligence as a threshold dependent variable, labor costs have a non-linear, triple-threshold effect on GTFP. The promotion effect of labor costs increases the most when industrial intelligence exceeds the first threshold. On balance, as the level of industrial intelligence continues to increase, the promotion effect is stronger. The above empirical results are robust under the robustness test of replacement variables and estimation method. The results indicate that the innovation development effect of rising labor costs has to be built on the basis of industrial intelligence development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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19 pages, 1511 KiB  
Article
Consumption Upgrading and Industrial Structural Change: A General Equilibrium Analysis and Empirical Test with Low-Carbon Green Transition Constraints
by Xiaowei Xing and Azhong Ye
Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13645; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013645 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1369
Abstract
To clarify the relations between low-carbon green transition, consumption upgrading, and industrial structure change, this paper firstly builds a dynamic model of the three, then uses the PVAR Model and panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2020 to carry out [...] Read more.
To clarify the relations between low-carbon green transition, consumption upgrading, and industrial structure change, this paper firstly builds a dynamic model of the three, then uses the PVAR Model and panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2008 to 2020 to carry out empirical study from the rationalization and upgrading dimensions of industrial structural change, respectively. The results are as follows: (1) Low-carbon green transition and consumption upgrading are Granger causes of each other. In this causal relationship, low-carbon green transition hinders consumption upgrading, but consumption upgrading significantly promotes low-carbon green transition. (2) Low-carbon green transition plays a facilitating and hindering role in industrial structure rationalization and upgrading, respectively. However, from the different dimensions of industrial structure change, only industrial structure upgrading has a significant reverse hindering effect on low-carbon green transition, and the reverse effect of industrial structure rationalization on low-carbon green transition is not significant. (3) Consumption upgrading has a hindering and promoting effect on the rationalization of industrial structure in the short- and long-run respectively, and a promoting and hindering effect on the industrial structure upgrading respectively; however, only industrial structure upgrading significantly promotes consumption upgrading in the opposite direction, while industrial structure rationalization has no significant effect on consumption upgrading. These findings propose some suggestions such as advocating the new way of green consumption, constructing and improving the green whole industry chain, and strengthening the synergy between imitative innovation and independent innovation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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20 pages, 1476 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Industrial Green Transformation on Regional Economic Development in China: An Empirical Study Based on Spatial and Threshold Effects
by Xinan Gu and Lingying Pan
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12913; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912913 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1262
Abstract
At present, the high energy consumption, heavy pollution emissions, serious ecological damage and other problems of China’s industry are particularly prominent. Therefore, industrial governance is crucial and it is imperative to carry out industrial green transformation (IGT). Due to the differences in economic [...] Read more.
At present, the high energy consumption, heavy pollution emissions, serious ecological damage and other problems of China’s industry are particularly prominent. Therefore, industrial governance is crucial and it is imperative to carry out industrial green transformation (IGT). Due to the differences in economic development, industrial structure and other aspects, the influence of IGT on different regions’ economic development has not been fully discussed. Using the provincial panel data of China from 2005 to 2019, this paper calculated each region’s IGT by constructing an index system and we discuss its impact on regional economic development, based on the spatial and threshold models. The results show that IGT in the eastern region is significantly higher than in the central and western regions. The IGT has a positive correlation in space and a significant positive spatial spillover effect on regional economic development. Moreover, there is a significant threshold effect of technological innovation in the influence of IGT on regional economic development. When technological innovation is low, the impact of IGT on regional economic development is not significant. As technological innovation rises and finally exceeds the critical point, the IGT will significantly promote regional economic development. This paper provides a scientific analysis and objective conclusions that may help to avoid radical measures in some regions in the process of “green development”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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11 pages, 4959 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Sustainability of the Olympic Transport System on the View of Regional Transport Development Pattern
by Kexin Guo, Fujia Li and Hao Cheng
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9756; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159756 - 08 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) proposed that the host city should consider sustainable development from the Games’ beginning to end, and that the host city should make full use of the Olympic infrastructure even after the Games. However, a less systematic evaluation of [...] Read more.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) proposed that the host city should consider sustainable development from the Games’ beginning to end, and that the host city should make full use of the Olympic infrastructure even after the Games. However, a less systematic evaluation of their sustainability exists, especially for the roads. The new connections built for the Olympic Games cost the most and influenced the host city directly. We apply spatial design network analysis (sDNA) with exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) to evaluate the sustainability of the new connections built for the Olympics Games in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The results show that the Games encourage the host cities’ governments to work towards a common goal, and directly benefits Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei transport coordinated development. In “Edge cities”, such as Hengshui, Qinhuangdao, Cangzhou, and Zhangjiakou, traffic accessibility has been promoted dramatically. The foreground network of the region development moved northward, from “Beijing–Shijiazhuang–Baoding” to “Beijing–Tangshan–Qinhuangdao”. These findings can be used for policy design, to keep the new connections running with long-term stability, and to constantly create better economic effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Transition and Green Development)
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