The impacts of casual environmental regulation on carbon intensity in China: Dual mediating pathways of energy low-carbon reconstitution and industrial structure upgrading

Digital Economy and carbon emission efficiency in three major urban agglomerations of China: A U-shaped journey towards green development

Amidst the global consensus on green transformation and sustainable development, the digital economy has emerged as a pivotal catalyst for enhancing carbon emission efficiency. Analyzing panel data of 49 cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and Pearl River Delta (PRD) from 2011 to 2022, this study explores the U-shaped journey of the digital economy towards green development. The rebound effect on energy consumption from early digital infrastructure investments delays the long-term benefits of digital applications in boosting carbon performance, and the thresholds of DE in BTH, YRD, and PRD regions are 0.158, 0.199, and 0.467, respectively. The efficient resource allocation offers an indirect means to enhance carbon performance in BTH and YRD, albeit with limited efficacy in PRD. With the upgrading of industrial structure, the digital economy in BTH and YRD can achieve higher carbon emission efficiency, and a shape-flip occurs when the upgrading index reaches 6.104 and 6.470, respectively. The interplay between industrial structure upgrading and the digital economy in PRD has yet to yield satisfactory emission reduction outcomes. The study emphasizes the potential necessity for tailored strategic planning that addresses the distinct regional differences among urban agglomerations in their pursuit of green development.

Impact of environmental information disclosure on environmental regulation intensity: evidence from 113 cities in China

Presently, the driving factors for environmental regulatory intensity, especially environmental information disclosure, remain unclear. Exploring the causal relationship between the two has an important guiding value for governments to achieve sustainable development. This research empirically examines the impact of environmental information disclosure on environmental regulatory intensity, and the possible action mechanisms and boundary conditions based on panel data of 113 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2020 using fixed-effects model, quantile regression model, moderating effect model, and spatial econometric models. The conclusions suggest that, first, a 1% increase in environmental information disclosure promotes a positive increase in environmental regulatory intensity of about 0.171%. Second, The regression coefficients of environmental information disclosure in the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th quartiles are 0.489, 0.401, 0.443, 0.365 and 0.281 respectively, showing a decreasing trend. Third, transportation infrastructure and the resident's education level exhibit positive interactions, with interaction term regression coefficients of 0.006 and 0.070, respectively; foreign direct investment exhibits a negative interaction, with coefficient of -0.029. Fourth, both environmental regulation intensity and environmental information disclosure show positive spatial correlations, with a 1% increase in environmental regulation intensity and environmental information disclosure in neighboring cities causing an increase in environmental regulation intensity of about 0.734% and 0.026% in this city. This research demonstrates the positive effects of adopting environmental information disclosure on the realization of sustainable development and provides empirical evidence for government policy formulation.

A strategic optimizing carbon neutrality within profit and emission reduction efficiency: a stackelberg game analysis under a cap-and-trade scheme

Carbon emissions (CO2e) are a main problem, and many countries are committed to reducing CO2e to attain carbon neutrality. To narrow this gap, this research considers green technology implementation (GTI) and CO2e quota in dual green gaming. The objective is to explore the integration of GTI and CO2e quotas into optimal production and pricing decisions in emission-generating companies (EGCs). To achieve this, a two-party simulation Stackelberg game model involving the CO2e strategy of EGCs and governments is proposed. We formulate a mathematical model and experimental methods to optimize EGCs' decision-making using neutral indicators. EGCs optimize production quantity, achieving CO2e reduction through ERE maximization. EGCs exhibit a strong commitment to ERE enhancement practices, enhancing profit and carbon-neutral goals. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of CO2e quotas and GTI as carbon-neutral indicators in EGCs, contributing to global CO2e reduction. Our research provides both literature and inspiration for global CO2e reduction efforts. Moreover, it aids governments in exploring optimal incentives and decisions for pricing and production. Last, this work enables EGCs to maximize profits and move toward a carbon-neutral environment.

Collectivist culture, environmental regulation and pollution emissions: evidence from China

Collectivist culture serves as a significant cultural foundation in China. It could, to some extent, shape public attitudes toward the environment and thus influence the implementation of related policies. To examine this hypothesis, this study constructs the collectivist culture intensity index for 25 Chinese provinces spanning from 2010 to 2020. Through a fixed-effect model, we explore how the collectivist culture intensity affects pollution emissions in China. The empirical results indicate the significance of collectivism in enhancing emission reduction through environmental regulations. This conclusion remains robust even when excluding the impact of endogeneity concerns by adopting the instrumental variable approach. Heterogeneity analysis shows that collectivism is more effective in enhancing market-based environmental regulations rather than those driven by policies. Further mechanism analysis confirms that green innovation is a crucial pathway through which collectivism influences pollution emissions. These findings here will offer guidance to policymakers when formulating environmental policies for contexts with different regional cultures.