Corporate political acuity and carbon - efficiency synergies

RESEARCH QUESTION

In the context of global low-carbon emission reduction, how to achieve green and high-quality development has become a major issue for the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government recently. Based on the data of China's listed companies from 2013 to 2020, this paper uses Python to implement text analysis of annual reports, and explores the relationship between political acuity and carbon-efficiency synergies (CES) from the perspective of enterprise initiative.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

We found that (1) political acuity positively affects carbon-efficiency synergies. (2) Increased political acuity can reduce carbon emissions, but the effect on economic efficiency is not obvious. That is, low carbon takes the lead in raising the level of carbon-efficiency synergies. (3) Environmental regulations can positively regulate the relationship between political acuity and carbon-efficiency synergies. (4) Political acuity in southern China, carbon neutral and non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs) will have a more pronounced effect on carbon-efficiency synergies.

ACADEMIC IMPLICATIONS

From the perspective of the root causes of political linkages, we find the synergies between formal and informal institutions, and the key factors for policy implementation.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

This paper is helpful for enterprises to improve the synergies of emission reduction and efficiency promotion, and has practical implications for the government to promote green and high-quality development.

Exploring the potential of the carbon credit program for hedging energy prices in Brazil

The transition to a low-carbon economy is imperative to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate pollution emissions. This preposition also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-13), which highlight the climate change action. In this vein, Brazil has implemented the Decarbonization Credit (CBIOS) program to incentivize biofuel production and promote environmental sustainability through carbon credit emissions. To this end, the present study evaluates the effectiveness of the CBIO contract as a hedging tool for investors in the face of energy price fluctuations and decarbonization efforts. Specifically, we employ conditional dynamic correlation (DCC-GARCH) and optimal hedge ratio (HR) techniques to assess the relationship between CBIO and the futures and spot prices of sugar, oil, and ethanol. Our findings suggest that the current CBIO contract is not an effective hedge against energy spot and future prices. However, our analysis identifies a strengthening correlation between ethanol traded in Chicago and CBIO over time, highlighting the potential for an underlying contract to serve as an effective hedging tool in the future. Our study adds to the existing literature on carbon pricing mechanisms and their impact on financial markets, emphasizing the importance of sustainable energy policies and their potential to mitigate the risks associated with energy price volatility and decarbonization efforts.

Carbon reduction and cost control of container shipping in response to the European Union Emission Trading System

In response to the EU ETS, we propose a cost model considering carbon emissions for container shipping, calculating fuel consumption, carbon emissions, EUA cost, and total cost of container shipping. We take a container ship operating on a route from the Far East to Northwest Europe as a case study. Environmental and economic impacts of including maritime transport activities in the EU ETS on container shipping are assessed. Results show that carbon emissions from the selected container ship using methanol are the smallest, and total cost of the selected container ship using methanol is the lowest. Among MGO, HFO, LNG, and methanol, methanol is the most environmentally and cost-effective option. Using LNG has greater environmental benefit, while using HFO has greater economic benefit. Compared to MGO, carbon reduction effects of LNG and methanol are 14.2% and 57.1%, and their cost control effects are 7.8% and 26.5%. Compared to HFO, carbon reduction effects of LNG and methanol are 11.7% and 55.8%, and the cost control effect of methanol is 9.3%. Speed reduction is effective in achieving carbon reduction and cost control of container shipping only when the sailing speed of the selected container ship is greater than 8.36 knots. Once the sailing speed is less than this threshold, speed reduction will increase carbon emissions and total cost of container shipping. This model can assess the environmental and economic impacts of including maritime transport activities in the EU ETS on container shipping and explore the measures to achieve carbon reduction and cost control of container shipping in response to the EU ETS.

Municipal solid waste gasification by hot recycling blast furnace gas coupled with in-situ decarburization to prepare blast furnace injection of hydrogen-rich gas

Waste-to-energy is one of the most effective methods to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. This paper proposes a novel process of municipal solid waste (MSW) gasification by hot recycling blast furnace gas (BFG) coupled with in-situ decarburization to prepare blast furnace injection of hydrogen-rich gas. MSW gasification by the hot BFG is conducted by using Aspen Plus software coupled with equilibrium model or kinetic model. Compared to the equilibrium model, kinetic simulation results exhibit good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, the technological analysis is also performed to investigate the coupled effects of gasification temperature, MSW/BFG ratio, and steam/MSW ratio on the H2-rich syngas generated from MSW gasification. The results reveal that all the investigated influencing factors have been found with a significant effect on the H2-rich syngas formation. The 25.95 vol% of H2 and 37.20 vol% of CO during MSW gasification by the hot BFG are achieved at a gasification temperature of 900 °C, steam/MSW ratio of 0.46 kg/kg, and MSW/BFG ratio of 0.34 kg/Nm3.

Fiscal policy, green finance, and low carbon transformation nexus: a novel study unleashing the synergistic effects of carbon reduction and pollution in China

Under the simultaneous demands of combating environmental pollution and decreased carbon emissions, it is critical to investigate the combined effect of agricultural contamination reduction and fiscal policy carbon reduction to support and promote green agriculture and low-carbon transformation. Based on provincial panel data of 2007 to 2020 in China, this paper employs the spatial Dubin model to empirically examine the pollution reduction and carbon reduction effects of fiscal policies supporting agriculture, as well as calculating the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction. Our study's findings reveal that non-point source agricultural pollution and agricultural carbon emissions have a tendency of growing and subsequently reducing, such as increasing from 2007 to 2015 and decreasing from 2016 to 2020. Second, results demonstrate that agricultural carbon emissions and agricultural pollution have a positive geographical dependency in each province, and fiscal policies supporting agriculture have high-high and low-low spatial clustering features. Furthermore, fiscal policies that promote agriculture can lower local agricultural carbon emissions and pollution while also having a considerable beneficial spillover impact on neighboring provinces. According to the study findings, the fiscal policy for supporting agriculture has a negative pollution reduction impact and a positive synergistic effect, resulting in a synergistic effect of agricultural pollution reduction and carbon reduction. The outcomes of this study can serve to promote carbon-reduction measures and provide recommendations for future policy development.

Recent advances in energy efficiency optimization methods for plasma CO2 conversion

Efforts to develop efficient methods for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) have drawn mounting interest due to incremental concerns over carbon emissions. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology has shown promise in this regard by producing numerous reactive substances at relatively low temperatures. However, an analysis of relevant literature reveals an underwhelming level of overall energy efficiency for this technology and an insufficient level of attention being paid to it. It is crucial to put forward more effective energy-saving schemes based on a comprehensive analysis of past research results to promote sustained development. This review highlights the latest advances in pertinent energy efficiency optimization studies and outlines state-of-the-art methods. In terms of energy efficiency optimization for plasma CO2 conversion, a comparison is made among different research results in four aspects as follows. Specifically, this study analyzes reactor structure optimization in terms of discharge characteristic, flow field, and plasma contact area; discusses pathways of heat transfer optimization to suppress the competing reaction; and explores catalyst optimization in terms of active sites, calcination temperature, and product selectivity; examines the potential of utilizing solar energy for clean energy applications. The analysis of energy efficiency data indicates an overall improvement when the aforementioned optimization measures are applied, which is essential to validate the effectiveness of each method. Finally, this paper discusses the potential difficulties and future research areas of NTP technology. Urgent further research is imperative on energy efficiency optimization methods for potential large-scale industrial applications in the future.

Can green finance and environmental regulations promote carbon emission reduction? Evidence from China

Carbon reduction has become a major challenge for China's economy in its transition toward sustainability. The government has been monitoring the behavior of enterprises through regulations to protect the environment, while green finance has rapidly developed in recent years as a new tool to reduce carbon emissions. Despite these measures, few studies have explored the interaction between these two drivers of carbon reduction. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of green finance and environmental regulations on carbon emissions. To determine whether their coordination can lead to greater carbon reduction, the spatial spillover effect of this impact was also investigated. The results show that green finance can reduce carbon emissions and that the interaction of green finance with environmental regulations plays a significant positive role in reducing carbon emissions. Finally, this study concludes that the carbon reduction effects of green finance and environmental regulations have positive spillover effects on adjacent areas.

Life cycle assessment and carbon reduction potential prediction of electric vehicles batteries

Electric vehicles (EVs) battery is a crucial component of energy storage components for electric vehicles. However, the environmental impact of EVs battery is still not clear. Therefore, this paper establishes a cradle-to-cradle life cycle assessment (LCA) frame and clarifies the environmental impacts on the entire lifespan of EVs battery in China. Specifically, the environmental impact of battery production, battery use, and recycling & disposal stages are analyzed and measured. In addition, the carbon reduction potential of recycling and secondary use under a future electricity mix is estimated. Results show that: (1) The production stage of EVs battery with the carbon emission of 105 kgCO2-eq/kWh, which has the most significant impact on the environment. (2) In the recycling process, cascade utilization can reduce 1.536 kgCO2-eq/kWh carbon emission. In terms of recycling methods, hydrometallurgy can reduce the most carbon emission (13.3 kgCO2-eq/kWh), followed by the combined hydro-pyrometallurgical process (8.11 kgCO2-eq/kWh) and pyrometallurgy (0.57 kgCO2-eq/kWh). (3) Under the estimated electricity mix in 2030, 2040, and 2050, the carbon emission in battery production can be approximately reduced by 31.9 %, 45 %, and 48.1 %, respectively.

The microbial mechanisms by which long-term heavy metal contamination affects soil organic carbon levels

Globally, reducing carbon emissions and mitigating soil heavy metal pollution pose pressing challenges. We evaluated the effects of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contamination in the field over 20 years. The five treatment groups featured Pb concentrations of 40 and 250 mg/kg, Cd concentrations of 10 and 60 mg/kg, and a combination of Pb and Cd (60 and 20 mg/kg, respectively); we also included a pollution-free control group. After 20 years, soil pH decreased notably in all treatments, particularly by 1.02 in Cd10-treated soil. In addition to the increase of SOC in Cd10 and unchanged in Pb40 treatment, the SOC was reduced by 9.62%-12.98% under the other treatments. The α diversities of bacteria and fungi were significantly changed by Cd10 pollution (both p < 0.05) and the microbial community structure changed significantly. However, there were no significant changes in bacterial and fungal communities under other treatments. Cd10 pollution reduced the numbers of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungi, and enhanced SOC accumulation. Compared to the control, long-term heavy Cd, Pb, and Pb-Cd composite pollution caused SOC loss by increasing Basidiomycota which promoting carbon degradation, and decreasing Proteobacteria which promoting carbon fixation via the Krebs cycle. Our findings demonstrate that heavy metal pollution mediates Carbon-cycling microorganisms and genes, impacting SOC storage.

Energy saving and carbon reduction schemes for hospital with photovoltaic power generation and system upgrading technology

In order to help China achieve the double carbon target of total carbon peak and high-quality sustainable economic development, and to enrich the work and content of energy conservation and emission reduction in the building sector, the most complex and energy-consuming hospitals are taken as the key projects for energy conservation and emission reduction to carry out feasibility studies. The reasons for the high energy consumption of the existing hospital buildings were analysed, and it was proposed to upgrade the existing systems (including air conditioning, hot water system and intelligent control system) and to generate photovoltaic power for the existing buildings, taking into account the characteristics of the local climate. The results of the study showed that the energy saving and emission reduction effect of the hospital was obvious after the programme was adopted.

How does the robot adoption promote carbon reduction?: spatial correlation and heterogeneity analysis

Along with the continuous improvement of industrial intelligence, robots are widely used in various aspects of production and life, playing an essential role in achieving carbon reduction targets. However, the existing research on the carbon reduction effect of robots and its mechanism is limited. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of robot adoption on carbon emissions and analyzes the mechanism by taking 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2019 as research objects. It found that robot adoption can significantly reduce carbon emissions. However, the degree of marketization plays a masking effect, which limits robots' carbon reduction effect to some extent. Furthermore, the carbon reduction effect of robot adoption is stronger in provinces with lower carbon emissions. Finally, robot adoption has a significant spatial spillover effect on neighboring regions. The improvement of robot adoption will positively affect the region's and surrounding areas' carbon emission reduction. The relevant findings provide empirical support for further deepening the policy implementation of robot-assisted carbon emission reduction.

Manufacture of potassium chloride from cement kiln bypass dust: An industrial implementation case for transforming waste into valuable resources

The recirculation of chlorine within the kiln presents a major hurdle in co-processing domestic waste in cement kilns. This chlorine enrichment not only adversely affects the quality of cement, but also pose a serious challenge to the subsequent eco-friendly disposal of kiln dust. To solve this problem, a proper bypass system has been implemented in this study on a 4000 t/d new dry process cement rotary kiln, and the collection of chlorine-rich bypass dust outside the kiln (30 t/d) has been achieved. In addition, a comprehensive and innovative system has been developed, including water washing and subsequent triple-effect salt extraction, to achieve leaching of K+ and Cl from the bypass dust in the water rinsing liquid, while effectively removing harmful metal ions such as Pb2+. Finally, the extraction of high-purity KCl salt (6 tons/day, purity of 90 %) has been successfully achieved. It is worth noting that high-temperature flue gas rich in CO2 has been used to precipitate certain heavy metal ions, while steam from the waste-heat power generation system has been employed as a heat source for the potassium salt evaporation process. More importantly, all the materials, except for the KCl salt product, are returned to the cement kiln system without causing any secondary pollution. This study not only effectively addresses the negative impacts of chlorine element circulation within cement kilns during domestic waste co-processing, but also achieves a highly innovative engineering practice of transforming waste into valuable resources from kiln dust to high-purity KCl products. In brief, this work provides a reference example for future approaches to clean production, carbon reduction and resource utilization in the cement industry.

How environmental decentralization affects the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction: Evidence based on pig breeding in China

Reducing pollution and carbon is essential to achieve China's goal of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality"; however, the collaborative paths of pollution and carbon reduction remain vague and worth exploring. This paper analyses panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2002 to 2017 to determine the impact of environmental decentralization on the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction in pig farming. The result shows that environmental decentralization has a significant 'carbon reduction effect' and 'pollution reduction effect' on pig farming; it is also conducive to promoting the synergistic effect of reducing pollution and carbon emissions through supporting environmental facilities and industrial organisations. Various types of environmental decentralization have significant differences in the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction. The scale of pig breeding plays a positive regulatory role in the impact of environmental decentralization on the synergy of pollution and carbon reduction while showing regional heterogeneity. This research is crucial for advancing the green transformation of pig breeding.

A novel integrated optimization model for carbon emission prediction: A case study on the group of 20

Carbon emission is a central factor in the study of the greenhouse effect and a crucial consideration in environmental policy making. Therefore, it is essential to establish carbon emission prediction models to provide scientific guidance for leaders in implementing effective carbon reduction policies. However, existing research lacks comprehensive roadmaps that integrate both time series prediction and analysis of influencing factors. This study combines the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory to classify and qualitatively analyzes research subjects based on national development patterns and levels. Considering the autocorrelated characteristics of carbon emissions and their correlation with other influencing factors, we propose an integrated carbon emission prediction model named SSA-FAGM-SVR. This model optimizes the fractional accumulation grey model (FAGM) and support vector regression (SVR) using the sparrow search algorithm (SSA), considering both time series and influencing factors. The model is subsequently applied to predict the carbon emissions of the G20 for the next 10 years. The results demonstrate that this model significantly improves prediction accuracy compared to other mainstream prediction algorithms, exhibiting strong adaptability and high accuracy.

Can green transformation finance contribute to urban carbon emission performance? An empirical analysis based on a spatiotemporal bi-fixed SPDM model

"Carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality" are serious challenges at this stage, and the function of the green transformation finance (GTF) in the operation of carbon dioxide emission reduction is an urgent issue to be explored. However, empirical studies on GTF and carbon emission performance (CEP) are lacking. Given that, this research employs a panel dataset of 278 cities in China spanning the years 2006 to 2020 to measure the CEP of Chinese cities using the non-radial directional distance function (NDDF) approach and applies the SPDM and the intermediary effect model to practically analyze the spatial effects and mechanisms of GTF in promoting CEP. The findings derived from the empirical analysis indicate that (1) the level of GTF and CEP shows a trend of year-on-year increase, and there is a significant spatial correlation, but the absolute difference in CEP between cities increases. (2) GTF promotes the improvement of CEP in local cities. It reveals a favorable spillover impact on enhancing the neighboring cities' CEP. Furthermore, the research findings remain pertinent even after conducting rigorous tests to ensure their robustness. (3) Regional heterogeneity has been observed in the impact of GTF on CEP, with the development of GTF significantly contributing to the amelioration of CEP of neighboring cities in the east, significantly contributing to the improvement of local CEP of central cities and simultaneously contributing to the improvement of local and neighboring cities' CEP in the west. (4) The findings of the intermediary examination show that GTF mainly promotes CEP through the positive incentive effect of promoting green innovation in technology and the reverse push-back effect of optimizing the structure of industries. (5) The spatial spillover effect of GTF on CEP is more sensitive under the geographic distance matrix, showing a "three-stage" decay characteristic from near to far, and its influence range is roughly 300 km. Therefore, China should strengthen the development of GTF, cross-city communication and cooperation to boost the accomplishment of the carbon neutrality objective.

Carbon reduction behavior of waste power battery recycling enterprises considering learning effects

The carbon reduction behavior of waste power battery recycling (WPBR) enterprises is essential for promoting resource conservation and environmental protection. Introducing the learning effects of carbon reduction research and development (R&D) investment, this study constructs an evolutionary game model between local governments and WPBR enterprises to study the behavior choice of carbon reduction. The paper explores the evolutionary process and factors affecting carbon reduction behavior choices of WPBR enterprises from internal R&D motivation and external regulation perspectives. The critical results reveal that the existence of learning effects significantly reduces the probability of environmental regulation by local governments while effectively increasing the probability of WPBR enterprises implementing carbon reduction. The learning rate index positively correlates with the likelihood of enterprises implementing carbon emissions reduction. In addition, carbon reduction subsidies considerably maintain considerably negative relation with the probability of enterprise carbon reduction behavior. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The learning effect of carbon reduction R&D investment is the intrinsic driving force for WPBR enterprises' carbon reduction behavior, which can promote enterprises to proactively implement carbon reduction under fewer constraints of government environmental regulation; (2) Pollution fines and carbon trade prices in environmental regulation can promote enterprises carbon reduction, while carbon reduction subsidies inhibit their reduction behavior; (3) There exists an evolutionarily stable strategy between government-enterprise game only under the dynamic mechanism. The research provides insights for decision-making on enterprises' carbon reduction R&D investment and local government environmental regulation policy under carbon reduction targets.

The effect of the elderly and child care on household carbon emissions

The aim of this work is to investigate the different implications in terms of the elderly and child care on household carbon emissions in China. We estimate the effect of family structure on household carbon emissions in the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), by means of the STIRPAT model. The results indicate that significant differences exist between the effect of the elderly and child care on each household's carbon emissions. Moreover, there is a negative effect between the elderly and household carbon emissions with an elasticity coefficient of -0.029, and a positive effect between children and household carbon emissions with an elasticity coefficient of 0.008. Interestingly, the elderly and children have an interactive effect on carbon emissions except for housing carbon emissions. To be specific, the elderly and child care have a mutual inhibition effect on the health carbon emissions of household, whereas they have a mutually reinforcing effect on other carbon emissions. Low carbon emissions paths in household should be urgently explored, and deliberate policy action is required to achieve carbon emissions reduction.

Assessing carbon reduction benefits of teleworking: A case study of Beijing

Teleworking can efficiently decrease the energy consumption and carbon emissions related to physical commuting. Previous studies on assessing the carbon reduction benefits of teleworking were customarily performed according to hypotheses or qualitative methods, and disregarded different potentials of different industries for teleworking implementation. In this study, a quantitative approach was proposed to assess the carbon reduction benefits of teleworking in different industries, which was illustrated via the case study of Beijing, China. The teleworking penetrations of different industries were first estimated. Then, the carbon reduction of teleworking was assessed through the decreased commuting distance using the large-scale travel survey data. Finally, the study samples were extended to a citywide scale and the uncertainty of carbon reduction benefits was evaluated with Monte Carlo simulation. The results showed that (1) teleworking can lead to an average of 1.32 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.70-2.05) million tons of carbon reduction, accounting for 7.05 % (95 % CI: 3.74 %-10.95 %) of the total carbon emissions by road transport in Beijing; and (2) information and communication, and professional, scientific and technical service industries had higher carbon reduction potential. Additionally, the rebound effect slightly weakened the carbon reduction benefit of teleworking, which was necessary to be considered and mitigated through relevant policies. The proposed method can be also applied to other regions worldwide, helping to exploit future work patterns and realize global carbon neutrality targets.

Spatial and structural characteristics of the ecological network of carbon metabolism of cultivated land based on land use and cover change: a case study of Nanchang, China

This paper explored the ecological network of CMCL (carbon metabolism of cultivated land) of Nanchang City from 2000 to 2020 to promote the low-carbon land management and China's dual carbon goals. We found that vertical and horizontal net carbon flow of cultivated land was negative during 2000-2020, and harmful carbon flow was mainly generated by the conversion of cultivated land to transportation and industrial land. Cultivated land contributed the most of the total carbon throughflow, accounting for 56.16%. Furthermore, exploitation and control relationships made maximal contribution to ecological relationships (45.83%), followed by competition relationships and mutualism relationships. In addition, ecological utility index showed the ecological network of CMCL is unhealthy. We suggest that it is necessary to achieve healthy and orderly operation of the ecological network of CMCL to reduce carbon emissions.

Impacts of carbon markets and subsidies on carbon capture and storage retrofitting of existing coal-fired units in China

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a feasible technology option to reduce carbon emission in the power industry. However, the high cost of CCS deployment in power plants precludes its large-scale application. Carbon markets may act as an incentive for CCS, but the impact of auction and quota allocation mechanisms in carbon markets on CCS is unclear. In order to investigate the roles of the auction and quota allocation mechanism on the CCS retrofitting in coal-fired units, the life-cycle cost method was used to evaluate the CCS retrofitting cost of China's coal-fired units in the carbon market after supplementing the existing database. The impact of subsidies on stimulating CCS retrofitting was jointly considered. The results show that most units have a CCS retrofit Levelized additional cost of electricity (Lacoe) of $25.24/MWh to $64.57/MWh, making the CCS retrofitting burdensome, even for ultra-supercritical unit that has a low cost. The combination of grandfathering quota allocation mechanism and subsidy will effectively promote CCS retrofitting of coal-fired units, especially when the auction ratio is 30%-40%, about 400-540 GW units will be retrofitted under the carbon market using grandfathering and 12.05$/MWh-22.77$/MWh subsidies. Additionally, there are significant differences among provinces in terms of the lifetime costs of the CCS retrofitting of coal-fired units. Xinjiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu, with retrofitting potentials of respectively 20.68 GW, 10.58 GW-43.00 GW and 15.00 GW-52.27 GW are best suited for the CCS retrofitting of coal-fired units.

Partial Segregation of Bi and Microvoid Formation on a Pure Cu Substrate After Solid-Solid Reactions

With the trend of technology development and carbon reduction, reducing the process temperature to prevent greenhouse effects is of great urgency. The back-end process of semiconductors is increasingly important because of the limitation of Moore's Law. High-temperature bonding is serious for semiconductor packages, which induces high cost and device damage. One of the critical ways to reduce the process temperature is to adopt low-temperature solders. In this study, we utilize the low-temperature solder Sn58Bi to achieve energy savings and device protection. The interfacial reactions between Sn58Bi and Cu after reflow and aging reactions were investigated. The solubility of Bi in Sn influences the Bi segregation at the interface. Partial Bi segregation, microvoids, and uneven Cu₃Sn were observed at the interface after aging. There is no doubt that the aforementioned structures are unfavorable for solder joint strength.

Comprehensive analysis of waterlogging control and carbon emission reduction for optimal LID layout: a case study in campus

Nowadays, sponge city reconstruction has become the focus of research because of the increasingly serious urban waterlogging. Carbon emission reduction, waterlogging area reduction, cost, and other indicators were considered to explore the optimal sponge allocation scheme in the study area. The two-dimensional coupled model MIKE FLOOD was established to analyze the causes of waterlogging through numerical simulation. Low-impact development (LID) combination scenarios were set to analyze the control effects of waterlogging water and total runoff. The carbon emission reduction capacity and economic benefit of each scenario were calculated and evaluated. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to comprehensively evaluate the LID combination scenario and explore the optimal cost-benefit LID configuration scheme. The results show that the campus rainwater pipe network is under overload operation, and the number of overflow nodes accounts for up to 58.1% under the 3a rainfall return periods. After setting up LID measures, the runoff control rate can be increased by 26.15-42.84%, and the waterlogging area where the depth exceeds 15 cm can be reduced by 72.87-100%. If the energy conservation and emission reduction benefits and costs are considered at the same time, the layout scenario of 9% bioretention facility + 3% green roof + 3% permeable pavement can achieve the best benefits. The research can provide a reference for planning and reconstruction of sponge campus and residential areas.

The role of fiscal expenditure on science and technology in carbon reduction: Evidence from provincial data in China

Environmental problems caused by carbon emissions have negative impacts on human life and society. It is therefore important to identify potential approaches to carbon emission reduction. In this study, we analyze the impact fiscal expenditure on science and technology has on carbon emissions using a panel dataset from 2007 to 2016 at Chinese provincial levels. An instrumental variable approach is employed to address the potential endogeneity of fiscal expenditure. Our results show that fiscal expenditure on science and technology has a significant and negative effect on carbon emissions by improving green innovation, economic structure upgrade, energy consumption structure, and energy efficiency. A one hundred RMB yuan increase in fiscal expenditure on science and technology would lower carbon emissions by 0.654 tons. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the carbon reduction effects of fiscal expenditure on science and technology are larger in regions where internet coverage and the share of industry in the economy are high. Our results highlight the significant role of fiscal expenditure on science and technology in carbon reduction.

How the US Economy and Environment can Both Benefit From Composting Management

Composting is one of the environmentally friendly ways of reducing organic waste. It is economically viable since it cuts costs associated with the hauling of wastes and enables farmers to reduce the use of fertilizers. Composting operations are relatively non-existent in the solid municipal waste sector, as the market has molded itself and grown into a standard "bury-or-burn" model. As humans are trying to address global warming, composting proves to be a promising climate change mitigation option, benefiting societies in terms of the environment, the economy, and overall health. This study projects that-with the current trends-by the end of 2030, the U.S. can increase the compost to waste ratio by 18% from 10%, reducing carbon emissions by 30 million tons a year while saving around 16 billion USD in municipal waste management costs. Analyzing the existing records in the OECD countries suggests that economic motives are not powerful enough to incentivize the industry/household toward composting. Stricter environmental policies can boost the composting volume by 214-574 thousand tons per year. Imposing waste taxes and penalties can give birth to a vast industry that has not yet flourished while the economic subsidies financed by the collected taxes and penalties can incentivize the private sector to further invest in composting.

Environmental sustainability and ecological balance dilemma: accounting for the role of institutional quality

Global warming is a global menace mainly driven by human anthropogenic activities. There is a need for environmental sustainability amidst increased economic growth. To this end, this study draws motivation from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) with special focus on climate change mitigation and ecological balance. Thus, the present study analyses the dynamic relationship between economic growth, conventional energy consumption, access to technological innovation, economic globalisation, and the pertinent role of institutional quality for the case of the Russian Federation. This study employed novel combined Bayer and Hack cointegration test in conjunction with Pesaran's ARDL bounds testing for robustness. Both tests validate a long-run equilibrium relationship between the outlined variables. Furthermore, empirical results show that increase in economic activities and consumption of energy that stem from a fossil-fuel basis both have deteriorating effect on environmental sustainability for Russia. Additionally, effect of globalisation shows mixed results, such as, in the short run, economic globalisation dampens environmental quality as increase in global integration exacerbates environmental quality, while, in the long term, globalisation improves the quality of the environment. On the contribution of institutional quality, it improves environmental sustainability over the investigated period. Interestingly, renewable is seen as a panacea for environmental sustainability in the Russian Federation given its pertinent effect to improve the environment of Russia. From a policy lens, there is need for a paradigm shift to renewables and clean technologies to mitigate the effect of climate change issues. The concluding section presents more policy strategies.

Simultaneous adsorption of phosphate and tetracycline by calcium modified corn stover biochar: Performance and mechanism

It is important to solve the problems of biomass treatment and combined contaminants removal in environmental remediation. In this study, a calcium (Ca) modified biochar (CaBC800) was fabricated using corn stover (CS) as a raw material to remove phosphate and tetracycline (TC). The experimental results indicate that CaBC800 can adsorb both inorganic phosphate and organic TC. The entire adsorption process corresponds to pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The maximum adsorption capacities of phosphate and TC were 33.944 and 33.534 mg/g, respectively. The phosphate adsorption was demonstrated to mainly depend on the chemical precipitation by Ca²⁺ and ligand exchange by hydroxyl groups from CaBC800. Meanwhile, hydrogen bonding from oxygen functional groups and π-π interactions from aromatic rings are the main adsorption mechanisms of TC. This study provides a new adsorbent to efficiently remove phosphate and TC, and the simultaneous adsorption indicates the application potential of CaBC800 in wastewater remediation.

Estimating the energy consumption function: evidence from across the globe

The motivation for the current study stem from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) such as access to clean (SDG-7) and responsible energy consumption (SDG-12) and climate change mitigation (SDG-12). This chase for these goals is pertinent for sustainable economic growth and environmental sustainability. This becomes necessary given the global demand for energy which comes has it environmental consequences given anthropogenic effect. To this end, the present study seeks to identify the factors determining the energy consumption function for 79 economies across the globe. For empirical investigation, 44 years data of five regions, namely Asia and Pacific, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East and Arab States, is analyzed. A multivariate regression model and the method of least squares are employed to achieve set of objectives. The least squares result of the regions and single country of the regions are not significantly different from each other. Every region exhibits a common narrative that economic growth, carbon emissions, and urbanization are the key factors determining the consumption function in most of the sample economies. The empirical findings revealed that energy consumption function is determined by economic growth, urbanization, and carbon emissions. In the light of these findings, it is recommended that energy policy needs to be designed considering the significance of economic growth and environmental quality, and consequently it leads toward the achievement of the sustainable development goals.

Tourism-induced emission in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Panel Study for Oil-Producing and Non-oil-Producing countries

The tourism industry is undoubtedly among the largest contributors to economic growth and employment generation in most economies of the world, and Africa is not an exception as outlined by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Thus, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are paying more attention to tourism development as alternative growth path to boost their economies. However, the tourism-induced growth is not void of its environmental issues. To this end, this study using recent econometrics analysis explored the nexus between tourism arrival GDP growth, urbanization, carbon dioxide emission, and foreign direct investment for oil and non-oil sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, that is, to ascertain the real impacts of tourism and FDI on the environmental performance of the regions. Empirical results show that tourism, GDP growth, and FDI dampen the quality of the environment. For instance, a 1% increase in tourism activities worsens the quality of the environment by 1.09%. Interestingly, renewable energy shows statistical strength to improve environmental quality. The causality analysis resonates with the outcomes of the regression by giving credence to one-way causality between tourism and carbon dioxide emission. A similar trend of causality is seen between FDI and carbon dioxide emission and urbanization and carbon dioxide emission. Thus, as a policy prescription, strict environmental guidelines and regulations are necessary for controlling the unhealthy and undue economic activities that are suspected to impact environment negatively.

Assessing the linkage between energy consumption, financial development, tourism and environment: evidence from method of moments quantile regression

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism sector ranks high in terms of her contribution to economic growth and employment opportunity generation in most economies. Several studies have been documented in the extant literature on the nexus between emission, tourism, and economic growth. However, the role of foreign direct investment that highlights either pollution haven or halo hypothesis and pivotal role of domestic credit to private sector in an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) environment is lacking in the extant literature. To this end, this study used augmented mean group (AMG) and method of moment quantile regression (MM-QR) approaches to explore the nexus between per capital income and its square, tourism, foreign direct investment, domestic credit to private sector and CO₂ emission. Empirical results show that tourism had a negative significant relationship with CO₂ emission. Furthermore, income on the other hand had positive relationship with emissions while its square had negative relationship with emissions. This result also shows the presence of EKC indicating the inverted U-shaped curve. FDI has shown a positive significant relationship with pollution which indicates the pollutant haven hypothesis (PHH), and credit to private sector shows a positive relationship with CO₂ emission. On the causality analysis from Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel causality test, there was a bi-directional causality between: tourism and CO₂ emission, per capital income and CO₂ emission as well as domestic credit and CO₂ emission. From these outcomes, it shows that tourism development is not detrimental to environmental quality in the Mediterranean region investigated. However, there is need for caution on FDI influx and dirty economic activities that might compromise environmental quality in the study bloc.

The contribution of ocean-based solutions to carbon reduction in China

Climate change has become a great challenge for humanity. However, the current climate change mitigation measures, primarily concentrate on land, more or less neglecting the vital role of the ocean-based solutions. While the ocean is a crucial regulator of the global climate, ocean-based solutions could also play an essential role in climate change mitigation and policymaking. This paper developed an Ocean-based Solutions Carbon Reduction Assessment Model (OSCRAM) that addresses coastal ecosystems, ocean energy, marine transportation, fishery, and seabed to estimate the oceanic contribution to climate change mitigation. It has been applied to evaluate the capacity of carbon emission reduction through oceans in China. We found that the total contribution for carbon emission reduction was about 6.86 Tg CO₂ per year, and it may reach 139.39 Tg in 2030 under the target scenario. The results indicated that the ocean has huge potential to reduce carbon emissions. The development of marine energy and low-carbon marine shipping may have more potential for emission reduction in China, and the government should also protect and restore coastal wetlands for their enormous carbon storage. It can also provide a reference for the globe and other nations in achieving emission reduction goals.

Microalgal-bacterial granular sludge process: A game changer of future municipal wastewater treatment?

This article is in the hope to open a fundamental discussion on what should future municipal wastewater treatment process be. A paradigm shift of treatment technology from present single functionality of removing to multiple-functionality of synergetic water-resource-energy recovery and carbon neutral for maximizing both environmental and economic sustainability. However, the current treatment technologies could hardly meet such requirements. It is elucidated in this article that a microalgal-bacterial granular sludge process could offer a promising option for achieving the multiple goals of municipal wastewater reclamation including energy generation, resource recovery and carbon reduction.

Fossil fuel CO2 traced by radiocarbon in fifteen Chinese cities

China is an important fossil fuel CO₂ (CO_2ff) emitter and the international community is thus concerned with quantifying reductions in Chinese carbon emissions in the recent past. Compared to traditional statistical method, radiocarbon (¹⁴C) offers a different approach to quantify atmospheric CO₂ derived from fossil fuel emissions. Here, we carry out a multi-year (2011-2016) CO_2ff tracing by ¹⁴C in Xi'an, and a three-year (2014-2016) CO_2ff tracing in 15 Chinese cities. The Xi'an results show that average CO_2ff concentrations fell 35.9 ± 6.6% from 2014- 2016, compared to 2011-2013, and the timing of this decrease coincides with the implementation of nationwide carbon reduction measures in China, known as the Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Air Pollution. A WRF-Chem forward modeling simulation reveals that the CO_2ff in Xi'an is mainly derived from local sources, and a source apportionment combined stable-carbon isotope showed that the CO_2ff in this city is dominated by coal combustion (72.6 ± 10.4%). Strong CO_2ff differences are found between January and July in most Chinese cities. High CO_2ff concentrations often correspond to severe haze episodes and there are generally positive correlations between CO_2ff and fine particulate (PM_2.5) concentrations. Our study provides scientific data to understand the effects of CO_2ff reduction strategies in China that can be applied to other countries as well.

Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Oxide and Chalcogenide-Based Photocatalysts

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal oxide and chalcogenide (TMO&C)-based photocatalysts have recently attracted significant attention for addressing the current worldwide challenges of energy shortage and environmental pollution. The ultrahigh surface area and unconventional physiochemical, electronic and optical properties of 2D TMO&Cs have been demonstrated to facilitate photocatalytic applications. This review provides a concise overview of properties, synthesis methods and applications of 2D TMO&C-based photocatalysts. Particular attention is paid on the emerging strategies to improve the abilities of light harvesting and photoinduced charge separation for enhancing photocatalytic performances, which include elemental doping, surface functionalization as well as heterojunctions with semiconducting and conductive materials. The future opportunities regarding the research pathways of 2D TMO&C-based photocatalysts are also presented.