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Environmental Economics, Policies and Sustainable Economic 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: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 3868

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Interests: environmental pollution control; innovation in pollution control technology; dynamic control of environmental governance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, ‘Environmental Economics, Policies and Sustainable Economic Development’, will explore the multifaceted relationships between economic activities and environmental protection. It will highlight the critical role of environmental pollution control in mitigating the adverse impacts of economic growth on the environment. Through the lens of innovation in pollution control technology, this Special Issue will examine how technological advancements can drive more efficient and effective pollution management strategies. The dynamic control of environmental governance is another focal point, emphasizing the need for adaptive and responsive policies to address evolving environmental challenges.

In the realm of environmental economics, dynamic control mechanisms are essential for balancing economic development with environmental sustainability. The application of optimal control theory within environmental economics is a powerful tool for optimizing resource allocation and minimizing environmental degradation. This theoretical framework allows for the development of policies that not only promote economic growth, but which also ensure long-term environmental health.

Furthermore, this Special Issue will delve into the dynamic analysis of product and process innovation. It seeks to underscore the importance of continuous innovation in both product design and production processes to reduce environmental footprints and enhance resource efficiency. By fostering a culture of innovation, businesses and policymakers can work together to drive sustainable economic developments which meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Overall, this Special Issue will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments and applications in environmental economics, emphasizing the interplay between economic policies, technological innovation, and sustainable development. It will offer valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who are working towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Dr. Shoude Li
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • dynamic control in environmental economics
  • environmental pollution control
  • applications of optimal control theory within environmental economics
  • dynamic analysis of product innovation and process innovation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 773 KB  
Article
ESG and Corporate Risk-Taking in China’s New Media Industry
by Genlong Guo and Danni Jiao
Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2465; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052465 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 569
Abstract
Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, the ESG concept has increasingly become a key reference factor in corporate investment decisions. Given existing research on ESG practices in corporate risk management and the research gap regarding China’s media industry, this study examines the role [...] Read more.
Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, the ESG concept has increasingly become a key reference factor in corporate investment decisions. Given existing research on ESG practices in corporate risk management and the research gap regarding China’s media industry, this study examines the role of ESG practices in corporate risk-taking among China’s listed new media companies from 2009 to 2024. It proposes the following key hypotheses: there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between ESG performance and corporate risk-taking in new media firms; Confucian culture moderates this nonlinear relationship. The findings confirm these hypotheses, demonstrating that ESG ratings have a nonlinear, rising-then-falling effect on corporate risk-taking, which is attenuated by Confucian culture. Furthermore, this inverted U-shaped relationship is more pronounced among firms in highly marketized regions, low-growth firms, and firms with low organizational inertia. This study extends the understanding of the economic consequences and mechanisms of corporate ESG performance, providing empirical evidence to help new media enterprises balance ESG responsibilities with strategic risk-taking in pursuit of sustainable development. Full article
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32 pages, 781 KB  
Article
How Does Digital Transformation Catalyze New-Quality Productivity? Unraveling the Path Through Green Innovation and the Role of Digital Financial Inclusion
by Lingling Tan, Kehui Wang and Huifang Zhang
Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9351; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209351 - 21 Oct 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
In the pursuit of sustainable economic development, fostering new-quality productivity (NQP) is both an inherent requirement and a strategic priority for advancing a green economy, while digital transformation has emerged as a pivotal driver in reconciling economic growth with environmental protection. Grounded in [...] Read more.
In the pursuit of sustainable economic development, fostering new-quality productivity (NQP) is both an inherent requirement and a strategic priority for advancing a green economy, while digital transformation has emerged as a pivotal driver in reconciling economic growth with environmental protection. Grounded in the Dual-Factor Theory of Productivity, this study empirically examines the impact of digital transformation on corporate NQP, with a focus on its heterogeneous effects, using panel data from China’s A-share listed firms (2013–2022). We further investigate the mediating role of green innovation—encompassing both technological and managerial dimensions—and the moderating effect of digital financial inclusion (DFI). The results show that digital transformation significantly enhances NQP, a finding robust to multiple endogeneity tests and alternative model specifications. Mechanism analysis indicates that digitalization fosters NQP by promoting green technological and managerial innovations, while DFI amplifies this effect. Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger impacts in state-owned enterprises, non-manufacturing sectors, firms in developed regions, and highly competitive industries. These findings advance theoretical understanding of dynamic control mechanisms in environmental economics, provide empirical evidence on how digital transformation drives sustainable productivity through green innovation, and offer actionable insights for policymakers and firms seeking to align economic growth with environmental sustainability. Full article
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Review

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31 pages, 7533 KB  
Review
Green Product and Process Innovation and Firm Performance: A Meta-Analytic Review
by Fengyu Zhao, Menghan Li, Xiaowen Xie and Lei He
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1640; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031640 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 773
Abstract
As organizations strive to balance environmental stewardship with economic competitiveness, understanding the performance implications of Green Innovation (GI) has become increasingly important. Although the nexus between Green Product Innovation (GPI), Green Process Innovation (GPrI), and organizational outcomes has attracted sustained scholarly attention, empirical [...] Read more.
As organizations strive to balance environmental stewardship with economic competitiveness, understanding the performance implications of Green Innovation (GI) has become increasingly important. Although the nexus between Green Product Innovation (GPI), Green Process Innovation (GPrI), and organizational outcomes has attracted sustained scholarly attention, empirical evidence remains inconclusive. To reconcile these inconsistencies and delineate boundary conditions, this study synthesizes data from 48 empirical investigations (2012–2025) via a random-effects meta-analysis with the Hartung–Knapp adjustment and trim-and-fill procedures to strengthen statistical inference. Results reveal significant small-to-moderate positive associations between GI and environmental (r = 0.172), financial (r = 0.191), and innovation performance (r = 0.143). Notably, moderator analyses demonstrate a synergy premium, where Integrated GI measures significantly outperform isolated GPI or GPrI approaches (r = 0.353). Substantial heterogeneity exists (I2 = 91.2%), which is significantly moderated by innovation type, industry pollution intensity, geographic region, and research design. Our findings reinforce the Natural-Resource-Based View (NRBV) and the Dynamic Capabilities framework, highlighting that strategic returns depend on asset orchestration and contextual factors. We conclude that firms should adopt a holistic approach, integrating both product and process innovations to enhance competitive advantage in an incremental and context-contingent manner, while interpreting innovation-performance results cautiously given the limited evidence base. Full article
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