Special Issue "Sustainable Transport Policy, Environmental Management and Energy Economic Development"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Ling Yun He
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics, JiNan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Interests: environmental economics and management; government regulations and policies
Dr. Xi Lin
E-Mail
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Statistics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Interests: trade and environment; environmental economics
Dr. Li Liu
E-Mail
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: resource, environmental and economic policies; green finance; sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

In many countries, energy and environmental issues have been critical problems in current economic development. Energy consumption simultaneously produces pollution, which would bring extra costs to economic development as well as having adverse effects on public health and social welfare. Environmental management has become a key task in these countries. With more and more attention paid to environmental management, governments are beginning to promulgate various policies to govern the environment, reduce energy consumption and achieve sustainable development. Besides, the transportation industry is an important source of energy consumption and pollution emissions. On the one hand, transport vehicles consume energy and emit pollutants. On the other hand, the development of transportation promotes production and economic growth, which also increase energy consumption and pollution emissions. In order to solve the environmental problems caused by transportation, the government has to implement sustainable transport policies. Thus, how does sustainable transport policy affect environmental management and energy economic development? This is a question of worldwide concern.

Although the above question is very important, the existing literature does not cover much and does not provide comprehensive and systematic answers. Thus, this Special Issue mainly focuses on the relationship between sustainable transport policy, environmental management and energy economic development. We aim to seek original studies regarding this relationship and supplement existing literature. First, we seek research on the relationship between sustainable transport policy and the environment from different perspectives, such as different countries (both developed and developing countries), different levels (country, region, industry, firm and household levels), different types of transportation (car, bus, bicycle, subway, train, ship and airplane), different environmental indicators (energy, pollution and greenhouse gas) and different types of energy (fuel oil, natural gas, electric power and other new energy). Second, we encourage that using novel (both theoretical and empirical) methods to analyze the above relationships. Third, we encourage research that discusses the heterogeneous impacts of transport policy on different countries, regions, firms, households, energies, etc. Fourth, we also welcome other studies on environmental management and energy economic development.

Our topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • The impact of sustainable transport policy on environmental management;
  • The impact of sustainable transport policy on energy economic development;
  • The impact of sustainable transport policy on environmental pollution;
  • The impact of transportation development on environmental management;
  • The impact of transportation development on energy consumption (or energy structure);
  • The impact of transportation development on environmental pollution;
  • The impact of environmental management on transportation;
  • The impact of energy economic development on transportation;
  • Transport-related government regulations and policies;
  • Other topics on environmental management and energy economic development.

Prof. Ling Yun He
Dr. Xi Lin
Dr. Li Liu
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 papers will be 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 1900 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

  • Transport policy
  • Environmental management
  • Energy economics
  • Pollution
  • Sustainability

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Article
Regional Assessment of Land and Water Carrying Capacity and Utilization Efficiency in China
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9183; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169183 - 16 Aug 2021
Viewed by 296
Abstract
In response to the severe situation of water and land resources in China, this paper uses the DPSIR (driving force–pressure–state–impact–response) model and two-stage network DEA (data envelopment analysis) model to evaluate the carrying capacity and utilization efficiency of land and water resources in [...] Read more.
In response to the severe situation of water and land resources in China, this paper uses the DPSIR (driving force–pressure–state–impact–response) model and two-stage network DEA (data envelopment analysis) model to evaluate the carrying capacity and utilization efficiency of land and water resources in 31 provinces of China from 2009 to 2017. The empirical results show that the carrying capacity and the efficiency values of land and water resources in most areas of China do not perform well and show a downward trend during the sample period. Specifically, the carrying capacity of land and water resources show a decreasing trend from north to south and from east to west. In addition, the response to the current situation of land and water resources has an important influence on the carrying capacity. The utilization efficiency of water and soil resources is significantly different in the two stages in most regions, indicating that the efficiency of economic benefit transformation is far greater than land and water resources development. Our results shed some insights on land and water utilization efficiency management and provide political recommendations for different regions. Full article
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Article
Environmental Courts, Environment and Employment: Evidence from China
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6248; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116248 - 01 Jun 2021
Viewed by 571
Abstract
Whether environmental governance will cause unemployment has always been an aspect that the government needs to pay attention to in the process of making environmental policies, and is also a concern of residents. This paper analyzes the policy effect of environmental courts, which [...] Read more.
Whether environmental governance will cause unemployment has always been an aspect that the government needs to pay attention to in the process of making environmental policies, and is also a concern of residents. This paper analyzes the policy effect of environmental courts, which is a very important policy tool for the legalization of China’s environmental governance. While investigating whether environmental courts can effectively improve environmental quality, we also analyze its possible impact on employment and the specific mechanisms. The results show that: (1) After the establishment of environmental courts, the PM2.5 concentration has been significantly reduced. (2) While improving the environmental quality, environmental courts will produce a weak employment promotion effect. (3) Environmental courts affect the amount of employment through cost effect, factor substitution effect and innovation effect. This study provides empirical evidence for China and other developing countries to promote the legalization of environmental governance. Full article
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Article
A Comparative Study between Government Support and Energy Efficiency in Malaysian Transport
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6196; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116196 - 31 May 2021
Viewed by 585
Abstract
The 2030 Agenda states that sustainable transport systems, as well as other associated energy systems and policies, would create a strong economic foundation for all countries. In this regard, countries need to pay more attention to their transport systems. This has been accomplished [...] Read more.
The 2030 Agenda states that sustainable transport systems, as well as other associated energy systems and policies, would create a strong economic foundation for all countries. In this regard, countries need to pay more attention to their transport systems. This has been accomplished through a great deal of work and policies that they can enact, such as improving fuel efficiency and government support. Therefore, this study attempts to compare the impact of a 10% increase in government subsidies and a 5% increase in improvement in fuel efficiency to the transport subsectors in Malaysia using a computable general equilibrium model (CGE). Results suggest that fuel efficiency improvement is an effective policy in increasing economic growth, exports, investment, and household consumption for the entire economy. While both policies increase output, employment, investment, and household use across the transport subsectors, except water transport, the magnitude of the impacts is greater for improving fuel efficiency policy. Improving fuel efficiency, despite the reduction in energy consumption in the land and water transportation subsectors, has led to a rebound in the air and other transport subsectors. However, increasing government subsidies to transport subsectors increases energy consumption and CO2 emissions in these subsectors. The outcomes of this policy can be used for the future of sustainable development in Malaysian transportation systems. Full article
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Article
A Comprehensive Emissions Model Combining Autonomous Vehicles with Park and Ride and Electric Vehicle Transportation Policies
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4653; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094653 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 523
Abstract
Several transport policies reduce pollution levels caused by private vehicles by introducing autonomous or electric vehicles and encouraging mode shift from private to public transport through park and ride (P&R) facilities. However, combining the policies of introducing autonomous vehicles with the implementation of [...] Read more.
Several transport policies reduce pollution levels caused by private vehicles by introducing autonomous or electric vehicles and encouraging mode shift from private to public transport through park and ride (P&R) facilities. However, combining the policies of introducing autonomous vehicles with the implementation of electric vehicles and using the P&R system could amplify the decrease of transport sector emissions. The COPERT software has been used to calculate the emissions. This article aims to study these policies and determine which combinations can better reduce pollution. The result shows that each combination of autonomous vehicles reduces pollution to different degrees. In conclusion, the shift to more sustainable transport modes through autonomous electric vehicles and P&R systems reduces pollution in the urban environment to a higher percentage. In contrast, the combination of autonomous vehicles has lower emission reduction but is easier to implement with the currently available infrastructure. Full article
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Article
Environmental Regulation, Environmental Awareness and Environmental Governance Satisfaction
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3960; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073960 - 02 Apr 2021
Viewed by 533
Abstract
It is a problem worth thinking about whether the government’s environmental regulation policies can meet the residents’ requirements for environmental quality, and benefit the people. The study of the public’s subjective evaluation can more intuitively judge whether the government’s environmental regulation has realized [...] Read more.
It is a problem worth thinking about whether the government’s environmental regulation policies can meet the residents’ requirements for environmental quality, and benefit the people. The study of the public’s subjective evaluation can more intuitively judge whether the government’s environmental regulation has realized “ecological benefits for the people”. Based on the data of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2013, this paper studied the impact of environmental regulation and environmental awareness on environmental governance satisfaction by an ordered probit model. The study found that environmental regulation has a significant positive impact on environmental governance satisfaction, while environmental awareness has a significant negative impact on environmental governance satisfaction. We also found that when public environmental awareness is taken into account, the positive relationship between environmental regulation and environmental governance satisfaction is affected. The robustness test proved this conclusion. Full article
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Article
The Environmental and Health Impacts of Poverty Alleviation in China: From a Consumption-Based Perspective
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1784; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041784 - 07 Feb 2021
Viewed by 525
Abstract
Poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and healthcare are the three biggest challenges for the Sustainable Development Goals. However, they are also inter-linked. Therefore, it is imperative to achieve these goals in a compatible manner at the national level. Given the growing consumption caused by [...] Read more.
Poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and healthcare are the three biggest challenges for the Sustainable Development Goals. However, they are also inter-linked. Therefore, it is imperative to achieve these goals in a compatible manner at the national level. Given the growing consumption caused by poverty alleviation in China, this paper investigates potential impacts of poverty alleviation on the environment and health based on an input–output approach, air quality estimation model, and health loss assessment. Due to data limitations, the base year was set as 2012. Nevertheless, the scientific value of the paper is that it offers an important supplement for a preliminary estimation on a macro level. We find that poverty alleviation could be a substantial threat to the environment and health from a consumption-based perspective, and this trade-off can be explained by the uneven pollution footprints per capita among different income groups. From a policy perspective, the government should promote green production, green lifestyles, and healthcare when reducing poverty. Full article
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