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Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (27 August 2022) | Viewed by 49532

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Ehsan Elahi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Business, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Interests: renewable energy; non-renewable energy; industrial production; farm production; sustainable development; environmental pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guo Wei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA
Interests: economic development; sustainable production; industrial productionems in social science, environmental economics and management, and public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tasawar Nawaz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Accounting, Finance, Logistics and Economics, School of Business, Education and Law, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Interests: green energy; sustainable production systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of advanced technology and economic development, global society is continuously facing the challenge of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The use of non-renewable energy sources for household, industrial, and agricultural sectors has escalated the pollution emissions. The production systems of developing countries are mainly dependent on the use of traditional energies. For instance, at the domestic level, the use of firewood, charcoal, and animal dung is common. The industrial sector largely uses inefficient energy technology, which causes not only wasteful use of resources but also contributes to GHG emissions and the destruction of human health. Similarly, agriculture directly and indirectly contributes more than 10% of global environmental emissions, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels, farm mechanization, and the application of synthetic agrochemicals. This Special Issue (SI) focuses on determining the contribution of household, industrial, and agricultural sectors to the pollution emissions. Moreover, it aims to find plausible solutions in terms of the adoption of management practices and energy-efficient technologies to decouple the dependency of production systems on non-renewable energy sources for pollution abatement. In developing countries, limited studies have focused on adopting smart management strategies and energy-efficient technologies for cleaner production. To solve the stated problem, this Special Issue aspires to collect novel studies covering a broad range of topics.

Prof. Ehsan Elahi
Dr. Guo Wei
Dr. Tasawar Nawaz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • Smart management practices 
  • Energy-efficient technology 
  • Industrial production 
  • Farm production 
  • Pollution abatement
  • Environmental emissions
  • Renewable energy
  • Non-renewable energy
  • Sustainable production
  • Economic development and pollution emissions
  • Environment and human health

Published Papers (19 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 4488 KiB  
Article
Can Fujian Achieve Carbon Peak and Pollutant Reduction Targets before 2030? Case Study of 3E System in Southeastern China Based on System Dynamics
by Lei Zhao, Wenbin Pan and Hao Lin
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11364; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811364 - 10 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1510
Abstract
Fujian Province has entered the golden period of industrialization and rapid economic development, and its economy and society are undergoing significant changes. An unreasonable industrial structure and rapid growth of energy consumption will result in a high pressure of carbon peak and environmental [...] Read more.
Fujian Province has entered the golden period of industrialization and rapid economic development, and its economy and society are undergoing significant changes. An unreasonable industrial structure and rapid growth of energy consumption will result in a high pressure of carbon peak and environmental pollution in Fujian Province in 2030. How to improve energy efficiency, control environmental pollution, and achieve a carbon peak by 2030 while ensuring economic growth has become the focus of the attention of researchers and relevant policymakers. A disadvantage of the current 3E (Economy–Energy–Environment) system is that it has no quantitative basis for the selection of variables and no combined analysis of carbon emissions and environmental pollution, which is not conducive to paying attention to environmental pollution in the process of achieving carbon peak. Based on the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) model analysis results of environmental pollution and carbon emissions in Fujian Province, this paper established the 3E system model of Fujian Province to simulate three development scenarios and explored the EKC (Environmental Kuznets Curve). The results of the STIRPAT model showed that population, economic structure, and energy structure were the main influencing factors of environmental pollution and carbon emissions in Fujian Province. The 3E system simulation results showed that the current development scenario (scenario one) in Fujian Province is not sustainable, and the carbon peak and pollutant reduction cannot be achieved in 2030. A more stringent development scenario (scenario three) was required to achieve carbon peak and pollutant reduction on schedule. The trend of the carbon emission EKC curve in Fujian Province was different from that of environmental pollution. The carbon emission EKC curve of Fujian Province was a common inverted “U” shape, while the environmental pollution EKC curve had three shapes of “N”, “M,” and inverted “U”. This study can provide a quantitative method for selecting 3E system variables and a new method for establishing the 3E model, and provide a quantitative reference for Fujian Province to develop subsequent policies to control carbon emissions and environmental pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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21 pages, 7549 KiB  
Article
Towards Sustainable Development: A Study of Cross-Regional Collaborative Carbon Emission Reduction in China
by Xiumei Sun, Haotian Zhang, Xueyang Wang, Zhongkui Qiao and Jinsong Li
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159624 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1742
Abstract
Exploring a scientific and reasonable cross-regional carbon emission reduction path in China is essential to achieving sustainable development and the carbon neutrality target. This study constructs a simulation model of China’s cross-regional carbon emission reduction (CER) system and adopts a multi-agent [...] Read more.
Exploring a scientific and reasonable cross-regional carbon emission reduction path in China is essential to achieving sustainable development and the carbon neutrality target. This study constructs a simulation model of China’s cross-regional carbon emission reduction (CER) system and adopts a multi-agent approach to simulate cross-regional CER scenarios to predict the pathway. The conclusions are as follows: (1) under the national unified CER policy scenarios, carbon emissions are on a continuous growth trend with fast economic growth not matching emission reduction efforts in Scenario I. Scenario II has a lower economic scale, and carbon emissions peak in 2029. Scenario III has smooth economy and reaches the carbon emission peak in 2026. The economy of Scenario IV grows fast, carbon emissions grow slowly, and the peak does not appear in 2030. (2) In three scenarios with provinces as the main agent for CER, if provinces sacrifice the economy to strengthen CER, the peak of carbon emissions will appear in 2020. While the economy of non-synergistic and synergistic CER scenarios in each province is growing steadily, the peak in two modes is reached in 2026 and 2032. The peak is reached four years earlier in 2026 in the synergistic model and 2032 in the non-synergistic model, and the economic growth of some energy-intensive provinces slows down. (3) The synergistic low-carbon model is best for balancing economic development and carbon emission control. Policy recommendations are presented based on the above findings for China’s CER and sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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25 pages, 2340 KiB  
Article
Optimal Environmental Policy in a Dynamic Transboundary Pollution Game: Emission Standards, Taxes, and Permit Trading
by Hao Xu and Ming Luo
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9028; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159028 - 23 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1198
Abstract
Global environmental problems such as transboundary pollution and global warming have been recognized as major issues around the world. In practice, governments of all countries are actively exploring various environmental policies to control pollution. The government needs to consider the impact of neighboring [...] Read more.
Global environmental problems such as transboundary pollution and global warming have been recognized as major issues around the world. In practice, governments of all countries are actively exploring various environmental policies to control pollution. The government needs to consider the impact of neighboring regions when formulating environmental policies, especially in the context of transboundary pollution. However, the above problems are less studied, to bridge this gap and aim at solving problems in existing practices, we consider a differential game model of transboundary pollution control to examine which policy is more effective in promoting environmental quality and social welfare in a dynamic and accumulative global pollution context. Three alternative policy instruments, namely emission standards, emission taxes, and emission permit trading, are considered and compared. The results show that the social welfare of each region is the lowest and the total pollution stock is the highest under the emission tax policy due to the “rent-shifting,” “policy-leakage,” and “free-riding” effects. Moreover, the realized level of the environmental policy in the Nash equilibrium of the policy game is distorted away from the socially optimal level. The emission standards policy is found to be better than the emission tax policy and characterized by initiating the rent-shifting effect without the policy-leakage effect. Moreover, the pollution stock of two regions is found to be the lowest and the social welfare is found to be the highest under the emission permit trading policy, which is not associated with any of the three effects. Finally, a numerical example is used to illustrate the results, and a sensitivity analysis is performed in the steady state. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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26 pages, 2532 KiB  
Article
Economic Growth, CO2 Emissions Quota and Optimal Allocation under Uncertainty
by Chiu-Ming Hsiao
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148706 - 16 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1838
Abstract
This study attempts to link greenhouse gas emissions and economic development, and under the premise of considering economic development, proposes an optimal quota of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, the logarithmic value of greenhouse gas emissions is an [...] Read more.
This study attempts to link greenhouse gas emissions and economic development, and under the premise of considering economic development, proposes an optimal quota of greenhouse gas emissions. Based on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, the logarithmic value of greenhouse gas emissions is an inverted U-shaped function of the logarithmic value of GDP per capita. The empirical results showed that most countries in the world support the Kuznets curve hypothesis. Moreover, using data collected from Our World in Data, the optimal allocation of a greenhouse gas emissions quota can be found by minimizing the uncertainty risk subject to a prespecified global economic growth rate. For government policymakers, they may apply the framework in this study to determine an optimal allocation of greenhouse gas emissions for each sector that will ensure the intended level of domestic economic growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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11 pages, 3345 KiB  
Article
Performance Evaluation of a Novel Pilot-Scale Wet Electrostatic Precipitator in a Bio-Drying-Assisted Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) Generation Plant: Particulate Matter (PM) Collection Efficiency
by Min-Sang Kim, Hongmok Jo, Yeongmi Park, Uijeong Han, Ajay Thapa, Kyunghyun Kim, Du Hyeong Choi, Gwang Jo Park and Si-Kyung Cho
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8702; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148702 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1485
Abstract
The production of solid recovered fuel (SRF) from sewage sludge has been credited with facilitating Korea’s waste management shift toward a resource circular economy. In this study, a novel pilot-scale wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) was developed and installed in a bio-drying-assisted solid recovered [...] Read more.
The production of solid recovered fuel (SRF) from sewage sludge has been credited with facilitating Korea’s waste management shift toward a resource circular economy. In this study, a novel pilot-scale wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) was developed and installed in a bio-drying-assisted solid recovered fuel (SRF) generation plant for the first time. To investigate the performance of the novel WESP, various sizes of particulate matter, i.e., total particle matter (PM), particle matter smaller than 10 μm (PM10), and particle matter smaller than 0.1 μm (PM0.1), collection efficiencies were evaluated and demonstrated promising performances. Under optimal operating conditions (flow rate of 5 m3/min and an applied voltage of 30 kV), 99.76% PM and 91% PM10 collection efficiencies were achieved, and the PM concentration was 0.16 mg/m3, which met the exhaust emission standard. However, a dramatic increase in PM0.1 was observed and could be explained by the break-up theory, binary homogenous nucleation, and ion-induced nucleation. The experimental findings could serve as useful information to understand the WESP system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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20 pages, 9291 KiB  
Article
Design and Implementation of Machine Vision-Based Quality Inspection System in Mask Manufacturing Process
by Minwoo Park and Jongpil Jeong
Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6009; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106009 - 16 May 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4760
Abstract
With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, research on anomaly detection in the manufacturing process using deep learning and machine vision is being actively conducted. There have been various attempts to innovate the manufacturing site by adopting advance information technologies such as [...] Read more.
With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution, research on anomaly detection in the manufacturing process using deep learning and machine vision is being actively conducted. There have been various attempts to innovate the manufacturing site by adopting advance information technologies such as machine vision, machine learning, and deep learning in many manufacturing processes. However, there have been no cases of designing and implementing these technologies at the mask manufacturing site, which is essential to tackle COVID-19 pandemic. The originality of this paper is to implement sustainability in the mask manufacturing environment and industrial eco-system by introducing the latest computer technology into the manufacturing process essential for pandemic-related disasters. In this study, the intention is to establish a machine vision-based quality inspection system in actual manufacturing process to improve sustainable productivity in the mask manufacturing process and try a new technical application that can contribute to the overall manufacturing process industry in Korea in the future. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to specifically present hardware and software system construction and implementation procedures for inspection process automation, control automation, POP (Point Of Production) manufacturing monitoring system construction, smart factory implementation, and solutions. This paper is an application study applied to an actual mask manufacturing plant, and is a qualitative analysis study focused on improving mask productivity. “Company A” is a mask manufacturing company that produces tons of masks everyday located in Korea. This company planned to automate the identification of good and defective products in the mask manufacturing process by utilizing machine vision technology. To this end, a deep learning and machine vision-based anomaly detection manufacturing environment is implemented using the LAON PEOPLE NAVI AI Toolkit. As a result, the productivity of “Company A”’s mask defect detection process can be dramatically improved, and this technology is expected to be applied to similar mask manufacturing processes in the future to make similar manufacturing sites more sustainable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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18 pages, 1316 KiB  
Article
Policy Evaluation of Drama-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism for Boosting Green Industry: An Empirical Analysis Based on Quasi-Natural Experiment
by Huan Zhao, Xi Zhao, Ehsan Elahi and Fushuai Wang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5380; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095380 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2259
Abstract
Drama-related intangible cultural heritage is rich in connotations, and the development of tourism value of drama-related intangible cultural heritage can promote the service industry and boost the development of green economy. Using panel data of 31 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government [...] Read more.
Drama-related intangible cultural heritage is rich in connotations, and the development of tourism value of drama-related intangible cultural heritage can promote the service industry and boost the development of green economy. Using panel data of 31 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions in China from 2000 to 2019, this paper empirically analyzed the global picture of the effectiveness of sustainable policies for drama-related intangible cultural heritage tourism through the double difference method of quasi-natural experiment, then analyzed the different performance of policies among regions with different geographical characteristics, and finally analyzed the patterns of four batches of policies in time sequentially in multiple periods. The results found that sustainable policies for drama-related intangible cultural heritage tourism can promote the development of green service industries. These policies can promote the service industry in areas with a relatively backward economy, a single industrial sector, and a low degree of openness, but with outstanding ethnic characteristics, and can effectively promote rural revitalization. Besides, these policies first promote the growth rate of the green service industry, and the effectiveness of the policies has a certain time lag. As the effect of the policies accumulates, the growth rate of the green service industry slows down, the scale benefits appear, and the proportion of the industry is obviously increased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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15 pages, 291 KiB  
Article
Impact of Manufacturing Servitization on Factor Productivity of Industrial Sector Using Global Value Chain
by Jingxing Zhang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5354; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095354 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1823
Abstract
The current study estimates the impact of manufacturing servitization on industrial productivity from the perspective of global value chain division. For this purpose, from 2000 to 2014, the study uses the World Input–Output Database (WIOD) to measure the servitization level of China’s manufacturing [...] Read more.
The current study estimates the impact of manufacturing servitization on industrial productivity from the perspective of global value chain division. For this purpose, from 2000 to 2014, the study uses the World Input–Output Database (WIOD) to measure the servitization level of China’s manufacturing industry based on the non-competitive input–output model. Moreover, it develops a unified framework of source and structural differences in service factors and explores the mechanism and impact of manufacturing servitization on industrial productivity from the perspective of global value chain division. The results showed that if the division status of the manufacturing industry in the global value chain is higher, there will be a higher productivity effect of servitization. Regarding service factor country difference, foreign service factor input positively strengthened the industrial productivity effect, whereas domestic service factor input had no obvious effect on industry productivity. Furthermore, it was found that distribution and transportation services do not play a significant role in promoting industry productivity, whereas modern service factors such as information technology, finance, and business services have significant driving effects on industry productivity. The study suggests optimizing the layout of the industrial chain and improving the servitization of the manufacturing industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
17 pages, 1466 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Evaluation of Agricultural Modernization Levels
by Zhixin Zhang, Yingjie Li, Ehsan Elahi and Yameng Wang
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5069; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095069 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3962
Abstract
Agricultural modernization is the most important task of modernization construction. This study used the multi-index comprehensive measurement method to estimate the agricultural modernization level of Shandong Province from 2010 to 2019. Regional differences were analyzed using the ESDA method, and the main obstacles [...] Read more.
Agricultural modernization is the most important task of modernization construction. This study used the multi-index comprehensive measurement method to estimate the agricultural modernization level of Shandong Province from 2010 to 2019. Regional differences were analyzed using the ESDA method, and the main obstacles were diagnosed using the obstacle degree model. This paper constructs an index system, including an agricultural production system, a management system, an industrial system, output benefits, rural social development, and agricultural sustainable development. The results showed that the level of agricultural modernization in Shandong Province was divided into three stages: decelerating ascent (2010–2013), accelerating ascent (2014–2016), and high-level fluctuation (2017–2019). Results found that the scores of the agricultural production system, rural development level, and agricultural industrial system peaked in 2017.The regional difference in the agricultural modernization level of Shandong Province is high in the north and low in the south of China. The main obstacles in the rising stage of agricultural modernization in Shandong Province are the proportion of the added value of agriculture, forestry, fishery, and animal husbandry service; the amount of fertilizer and pesticide used per land area; the total power of units farmland machinery; the high-level fluctuation order are shelterbelt construction rate; the proportion of livestock production value; rural per capita electricity consumption; and rural employment rate. The average arable land per household and the employment rate of the rural population are the key obstacles to high levels of agricultural modernization. Therefore, optimizing industrial structure, improving the input of productive factors, cultivating a high-quality rural labor force, improving the efficiency of agricultural funds use, and awareness of the sustainable development of agriculture are all suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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19 pages, 628 KiB  
Article
Cluster Commercial Credit and Total Factor Productivity of the Manufacturing Sector
by Tinghua Liu, Fengjuan Kou, Xiao Liu and Ehsan Elahi
Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3601; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063601 - 18 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 1705
Abstract
The study estimates the impact of cluster commercial credit on manufacturing total factor productivity from the perspective of county-level clusters. The data were collected from 1998 to 2015 from the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database. Various econometrics methods were used to approach the study [...] Read more.
The study estimates the impact of cluster commercial credit on manufacturing total factor productivity from the perspective of county-level clusters. The data were collected from 1998 to 2015 from the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database. Various econometrics methods were used to approach the study objectives. The study found that cluster commercial credit can significantly increase the total factor productivity of manufacturing. Through the analysis of the theoretical mechanism, it was found that improving the level of innovation and improving the efficiency of the capital allocation are important ways for cluster commercial credit to positively promote the total factor productivity of the manufacturing sector. The analysis of heterogeneity found that cluster commercial credit promoted the total factor productivity of state-owned enterprises, large-scale enterprises, capital-intensive industries, high-tech industries, and enterprises in coastal areas to a great extent. By constructing a quasi-natural experiment, using the method of multi-period double difference and PSM-DID to solve the problem of cluster commercial credit endogeneity, it passed the parallel trend, placebo, and other tests. Finally, this article further describes the relationship between corporate commercial credit and corporate total factor productivity from the enterprise-to-enterprise level and found that the use of commercial credit by enterprises has a significant and positive role in promoting corporate total factor productivity. The research results of this paper provide a reference for promoting the high-quality development of the country’s economy from the perspective of informal finance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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15 pages, 932 KiB  
Article
Protection of Cultivated Land Resources and Grain Supply Security in Main Grain-Producing Areas of China
by Zhixin Zhang, Xiao Meng and Ehsan Elahi
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2808; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052808 - 28 Feb 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 1893
Abstract
Land is a main factor in food production, and cultivated land resources provide opportunity for the national food security. This study empirically estimates the impact of farmland protection on the security of grain supply in major grain-producing areas of China. For this purpose, [...] Read more.
Land is a main factor in food production, and cultivated land resources provide opportunity for the national food security. This study empirically estimates the impact of farmland protection on the security of grain supply in major grain-producing areas of China. For this purpose, from 2010 to 2019, panel data was collected from 13 main grain-producing provinces of China. The results revealed that the protection of cultivated land resources in the main grain-producing areas with direct means, incentives, and technological progress, significantly and positively impacted the security of grain supply. Furthermore, a mismatch was found between resource conditions and their use for grain production in the Northern region, and the lack of protection of cultivated land resources in the Southern region, which leads to the insignificant positive promotion of grain supply security. The results of the study strongly suggest that central and national governments of China need to provide a proper policy for the protection of cultivated land resources with equal emphasis on quantity, quality, and sustainability to ensure food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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20 pages, 1478 KiB  
Article
Do Green Finance and Environmental Regulation Play a Crucial Role in the Reduction of CO2 Emissions? An Empirical Analysis of 126 Chinese Cities
by Fushuai Wang, Wenxia Cai and Ehsan Elahi
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13014; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313014 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 4256
Abstract
Green finance and environmental regulation can reduce CO2 emissions and promote the sustainability of economic development. Based on panel data of 126 resource-based prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2017, the current study used a dynamic panel data model to empirically [...] Read more.
Green finance and environmental regulation can reduce CO2 emissions and promote the sustainability of economic development. Based on panel data of 126 resource-based prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2017, the current study used a dynamic panel data model to empirically determine the CO2 emission reduction effects of different green finance instruments under different environmental regulatory intensities. The results showed that green finance tools had significant negative effects on the intensity of CO2 emissions, and green finance can adapt to environmental regulations of different intensities, which cooperated to promote carbon emission reduction. Moreover, in comparison, the debt-based green finance instrument had a stronger effect than the equity-based green finance instrument, and they did not show a coupling relationship. An administrative adjustment in green finance and environmental regulation is required to reduce environmental emissions and to improve sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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12 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
Internet Development, Level of Industrial Synergy, and Urban Innovation
by Hongxia Zhang, Zixuan Sun, Ehsan Elahi and Yuge Zhang
Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12410; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212410 - 10 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1661
Abstract
Innovation increases total factor productivity and leads to economic development. Based on panel data of 284 prefecture-level cities from 2001 to 2018, the current study uses a dynamic panel data model to empirically test the global and heterogeneous effects of internet development and [...] Read more.
Innovation increases total factor productivity and leads to economic development. Based on panel data of 284 prefecture-level cities from 2001 to 2018, the current study uses a dynamic panel data model to empirically test the global and heterogeneous effects of internet development and industrial synergy on the level of urban innovation. Results found that the internet development significantly promoted the urban innovation level, and industrial collaboration was found to have a positive impact on the urban innovation level. Moreover, it was determined that the regulatory effect of the internet promoted industrial collaboration to improve the level of urban innovation. Variations in the impact of internet development and the industrial collaboration level on the urban innovation level were found in cities. Particularly, the impact of internet development and the industrial collaboration level on the urban innovation level in high-level cities was less significant. A positive role of the government is required to improve the level of urban innovation. Particularly, it is required to connect enterprises with universities to exchange scientific and technological knowledge, thereby improving urban innovation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
15 pages, 315 KiB  
Article
Research on Environmental Regulation, Technological Innovation and Green Transformation of Manufacturing Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
by Xiaoke Zhao, Xuhui Ding and Liang Li
Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10005; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810005 - 7 Sep 2021
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 2919
Abstract
The green transformation of the manufacturing industry is crucial for high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and environmental regulation and technological innovation may play key roles. Considering the undesirable output of the manufacturing industry, this paper adopted the undesirable-SE-SBM Model to [...] Read more.
The green transformation of the manufacturing industry is crucial for high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and environmental regulation and technological innovation may play key roles. Considering the undesirable output of the manufacturing industry, this paper adopted the undesirable-SE-SBM Model to measure the green transformation efficiency, which can reflect the core transformation performance. On this basis, this paper respectively adopted system generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) and differential generalized method of moments (DIF-GMM) to explore the driving factors of green transformation, which fully considered the lag variable of transformation efficiency. The estimated results of green transformation showed that the efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Belt has maintained an overall growth trend, while that of the eastern regions was higher than that of the central and western regions. The regional difference of transformation efficiencies showed a trend of convergence first and then expansion, however, a few regions such as Chongqing have achieved leapfrog development. The estimated results of driving factors showed the first-stage lag affected the green transformation positively, while the second-stage lag had a significantly negative effect. The ratchet effect and cumulative effect led to the continued efforts on green transformation, however, the timeliness of policy might cause a rebound in practice. As mentioned in green paradox, the environmental regulation had a negative effect, which might bring compliance costs. The technology innovation level indeed promoted the green transformation of manufacturing, but the scientific research investment did not exert the expected positive effect, while the utilization of many research funds lacked market orientation. Economic development level had a negative effect on green transformation, and it would play a positive effect only if it reached a certain stage. The industrialization and urbanization affected the efficiency positively, and the external dependence degree had a significant negative effect. It was not clear whether foreign direct investment (FDI) brought a pollution haven or pollution halo effect. In view of these conclusions, local governments should strictly enforce environmental regulations, build the regional green innovation system, improve marketization of research funds, optimize the export structure, and promote new urbanization and new industrialization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
12 pages, 1470 KiB  
Article
Towards Sustainable Farm Production System: A Case Study of Corn Farming
by Adnan Abbas, Chengyi Zhao, Waheed Ullah, Riaz Ahmad, Muhammad Waseem and Jianting Zhu
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9243; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169243 - 17 Aug 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4784
Abstract
Many recent studies show that most of the crop production systems in developing countries are not environmentally sustainable. This study uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the potential impacts of corn production in Pakistan on global warming and human health damages [...] Read more.
Many recent studies show that most of the crop production systems in developing countries are not environmentally sustainable. This study uses the life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate the potential impacts of corn production in Pakistan on global warming and human health damages and also suggests mitigation strategies to reduce environmental impacts towards sustainable crop production based on the results. Land-based, mass-based, and energy-based functional units were used. IMPACT 2002+ methodology—a combination of IMPACT 2002, Eco-Indicator 99, CML, and intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)—is used for the impact assessment. The results demonstrated that the global warming potential of one-ton production of corn, one-hectare corn farm, and production of 1000 MJ energy were 354.18, 34,569.90, and 1275.13 kg CO2 equivalents, respectively. The off-farm and on-farm emissions of nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers were the hotspots in the most impact categories. Moreover, human health damages followed by global warming as environmental externalities were also associated with corn production. We also highlighted the production areas with light, medium and extreme environmental externalities with Toba Tek Singh and Okara districts in the Punjab province of Pakistan being the most and least contributing districts towards global warming, respectively. Results further indicated that a 5 to 100% reduction of chemical fertilizers would mitigate the environmental impacts of corn production by 4.38 to 87.58% and 2.16 to 43.30% in terms of aquatic acidification and global warming, respectively. Modern farming systems and conservation technologies were suggested to reduce emissions and improve the environmental performance of corn production. Furthermore, agricultural extension and the ministry of agriculture should pay more attention to farmers’ education on emissions from farming inputs and their impact on climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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16 pages, 762 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Relationship between Income Change and the Water Footprint of Food Consumption in Urban China
by Guojing Li, Xinru Han, Qiyou Luo, Wenbo Zhu and Jing Zhao
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7076; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137076 - 23 Jun 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2300
Abstract
We use a threshold model to analyze the relationship between per capita income and the per capita water footprint of food consumption in the urban Guangdong Province of China, and further simulate the effect of changes in income distribution on the per capita [...] Read more.
We use a threshold model to analyze the relationship between per capita income and the per capita water footprint of food consumption in the urban Guangdong Province of China, and further simulate the effect of changes in income distribution on the per capita water footprint of food consumption. The income growth of urban residents has a significant positive effect on the per capita water footprint of food consumption, where the effect varies by income stratum. The income elasticity of the per capita water footprint of food consumption for the total sample is 0.45, where the income elasticity of the low-income group (0.75) is greater than that of the high-income group (0.23), indicating that a change of income in the low-income group has a greater effect on water resources. The simulation results show that increasing the income of residents, especially that of the low-income group, significantly increases the water footprint due to food consumption for the whole society. At present, China is in a period of rapid economic growth and urbanization, comprising a period of profound change and sensitive response to the income level of urban and rural residents. Therefore, in order to reduce the effect of food consumption on the environment, sustainable food consumption management strategies should consider group differences. We should correctly guide all kinds of groups to carry out sustainable consumption, advocate healthy and reasonable diet models, reduce animal food consumption, avoid the excessive consumption of food, and strengthen the management of food waste. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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12 pages, 268 KiB  
Article
Decomposing the Persistent and Transitory Effect of Information and Communication Technology on Environmental Impacts Assessment in Africa: Evidence from Mundlak Specification
by Olatunji Abdul Shobande
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094683 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 2652
Abstract
This study examines the persistent and transitory effects of information and communication technology (ICT) on the environmental impact assessment in Africa. The applied advanced econometrics is based on both the Mundlak and Hausman–Taylor methodology for correcting endogeneity and the feasible generalized least squares [...] Read more.
This study examines the persistent and transitory effects of information and communication technology (ICT) on the environmental impact assessment in Africa. The applied advanced econometrics is based on both the Mundlak and Hausman–Taylor methodology for correcting endogeneity and the feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) method to identify any potential cross-panel correlation. The empirical evidence suggests that an increase in ICT (Internet penetration) has a positive transitory effect on the environment. On the contrary, an increase in ICT has a negative persistent effect on the environment. This implies that a temporary change in ICT usage increases carbon emissions, whereas ICT use can reduce carbon emissions in the long run. In addition, this study identified mediums through which ICT can affect the environment, such as energy consumption. Therefore, this study recommends continuous investment in ICT infrastructure and education on the importance of practicing environmentally sustainable practices. Similarly, energy conservation is critical because use of the Internet appears to indirectly increase energy usage by increasing the overall productivity of the economy, which may subsequently degrade the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
18 pages, 7813 KiB  
Article
Analysis on the Agricultural Green Production Efficiency and Driving Factors of Urban Agglomerations in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River
by Lei Wang, Zengrui Qi, Qinghua Pang, Yibo Xiang and Yanli Sun
Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010097 - 24 Dec 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2509
Abstract
As one of the main grain-producing areas in China, urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River plays an important role in the development of agricultural production for China’s grain supply. The existing studies about agricultural production efficiency lack of regional [...] Read more.
As one of the main grain-producing areas in China, urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River plays an important role in the development of agricultural production for China’s grain supply. The existing studies about agricultural production efficiency lack of regional coordination analysis at both macro and micro levels, and only few studies consider the impact of agricultural production environment pollution and other undesirable outputs. Based on the input–output index system of agricultural green production, Slacks-based model (SBM) was adopted to measure the agricultural green production efficiency of 31 prefecture level cities in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River from 2008 to 2018, and the Tobit model of panel fixed effect was used to analyze the driving effect of external factors that affect the agricultural green production efficiency of urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. At the same time, the research methods at both macro and micro levels provide ideas for the research of transregional production efficiency. The results showed that: (1) the agricultural green production efficiency of urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze river is relatively low, with 2009 and 2013 as the inflection points, showing a stable trend of rise and decline; (2) The green agricultural production efficiency of urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River presents the spatial distribution characteristics of “high in the west and low in the east”. The regional efficiency difference is obvious, the gap gradually expands, develops from the equilibrium to the polarization; (3) Urbanization development and government intervention has a significant restraining effect on the improvement of agricultural green production efficiency, and opening to the outside world produces a remarkable influence on the improvement of agricultural green production efficiency, however, economic development and industrial structure have little impact on the improvement of agricultural green production efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to increase investment in technological innovation, promote agricultural transformation and upgrading, promote rational factors allocation and promote coordinated development of agriculture based on regional production differences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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34 pages, 7103 KiB  
Article
Thermo-Environmental Assessment of a Heated Venlo-Type Greenhouse in the Yangtze River Delta Region
by Morice R. O. Odhiambo, Adnan Abbas, Xiaochan Wang and Ehsan Elahi
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10412; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410412 - 12 Dec 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2264
Abstract
Accurate evaluation of microclimate conditions in a greenhouse can assist producers to manage crop production and designers to optimize climate control systems. An assessment of the variable thermo-environmental behavior of a heated Venlo-type greenhouse under the influence of naturally changing climate conditions in [...] Read more.
Accurate evaluation of microclimate conditions in a greenhouse can assist producers to manage crop production and designers to optimize climate control systems. An assessment of the variable thermo-environmental behavior of a heated Venlo-type greenhouse under the influence of naturally changing climate conditions in the Yangtze River Delta region was undertaken. A three-dimensional transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to analyze the airflow pattern and dynamic distribution of temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse. Validation of the numerical model showed a satisfactory agreement between measured and simulated values of air velocity, temperature, and absolute humidity, with mean hourly air temperature mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) values of 7.7% and 7.9%, respectively, and mean hourly air humidity MAE and RMSE values of 16.18% and 16.42%, respectively. Simulation results demonstrated that the airflow pattern shaped the distribution of temperature and absolute humidity, and homogeneity of both variables was prevalent inside the greenhouse. These results could be adopted by growers and designers in the Yangtze River Delta region and other sub-tropical climatic regions to improve crop production and optimize climate control systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adoption of Management Strategies and Technologies for Sustainable Production: A Solution to Reduce Environmental Emissions)
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