Search Results (91)

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promotes significant cross-border investment, raising critical questions about its environmental consequences, particularly regarding carbon emissions. This paper uses panel data from 47 countries that participated in the “Belt and Road Initiative” earlier from 2000 to 2020 to conduct theoretical analysis and empirical research on the relationship between the coordinated development of two-way FDI and carbon emission intensity, dividing it into scale effect, technology effect and structure effect. The coordinated development of two-way FDI can have an increasing or decreasing impact on carbon emission intensity through these three effects. The main findings of this paper are as follows: (1) The improvement of the degree of coordinated development of two-way FDI significantly reduces carbon emission intensity. (2) The improvement of the degree of coordinated development of two-way FDI can enhance the level of technological innovation, while the improvement of the level of technological innovation will increase carbon emission intensity, thereby reducing the carbon emission reduction effect of the coordinated development of two-way FDI. (3) The improvement of the degree of coordinated development of two-way FDI can reduce carbon emission intensity by promoting the upgrading of industrial structure. Based on the above conclusions, this paper puts forward the following suggestions for the subsequent development of countries along the “Belt and Road”: (1) Further increase two-way FDI and promote the coordinated development of two-way FDI. (2) Promote the upgrading of industrial structure and the green transformation of technology. (3) Increase economic freedom to provide a good environment for economic development. Full article

This study examines the long-run relationship between carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and key macroeconomic and sectoral drivers in ten ASEAN economies from 1995 to 2023. Employing Driscoll–Kraay standard errors, Prais–Winsten regression, heteroskedastic panel-corrected standard errors, Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) estimators, the analysis accounts for cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, and endogeneity. Results indicate that GDP exerts a more-than-unitary positive effect on emissions, with a negative GDP-squared term supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve. Agriculture raises emissions through land-use change and high-emission cultivation practices, while tourism shows a negative association likely reflecting territorial accounting effects. Trade openness increases emissions, highlighting the carbon intensity of export structures, whereas foreign direct investment exerts no significant net effect. These results suggest that ASEAN economies must accelerate renewable energy adoption, promote climate-smart agriculture, embed enforceable environmental provisions in trade policy, and implement rigorous sustainability screening for FDI to achieve low-carbon growth trajectories. Full article

This study compared physical activity (PA) intensity during leisure and recreation between youth with chronic pain with and without (overweight, obesity) healthy weight. Thirty youth with chronic pain, 11–19 years old, completed the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE), Functional Disability Inventory (FDI), and a Demographic and Participation Questionnaire. Metabolic equivalent of task (MET) values for CAPE activities were estimated. Youth in both groups reported moderate perceived disability in physical functioning due to pain and mostly participated in leisure and recreation at a low PA intensity. Mann–Whitney U and t-tests indicated that the number of activities performed at high, moderate, and low MET intensity levels did not differ between the two groups (p > 0.05). Perceived disability in physical functioning due to pain was not related to PA intensity (p > 0.05). Youth reported that pain, anxiety/stress, and not having time limited their PA intensity. The findings suggest that multiple factors are potential barriers to PA participation and intensity during leisure and recreation activities. Engagement with youth is encouraged to identify preferred PA at moderate to high intensity and integrate them into interventions and daily routines to promote a physically active lifestyle and reduce disability in physical functioning due to pain. Full article

As a significant energy source enabling the global energy transition, efficient shale gas development is critical for diversifying supplies and reducing carbon emissions. Zipper fracturing widely enhances the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) by generating complex fracture networks of shale reservoirs. However, recent trends of reduced well spacing and increased injection intensity have significantly intensified interwell interference, particularly fracture-driven interactions (FDIs), leading to early production decline and well integrity issues. This study develops a fully coupled hydro–mechanical–damage (HMD) numerical model incorporating an explicit discrete fracture network (DFN), opening and closure of fractures, and an aperture–permeability relationship to capture the nonlinear mechanical behavior of natural fractures and their role in FDIs. After model validation, sensitivity analyses are conducted. Results show that when the horizontal differential stress exceeds 12 MPa, fractures tend to propagate as single dominant planes due to stress concentration, increasing the risks of FDIs and reducing effective SRV. Increasing well spacing from 60 m to 110 m delays or eliminates FDIs while significantly improving reservoir stimulation. Fracture approach angle governs the interaction mechanisms between hydraulic and natural fractures, influencing the deflection and branching behavior of primary fractures. Injection rate exerts a dual influence on fracture extension and FDI risk, requiring an optimized balance between stimulation efficiency and interference control. This work enriches the multi-physics coupling theory of FDIs during fracturing processes, for better understanding the fracturing design and optimization in shale gas production. Full article

This study analyzes the factors that affect the technical efficiency (TE) of firms in the supporting industry in the context of Vietnam’s digitalized economy. Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), Fixed Effect Models, and System-GMM methods are applied to reach the findings that the quality of human resources, capital intensity, and firm size have positive effects on TE. Furthermore, exogenous environmental factors, such as the domestic demand of an industry impacting all upstream businesses, which use inputs that are products of that industry (BSpill-ratio), and the FDI backward effect (BFSpill), also exhibit positive effects. These confirm that the linkage between domestic supporting industry suppliers and FDI assembly enterprises plays an important role in improving TE. Vietnam’s digital transformation since 2020 has also created some interesting changes in the correlation coefficient. Location, sectors, competitiveness, and investment environment are also considered, and the results suggest that they are all determinants to be considered in management policies at both the firm level and the government level. Our contribution in this study is new policies aligned with many major changes in the world economic context, such as the tough tariff policy implemented by recent presidential administrations and a series of reforms of the Vietnamese Government, as well as strong digital transformation in Vietnam. The key findings of this research are important as they confirm which factors are really determinants for the Vietnamese government to implement investment policies for this industry effectively. Full article

The relationship between economic progress and environmental quality remains a central focus in global sustainability discourse. This study examines the link between per capita economic growth and CO₂ emissions across 128 countries from 1996 to 2022, controlling for energy consumption, trade volume, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. It also evaluates the role of governance quality—measured by regulatory quality and its volatility—while considering the globalization index as a confounding factor influencing CO₂ emissions. We test the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, which suggests that emissions initially rise with income but decline after reaching a certain economic threshold. Our findings confirm the global presence of the EKC. The analysis further shows that trade openness, governance, and globalization significantly influence FDI inflows, with FDI, in turn, reinforcing institutional quality through improved governance and globalization indicators. However, in countries with weaker governance and regulatory frameworks, FDI tends to promote pollution-intensive industrial growth, lending support to aspects of the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH). We find a significant departure in EKC explained by post-COVID governance and globalization compromises, which induced the environment towards the PHH phenomenon. These results highlight the need for context-specific policy measures that align economic development with environmental constraints. Full article

The core of high-quality development lies in achieving long-term sustainability. In the context of China’s high-quality economic development and high-standard opening-up of the service industry, it is of great theoretical value and practical significance to study how service enterprises can effectively absorb foreign direct investment (FDI) spillovers to realize high-quality development and enhance sustainable value creation capability. Based on the panel data of A-share non-financial listed service enterprises in China, this study explores the impact of FDI on the high-quality development of service enterprises in China through various spillover channels, as well as the role of enterprise absorptive capacity in the relationship between FDI and high-quality development. The results show that horizontal and backward spillovers have a significant positive impact on the high-quality development of service enterprises, while forward spillovers have a significant negative impact. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the promotion effect of horizontal spillovers is more pronounced on enterprises in the eastern region, capital-intensive enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and producer service enterprises. The promotion effect of backward spillovers is particularly evident for enterprises in the central and western regions, capital-intensive enterprises, SMEs, non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), and producer service enterprises. The further threshold regression model finds that service enterprises with higher absorptive capacity benefit more through horizontal and vertical spillovers for their high-quality development. Full article

This study employs spatial econometric techniques to examine the heterogeneous effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on industrialization across China’s four major regions—East, Central, West, and Northeast—using panel data from 31 provinces (1998–2016). Our findings reveal significant regional variations: FDI negatively impacts industrialization in the developed East, positively influences the less developed Northeast, and shows no significant effect in the Central and Western regions. To achieve balanced industrialization, policymakers should adopt spatially differentiated strategies. In the East, the focus should be on incentivizing high-value FDI in R&D and green technologies, while the Northeast could benefit from stronger economic partnerships within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For the Central and Western regions, prioritizing infrastructure investments linked to the BRI and fostering cross-regional innovation corridors could attract labor-intensive FDI and promote technology diffusion, addressing regional disparities. The study’s robust spatial analysis offers valuable guidance for policymakers in crafting region-specific strategies to leverage FDI for balanced economic growth. Full article

In this research, the direct and indirect effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in India are examined, covering the period from 1980 to 2014. To quantify the indirect outcome of the existence of FDI on CO₂ emissions, in this study, the three mediating channels of FDI are considered. The three broad mediating channels of FDI inflows are energy structure, industrial structure, and high-carbon technology, by which foreign direct investments affect India’s carbon dioxide emissions. In this study, the unit root test, the Johansen cointegration, the Granger causality technique, and the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) are used for the empirical analysis. The findings discover a process of cointegration in the long-run and reveal unidirectional causation between FDI inflows and CO₂ emissions. The outcomes of the SUR estimation indicate that all the mediating factors substantially contribute to the level of CO₂ emissions. In this paper, the findings reveal that FDI inflows affect the level of India’s CO₂ emissions mainly via mediating factors compared to their direct effect. Finally, in this research, it is recommended that the concerned authorities should prioritize the redistribution of foreign direct investment from high carbon-intensive technologies to less carbon-intensive and cleaner technologies for India’s carbonless and sustainable future. Full article

Environmental degradation is a pressing issue, particularly in resource-dependent regions like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. While significant research has explored the environmental impacts of economic growth and resource use globally, limited attention has been given to the unique dynamics in the GCC, including the role of ICT development, trade openness, and FDI inflows. This research examines how information and communication technology (ICT) development, economic growth, trade openness, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, and electricity consumption influenced environmental degradation in GCC countries from 1990 to 2022. Using panel data analysis, the study finds that ICT expansion and increased electricity consumption significantly contribute to higher CO₂ emissions, exacerbating environmental degradation. Economic growth follows the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) pattern, where environmental harm initially increases with growth but can decline as economies diversify and adopt cleaner technologies. Trade openness and FDI inflows, particularly in resource-intensive industries, also contribute to environmental degradation, supporting the pollution haven hypothesis. However, these factors present opportunities for sustainable development if paired with stricter environmental regulations and cleaner technology adoption. The study highlights the need for GCC policymakers to prioritize renewable energy investments, enforce stronger environmental policies, and promote energy efficiency to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. Recommendations for future research include exploring other environmental factors and assessing the role of technological innovations in reducing emissions. Full article

With rising concerns about environmental sustainability, examining the economic-environmental nexus is essential. This study investigates the relationship between economic growth (GDP), renewable energy consumption (RENC), urbanization (URB), and foreign direct investment (FDI) with Norway’s ecological footprint from 1990 to 2023. Guided by the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, we aim to understand how these factors influence Norway’s environmental impact over time. Using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the study captures both the short- and long-term effects of these variables on the ecological footprint, and model stability is confirmed through the Cumulative Sum of Squares (CUSUM) test. The findings reveal a U-shaped EKC pattern, where initial economic growth reduces the ecological footprint, but beyond a certain GDP threshold, environmental pressures increase. Renewable energy consumption is shown to lower the ecological footprint significantly, supporting Norway’s sustainability goals. Conversely, FDI is associated with increased environmental impact, potentially due to resource-intensive projects. These insights underscore the need for balanced policies that harmonize economic development with environmental preservation. Policymakers are encouraged to foster green FDI, prioritize renewable energy investments, and implement sustainable urban planning to maintain Norway’s trajectory toward ecological sustainability. Full article

This study explores the long-term interplay between trade policy, energy efficiency, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in South Korea, using data spanning from 1985 to 2023. By applying the Fourier autoregressive distributed lag (FARDL) model, the analysis reveals that while trade liberalization initially leads to a 0.23% increase in CO₂ emissions for each 1% rise in trade openness—driven by the energy demands of industrial expansion—integrating energy efficiency standards within trade agreements helps mitigate these effects over time; this results in a 0.26% reduction in emissions for every 1% improvement in energy efficiency. The study also highlights the dual role of foreign direct investment (FDI), which contributes to a short-term 0.08% rise in emissions but significantly reduces carbon intensity in the long term by facilitating the adoption of cleaner technologies. These findings underscore the importance of innovation and FDI in decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. The study advocates for the incorporation of energy efficiency measures into trade agreements and the prioritization of green technologies, recommending strategies that could enable South Korea to reduce its CO₂ emissions by up to 40% by 2030. This research positions South Korea as a key actor in achieving global climate goals while maintaining economic competitiveness, offering valuable insights into the balance between sustainable development and industrial growth. Full article

Land-use intensity drives productivity and ecosystem functions in grassland. The effects of long-term land-use intensification on plant functional community composition and its direct and indirect linkages to processes of nutrient cycling are largely unknown. We manipulated mowing frequency and nitrogen inputs in an experiment in temperate grassland over ten years. We assessed changes in species composition and calculated functional diversity (FDis) and community weighted mean (CWM) traits of specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and leaf and root nitrogen of the plant community, using species-specific trait values derived from databases. We assessed above- and belowground decomposition and soil respiration. Plant diversity strongly decreased with increasing land-use intensity. CWM leaf nitrogen and SLA decreased, while CWM LDMC increased with land-use intensification, which could be linked to an increased proportion of graminoid species. Belowground processes were largely unaffected by land-use intensity. Land use affected aboveground litter composition directly and indirectly via community composition. Mowing frequency, and not a land-use index combining mowing frequency and fertilization, explained most of the variation in litter decomposition. Our results show that land-use intensification not only reduces plant diversity, but that these changes also affect nutrient dynamics. Full article

This study analyses macroeconomic trends in Southeast Asian countries and their implications for climate change, focusing on urbanisation, GDP per capita, energy intensity, FDI, inflation, and trade. Using panel data from 1970 to 2020, we investigate climate change drivers across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand through panel ARDL with PMG and MG analyses, along with Hausman tests. Our results highlight the need for tailored urbanisation policies for sustainability, as the consistent positive correlation between GDPs per capita and emissions, underscores the challenge of decoupling economic growth from emissions. Urbanisation’s varying impact calls for proactive planning, and mixed FDI results suggest nuanced investment approaches aligned with sustainability. Inflation’s negative impact hints at environmental benefits during price increases, necessitating integrated economic and climate policies. The positive relationship between trade openness and emissions emphasises the need for eco-conscious trade agreements to mitigate emissions from industrial activity. Our study stresses the importance of considering macroeconomic heterogeneity in crafting climate policies. Policymakers must adopt multifaceted approaches that prioritise sustainability across economic growth, energy efficiency, technology adoption, and trade to balance development with environmental preservation. This approach enables Southeast Asian countries to contribute effectively to global climate change mitigation. Full article

Faced with the dual challenges of environmental pollution and climate change, it is of great significance to study the impact of relevant environmental regulations on the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction and their influence mechanisms. Based on a theoretical analysis using the panel data of 30 provinces in China, a spatial econometric model and an intermediary effect model are used to investigate the impact of environmental regulations on the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction and the transmission mechanisms potentially responsible for these effects. The empirical results show the following: (1) The three kinds of environmental regulation effectively facilitate the synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, taking the following order when ranked according to the intensity of their effects: command-type environmental regulation (ER1) > market-based environmental regulation (ER2) > voluntary environmental regulation (ER3). (2) Environmental regulation effectively promotes the synergistic effect of pollution and carbon reduction through the three transmission mechanisms of stimulating technological innovation (TI), industrial structure upgrading (ISU), and restricting foreign direct investment (FDI), which take the following effectiveness order: TI > FDI > ISU. Based on the results of the study, policy suggestions to facilitate pollution reduction and carbon synergies are proposed to help China’s green and low-carbon development. Full article