Search Results (165)

Despite growing interest in sustainable supply chains, we still know relatively little about how environmental requirements transmitted from key customers along the supply chain affect firms’ productivity and long-run economic sustainability. To address this gap, we introduce the notion of green supply chain pressure, downstream customers’ explicit green and low-carbon requirements on suppliers, and examine its implications for firm-level productivity and the mechanisms involved. Using a panel of Chinese A-share listed firms over 2014–2024, we construct a novel text-based index of green supply chain pressure by combining supply-chain relationship data with MD&A disclosures of major customers. Firm-level economic sustainability is measured by Levinsohn–Petrin total factor productivity, with Olley–Pakes estimates used for robustness. Fixed-effects regressions with industry–year and city–year controls show that stronger green supply chain pressure is associated with significantly higher productivity. Mediation analysis reveals that this effect operates partly through three resource-intensive adjustment channels: (i) a higher share of green patents in total innovation, (ii) capital deepening via a higher share of digital and intelligent fixed assets in total net fixed assets, and (iii) human capital upgrading through a larger proportion of highly educated employees. Interaction models further indicate that financing constraints critically condition these gains: the productivity effect of green supply chain pressure is stronger for firms with greater financial slack, and for high-tech, green-attribute and larger firms. Overall, the results highlight supply chain-based governance as a powerful complement to formal regulation for promoting long-run economic sustainability at the firm level. Full article

Aquaculture digitalization is increasingly regarded as a crucial pathway to improving productivity, sustainability, and resilience in the fisheries sector. Policy instruments intended to foster this digital transformation—such as substantial subsidies and stringent regulatory mandates—often face constraints stemming from fiscal limitations, administrative burdens, and implementation inefficiencies. Behavioral interventions (nudges) represent a potentially effective and less resource-intensive alternative, yet their capacity—individually or in conjunction with moderate subsidies and regulatory measures—to foster aquaculture digitalization remains empirically underexplored. Drawing on survey data from 254 fish farmers in the lower Yangtze River region and employing a combination of principal component analysis (PCA), ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and Gradient Boosted Trees (GBT) techniques, this study finds that: (1) Social nudging has a robust and consistent positive effect on digital transformation; (2) The effects of subsidies and regulations are heterogeneous and context-dependent; (3) The negative interactions between nudging and constraints, as well as between nudging and subsidies, are context-dependent and tend to inhibit digital transformation; (4) Policy effects display marked heterogeneity across different contexts, particularly with respect to sales channels, external pressures, producers’ transformation capabilities, and the scale of aquaculture operations. These findings deepen the understanding of how behavioral and structural policies interact in agricultural digitalization, emphasizing that effective policy should combine financial and regulatory measures with efforts to strengthen farmers’ digital awareness and behavioral adaptability. Full article

Sustainable development represents a fundamental pathway for advancing high-quality economic and social transformation. Taking China’s Sustainable Development Agenda Pilot Zones Policy as a quasi-natural experiment and drawing on data from A-share listed firms from 2013 to 2022, this study constructs a difference-in-differences model to systematically assess the policy’s impact on corporate green development and the underlying mechanisms. The empirical results indicate that the policy significantly improves corporate green development and that entrepreneurial green attention exerts a significant positive moderating effect. The mechanism analysis shows that improvements in the digital–real integration, the strengthening of regional green innovation capability, and increases in media attention constitute the primary channels through which the policy takes effect. The heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the policy impact is more pronounced among non-state-owned enterprises, firms in non-heavily polluting industries, regions oriented toward modern urban development, and cities with higher levels of governmental environmental concern. Additional analyses suggest that, while fostering green development, the policy is also associated with a greater tendency toward inflation in green invention patents and a decline in the quality of environmental information disclosure. These findings deepen the understanding of the micro-level effects of differentiated environmental regulation and provide empirical evidence for improving the green governance system and promoting high-quality development in China. Full article

This study employs Gaussian kernel principal component analysis to construct a composite indicator of environmental behavior willingness from nine dimensions. Using multiple categorical ordered linear regression models and their interaction models, it examines the differential influence mechanisms of social strata (economic status, education, social prestige) and environmental perception from gender, inter-provincial, and regional perspectives. Key empirical findings are the following: (1) Environmental willingness formed within the same social stratum based on shared perception levels shows consistent characteristics, with no significant gender differences observed. (2) Higher education deepens understanding of environmental policies, promoting the shift from awareness to willingness. However, it also enhances recognition of environmental complexity, which may foster a situational sense of powerlessness, often channeled into systemic advocacy rather than the belief that individual actions are insignificant. (3) Regional disparities are evident. For example, the perception of air pollution positively correlates with willingness in Hebei and Jiangsu but negatively in Beijing and Liaoning. (4) The middle social stratum in eastern and central regions shows more stimulable environmental willingness, contributing to sustainable regional environmental engagement. Conversely, in the western region, improving the economic status of lower- and middle-stratum residents is key to significantly enhancing the sustainability of overall regional willingness. This study reveals the varied drivers of environmental willingness by integrating multidimensional indicators and a social-class perspective, highlighting the regional role of environmental perception and advancing theory on socio-cognitive interactions in environmental sociology. Practically, it provides evidence for differentiated policy design, suggesting tailored incentives across social strata and regions, including measures to address “action paralysis” among the highly educated and to combine economic support in western China for fostering sustainable public environmental participation. Full article

Rapid advances in digital technologies are reshaping value creation and the trade landscape of global financial services, yet the channels through which they influence the spatial evolution of financial services global value chains (GVCs) remain insufficiently identified. Using a global panel of 52 countries over 2013–2021, we estimate a dynamic Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to identify overall effects and quantify spatial spillovers and temporal dynamics. We then combine Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) with spatial mediation models to examine heterogeneity and underlying mechanisms. Our findings show that digital technology significantly drives the spatial evolution of financial services GVCs. Its influence is dominated by spatial diffusion, exhibiting a dynamic pattern of a strong short-run boost followed by long-run reallocation. This dynamic effect is not homogeneous; rather, it reflects a pronounced dual-driver structure: the momentum is more robust when human capital and R&D output reinforce each other, whereas increases in innovation level alone are unlikely to translate into sustained impetus for spatial restructuring. Crucially, digital technologies reshape GVC geography through three core channels: attenuating distance decay, strengthening spatial proximity, and amplifying spatial heterogeneity. These forces deepen the domestic diffusion of knowledge, capital, and technology and extend their spillovers to neighboring and connected economies. The results provide robust empirical evidence on financial geography in the digital era and have clear implications for policies that facilitate cross-border financial services and strengthen regional coordination in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 8 (financial inclusion) and SDG 10 (global financial governance). Full article

In the era of the ‘Internet of Everything’ and amid growing demands for high-quality economic development, public data has emerged as a new core factor of production, establishing itself as a pivotal force behind regional economic growth. However, existing research rarely clarifies the multi-dimensional impact and influence mechanism of public data openness on regional development, and there are still deficiencies in the research on transforming the advantages of data elements into sustainable economic driving forces. This study, in conjunction with the interpretation of data elements, employed a fixed-effects model to empirically investigate the impact and path of public data opening on the high-quality development of regional economies, using panel data from 31 provincial regions in China from 2017 to 2024. Empirical findings provide clear evidence that public data openness acts as a significant catalyst for high-quality economic development, thereby solidifying its role as an indispensable engine for sustainable growth in the digital era. Analysis of the underlying mechanisms reveals two primary channels: business environment optimization and improved factor allocation efficiency, with the latter proving to be the more significant driver. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effects are most pronounced in fostering economic structural optimization, advancing the low-carbon environment and expanding shared public welfare, while their influence on innovation dynamism remains comparatively modest. The research results support the government in increasing the openness of public data, establishing and improving a data opening mechanism oriented towards the business environment, and deepening the integration and application of data to enhance the efficiency of factor allocation. Full article

As an emerging sports tourism event, Guizhou’s “Village Super League” injects new vitality into the optimization of human–land relationships and the development of household livelihoods in traditional villages of ethnic mountainous regions. Studying five affected traditional tourism villages from an “event–actor–capital” perspective using mixed methods, this research finds the following: (1) The composite average score of household livelihood capital is 0.3177, indicating a medium–low level, which suggests that households’ livelihood structure still requires significant enhancement despite the tourism boost from the “Village Super League”. (2) There is an imbalance in development among the villages. The livelihoods of households under the influence of the “Village Super League” exhibit distinct characteristics, being “driven by external flows, led by social capital, supported by the material foundation, and coordinated with other forms of capital.” (3) The evolution of household livelihoods follows a pathway of “event-driven supplementation, endogenous renewal of actors, capital integration and synergy.” By constructing shared event memory markers, the livelihoods of villages at different stages of tourism development demonstrate differentiated dynamic mechanisms. The findings deepen the theoretical understanding of livelihoods in traditional villages under event-driven development. Consequently, this study recommends that policymakers and community stewards channel transient social capital and external flows into durable physical and financial assets to ensure livelihood sustainability beyond the initial event boom. Full article

Climate volatility and market uncertainty pose significant challenges to agricultural stability. We assess whether and how agricultural industrial agglomeration shapes China’s agricultural economic resilience using province-level panel data for 2003–2023 and a transparent, entropy-weighted index spanning resistance, recovery, and adaptability. Four results stand out. First, in a two-way fixed-effects model, agglomeration is associated with higher resilience on average, and this finding remains robust across multiple robustness tests and after addressing endogeneity concerns. Second, regional subgroup analyses reveal pronounced heterogeneity, providing evidence for geographically targeted policy design. Third, mechanism analysis reveals that the agricultural research intensity serves as a partial mediator between agglomeration and resilience. Fourth, the agglomeration-resilience relationship is nonlinear—N-shaped in the aggregate, while panel quantile regressions reveal an inverted-U among low-resilience provinces and an N-shaped pattern at the median and upper end of the distribution. In an extension, global Moran’s I statistics for three alternative resilience indices reveal significant positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating that agricultural economic resilience tends to cluster geographically and that spatial spillovers are likely to be present. In conclusion, agglomeration is a net enhancer of agricultural economic resilience, but its payoffs are agglomeration- and distribution-dependent: gains taper or reverse around the mid-range for low-resilience provinces, while the median and upper segments benefit again as specialization deepens, in a setting where resilience itself is spatially clustered. Reinforcing the research channel and tailoring actions to local resilience levels are therefore pivotal. Full article

Ion channels are protein pores that regulate ionic flow across cell membranes, enabling vital processes such as nerve signaling. They often conduct multiple ionic species simultaneously, leading to complex nonlinear transport phenomena. Because experimental techniques provide only indirect measurements of ion channel currents, mathematical models—particularly Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) equations—are indispensable for analyzing the underlying transport mechanisms. In this work, we examine ionic transport through a one-dimensional steady-state PNP model of a narrow membrane channel containing multiple cation species of different valences. The model incorporates a small fixed charge distribution along the channel and imposes relaxed electroneutrality boundary conditions, allowing for a slight charge imbalance in the baths. Using singular perturbation analysis, we first derive approximate solutions that capture the boundary-layer structure at the channel—reservoir interfaces. We then perform a regular perturbation expansion around the neutral reference state (zero fixed charge with electroneutral boundary conditions) to obtain explicit formulas for the steady-state ion fluxes in terms of the system parameters. Through this analytical approach, we identify several critical applied potential values—denoted $V_k^a$ (for each cation species k), $V^b$, and $V^c$—that delineate distinct transport regimes. These critical potentials govern the sign of the fixed charge’s influence on each ion’s flux: depending on whether the applied voltage lies below or above these thresholds, a small positive permanent charge will either enhance or reduce the flux of each ion species. Our findings thus characterize how a nominal fixed charge can nonlinearly modulate multi-ion currents. This insight deepens the theoretical understanding of nonlinear ion transport in channels and may inform the interpretation of current–voltage relations, rectification effects, and selective ionic conduction in multi-ion channel experiments. Full article

Macroprudential policy, as an important instrument for counter-cyclical regulation, plays a crucial role in enhancing urban economic resilience. Based on this, this paper empirically examines the influence of macroprudential policy on urban economic resilience and its optimization paths using data from 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2023. The research findings indicate that macroprudential policy significantly enhances urban economic resilience, and the conclusion still holds after various robustness tests. Further analysis reveals that the main transmission channels include stimulating digital finance development, promoting industrial structure upgrading, and deepening regional integration. Notably, this effect is particularly pronounced in smart cities, big data pilot zones, and cities with less fiscal pressure. Additionally, the test results of spatial spillover effects show that the direct effect of macroprudential policy on the economic resilience of cities is relatively significant, while the indirect effect is relatively weak. Finally, empirical tests have proved that the improvement of urban economic resilience can further drive regional innovation capability. This study provides empirical support and theoretical references for improving China’s “dual-pillar” regulatory framework and enhancing urban economic resilience. Full article

The shallow-water delta-front reservoir in Member II of the Oligocene Dongying Formation (Ed2), located in an oilfield within the Bohai Bay Basin, is a large-scale composite sedimentary system dominated by subaqueous distributary channels and mouth bars. Within this system, reservoir sand bodies exhibit significant thickness, complex internal architecture, poor injection–production correspondence during development, and an ambiguous understanding of remaining oil distribution. To enhance late-stage development efficiency, it is imperative to deepen the understanding of the genesis and evolution of the subaqueous distributary channel–mouth bar system, analyze the internal reservoir architecture, and clarify sand body connectivity relationships. Based on sedimentary physical modeling experiments, integrated with core, well logging, and seismic data, this study systematically reveals the architectural characteristics and spatial stacking patterns of the mouth bar reservoirs using Miall’s architectural element analysis method. The results indicate that the study area is dominated by sand-rich, shallow-water delta front deposits, which display a predominantly coarsening-upward character. The main reservoir units are mouth bar sand bodies (accounting for 30%), with a vertical stacking thickness ranging from 3 to 20 m, and they exhibit lobate distribution patterns in plan view. Sedimentary physical modeling reveals the formation mechanism and stacking patterns of these sand-rich, thick sand bodies. Upon entering the lake, the main distributary channel unloads its sediment, forming accretionary bodies. The main channel then bifurcates, and a new main channel forms in the subsequent unit, which transports sediment away and initiates a new phase of deposition. Multi-phase deposition ultimately builds large-scale lobate complexes composed of channel–mouth bar assemblages. These complexes exhibit internal architectural styles, including channel–channel splicing, channel–bar splicing, and bar–bar splicing. Reservoir architecture analysis demonstrates that an individual distributary channel governs the formation of an individual lobe, whereas multiple distributary channels control the development of composite lobes. These lobes are laterally spliced and vertically superimposed, exhibiting a multi-phase progradational stacking pattern. Dynamic production data analysis validates the reliability of this reservoir architecture classification. This research elucidates the genetic mechanisms of thick sand bodies in delta fronts and establishes a region-specific reservoir architecture model. This study clarifies the spatial distribution of mudstone interlayers and preferential flow pathways within the composite sand bodies. It provides a geological basis for optimizing injection–production strategies and targeting residual oil during the ultra-high water-cut stage. The findings offer critical guidance for the efficient development of shallow-water delta front reservoirs. Full article

The rapid advancement of digital finance profoundly impacts urban development by expanding and deepening financial services for the real economy, with significant ecological and economic implications. This study hypothesizes that digital finance significantly enhances urban green development by simultaneously promoting ecological and economic objectives. To test this hypothesis, we investigate the influence of digital finance on urban green development from theoretical and empirical perspectives. Utilizing panel data from 265 prefecture-level and above cities in China (2011–2023), we comprehensively analyze the impact, underlying mechanisms, and the moderating role of environmental policies. Empirical results confirm our main hypothesis: digital finance significantly enhances urban green development. Robustness checks, including variable substitution, difference-in-differences, and instrumental variable estimations, confirm the results’ stability. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive effect is more pronounced in peripheral cities (vs. core cities), central and western regions (vs. eastern region), and resource-based cities (vs. non-resource-based), highlighting digital finance’s role in mitigating regional development imbalances. Mechanism analysis indicates that green technology innovation is the primary channel through which digital finance fosters green development. Furthermore, the beneficial impact of digital finance is significantly amplified in cities with stringent environmental regulations, underscoring the critical importance of well-designed environmental policy. Overall, the evidence robustly supports the hypothesis that digital finance promotes urban green development. This research provides robust empirical evidence and valuable policy insights for leveraging digital finance to advance sustainable urban development. Full article

Improving green total factor productivity (GTFP) is critical for balancing economic benefits and ecological constraints. While most existing studies emphasize the pivotal role of governments in GTFP enhancement, they predominantly treat governments as homogeneous entities, overlooking the fundamental premise of local government attention allocation. Analyzing 2010–2020 data from 285 Chinese cities, this study reveals that increased local government green attention significantly stimulates GTFP through three channels: fostering green technology collaboration among firms, deepening green involvement of public research institutions, and elevating green innovation quality. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate amplified effects in cities characterized by intense intergovernmental competition, stringent intellectual property protection, robust fiscal capacity, and advanced technological infrastructure, but attenuated impacts in resource-dependent regions with heavy reliance on extractive industries. Full article

Tidal inlets regulate the exchange of water and sediment between the open sea and adjacent basins. In many locations, engineering interventions combined with coastal protections and polders have intensified erosion and scouring. This study reports on a three-year monitoring program following the implementation of a Nature-based Solution (NbS) at a previous engineering tidal inlet in the Zwin, located along the Belgian–Dutch coast. In 2019, large-scale modifications to the intertidal zone and the opening of a dyke doubled the surface area of the tidal inlet and its associated tidal marsh. Results revealed rapid and substantial morphological adjustments: the main channel deepened, widened, and migrated eastward. Sediment balance analyses showed stability at the inlet entrance but material loss further inland. Tidal prism and cross-sectional measurements indicated a fourfold increase in tidal prism immediately after NbS implementation, triggering strong channel responses. Within a year, the channel cross-sectional area reached a new equilibrium, which remained stable in the following years. These patterns highlight active sediment transport driven by coupled hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes. Using an extensive data set, a conceptual model is presented to illustrate how the NbS influenced tidal inlet dynamics through the interaction of flow and sedimentation processes. Full article

Against the backdrop of accelerating global urbanization and intensifying ecological pressures, investigating the relationship between urbanization levels and ecological resilience in resource-based cities has become crucial for nations striving to achieve both sustainable development and ecological conservation. Utilizing panel data from 114 resource-based cities in China between 2010 and 2023, this study innovatively employs a composite nighttime light index to measure urbanization levels and constructs a comprehensive ecological resilience index using the entropy method. By applying a double machine learning model, this study thoroughly examines the impact, mechanisms, and heterogeneity of urbanization on ecological resilience in these cities. The findings reveal a gradual increase in ecological resilience among China’s resource-based cities, with the majority reaching high resilience levels by 2023. Spatial aggregation centers are identified in eastern China, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. Moreover, urbanization demonstrates a significant positive correlation with ecological resilience, a conclusion reinforced through robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that industrial structure upgrading, green technology innovation, and energy efficiency improvement serve as key transmission channels. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that urbanization exerts a more pronounced effect on enhancing ecological resilience in regenerative resource-based cities as well as those located in eastern and central regions, while its impact is relatively weaker in declining resource-based cities and those in western and northeastern regions. Finally, this study proposes policy recommendations focusing on advancing industrial structure sophistication, constructing a green technology innovation ecosystem, implementing an energy efficiency enhancement initiative, deepening region-specific governance, and adopting targeted policy interventions. These findings provide theoretical support for precise policy formulation in resource-based cities and contribute to advancing academic understanding of the relationship between sustainable development and ecological resilience in such regions. Full article