Search Results (298)

In pursuit of global climate goals and sustainable development, countries have adopted a wide range of environmental policy instruments. This study examines the relationship between environmental policy stringency (EPS) and environmental outcomes, measured by carbon intensity (CI) and renewable energy intensity (REI), in 16 G20 countries from 1990 to 2020. The empirical findings reveal that more stringent environmental policy is a significant predictor of reduced CI and increased REI, although effects vary by policy type, time horizon, and country group. A novel sub-index-level analysis reveals that market-based incentive instruments, particularly trading schemes on CO₂ emissions and renewable energy, as well as technology support instruments, particularly wind and solar initiatives, exhibit the strongest and most robust effects. Emerging economies generally display greater responsiveness to policy interventions than advanced economies. By identifying which specific policy instruments are most effective across different development contexts, this study provides actionable insights for designing targeted climate policies that support both energy transition and sustainable development pathways. Full article

Green finance is increasingly recognized as an important instrument for improving sustainable development. Existing research has focused on green finance’s impact on corporate environmental performance, failing to account for the complex regional mechanisms that shape its contribution to systemic sustainability. This study fills the gaps by examining the mechanism and spatial heterogeneity of green finance’s influences on regional sustainability measured by environmental performance. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces during 2010–2022, it shows that green finance increased from 0.318 to 0.539, while environmental performance improved from 0.441 to 0.656. The empirical evidence demonstrates that green finance has a robust positive effect on environmental performance, acting as an effective tool for environmental governance. This impact is primarily channeled through technological innovation and green consumption, with environmental regulation providing a synergistic moderating role. Furthermore, significant regional heterogeneity in sustainability outcomes is observed, while the effect is strongest in eastern China, unstable or negligible in old industrial bases, and unexpectedly negative in ecologically fragile Northwest China. The disparities are attributed to variations in local economic structure, institutional capacity, and development stage. Corresponding policy recommendations include improving the institutional framework, channeling financial resources to green technology R&D and sustainable consumption incentives, integrating green finance with environmental policies, and implementing region-specific strategies. This study offers practical benchmarks for China and other developing economies to leverage green finance as a driver of sustainable development. Full article

Worldwide the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is recognized as a key strategy for reducing transport-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a major contributor to global warming and climate change. The objective of this pilot study is to examine the key variables that might have influenced electric vehicle (EV) purchase decisions among current EV owners and how they are aligned or different for the prospective EV owners in North Carolina (NC). By adopting a web-based survey for data collection, the study specifically aims to identify economic, demographic, environmental, and commuting behaviors, along with existing government policies and incentives that might motivate consumer choices regarding EV adoption. Most existing EV owners who participated in the survey identified themselves as college-educated White men with USD 100 K or higher income, have more than two cars, commute more than 30 min, and live in single-family homes with EV charging. In contrast, among non-EV owners who plan to adopt an EV within the next three years, a significant proportion are non-White, women, and earn USD 50,000 or less annually. While home charging is important to both current EV owners and non-EV owners, EV incentive policies and proximity to public changing stations are found to be more important to non-EV owners’ decision to adopt EVs. A reasonable conclusion from this research is that expanding EV-friendly policies, incentives, and infrastructure will encourage first-time EV ownership in NC while providing deeper insights into the dynamics of sociodemographic among both EV owners and non-EV owners. Full article

This study systematically examines the policy and technological pathways for the sustainable development of China’s 3D printing industry under the “Dual Carbon” goals. A three-dimensional sustainability framework is developed, integrating resource efficiency, environmental performance, and socio-economic value. Based on this framework, the study conducts a full-process analysis covering design, material preparation, manufacturing, post-processing, use, and recycling stages. The analysis identifies key carbon-reduction mechanisms of 3D printing, including material savings, reduced energy consumption, lightweight-enabled emission reduction, and distributed manufacturing. A comparative analysis of China, the European Union, and the United States reveals major constraints in China’s 3D printing sector, particularly in top-level policy design, standardization systems, legal frameworks, industrial coordination, and low-carbon core technologies. Based on these findings, the study proposes a dual-driven development pathway integrating policy optimization and technological innovation. From an institutional perspective, this pathway emphasizes green policy incentives, including strategic planning, standard setting, green finance, and collaborative governance. From a technological perspective, it highlights the importance of low-carbon material development, refined energy-efficiency management, life-cycle carbon accounting platforms, and value creation across the product life cycle. Overall, the study demonstrates that effective policy–technology synergy is essential for transforming theoretical carbon-reduction potential into scalable and practical outcomes, providing a systematic analytical framework for academic research and actionable guidance for policymakers and industry stakeholders. Full article

In the face of increasingly severe global environmental challenges, corporate environmental information disclosure (CEID) has become a critical link connecting national ecological governance goals with firms’ green development practices. From the perspective of green signaling, this study examines whether government environmental concerns (GEC) in China incentivize CEID and the mechanisms underlying this effect. We theoretically elaborate the transmission pathways and moderating effects of GEC, and measure GEC and CEID indicators using text analysis of local government work reports and corporate annual reports. Based on a series of empirical tests on Chinese A-share listed firms from 2008 to 2023, we find that: (1) GEC can significantly enhance CEID by attracting green investors and fostering greater media scrutiny. (2) Green technological innovation exhibits a masking effect, which reveals a counterintuitive mechanism whereby stringent environmental regulation may divert innovation resources toward pollution control investments. (3) The impact of GEC is positively moderated by external volatility such as climate policy and market uncertainty and internal capabilities such as firms’ digital transformation. (4) Further heterogeneity analysis shows that GEC has a more significant impact on non-state-owned enterprises, enterprises in heavily polluting industries, and those in the mature or declining stage. This study provides a new theoretical lens for understanding the dynamic interplay between institutional pressure and corporate behavioral responses, and offers empirical insights for calibrating the intensity of GEC to maximize incentives for firms to engage in sustainable practices. Full article

This study investigates the environmental and economic dynamics of sustainable aviation through the perspectives of senior executives in Türkiye’s civil aviation sector. As global aviation continues to face increasing pressure to decarbonize, understanding how industry leaders perceive and respond to carbon emission challenges is critical. The research employs a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with ten executives across airlines, airports, and aviation authorities. Using Python-based data mining techniques and thematic analysis, three core themes emerged: (1) sustainable aviation experience and economic dimensions; (2) carbon emissions reduction and efficient aviation systems; (3) sustainable energy and alternative fuel technologies. Findings reveal that while environmental sustainability is a growing concern, operational costs, technological constraints, and regulatory uncertainties significantly influence implementation. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of coordinated action among governments, industry, and international organizations, especially in scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and enhancing infrastructure for electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft. The study concludes that achieving net-zero aviation by 2050 requires an integrated approach that balances technological innovation, policy incentives, and stakeholder engagement. This multidimensional insight contributes to the ongoing discourse on low-carbon transition strategies in aviation, offering policy-relevant implications for developing countries. Full article

Seabed mining has gained widespread attention under the blue economy concept, offering economic opportunities while posing significant environmental risks. In Sri Lanka, where mining of seabed resources is growing, understanding public perceptions and preferences for seabed conservation remain crucial to ensure sustainable resource management. This study, therefore, represents the first empirical assessment of public preference and Willingness to Pay (WTP) for seabed conservation in Sri Lanka. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE)-based approach was employed to assess public preferences for seabed conservation. Data were collected from 630 respondents across Sri Lanka using a pre-tested self-administered structured survey. The analysis employed Conditional Logit (CL) and Random Parameter Logit (RPL) models to estimate preference heterogeneity and attribute trade-offs. The findings of the study reported strong public support, with a WTP of Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) 3532 per household per year for seabed conservation. Younger, well-educated individuals demonstrated a significantly higher preference for seabed conservation. Biodiversity loss (66.9%), physical damage to seabed (40.7%) and exploitation of natural resources (17.8%) were recognized as major consequences of sea bed mining, highlighting the need for stringent regulatory frameworks (34%) and public engagement (44%) in sustainable seabed conservation. The RPL model revealed significant preference heterogeneity for key attributes. A significant positive preference for a 30% reduction in mineral extraction (coefficient = 0.894, p < 0.05) reinforces public preference for stricter extraction limits. A 25% reduction for biodiversity and habitat destruction (coefficient = 0.010, p < 0.05) reflects public concern for seabed conservation in the context of ongoing marine resource related economic development activities. These results underscore the importance of integrating economic valuation into seabed conservation policies, ensuring that seabed mining activities align with sustainability goals. The study suggests targeted awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and inclusive policymaking to bridge socio-economic disparities and foster long-term public support for seabed conservation. These insights provide a critical foundation for policymakers to develop balanced approaches that promote economic benefits, while safeguarding marine ecosystems within Sri Lanka’s blue economy framework. 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

This paper links the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of “Affordable and Clean Energy” (nr. 7) to “Partnerships” (nr. 17). These partnerships refer to stakeholders’ participation in renewable energy networks. Given that renewable energy is environmentally superior to fossil fuels and the participatory approaches foster well-being, this paper addresses economic sustainability. Therefore, the costs and benefits of electric power on the grid are compared to the distributed power networks in the EU, the USA, and India. Firstly, the present (dis)incentives for distributed energy networks are identified, concerning power generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption on the grid. Second, the costs of mini-grids and microgrids are assessed based on the existing literature. Thirdly, the benefits of such networks for individual and collective interests of producers and consumers of power are indicated. Although these partnerships are often as yet costly, incorporating those benefits into electricity prices enables price parity with the grid. Policies that pursue those benefits foster the realization of SDGs and improve the balance on the grid. Full article

Amid intensifying challenges of global climate change, China—as the world’s largest carbon emitter and a major manufacturing hub—occupies a pivotal position in the global industrial green transformation. Drawing on environmental federalism theory and China’s decentralized governance model, this study develops a framework of “green finance–local government competition–industrial green transformation.” Using panel data from 283 cities in China, we employ spatial econometrics and mediation effect models to test the dual mechanisms by which green finance promotes industrial green transformation. The findings indicate that (1) green finance promotes industrial green transformation; (2) green finance advances industrial green transformation by dismantling China’s traditional local government competition–based development model and removing the institutional suppression arising from “race-to-the-bottom competition”; (3) the effect of green finance exhibits long-run characteristics and a “benchmark–imitation” pattern; (4) baseline environmental conditions strengthen the influence of green finance on industrial green transformation; (5) incorporating ecological civilization development into officials’ performance evaluations can effectively reshape policy incentives and amplify the positive role of green finance. Thus, we propose differentiated green finance policies, the construction of a governance mechanism that integrates fiscal–financial–ecological compensation, and the optimization of ecological civilization assessment indicators to curb campaign-style governance. Full article

The growing environmental challenges and the urgent need for an accelerated energy transition have intensified the European Union’s efforts to expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This study estimates the impact of selected socioeconomic, political, and technological factors on the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. This issue is of key relevance for EU energy and climate policy, particularly in the context of the ongoing transformation processes in Central and Eastern European (CEE) Member States. The analysis covers eleven CEE countries—Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, and Slovenia—over the years 2004–2023. Using panel data models in both static (fixed effects) and dynamic specifications, the study identifies the determinants of renewable energy development and captures inertia effects. The results reveal strong links between energy security and renewable energy deployment, where the pursuit of greater self-sufficiency often slows the expansion of renewable energy. Countries with high greenhouse gas emissions also show limited incentives to accelerate renewable energy integration. Based on the findings, this study proposes policy recommendations aimed at enhancing energy efficiency, strengthening energy security, and supporting the long-term sustainable growth of renewable energy in the region. Full article

The global shift toward sustainable transport electric vehicles (EVs) is at the core of decarbonization efforts. While advanced economies have achieved their rapid adoption through strong policies and incentives, emerging markets face structural and behavioral barriers. This study investigates the paradox in Morocco, whereby a significant automotive capacity contrasts with a minimal domestic BEV market share of 0.6%, despite 143% growth from a small base, using a four-dimensional framework encompassing financial, infrastructural and energy, policy and institutional, and behavioral–social factors. The research integrates a literature review, a survey (n = 522), and secondary data on charging infrastructure and EV sales. Findings reveal a strong value–action gap: 69% of respondents acknowledged EVs’ environmental benefits yet only 1.1% owned one and 42% had considered buying. The high upfront costs of EVs influenced over 70% of participants, and a significant association was confirmed between charging availability and purchase intent (χ² = 34.80, p < 0.05). Urban-centric charging, fragmented governance, and skepticism persist as barriers. The study concludes that industrial strength alone cannot ensure adoption without targeted incentives, equitable infrastructure, and cultural shifts in ownership perception, offering key insights for policymakers in emerging economies pursuing sustainable mobility. Full article

Urban inefficient land redevelopment (UILR) is crucial for sustainable urban development, yet its progress is driven by the interplay of multiple factors. To systematically uncover the driving mechanisms and dynamic patterns of these factors, an integrated analytical approach combining Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) is developed in this study. Based on 222 valid survey responses from professionals across eight cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta region, five key factors are identified within the “drivers–pressure–enablers” conceptual framework: economic incentives, environmental objectives, social needs, policy guidance, and implementation conditions. SEM is first employed to examine static causal relationships, and the quantified pathway effects are subsequently incorporated into an FCM model to simulate the long-term evolution. The results reveal the following: (i) All five factors exert significant direct effects, with economic incentives, environmental objectives, and policy guidance also demonstrating notable indirect effects. (ii) The factors exhibit distinct temporal characteristics: policy guidance acts as a “fast variable” enabling short-term breakthroughs; economic incentives serve as a “strong variable” driving medium-term progress; and social needs function as a “slow variable” with long-term benefits. (iii) Policy guidance is essential, as its absence leads to persistently low effectiveness, while its synergy with implementation conditions can achieve satisfactory performance even without economic incentives. The combined SEM–FCM approach validates static hypotheses and simulates dynamic scenarios, offering a new perspective for analyzing complex driving mechanisms of UILR and providing practical insights for targeted redevelopment strategy design. Full article

With the growing global reliance on marine resources, issues pertaining to the marine environment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-integrated development of the marine economy have gained worldwide attention. This study employs the synthetic control method (SCM) and difference-in-differences (DID) approach to assess the impact of three heterogeneous types of marine environmental regulations—market incentives, command-and-control, and public participation—on the SDGs-integrated development of the marine economy. Special focus is placed on the detailed mechanisms through which these regulatory approaches influence five key dimensions of the SDGs-integrated development of the marine economy. Overall, the results show that market incentive regulation has a significant positive effect on the SDGs-integrated development of the marine economy. In contrast, command-and-control and public participation regulations demonstrate varying degrees of inhibitory influence. Examining the five dimensions of SDGs-integrated development, innovation-driven development, industrial coordination, green construction, open cooperation, and the sharing of livelihoods, market incentive regulation promotes innovation-driven and open cooperation dimensions while inhibiting industrial coordination, green construction, and the sharing of livelihoods. command-and-control regulation positively promotes people’s sharing of livelihoods but negatively impacts the other four dimensions, with the strongest inhibitory effect on the innovation-driven dimension. Public participation regulations inhibit innovation-driven development and the sharing of livelihoods, with the most pronounced suppression observed in innovation-driven development. Conversely, they promote industrial coordination, green construction, and open cooperation. Based on these findings, this paper proposes a series of policy recommendations aimed at achieving coordinated integration between marine ecological governance and SDGs-integrated development of the marine economy. Full article

The ship recycling industry in Bangladesh has transformed from informal, beaching-based operations into a globally significant sector, representing over 45% of global recycling tonnage and providing essential raw materials and employment opportunities. This study adopts a mixed-methods design, combining secondary data analysis (2014–2024 gross tonnage records), over 500 stakeholder interviews, and ARIMA-based scenario forecasting up to 2050. The findings indicate that the sector contributes approximately USD 2.1 billion annually to the national economy and supports more than 250,000 direct and indirect jobs. Despite its economic significance, major compliance gaps persist with the Hong Kong International Convention (HKC): only about 52% of yards are certified or in the process of certification. Workplace accident rates remain roughly 30% higher than regional averages, while environmental assessments reveal elevated heavy metal concentrations in soil and water, underscoring weak regulatory enforcement and environmental management. Comparative analysis shows that India has successfully modernized over 120 HKC-compliant yards through targeted policy and financial incentives, whereas Pakistan is rapidly upgrading its Gadani facilities through major investment programs. Forecasting results identify three trajectories: a baseline of ~2.7 million GT annually to 2050, an optimistic expansion to ~5 million GT with green reforms, and a pessimistic decline below 2 million GT if progress stagnates. To ensure sustainable advancement, five strategic policy pillars are proposed, offering an evidence-based roadmap for Bangladesh to achieve safe, environmentally sound, and globally competitive ship recycling. Full article