Search Results (59)

This study intends to portray how varying degrees of environmental policy stringency and the growing pressure of global competition reflect on high-tech (HT) sectors’ cost rationalization strategies and lead to environmental consequences in 15 G20 countries (1992–2019). Moreover, we center the pattern of cost rationalization management regarding the opportunity cost of ecosystem service consumption and propose to test the fundamental hypothesis stating the possible transmission of competition-induced technological innovations to green economic transformation. Our new methodology estimates quantile-specific effects with MM-QR, while identifying the main interaction effects between regulatory pressure and trade competition uses an extended STIRPAT model. The results reveal a paradoxical finding: despite higher environmental policy stringency and opportunity costs of ecosystem services, HT sectors persistently adopt environmentally detrimental cost-reduction approaches. These findings carry important policy implications: (1) environmental regulations for HT sectors require complementary innovation subsidies, (2) trade agreements should incorporate clean technology transfer clauses, and (3) governments must monitor sectoral emission leakage risks. Our dual machine learning–econometric approach provides policymakers with targeted insights for different emission scenarios, highlighting the need for differentiated strategies across clean and polluting HT subsectors. Full article

Lignin, the most abundant renewable aromatic biopolymer on Earth, is rapidly emerging as a powerful enabler of next-generation sustainable technologies. This review shifts the focus to the latest industrial breakthroughs that exploit lignin’s multifunctional properties across energy, agriculture, healthcare, and environmental sectors. Lignin-derived carbon materials are offering scalable, low-cost alternatives to critical raw materials in batteries and supercapacitors. In agriculture, lignin-based biostimulants and controlled-release fertilizers support resilient, low-impact food systems. Cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries are leveraging lignin’s antioxidant, UV-protective, and antimicrobial properties to create bio-based, clean-label products. In water purification, lignin-based adsorbents are enabling efficient and biodegradable solutions for persistent pollutants. These technological leaps are not merely incremental, they represent a paradigm shift toward a materials economy powered by renewable carbon. Backed by global sustainability roadmaps like the European Green Deal and China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, lignin is moving from industrial residue to strategic asset, driven by unprecedented investment and cross-sector collaboration. Breakthroughs in lignin upgrading, smart formulation, and application-driven design are dismantling long-standing barriers to scale, performance, and standardization. As showcased in this review, lignin is no longer just a promising biopolymer, it is a catalytic force accelerating the global transition toward circularity, climate resilience, and green industrial transformation. The future of sustainable innovation is lignin-enabled. Full article

Since its development in 1904, radical prostatectomy (RP) has remained a fundamental surgical option in the management of localised prostate cancer. Over time, continuous advancements in surgical techniques have improved oncological outcomes while reducing functional complications. This narrative review explores the evolution of RP, depicting its progression from the traditional open approach to minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques. Key developments in RP techniques, including nerve-sparing, bladder neck-sparing and Retzius-sparing techniques as well as enhanced perioperative management, have contributed to reduced postoperative complications, namely incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Additionally, technological innovations such as augmented reality, utilising indocyanine green for improved visualisation of prostatic boundaries and illuminare-1 to easily identify nerves intraoperatively, artificial intelligence, and novel molecular imaging technologies such as PSMA PETs for improved margin assessment are shaping the future of RPs. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including a steep learning curve associated with newer techniques, disparities in access due to cost considerations, and a lack of standardised outcome measures across different surgical approaches. This review provides insight into current trends, ongoing challenges, and future directions that may further refine surgical precision, enhance patient safety, and improve long-term treatment success in prostate cancer management. Full article

As critical zones for ecological conservation, national parks necessitate integrated management of transportation corridors (TCs) and ecosystem service value (ESV) to advance ecological civilisation. This study investigates the TC-ESV mutual construction mechanism in the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP). This research employs the TOPSIS method to measure the development level of TCs, applies the equivalent factor method to calculate the ESV, and uses a coupling coordination model and local spatial autocorrelation analysis to evaluate their interaction patterns. The results show that TC development in the GPNP has been increasing, accompanied by a significant rise in ESV. A coupling coordination relationship exists between TCs and ESV, with notable spatial differentiation. TCs not only increase the market ESV by reducing distribution costs and facilitating the outward flow of ESV, they also improve the accessibility of national parks, promote ecotourism and cultural services, facilitate the movement of people and the exchange of knowledge, and enhance the ability of local populations and migrants to realise the ESV in the long term. However, challenges persist, including ESV conversion difficulties and TC construction’s potential impacts on ESV realisation. Therefore, we propose optimised green transport corridors and differentiated ecological compensation mechanisms, and by analysing the interaction between them, the innovation of this paper is to provide an innovative framework for sustainable spatial governance of ESV conversion and TC development in national parks, enriching the interdisciplinary approach. Full article

China leads global carp aquaculture (farming of species within the family Cyprinidae), producing 20 million tons annually in a sector shaped by favorable policies, infrastructure, and innovation. Carp farming in China is rooted in millennia of traditional practices and transformative post-1978 economic reforms. This review synthesizes the historical trajectory, technological advancements, policy frameworks, and sustainability challenges shaping China’s carp aquaculture sector. Historically, carp polyculture systems, developed during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), laid the foundation for resource-efficient practices. Modern intensification, driven by state-led policies, genetic innovations, and feed-based systems, enabled unprecedented growth. However, rapid expansion has exacerbated environmental trade-offs, including nutrient pollution, habitat loss, and antibiotic resistance, while socioeconomic disparities, aging labor forces, and market volatility threaten sectoral resilience. Policy shifts since the 2000s prioritize ecological sustainability, exemplified by effluent regulations, wetland restoration, and green technologies. Despite progress, challenges persist in reconciling economic viability with environmental safeguards. Key success factors include long-term policy support, smallholder capacity building, vertically integrated supply chains, product differentiation, and adaptive management. With balanced policies emphasizing economic, social, and environmental sustainability, carp aquaculture can enhance domestic food and nutrition security. China’s experience showcases the potential of aquaculture to bolster food security but highlights the urgent need to harmonize productivity with ecological and social equity to ensure long-term resilience. Lessons from China’s model offer actionable insights for global aquaculture systems navigating similar sustainability imperatives. Full article

In the face of increasingly complex urban challenges, a critical question arises: can urban ecosystems maintain resilience, vitality, and sustainability when confronted with external threats and pressures? Taking Kunming—a plateau-mountainous city in China—as a case study, this research constructs an urban ecosystem resilience (UER) assessment model based on the DPSIR (Driving forces, Pressures, States, Impacts, and Responses) framework. A total of 25 indicators were selected via questionnaire surveys, covering five dimensions: driving forces such as natural population growth, annual GDP growth, urbanization level, urban population density, and resident consumption price growth; pressures including per capita farmland, per capita urban construction land, land reclamation and cultivation rate, proportion of natural disaster-stricken areas, and unit GDP energy consumption; states measured by Evenness Index (EI), Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI), Aggregation Index (AI), Interspersion and Juxtaposition Index (IJI), Landscape Shape Index (LSI), and Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI); impacts involving per capita GDP, economic density, per capita disposable income growth, per capita green space area, and per capita water resources; and responses including proportion of natural reserve areas, proportion of environmental protection investment to GDP, overall utilization of industrial solid waste, and afforestation area. Based on remote sensing and other data, indicator values were calculated for 2006, 2011, and 2016. The entire-array polygon indicator method was used to visualize indicator interactions and derive composite resilience index values, all of which remained below 0.25—indicating a persistent low-resilience state, marked by sustained economic growth, frequent natural disasters, and declining ecological self-recovery capacity. Forecasting results suggest that, under current development trajectories, Kunming’s UER will remain low over the next decade. This study is the first to integrate the DPSIR framework, entire-array polygon indicator method, and Grey System Forecasting Model into the evaluation and prediction of urban ecosystem resilience in plateau-mountainous cities. The findings highlight the ecosystem’s inherent capacities for self-organization, adaptation, learning, and innovation and reveal its nested, multi-scalar resilience structure. The DPSIR-based framework not only reflects the complex human–nature interactions in urban systems but also identifies key drivers and enables the prediction of future resilience patterns—providing valuable insights for sustainable urban development. Full article

This systematic review explores how environmental sustainability is addressed in advanced structural systems that utilize innovative materials and technologies such as lightweight designs, adaptive mechanisms, and energy-efficient components. Despite their growing adoption, significant gaps persist across the design–construction–operation continuum, particularly concerning embodied carbon, energy efficiency, material performance, and long-term durability. A total of 61 peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2025 were identified from Scopus and Google Scholar using the PRISMA methodology. The review employed a dual-method approach: a descriptive analysis to examine literature outlets, publication trends, and the frequency of advanced structural topics such as lightweight systems, long-span designs, form and aesthetics, and structural safety, and a thematic analysis using NVivo 14 software, which identified ten key environmental sustainability themes—carbon emissions, thermal performance, energy efficiency, construction waste, life cycle assessment, green certifications, material use, air quality, site and land use, and green environment. While research interest is expanding, limited studies offer comprehensive assessments of Tensile Membrane Structures (TMSs) or Long Span Structures (LSSs), with key challenges including inadequate material optimization and performance under extreme conditions. This review contributes a novel synthesis of existing knowledge by combining a PRISMA-guided selection, descriptive trend analysis, and thematic coding to identify critical gaps and emerging directions, offering a structured foundation for future research and practical strategies in designing environmentally sustainable advanced structures. Full article

Given the escalating severity of climate change and environmental degradation, the transition to green and low-carbon energy has become a strategic priority for China’s economic development. Green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE), which captures energy utilization efficiency while accounting for environmental constraints and desirable outputs, has emerged as a key indicator for evaluating green energy transition performance. Data element marketization (DEM), as a vital institutional innovation, provides new impetus for accelerating the transition to green and low-carbon energy. This study leveraged the establishment of China’s data trading platforms as a quasi-natural experiment to systematically assess the effects, mechanisms, and spatial heterogeneity of DEM on urban GTFEE. The findings reveal that DEM has a statistically significant positive impact on urban GTFEE in the short term, while demonstrating a gradual diminishing marginal effect over the long term. Furthermore, this study uncovered heterogeneous effects based on factors such as city type, urban energy intensity, and new-energy pilot, as well as urban government governance capacity. Mechanism analysis demonstrated that DEM enhances urban GTFEE by accelerating the generation of data elements and fostering their deep integration with artificial intelligence (AI). Spatial analysis indicated that, while DEM significantly improves GTFEE in local cities, it generates negative spillover effects on neighboring cities due to the persistence of the digital divide. Full article

Many of today’s innovative materials used to carry trace elements (TEs) are derived from chelates. Most of the materials used for this purpose have been produced on the basis of EDTA, which is not considered to be environmentally friendly due to its high persistence. Research is therefore being carried out to produce materials that do not pose an environmental risk. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the effects of newly developed innovative materials with embedded biodegradable and environmentally safe chelates (IDHA—iminodisuccinic acid—and N-butyl-D-gluconamide ligands) containing copper, molybdenum and iron on the yield, biometric characteristics and chemical composition of soybean and selected soil properties. It is difficult to find publications on their effects in soybean cultivation. The greatest increase in soybean leaf greenness index (SPAD) was found after the addition of pure Salmag^® (Sal.^®). The effect of the chelates on the SPAD index was lower, with Sal.^® + Fe chelate having the greatest effect during the vegetative development stage and Cu chelate having the greatest effect during the flowering stage. Sal.^® + Cu, especially with Fe, accelerated pod and seed ripening in the last vegetative stage of soybean. Sal.^® + Cu had the most favourable impact on plant height, pure Sal.^® on the pod number per plant, Sal.^® + Fe on the seed number per pod, Sal.^® with Mo and Fe chelates on soybean seed yield, and pure Sal.^® on fresh weight remaining above-ground part yield, while pure Sal.^® and Sal.^® + Fe had the most favourable impact on dry weight aerial yield. The fertiliser materials (especially Sal.^® + Cu) generally increased the N content of the tested soybean organs and the Cu content of the other above-ground soybean parts (especially those containing chelates) and had an antagonistic effect on the Mg content of the soybean above-ground parts. Sal.^® + Cu also had a negative effect on the Fe content of other above-ground soybean parts. Sal.^® + Fe had a positive impact on the iron content, and Sal.^® + Mo had a positive impact on the molybdenum content of soybean. The applied fertilisers had little effect on the contents of Cu, Mo and Fe in the soil. There was only a significant increase in the Cu content of the soil after the addition of Sal.^® + Cu and a significantly smaller increase under the influence of Sal.^® without chelates, as well as an increase in the Mo content of the soil with Sal.^®. The present study confirms the beneficial impact of the novel materials with chelates. It has been demonstrated that the presence of materials containing Mo and, in particular, Cu has a considerable effect on the yield and quality characteristics of soybeans. Full article

Promoting the comprehensive green transformation (CGT) of China’s economy and society is vital for achieving high-quality economic growth and building a beautiful China. This study establishes a CGT evaluation index system across four dimensions: comprehensiveness, synergy, innovation, and security. Using the entropy weighting method, it evaluates the CGT development level across 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2022. Subsequently, it examines regional differences and convergence features in CGT development through the application of the Theil index, kernel density estimation (replaced by KDE below), and convergence analysis methods. The findings indicate the following: Firstly, the CGT development level nationwide and within the four key regions has been on the rise annually; yet, regional variations persist. Secondly, both the overall disparities in CGT development across China’s economy and society and the discrepancies within the four key regions are diminishing. Furthermore, interregional variations are the main contributor to the overall disparities in CGT development. Thirdly, while the number of provinces achieving CGT development has gradually increased nationwide, their unevenness has also intensified. Fourthly, regarding convergence characteristics, σ-convergence, along with both absolute and conditional β-convergence are observed in all regions but the central; in the central region, absolute β-convergence is not statistically significant, but conditional β-convergence is. Conclusions from this study can offer theoretical insights for further elevating the CGT level of China’s economy and society and fostering coordinated regional development. Full article

Green technological innovation, as a critical emerging resource element, is instrumental in advancing sustainable and high-quality development of the construction sector. However, despite extensive research, the synergistic mechanism linking regional green technology innovation (RGTI) and carbon reduction in the construction industry (CRCI) remains theoretically underexplored, especially through the lens of new quality productivity (NQP). Based on dynamic panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2013–2021, this study employed multiple analytical approaches, including econometric models, coupling coordination models, kernel density estimation, and Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition, to systematically examine their interactive relationships and spatiotemporal evolution characteristics. The findings reveal that RGTI directly reduces the carbon emissions intensity of the construction industry and yields a “dual-driving effect” through the mediating role of NQP. Significant coupling coordination effects were identified among RGTI, NQP, and CRCI. Further investigation showed that their synergistic evolution manifests distinct “regional lock-in effects” and “polarization effects”, with eastern regions achieving positive interactions, while central and western regions remain constrained by developmental limitations. Although overall disparities narrowed during the study period, inter-regional differences persisted as the dominant factor. This study extends the research perspective on construction industry carbon reduction, contributing to new quality productivity formation and inter-regional emission reduction coordination. Full article

Urban flooding represents a critical socio-ecological challenge exacerbated by climate change and rapid urbanization, with green infrastructure (GI) emerging as a transformative approach to flood management. This study employs an innovative methodological framework integrating the Biblioshiny, CiteSpace, and Orange3 analytical tools to examine research trends and evolutions in GI for urban flooding from 2015 to 2024. The bibliometric analysis of 813 publications reveals a profound epistemological transition from technically oriented approaches toward integrated socio-ecological frameworks. The citation patterns demonstrate increasing scholarly attention on multifunctionality, climate resilience, and governance dimensions, with the United States and China emerging as dominant research hubs. The analysis identifies distinct thematic clusters reflecting the field’s intellectual progression from hydrological engineering paradigms toward systemic conceptualizations that recognize the complex interactions between technical, ecological, and social dimensions. Despite these advancements, persistent knowledge gaps remain regarding longitudinal performance evaluations, governance frameworks for maintenance, and scalar integration from site-specific interventions to watershed-level outcomes. These findings emphasize the need for methodological innovation addressing the temporal dimensions of GI performance and institutional arrangements for its implementation across diverse urban contexts, positioning GI as a critical component of sustainable urban water management amid increasing climatic uncertainty. Full article

Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskites have emerged as a transformative platform for high-efficiency perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), benefiting from their tunable quantum confinement, high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), and self-assembled energy funneling mechanisms. This review systematically explores interfacial energy transfer engineering strategies that underpin advancements in device performance. By tailoring phase composition distributions, passivating defects via additive engineering, and optimizing charge transport layers, researchers have achieved external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) exceeding 20% in green and red PeLEDs. However, challenges persist in blue emission stability, efficiency roll-off at high currents, and long-term operational durability driven by spectral redshift, Auger recombination, and interfacial ion migration. Emerging solutions include dual-cation/halogen alloying for bandgap control, microcavity photon management, and insulator–perovskite–insulator (IPI) architectures to suppress leakage currents. Future progress hinges on interdisciplinary efforts in multifunctional material design, scalable fabrication, and mechanistic studies of carrier–photon interactions. Through these innovations, quasi-2D PeLEDs hold promise for next-generation displays and solid-state lighting, offering a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional technologies. Full article

The semiconductor industry is essential to information technology and the ongoing artificial intelligence transformation but also poses significant environmental challenges, including greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, solid waste, and high water and energy consumption. This review identifies key emission sources in semiconductor manufacturing, focusing on the release of fluorinated gases from chemical-intensive processes and the sector’s substantial energy demands. We evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of current mitigation strategies, such as process optimization, clean energy adoption, and material substitution. We also examine supply chain interventions, including green procurement, logistics optimization, and intelligent management systems. While technological innovation is crucial for the sustainable transition of the global semiconductor industry, the high cost of upgrading to greener production processes remains a major obstacle. Despite progress in clean energy integration and material alternatives, significant challenges persist in reducing emissions across the entire value chain. This review underscores an urgent need for collaborative, integrated approaches to drive the sustainable transition of the semiconductor sector and its upstream supply chain. Full article

This study explores the role of persistence in eco-innovative (EI) activities in enhancing firms’ resilience during crises, focusing on the Spanish food and beverage industry. It distinguishes between two types of eco-innovators: efficiency-focused eco-innovators, who aim to reduce material and energy usage, and environmental eco-innovators, who seek to minimize direct harm to the environment. Additionally, the analysis evaluates the impact of regulation and institutional interventions on fostering eco-innovation during economic downturns. Using panel data from Spanish food and beverage companies between 2004 and 2016, we adopt a longitudinal approach to study how long-term commitments to EI influence green technology adoption. We identify three distinct periods: 2004–2007 (boom), 2008–2013 (crisis), and 2014–2016 (recovery). Finally, the study analyses the most effective institutional interventions and corporate green strategies for fostering the green transition during challenging times. The analysis provides theoretical insights and tailored managerial and policy recommendations. Full article