Search Results (430)

Despite seven decades of international commitment—from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights through SDG 3.8—universal health coverage remains stubbornly out of reach. Two billion people, predominantly informal sector workers, lack access to sustainable health insurance. This entry explains the underlying cause: sustainable health insurance requires specific behavioral and institutional conditions for collective action—conditions that existing health insurance models systematically fail to satisfy, thereby structurally excluding informal populations. The Trinity Law framework formalizes these conditions as three multiplicatively interacting requirements—Trust (T), Consensus (C), and Dual Benefit (DB)—expressed as S = T × C × DB. Empirical analysis of community-based health insurance schemes across 24 countries identifies a robust trust threshold (τ* ≈ 0.68) operating as a behavioral phase transition: below this level, cooperation collapses; above it, participation becomes self-sustaining. Cross-country evidence from 274 organizations across 155 countries confirms consensus thresholds (C* ≈ 0.59), while analysis of 158,763 observations validates dual benefit mechanisms. The multiplicative structure explains why partial reforms fail: weakness in any single component drives overall sustainability toward zero. Applied to health insurance, this framework distinguishes conventional systems—Bismarckian employment-based, Beveridgean tax-financed, and commercial health insurance from sustainable systems like participatory community-based microinsurance that satisfy all three Trinity Law conditions through participatory design, transparent governance, and aligned incentives. The persistent UHC gap reflects not implementation failures but fundamental design incompatibilities that the Trinity Law makes explicit. This entry has three objectives: first, it states the Trinity Law conditions; second, it summarizes the empirical evidence for each component; third, it applies the framework to classify major health insurance models. Supporting datasets and code are available in the referenced Zenodo repositories. The term ‘law’ follows the tradition of social science regularities like the ‘law of demand’: a robust empirical pattern with strong predictive validity, not a claim to physical certainty. Full article

Financial supply side structural reform (FSSR) serves as a key for advancing the low-carbon transformation of industrial energy (LTIE) and supporting the dual carbon strategic goals. By using provincial panel data from China for the period of 2008–2022 and leveraging the national financial comprehensive reform pilot zones as a quasi-natural experiment, this study uses the difference-in-differences method to examine empirically the effect of FSSR on the LTIE and the underlying mechanisms. Research findings indicate that, first, FSSR can significantly advance the LTIE, which remained unchanged after other policies, omitted variables, and other potential influencing factors were controlled. Second, the mechanism tests indicate that FSSR can drive the LTIE by increasing green financial support, fostering green industrial development, and promoting green technological innovation. Third, the heterogeneity tests reveal that the benchmark effect is pronounced in regions with weak environmental regulation and a low level of financial development. This study provides theoretical and empirical evidence to understand the crucial role of FSSR in advancing the LTIE and insights for relevant policy formulation. Full article

The shift to renewable energy is a key goal for the European Union as it aims for climate neutrality; however, the effectiveness of climate-focused funding instruments varies significantly across member states. This research investigates the influences of mitigation investments, R&D spending, environmental tax revenues, subsidies, GDP growth, and capital formation on renewable energy expansion within the EU-27, placing particular emphasis on the structural differences between Old Member States (OMS) and New Member States (NMS). The study utilizes robust long-run estimation techniques alongside causality analysis over a span of 13 years, from 2010–2023. The findings highlight notable distinctions among the EU-27, OMS, and NMS regions. While the EU-27 and OMS show that funds designated for climate mitigation and R&D are critical drivers of the clean energy transition, in the NMS, environmental taxes, subsidies, innovation, and gross fixed capital formation play vital roles in advancing this transition. Furthermore, economic development shows mixed results in achieving sustainable objectives, underscoring the necessity for climate-oriented funding and initiatives. Therefore, policy measures should focus on mitigation finance and innovation across the EU, while the design of subsidies and environmental tax structures must be tailored to each region to ensure a fair and expedited transition. Full article

Historic department stores are an underexamined lever for circular, low-carbon urban transition. This study tests whether Langston’s Adaptive Reuse Potential (ARP) can be applied retrospectively and how contextual readiness shapes the timing of interventions. Using the Renoma Department Store in Wroclaw, Poland (1930–2025), we reconstruct five adaptive phases and combine expert scoring of seven obsolescence dimensions (O1–O7) with a Readiness index covering finance, governance/approvals, use commitment, delivery/supply chain, and policy priority. Decision windows are interpreted via a WAIT–PREPARE–GO lens. Results show that peaks in ARP and Readiness aligned with major reinvestments—post-war reconstruction, socialist modernisation, and post-EU-accession renewal—while the original steel frame retained high structural reserves, indicating that timing was driven more by institutional and economic conditions than by technical decay. We propose ARP as an interpretive lens for circular regeneration and show that the Readiness index clarifies feasibility and risk. The combined ARP × Readiness approach yields a replicable, phase-sensitive diagnosis of adaptive capacity and intervention timing, contributing evidence to circular city practice and aligning with New European Bauhaus principles of sustainability, inclusion, and quality of place. Full article

Energy transition has become a priority in public policy; however, knowledge of its progress in peripheral, border regions of Eastern Poland—particularly in rural and urban—rural communes—remains sketchy. Research gaps concern both the scale and intensity of investments co-financed from European Union (EU) funds, as well as the effect of their locations in relation to the state border and their position in reference to Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) on the level and character of the discussed investment activity. The primary aim of this study was to assess how the location of a border region and its relation to FUAs diversifies the investment activity and level of investment co-financed from EU funds aimed at developing the low-carbon economy in rural and urban–rural communes of the Eastern Macroregion. The analysis was conducted in two complementary dimensions: (i) a comparative nationwide assessment, covering all macroregions of Poland, within the two most recent, completed EU financial frameworks; i.e., the years 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 and (ii) an in-depth analysis of the Eastern Macroregion, with particular attention to rural and urban–rural communes, their affiliation with Functional Urban Areas (FUAs), and the typology defined by the Delimitation of Rural Areas (DRA). The aim of the conducted analyses was to respond to the research hypothesis assuming that “in the Eastern Macroregion the spatial conditions, i.e., the border location and the location in relation to functional urban areas (within an FUA vs. outside an FUA) significantly diversify the investment activity of rural and urban–rural communes aimed at the low-carbon economy co-financed from EU funds”. Empirical studies were conducted based on data from the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and Statistics Poland, which were processed applying methods of descriptive statistics and statistical inference and also using correspondence analysis. The analyses confirmed that in Eastern Poland the process of energy transition moved from the pilot phase to the common implementation of low-carbon measures, to a considerable extent thanks to the activity of rural and urban–rural communes. The results indicate that spatial factors, particularly location in relation to Functional Urban Areas and population density, significantly diversify intensity of investments in rural and urban–rural communes in the spatial context, whereas no such relationship was found for the investment level per capita. Full article

Gold mining has played a central role in shaping Peruvian society from pre-Inca civilizations to the present. However, existing literature offers fragmented perspectives, often focusing on isolated themes such as metallurgy, colonial mercury use, or environmental degradation, without integrating these across time and territory. This review addresses that gap by offering a place-based synthesis that combines archaeological, historical, legal, environmental, and comparative insights. Drawing on both Spanish-language sources and international literature, the paper reconstructs Peru’s gold mining trajectory through five historical phases—pre-Inca, Inca, colonial, republican, and contemporary—highlighting continuities and ruptures in governance, labor systems, and environmental impacts. The analysis reveals persistent challenges in Peru’s gold sector, including informality, mercury pollution, and weak institutional capacity. Compared to other mining economies such as Chile, Ghana, and South Africa, Peru exhibits greater fragmentation and limited integration of mining into national development strategies. The review also explores the role of gold in the global energy transition, emphasizing its relevance in clean technologies and green finance, and identifies policy gaps that hinder Peru’s alignment with sustainability goals. By bridging linguistic and disciplinary divides, this synthesis contributes to a more inclusive historiography of extractive industries and underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches to mining governance. Ultimately, the paper calls for a reimagining of Peru’s gold sector, one that prioritizes environmental justice, social equity, and long-term resilience. Full article

Addressing land use carbon emissions (LUCE) is critical for mitigating climate change. Using multi-source heterogeneous data from 2010 to 2020, with Land use transition matrix and Kaya-LMDI model, this paper analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution and driving factors of LUCE on Hainan Island. The results indicate the following: (1) The study period witnessed significant land use transitions relevant to carbon stocks. Forest area (a key carbon sink) decreased substantially by 2188.74 km², while construction land (a major emission source) expanded by 182.10 km². (2) Consequently, total net LUCE increased by 54% over the decade. This growth was overwhelmingly driven by a 60.8% increase in carbon emissions from the expansion of construction land. (3) The driver analysis indicates that LUCE growth was significantly promoted by land finance dependence and economic development, with these effects exhibiting significant spatial heterogeneity. This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing low-carbon land use policies and offers critical insights for sustainable development in island areas. Full article

Against the backdrop of China’s vigorous pursuit of its “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals, transition finance has emerged as a critical instrument to tackle the financing constraints faced by high-carbon industries. However, the lack of a standardized evaluation system significantly impedes its effective implementation and sustainable development. This paper constructs an evaluation system for transition finance in China’s power sector, incorporating 15 indicators across three logical dimensions: external driving force, internal state, and management response. Using objective weighting and comprehensive ranking methods, the study assesses the transition finance performance of 64 Chinese power enterprises. Furthermore, a variance decomposition index is employed to analyze disparities and imbalances in transition finance development level. Results indicate: (1) the key to enhancing the level of power enterprises’ transition finance development lies in strengthening external policy support intensity and improving capital allocation efficiency; (2) China’s power sector exhibits slow growth in transition finance development, with pronounced internal divergence and uneven progress; and (3) the primary constraint on the development of transition finance in China’s power sector stems from the internal imbalances between two distinct types of enterprises: those heavily dependent on thermal power and those focused on renewable energy. This study proposes a quantifiable methodological framework to facilitate the development of transition finance in the power sector, while also constructing a reference evaluation paradigm to assist high-carbon industries in planning transition pathways and allocating transition capital. Full article

Against the backdrop of China’s “dual-carbon” targets and the digital era, examining how digital finance (DF) in the New Western Land–Sea Corridor (NWLSC) shapes urban carbon-emission efficiency (CEE) is pivotal for fostering high-quality economic development and advancing the large-scale development of western China. Building on a theoretical exposition of how DF influences urban CEE, we empirically investigate both the direction and the underlying mechanisms of this influence by applying fixed-effects and spatial-panel smooth-transition regression models to panel data covering 88 cities in the NWLSC from 2011 to 2022. The results reveal the following: (1) The direct impact of DF on urban CEE in the NWLSC follows a nonlinear inhibitory effect, which gradually weakens with the increase in DF. (2) The influence of DF on urban CEE exhibits pronounced heterogeneity across NWLSC regions over time and at different quantiles. (3) As transportation and information infrastructures improve incrementally, the effect of DF on local CEE traces a nonlinear inhibitory effect and has a nonlinear spillover effect on neighboring cities’ CEE. These findings imply that policymakers along the corridor should accelerate the development of DF and foster its organic integration with transportation and information infrastructures, so as to advance the high-quality construction of the NWLSC and, ultimately, China’s high-quality economic growth through regionally coordinated and context-specific strategies. Full article

With the frequent introduction of climate policies in China, the uncertainty surrounding these policies has gradually increased. However, the relationship between climate policy uncertainty and total factor carbon productivity remains unclear. To address this gap, the total factor carbon productivity of 277 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2022 is assessed using the EBM-GML model. Subsequently, a panel smooth transition model is employed to investigate the nonlinear relationship between climate policy uncertainty and total factor carbon productivity, incorporating economic growth, energy consumption structure, green finance, green innovation, and extreme climate as transition variables. Empirical analysis reveals that the impact of climate policy uncertainty on total factor carbon productivity is not uniformly positive or negative. When influenced by the five transition variables, higher levels of economic growth, the development of green finance, and advancements in green technology can shift the impact of climate policy uncertainty on total factor carbon productivity into a positive direction. Conversely, a higher reliance on coal consumption and frequent extreme weather events impede this positive influence. The heterogeneity analysis confirms significant regional and resource endowment heterogeneity in the observed nonlinear effects among cities. Furthermore, in most regions, the values of the transition variables do not exceed the threshold. Notably, under the influence of economic growth and green technology innovation, the potential for an increase in the impact coefficient of climate policy uncertainty on carbon productivity is substantial. Therefore, it is imperative to further enhance economic growth and green technology innovation. Additionally, specific climate policy targets must be established to address energy consumption structure and extreme weather, thereby improving carbon productivity. Full article

Despite intensified global efforts to accelerate the renewable energy (RE) transition, the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and energy security risk (ESR) on RE adoption remains underexplored in the United States. This study examines the nonlinear and time-varying effects of AI, ESR, financial development (FD), and economic growth (GDP) on RE consumption from 1990Q1 to 2020Q4. Annual data were converted to quarterly frequency using the quadratic match sum method, and the Wavelet Cross Quantile Regression (WCQR) technique was employed to capture dynamic relationships across quantiles and time scales. The results show that AI and FD consistently stimulate RE adoption, while ESR shifts from a negative short-term influence to a positive long-term effect. Similarly, GDP initially reduces RE consumption but becomes supportive over longer horizons. This study offers new contributions by providing the first empirical evidence on the role of AI in shaping the U.S. renewable energy transition and by jointly examining technological, financial development, and energy security determinants within a unified framework. Policy implications suggest prioritizing investment in AI-based grid and storage systems, expanding green financing tools to lower capital barriers, and adopting long-term energy security strategies to sustain progress toward a low-carbon energy system. Full article

Urban areas globally face the critical challenge of meeting growing energy demands while maintaining environmental sustainability. However, existing research provides limited and often inconsistent evidence on how green finance affects urban energy efficiency, largely due to heterogeneous measurement systems, methodological constraints, and insufficient identification of underlying mechanisms. To address these research gaps, this study investigates two core questions: Does green finance significantly improve urban energy efficiency? If so, what are the specific transmission mechanisms driving this impact? Methodologically, this exploration employs a Double Machine Learning (DML) approach to analyze panel data from 210 Chinese cities between 2006 and 2022. The analysis demonstrates a significant and positive impact of green finance on urban energy efficiency, with an estimated coefficient of 0.1910. Further analysis identifies three constructive mechanisms, including environmental regulations, industrial structures, and green technological innovation, which enhance resource allocation and energy utilization efficiency. Moreover, green finance shows a stronger positive impact in non-resource-dependent cities, regions outside traditional industrial bases, and financially developed areas. These findings recommend establishing standardized green finance frameworks, increasing targeted financial support for key regions, and integrating green innovation with industrial restructuring. These measures help consolidate China’s green finance system and improve regional energy efficiency through market expansion, energy transition, and technological advancement. Full article

In the digital economy, data has emerged a pivotal driver for optimizing resource allocation, enhancing productivity, and accelerating the transition toward environmentally sustainable development. Exploring how the marketization of data elements affects corporate green innovation is of considerable theoretical and practical significance. Using the establishment of data trading platforms in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this study constructs a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model based on panel data of A-share listed firms between 2009 and 2022 to investigate the impact of data element marketization on corporate green innovation. The empirical results demonstrate that the marketization of data elements significantly promotes corporate green innovation, and this conclusion remains consistent across a series of robustness checks. Further exploration of the underlying mechanisms reveals that the marketization of data elements fosters green innovation by alleviating financing constraints, improving the structure of human capital, and facilitating collaborative innovation. These mechanisms highlight the role of data markets in strengthening corporate innovation capacity while reinforcing environmental responsibility. Moreover, heterogeneity analyses indicate that the promoting effect is particularly pronounced among firms located in the eastern China, regions equipped with advanced digital infrastructure, industries with lower pollution level, and non-state-owned enterprises. By linking reforms in data governance with green development objectives, this research enriches the growing literature on digital institutional transformation and corporate environmental innovation. The findings provide new empirical evidence that the establishment of data markets constitutes an effective institutional mechanism for advancing green and low-carbon development, offering valuable policy insights for integrating digital economy progress with ecological sustainability. Full article

The growing relevance of sustainable finance has positioned green bonds as central instruments in debates on how capital markets can contribute to climate transition while creating value for firms. This article conducts a literature review to examine the relationship between green bond issuance, corporate financial performance, and the cost of debt. Using the PRISMA 2020 protocol, 59 articles published between 2019 and 2025 were identified and classified according to study type, methodological approach, analytical technique, sectoral and geographic focus, and performance indicators. A bibliometric analysis was also performed to map publication trends, research clusters, and thematic evolution. The results indicate a fragmented but expanding field, with most studies concentrated in developed markets, especially Europe, the United States, and China, and limited evidence from emerging economies. Empirical findings converge on modest but heterogeneous financial benefits, frequently reflected in the so-called “Greenium,” typically ranging between 1 and 63 basis points. Accounting-based effects on profitability (ROA, ROE) remain mixed, while econometric/regression, panel analysis and event studies dominate the empirical landscape. The paper’s incremental contribution lies in consolidating these quantitative insights into a reproducible classification framework that enables systematic comparison between developed and emerging markets, supporting future research on long-term financial and sustainability outcomes. Full article

This study empirically examines the determinants of sustainable education finance by analyzing how income level, income inequality, fertility rate, and population density influence education expenditure as a share of GDP. Using annual data for 38 OECD countries from 1997 to 2021, the analysis applies fixed-effects and moment quantile regression (MMQR) models to capture both average and distributional dynamics. The results reveal a nonlinear inverted-U-shaped relationship between income and education spending, suggesting that fiscal commitment to education rises at early stages of development but tends to decline once income surpasses a certain threshold. Fertility rates show a significant negative association with education expenditure, while population density exhibits a positive effect. Moreover, the MMQR results highlight heterogeneity across countries, indicating that income growth has a stronger effect in economies with lower initial spending. These findings underscore the need for flexible, inclusive fiscal and institutional frameworks that adapt to national income levels and demographic transitions to ensure the long-term sustainability of education finance. Full article