Restructuring without marketization? Utilization and profitability of China’s coal-fired power plants under “dual-track” wholesale competition
June 2026
In this study, we examine China’s partially marketized wholesale power generation sector. A political economy approach is adopted to understand the “dual-track” system in which electricity production...
Empowering innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises through public data openness: Mechanism exploration and empirical evidence based on “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” enterprises
June 2026
This study draws on public data openness policies of local governments and micro-level data from A-share listed enterprises across 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2022. Thus, the study examines the...
Governance efficiency of rural human settlement environment in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China: Regional differences, dynamic evolution, and influencing factors
June 2026
Based on an index system established from the dimensions of ecology, life, and production, this study measures the governance efficiency of rural human settlements in the Yangtze River Economic Belt...
Digital-green integration promotes synergistic pollution reduction and carbon mitigation: Mechanism analysis based on whole-process production control
June 2026
Synergistic pollution reduction and carbon mitigation (SPRCM) are inherent requirements for high-quality development. This study explores the internal mechanisms through which digital-green integration...
Evaluating the economic growth effects of China’s “Area-Based Evaluation Mechanism” Reform: Evidence from county-level panel data
June 2026
China’s rapid economic growth has long relied on a model of large-scale urban land acquisition and transfer, which is now increasingly constrained by central government policies. In response, local...
The impact of manufacturing agglomeration on carbon productivity in the Yellow River Basin
June 2026
In recent years, the manufacturing industry in the Yellow River Basin has gained increasing scholarly and policy attention, driven by the urgent need for green and low-carbon development. This study...
Impact of climate policy uncertainty on urban carbon emissions: Empirical evidence from China
June 2026
The effect of climate policy on carbon emissions has been widely analyzed; however, the literature on climate policy uncertainty (CPU) is limited. We used panel data from 281 Chinese cities from 2006...
Multidimensional perspectives on the role of green transformation on the evolution of low-carbon collaborative governance network: Evidence from a temporal exponential random graph model
June 2026
Within the prevailing consensus on sustainable development, energy efficiency exhibits pronounced spatial externalities. The intertwining of national policy resources has generated a rapidly expanding...
Integrating protected areas and ecological conservation redlines: A unified regulatory framework for ecological damage in China
June 2026
The integration of the ecological conservation redline and protected areas in China has positioned these zones as pivotal components of national ecological security. The Chinese government identifies...
Green finance, trade diversification, and institutional quality as catalysts for sustainable industrialization: An empirical analysis of selected Asian Belt and Road Initiative Economies
June 2026
Asian economies of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) face growing pressure to sustain industrial expansion while meeting environmental goals, yet limited cross-country evidence exists on how green...
Forest eco-products value realization and urban–rural income gap in China: Stumbling block or stepping stone?
June 2026
China is undergoing a critical economic transition amidst the double pressures of growing environmental demands and an increasing urban–rural income gap. The forest eco-products value realization (FEPVR)...
Supervisory strategies for agroecological security in plateau regions based on a four-party evolutionary game model
June 2026
Conflicting interests among multiple stakeholders and regulatory imbalances are challenges faced by agricultural ecosystems in highland regions. Current governance models largely fail to reflect complex...
Effect evaluation of carbon sequestration of grassland ecological compensation policy: Evidence from China’s Yellow River Basin
March 2026
The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (GECP) is a large-scale project that has been investing in China since 2011. Despite the significant investment and long duration of the GECP, its impact...
Empirical analysis of fostering inclusive green growth: A double machine learning-based quasi-natural experiment
March 2026
Inclusive green growth (IGG) is a crucial pathway to high-quality economic development, with standardization serving as a key enabler. Standardization plays a critical role in reducing coordination...
Underlying drivers of temporal-spatial energy consumption from the perspective of the government in China
March 2026
Energy consumption (EC) is a core factor in maintaining sustainable development; little is known about the drivers of temporal-spatial EC changes and the corresponding inequality from the perspective...
Trends, drivers, and reduction pathways for food-related greenhouse gas emissions in China: 1961–2050
March 2026
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from China’s food system are a major environmental concern; however, studies quantifying their drivers and future projections remain limited. This study uses structural...
Analysis of impact mechanism of the Yangtze River Delta integration upon county-level air pollution
March 2026
The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is one of China’s most economically dense regions with the most dynamic county-level economies. The YRD’s success in addressing air pollution at the county level directly...
Cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and corporate carbon emissions reduction: A quasi-natural experiment from China
March 2026
Against the backdrop of accelerated development of new forms of trade, the question of whether rapid expansion of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) can help to reduce carbon emissions among Chinese enterprises...
The spillover effect of separating household waste on water conservation: A perspective of self-determination theory
March 2026
Taking the view that pro-environmental behaviors can have spillover effects, this study examines how household waste separation (an environmental behavior with a high degree of difficulty) impacts consumers’...
Incorporating multiple scenarios and landscape ecological risk to optimize ecological security patterns: A Wei River Basin case study
March 2026
Under the influence of human activities, landscape fragmentation in the Wei River Basin (WRB) has become increasingly severe. Upstream development has intensified soil erosion, and industrial and agricultural...
Impacts of land finance on labor mobility willingness
March 2026
This study empirically examines how land finance in destination and origin cities affects willingness to engage in labor mobility and explores the underlying mechanisms. Using a two-way fixed effects...
Adaptation needs and adaptation options vary among different stakeholders in high-latitude protected areas: A case study of the Qiangtang Protected Area in China
March 2026
It is essential to understand how adaptation needs and options differ among stakeholders in protected areas (PAs) to effectively implement climate change (CC) adaptation strategies. Using the Qiangtang...
Decoding China’s urban transformation: Multiscale analysis of urban spatial structures and their influencing factors (2007–2023)
March 2026
Investigating urban spatial structures (USSs) and their influencing factors at different spatial scales is crucial for promoting sustainable urban transformation. Based on nighttime light datasets and...
Effects of manufacturing agglomeration on PM2.5 and spatial spillover in prefecture-level cities in China
March 2026
Agglomeration supports the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, and its associated resource and environmental effects play a crucial role in driving green economic development. Based...
Environmental effects of China’s sustainable development pilot policy: Evidence from the National Innovation Demonstration Zone for Sustainable Development Agenda
December 2025
Exploring the specific environmental impacts and mechanisms of China’s sustainable development pilot policy can enrich and expand China’s institutional and practical experiences, offering valuable insights...