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Abstract In this study, we investigate the driving forces behind the changes in residential energy consumption (REC) in China’s urban and rural areas over the 2001–2012 period. Based on the logarithmic mean Divisia index method, the REC changes are decomposed into seven driving forces, which are climate change, energy price, energy expenditure mix, energy cost share (in total expenditure), expenditure share (in income), per capita income and population effects. According to the results, climate effect due to increasing days with abnormal temperature, energy cost share effect characterized by more expenditure to be paid for energy use, income effect describing constant income growth in the residential sector definitely increase REC in both urban and rural areas. In contrast, energy prices and energy expenditure mix effects negatively contribute to the REC increase, respectively because of the increase in energy prices and the transition from the low-priced energy to high-priced energy. Expenditure share and population effects play opposite roles in urban and rural areas, and the reasons and implications are analysed in depth.

China has achieved impressive rapid economic growth over the past 30 years but accompanied by significant extreme weather events and environmental changes caused by global change and overfast urbanization. Using the absolute hazards index (AHI), we assessed the spatial distribution patterns and related health effects of 4 major extreme natural disasters, including drought, floods (landslides, mudslides), hails, and typhoons from 2000 to 2011 at the provincial level in China. The results showed that (1) central and south China were the most affected by the 4 natural disasters, and north China suffered less; (2) the provinces with higher AHI suffered most from total death, missing people, collapse, and emergently relocated population; (3) the present health emergency response system to disasters in China mainly lacks a multidisciplinary approach. In the concluding section of this article, suggestions on preparedness and rapid response to extreme health events from environmental changes are proposed.

Decreasing nutrient losses from excessive synthetic fertilizer inputs is the direct and valid way to address low nutrient use efficiency and the related environmental consequences. Here, we established a comprehensive database of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) losses from rice paddy fields in China, which we used to evaluate fertilization-induced losses and the impact of environmental factors, and to mitigate losses by adopting alternative fertilization options and setting input thresholds. Our results showed that most N-loss pathways had exponential increases with additional N input. In average, 23.8% of the N applied was lost via NH3 (16.1%), N2O (0.3%), leaching (4.8%), and runoff (2.6%). Total P loss was approximately 2.7% of the input, composed of leaching (1.3%) and runoff (1.4%). C lost as CH4 accounted for 4.9% of the organic C input. A relative importance analysis indicated that climate or soil variation rather than fertilizer rate was the dominant factor driving N and P leaching, and CH4 emissions. Based on the sensitivity of multiple N-loss pathways to N fertilization, we propose upper thresholds for N inputs of 142–191 kg N ha−1 across four rice types, which would avoid dramatic increases in N losses. Compared to conventional chemical fertilization, alternative fertilization options had diverse performances: enhanced-efficiency N fertilizer reduced N loss rate by 7.8 percent points and the global warming potential (GWP, considering N2O and CH4 emissions) by 28.8%; combined manure and chemical N fertilizer reduced N loss rate by 9.0 percent points but increased the GWP by 56.9%; straw return had no effect on total N loss but almost doubled the GWP. Using nutrient sources most appropriate to site-specific conditions is demonstrated as a robust way to decrease nutrient losses. Setting nutrient input thresholds would also contribute to the mitigation of environmental pollution, especially in regions with poor fertilization recommendation systems.

The acceptability, energy consumption, and environmental benefits of electric vehicles are highly dependent on travel patterns. With increasing ride-hailing popularity in mega-cities, urban mobility patterns are greatly changing; therefore, an investigation of the extent to which electric vehicles would satisfy the needs of ride-hailing drivers becomes important to support sustainable urban growth. A first step in this direction is reported here. GPS-trajectories of 144,867 drivers over 104 million km in Beijing were used to quantify the potential acceptability, energy consumption, and costs of ride-hailing electric vehicle fleets. Average daily travel distance and travel time for ride-hailing drivers was determined to be 129.4 km and 5.7 h; these values are substantially larger than those for household drivers (40.0 km and 1.5 h). Assuming slow level-1 (1.8 KW) or moderate level-2 (7.2 KW) charging is available at all home parking locations, battery electric vehicles with 200 km all electric range (BEV200) could be used by up to 47% or 78% of ride-hailing drivers and electrify up to 20% or 55% of total distance driven by the ride-hailing fleet. With level-2 charging available at home, work, and public parking, the acceptance ceiling increases to up to 91% of drivers and 80% of distance. Our study suggests that long range BEVs and widespread level-2 charging infrastructure are needed for large-scale electrification of ride-hailing mobility in Beijing. The marginal benefits of increased all electric range, effects on charging infrastructure distribution, and payback times are also presented and discussed. Given the observed heterogeneity of ride-hailing vehicle travel, our study outlines the importance of individual-level analysis to understand the electrification potential and future benefits of electric vehicles in the era of shared smart transportation.

The repercussions of climate change will be felt in various ways throughout both natural and human systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Climate change projections for this region point to a warming trend, particularly in the inland subtropics; frequent occurrence of extreme heat events; increasing aridity; and changes in rainfall—with a particularly pronounced decline in southern Africa and an increase in East Africa. The region could also experience as much as one meter of sea-level rise by the end of this century under a 4 °C warming scenario. Sub-Saharan Africa’s already high rates of undernutrition and infectious disease can be expected to increase compared to a scenario without climate change. Particularly vulnerable to these climatic changes are the rainfed agricultural systems on which the livelihoods of a large proportion of the region’s population currently depend. As agricultural livelihoods become more precarious, the rate of rural–urban migration may be expected to grow, adding to the already significant urbanization trend in the region. The movement of people into informal settlements may expose them to a variety of risks different but no less serious than those faced in their place of origin, including outbreaks of infectious disease, flash flooding and food price increases. Impacts across sectors are likely to amplify the overall effect but remain little understood.

This paper serves as an introduction to this special issue on new developments in urban transportation planning. The papers in this issue highlight how physical mobility is still an essential priority for urban life, but that there are associated costs in the terms of environmental impacts, quality of life and economic performance of cities. Four features of the emerging urban transportation field are identified. The first defining feature is that it is a discipline in the midst of a paradigmatic transition. Second is its overarching aim of achieving sustainable urban mobility as part of a broader effort towards enhancing quality of life in cities. The third feature is the emphasis on collaboration, integration and exchange with other professions and policy sectors. The last distinctive feature is the recognition that urban transportation planning is a communication-oriented activity.

Better prediction of turbulent airflow around urban trees is necessary because it impacts urban pollutant dispersion, outdoor thermal comfort, energy efficiency, pedestrian-level comfort and urban heat island mitigation. A major challenge is how to obtain an accurate numerical model of the turbulent flow field around trees and an improved parameterization of the turbulent momentum deficit using the drag coefficient (Cd). To address this challenge, we use wind tunnel tests and real trees to measure Cd for four common subtropical tree species: Ficus microcarpa, Mangifera indica, Michelia alba and Bauhinia blakeana. The results show that the Cd of the four trees ranges from 0.523 to 0.932, and that the negative relationship between Cd and wind speed (U) can be expressed by the exponential formula Cd=a*U−b. A three-dimensional model of wind modification by trees is proposed, and its accuracy is verified with wind tunnel measurements. With precise Cd and model, the predictability of the influence of trees on urban wind in subtropical areas is enhanced (root mean square error RMSE ranging from 2.89 m/s to 0.45 m/s). Future development and applications of the numerical model will help provide useful guidelines for urban landscape management and sustainable urban planning in terms of urban ventilation.

Various theories and approaches have been introduced in the debate on how to address sustainable consumption. In this study, we first discuss different theoretical perspectives on sustainable consumption, particularly developed in the fields of economics, social psychology and environmental sociology. We argue that neither an ‘individualist’ nor a system- or structural perspective alone is sufficient for understanding and analysing the transition towards sustainable consumption. Therefore, we propose to apply the Social Practices Approach (SPA) that combines both human agency and social structures to understand sustainable consumption issues. Following the SPA framework, we review and summarize research on sustainable consumption in China in particular on three consumption fields: food, housing energy and mobility. It is found that introducing more efficient production technology is commonly taken as the focal point in these sectors when sustainable consumption was introduced to China. Despite a rising interest in consumers' perceptions of products' sustainability in recent years, research has rarely paid any attention to consumers' behavioural change or to the transition dynamics towards sustainable consumption. In general, ‘individualist’ perspectives have largely dominated Chinese sustainable consumption research. This paper proposes to move attention to a better understanding of Chinese consumption issues by emphasizing the link between the provision of sustainable products and the diverse sustainable consumption practices. Also, images of food, energy, mobility and other consumption products that are undergoing transitions need to be considered in future research as these have consequences for socio-technical changes, material infrastructures and for ‘lifestyle’ innovations.