• Energy Research
• 2021-2025close
• 8. Economic growth close
• Jiangsu University close

This study mainly investigates 14 Asia Pacific economies' environmental efficiency. Departing from previous studies ignoring environmental technology heterogeneity, we evaluate environmental efficiency through metafrontier super epsilon based model (EBM). We compare environmental efficiency convergence across different regions via unit root test and truncated regressions. We analyze how trade competitiveness impact environmental efficiency. We also explore effect of green technology and human capital on environmental efficiency from the perspective of endogenous growth. Our findings indicate that stochastic and absolute β-convergence tendencies were confirmed. Human capital can enhance environmental efficiency convergence. Trade competitiveness showed a mixed impact on environmental efficiency convergence, confirming scale, composition and technical effects. It is better to enhance human capital, strengthening environmental regulations under international competition as well as relentlessly pursuing green industrialization across Asia Pacific countries.

China aims to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and promote green growth. This study aims to examine the effect of banking sector performance indicators (banks assets and return on asset) and financial inclusion on renewable energy consumption, green growth, and carbon emissions for China from 1995 to 2020 using the ARDL approach. The long-run results suggest that bank assets increase renewable energy consumption and green growth. While return on assets also increases green growth and decreases carbon emission in the long run. Financial inclusion enhances renewable energy consumption and green growth, curbing CO2 emissions. Banking sector performance and financial inclusion have short-run effects on renewable energy consumption, green growth, and carbon dixoside emissions. The findings thus point to the need for policies that promote banking sector performance and financial inclusion to boost green growth and alleviate CO2 emissions.

Under certain circumstances, on-the-job consumption is conducive to improving the resilience of the supply chain and the sustainable development ability of enterprises. Using China’s A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2019 as sample data in conjunction with the deconstructive analysis of on-the-job consumption, we used the multiple linear regression model of econometrics to deeply analyze the impact of on-the-job consumption on the sustainable development of enterprises, test the regulatory effect of innovation efficiency, and explore the governance effect of internal control and anti-corruption. Research shows that reasonable and excessive on-the-job consumption have positive and inhibitory effects, respectively, on the sustainable development of enterprises and the relationship between innovation efficiency and the sustainable development of enterprises. Compared to private enterprises, the positive effect of reasonable on-the-job consumption is smaller in state-owned enterprises, while the negative effect of excessive on-the-job consumption is larger in state-owned enterprises. Further research suggests that internal control can weaken the inhibitory effect of excessive on-the-job consumption on the positive relationship between the innovation efficiency and the sustainable development of enterprises, and the weakening effect is even greater after the implementation of anti-corruption policies. Anti-corruption policies and internal control can form a complementary force, effectively restrain the agency effect of excessive on-the-job consumption, and promote the sustainable development of enterprises. This research not only expands the research perspective of on-the-job consumption but also adds new theoretical explanations and empirical evidence for how to achieve the sustainable development of enterprises.

Greenhouse gasses have adverse effects on global warming and air pollution and need to be optimized by minimizing the contributing factors. This work analyzes the effects of economic growth and energy resources (renewable and nonrenewable) on the emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG). A 2000-2016 panel data from 25 developing Asian countries is analyzed through a robust Random Effect (RE) approach and Hausman Taylor Regression (HTR). Findings show a positive correlation between economic growth and energy consumption, while a 1% increase in renewable energy consumption results in a 0.193% decrease in carbon emissions. Economic growth and renewable energy are positively correlated in both the short and long term, which implies a valid feedback hypothesis. The findings indicate the significant contribution of nonrenewable energy resources to greenhouse gas emissions and the positive impact of renewable resources on greenhouse gas emissions' control. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of developing Asian economies to preserve the environment through more robust regional environmental policies and renewable energy resources. In light of this study's findings, policymakers in Asian developing economies should develop policies on Renewable Energy infrastructure (RE) to improve GDP and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Abstract As the largest emerging economy, China has been experiencing significant environmental problems. To sustain green economic efficiency and modernize industrial structure, China has devised several environmental regulations. While, previous studies have obtained insightful conclusions on this subject, others have presented the reverse arguments, thereby leaving gaps in the literature. This study therefore analyzes the effects of heterogeneous environmental regulations on green economic efficiency in China while taking industrial structure as a mediator over the period 2003-2017. The green economic efficiency was estimated through slacks-based direction distance function (SBM-DDF) model which considers slacks and avoids overestimation. The results of dynamic panel two-stage system generalized method of moments (GMM) show that control-and-command regulation, market-based regulation and voluntary regulation are conducive to China’s green economic efficiency. Regarding spatial heterogeneity, control-and-command and voluntary regulations significantly promote green economic efficiency of inland provinces while the effect is insignificant in coastal provinces. Additionally, market-based regulation promotes green economic efficiency by advanced and rationalized industrial structure. Control-and-command regulation accelerates green economic efficiency only through advanced industrial structure. Voluntary regulation yields positive effect on green economic efficiency through advanced industrial structure and negative effect through rationalized industrial structure. Finally, a number of policy implications are provided.

Economic development is mainly dependent on fossil fuels. The massive use of fossil fuels has led to changes in the climate environment, in which the deterioration of air quality has affected people’s daily lives. This paper introduces the green growth level as a control variable to explore the connection between carbon dioxide emissions and the level of economic growth. It uses the EKC algorithm and VEC model to analyze Nanjing city’s data from 1993 to 2018. Given the data availability, the ARIMA algorithm was used to project carbon emissions for 2019–2025. It is found that the EKC curve of Nanjing City shows an N-shape, and the growth of economic level will cause the enhancement of carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon emissions will reach 7,592,140 tons in 2025. At present, we are in an essential stage of transition from N-shape to inverted U-shape, and this paper makes several recommendations based on the findings.

This study focuses on determining the relationship between carbon emissions, financial development, population, green technology innovation, energy Consumption, and employment rate from 1980 to 2019 in China. The study applies the unit root test, bootstrapped ARDL cointegration, and the Granger causality to examine the data properties and association between the variables of interest. Empirical findings indicate that green technology innovations and financial development play a major role in environmental protection, specifically in the long run. In contrast, energy consumption and employment rate are more vulnerable to protecting the natural environment in China. On the other side, the findings under short-run estimation do not support the role of green technology innovation in reducing environmental degradation. Based on the empirical findings, it is suggested that a strong financial system would help to achieve long-run sustainability and the emissions mitigating effects can be further strengthen by implementing green technologies across industries. In doing so, strict environmental regulations can regulate the financial and traditional industrial sector in adoption of energy efficient technologies.

Environmental problems caused by carbon emissions have negative impacts on human life and society. It is therefore important to identify potential approaches to carbon emission reduction. In this study, we analyze the impact fiscal expenditure on science and technology has on carbon emissions using a panel dataset from 2007 to 2016 at Chinese provincial levels. An instrumental variable approach is employed to address the potential endogeneity of fiscal expenditure. Our results show that fiscal expenditure on science and technology has a significant and negative effect on carbon emissions by improving green innovation, economic structure upgrade, energy consumption structure, and energy efficiency. A one hundred RMB yuan increase in fiscal expenditure on science and technology would lower carbon emissions by 0.654 tons. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the carbon reduction effects of fiscal expenditure on science and technology are larger in regions where internet coverage and the share of industry in the economy are high. Our results highlight the significant role of fiscal expenditure on science and technology in carbon reduction.