Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment最新文献

The national independent innovation demonstration zone (NIIDZ) is an independent innovation policy that plays a crucial role in implementing strategies. Given the importance of the NIIDZ, this study uses panel data of 278 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2020 and empirically examines the effect and internal mechanism of the NIIDZ on green economic efficiency (GEE) using the difference-in-difference model (DID). The results show that the NIIDZ effectively enhances the growth of GEE, and the results remain valid through several robustness tests, such as year-by-year propensity score matching. The transmission mechanism suggests that the NIIDZ indirectly drives GEE by accelerating scientific and technological investment, promoting talent concentration, and optimizing the industrial structure. Moreover, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the promotion effect of the NIIDZ on GEE is more prominent in the eastern region and high green development level areas. The study’s findings can serve as a reference for China to further utilize the policy effectiveness of the NIIDZ and accelerate the high-quality development of the green economy in the future.

Maintaining moderate economic growth targets (EGTs) is the key for local governments to effectively implement the “carbon peak and carbon neutrality” goals under the refreshed development pattern. Utilizing panel data of 276 prefecture-level cities in mainland China from 2010 to 2020, and employing methods such as intermediary and threshold models, this study empirically analyzes the internal mechanism of EGT’s impact on urban carbon productivity (UCP). Our findings demonstrate that: ① The overall EGT during the analyzed period is not conducive to improving UCP. This conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. This effect is more pronounced in the central region and resource-based cities than in the east-west region and non-resource-based cities. ② EGT not only directly suppresses UCP but also exerts indirect negative impacts on UCP from three aspects: delaying the digital economy (DE), constraining financial expansion (FE), and hindering green technology innovation (GTI). This negative indirect effect is similar to or even surpasses the direct effect, suggesting that the internal relationship between EGT and “dual-carbon” goals should be re-evaluated from a new compound perspective. ③ EGT not only has a simple linear impact on UCP but also significantly exhibits a dynamic evolution pattern in inverted “U” shape. That is, as EGT continuously upgrades, a nonlinear impact on UCP emerges in the form of “promoting first, suppressing later”. This indicates that surpassing the “degree” limit for EGT will be detrimental to the improvement of UCP. This study broadens the scope of carbon productivity analysis by introducing a new perspective centered on EGT. The insights gleaned from this research offer valuable guidance for local governments to effectively manage economic growth expectations and promote the synchronized achievement of dual-carbon objectives.

This study explored the factors influencing cooperative innovation in environmentally friendly agricultural biotechnology in China. First, we constructed an evolutionary game model comprising the factors of net income of cooperative innovation, net income of independent innovation, market constraints, and government subsidies. Using MATLAB simulation, we assigned different values to the aforementioned variables to explore the evolutionary trend of innovators’ willingness to cooperate. Results showed that when the values of net income of cooperative innovation, net income of independent innovation, market constraints, and government subsidies exceeded the threshold, innovators’ willingness to cooperate was significantly enhanced. Furthermore, the proportion of innovators who cooperated with others gradually increased to 100%; otherwise, it gradually decreased to 0%. Comparing the simulation curve with the real evolution curve of cooperative innovation in agricultural biotechnology in China, we found that the gradual decline in the willingness to cooperate could be due to insufficient subsidies for cooperative innovation, low income from cooperative innovation, weak profitability of innovators, and weak market constraints.

Transportation infrastructure is crucial to China’s economic growth because it substantially contributes to the holistic development of rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. This study innovatively examines transportation infrastructure and urbanization levels to explore, both theoretically and empirically, their relationship with the holistic development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural China, and the mediating role of urbanization on this relationship. We employed fixed-effects models, the entropy weight approach, mixed regression, and generalized method of moments to analyze the data of 30 provinces across China from 2013 to 2020. The results indicate that the construction of transportation infrastructure directly fosters the collective advancement of such industries in rural areas and that urbanization partially mediates the transportation infrastructure–rural industry integration relationship. However, the western region shows disparities in the integrated development of these sectors. Further analysis reveals that foreign investments amplify the positive influence of transportation infrastructure on rural industry integration. Essentially, the enhancement of rural transportation infrastructure, promotion of urbanization, implementation of strategic planning, and strengthening of support mechanisms are crucial aspects in the comprehensive development of rural industries and the achievement of rural revitalization in China.

Recycling is viewed as a key component in a circular economy and serves as an ideal solution for promoting sustainability. During the global plastic crisis, plastic recycling practices have been adopted worldwide, leading to the production of various products made from recycled plastics (PRP). Nevertheless, a gap persists between consumption and demand for such products, which is primarily attributed to a lack of comprehension from the consumer perspective. Given the pivotal role consumers play in the adoption of these products, this study explores consumers’ intentions to purchase PRP. This is particularly significant in Vietnam, which is an emerging economy aspiring to achieve the objectives of a circular economy and sustainable development. Utilizing an integrated cognitive-emotional framework comprising the Valence Theory and the Norm Activation Model, data from 564 Vietnamese students were gathered and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that awareness of consequences is a major driver of consumer purchase intentions, followed by perceived ease of application and monetary incentives. The results also indicate that health concerns have the strongest effect on purchase intention and in the negative side, meaning that the health-related risk is the primary concern for consumers during the decision-making process. This research holds substantial value for academics and managers, as it aids in the theoretical exploration and the formulation of strategies to improve consumer acceptance of PRP.

Enhancing the economic resilience of agriculture is essential for promoting sustainable and high-quality agricultural development. The emergence of digital technology has created new opportunities in this field. However, existing research predominantly focuses on traditional agricultural factors and technologies. Therefore, the impact of digital technology on agricultural economic resilience within the broader context of the “production–operation–industry” system in agriculture has not been comprehensively explored. To bridge this gap, this study analyzes panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020. It employs the static Van Dorn’s law and a dynamic spatial panel model to examine how digital technology empowers agricultural resilience. The findings indicate a continuous strengthening of digital technology development in China, albeit with significant polarization and spatial imbalances. Moreover, the resilience of the agricultural economy undergoes notable fluctuations, initially narrowing and subsequently displaying an upward trend. Digital technology clearly plays a pivotal role in empowering resilience through agricultural scale operation, industrial transformation, and technological progress. Its impact, particularly on the promotion of resilience in the eastern region and non-grain-producing areas and on high-level agricultural economies, also shows regional and technological variations.

As a unique environmental regulation in China, the official accountability audit was piloted in 2014. With a focus on prioritizing the ecological environment, officials in pilot districts have implemented economic construction, adjusted industrial structures, and promoted coordinated development between the economy and environment. The effects of implementation have garnered widespread attention from society. However, there is limited research on the impact of an accountability audit on industrial structure adjustments. Using the “Accountability Audit of Officials for Natural Resource Assets (Trial)” released in 2015 as a quasi-natural experiment, this study collected panel data from 279 cities between 2013 and 2017. It then empirically analyzed the impact mechanism and effects of the accountability audit on industrial structure adjustment using the Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-Differences model. The research findings indicate that the accountability audit directly impacted industrial structure adjustment, promoting the upgrading of the primary industry to the secondary industry and restricting the development of the tertiary industry. In addition, the audit is beneficial for enterprise entry, but not conducive to technological innovation, and has no significant impact on foreign direct investment. This conclusion fills a gap in the existing research and provides valuable insights for policymakers.

To address air pollution and offer a convenient and comfortable living environment, the Chinese government launched a smart city pilot (SCP) project in 2012, accompanied by a comprehensive set of environmental and energy-related laws and regulations. Although academic interest in smart cities has surged, there remains a notable gap in empirical research exploring the economic, environmental, and energy effects of such initiatives. Taking 232 prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2017 as research subjects, this study measures energy efficiency by using energy consumption per unit of GDP and adopts a difference-in-differences (DID) analysis to investigate the impact of SCPs on energy efficiency. The empirical results indicate that SCPs improved energy efficiency by promoting urban technological innovation capabilities and green total factor productivity, and this effect was more pronounced in cities that were more dependent on traditional fossil fuel energy sources and had more developed fiscal and financial levels. Studying the impact of smart city construction on energy utilization efficiency in developing countries, such as China, is not only significantly enlightening for China’s green and low-carbon transition but also provides reference opinions for constructing smart cities and the path to enhancing energy efficiency in other developing countries. The findings provide valuable insights into the global development of smart cities, urban sustainability, and high-quality economic growth.

Problems with clean water in coastal areas alongside an increase in population and community economic activities have diversified community activities. Coastal settlements bordering the high seas are characterized as arid areas with a lack of clean water. Here, the use of the range groundwater supply against seawater intrusion means that the water consumed by the community tastes salty and brackish. The availability of abundant seawater, processed through desalination technology, can be used to meet the daily clean water needs of coastal communities. Sustainable development goal (SDG) 6 Water and Sanitation is concerned with ensuring that everyone has access to clean water and sanitation. In this regard, desalination technology is considered viable to achieve the SDGs in the environmental sector. Some countries have focused on using desalination technology to achieve target 6.4 by 2030. This goal aims to improve the efficiency of water use to reduce the number of people experiencing clean water scarcity by ensuring a sustainable supply of fresh water. The objective of this study is to examine the application of seawater desalination technology for clean water in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Indonesia, and identify the implications of desalination policies in these countries. Comparative studies were conducted using secondary data and literature studies on transforming seawater into clean water with technology. KSA applies seawater desalination technology to meet water needs. However, in Indonesia, policymaking has not holistically examined the potential of using seawater desalination technology for clean water. Until now, unlike in the KSA, Indonesia has not addressed the importance of the use of desalination technology in state policy.

China is experiencing rapid population aging. The one contributing factor affecting senior citizens’ lives is the disconnect between the built environment in urban and rural areas and the behavioral preferences of older adults. However, research on the relation between the built environment and the behavior of older individuals has been limited. Thus, this paper uses the most recent health tracking data on factors influencing aging in China released in 2020 (China Senior Health Survey Tracking Survey). Applying traditional regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and two decision tree optimization models from machine learning, a comprehensive comparative study is carried out to investigate the correlation between the built environment and the physical activity, dietary habits, and social interactions of older age groups. The findings reveal that built environment variables most significantly impact physical activity, accounting for 52.525%, followed by social interaction behaviors at 50.202% and dietary intake at 47.991%. Furthermore, the authors identify population density and greenness rate as the built environment factors having considerable effects on the behavior of older adults. Thus, this study establishes a theoretical foundation for developing age-friendly community environments for older adults.