Carbon Emission Performance Research Articles

The impact of national land supervision system on urban low-carbon transformation: evidence from China

The land system is a crucial factor influencing urban low-carbon sustainable development. However, previous research has paid little attention to the effects and mechanisms of the national land supervision system (NLSS) on urban low-carbon transformation (ULCT). This study uses China’s routine land inspection as a quasi-natural experiment and examines the impact of NLSS on ULCT using panel data from 283 Chinese cities between 2005 and 2016. The study finds that NLSS significantly promotes ULCT, with a series of robustness checks supporting this conclusion, showing a 1.95% improvement in carbon emission performance in cities under supervision. NLSS mainly facilitates ULCT by improving land use efficiency, upgrading the structural of the service sector, and promoting technological progress. Compared to eastern cities, southern cities, large cities, and non-resource-based cities, NLSS more effectively promotes low-carbon transformation in central and western, northern, small- and medium-sized, and resource-based cities. Additionally, in contrast to cities with high environmental awareness, high marketization levels, high financial development levels, and high fiscal pressure, NLSS more strongly promotes ULCT in cities with lower levels of these factors. Furthermore, NLSS exhibits a significant positive spatial spillover effect in promoting ULCT. In advancing ULCT, NLSS can be synergized with smart city pilot policies and innovative city pilot policies but has not shown synergies with low-carbon city pilot policies.

Coupling coordination relationship between high-quality economic development and carbon emission performance in China: degree measurement, spatio-temporal evolution, and driving factors

Coupling coordination relationship between high-quality economic development and carbon emission performance in China: degree measurement, spatio-temporal evolution, and driving factors

Does advanced human capital structure improve carbon emission performance in China? Empirical research from a spatial spillover perspective

Facilitating coordination between economic growth and carbon mitigation is vital for the sustainability of human society. Identifying the driving factors of Carbon emission performance (CEP) is crucial for its improvement. Nevertheless, empirical research on the relationship between advanced human capital structure (AHCS) and CEP remains scarce. This study analyzes the impact of AHCS on CEP utilizing a dataset covering 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2021. First, we construct a global epsilon-based measure (EBM) model with undesired output to accurately measure the multi-period CEP for Chinese provinces. Next, we evaluate the level of AHCS from the perspective of dynamic evolution. Subsequently, a spatial Durbin model (SDM) is employed to examine the spatial spillover effects of AHCS on CEP. The results illustrate that CEP exhibits significant positive spatial spillover effects across provinces. Additionally, AHCS has a direct and significant positive impact on local CEP and can indirectly enhance CEP in neighboring regions through spillover effects, although the impact varies across different regions. The impact mechanism analysis indicates that AHCS enhances CEP via technological advancement, industrial structure upgrading (ISU), and energy efficiency improvement, despite the asymmetric effects observed between local and neighboring provinces. Therefore, shaping a favorable educational environment to optimize the human capital structure is critical for the improvement of CEP. In addition, promoting resource sharing and technology exchange through regional cooperation is essential for China’s low-carbon transition development.

Does artificial intelligence improve enterprise carbon emission performance? Evidence from an intelligent transformation policy in China

Does artificial intelligence improve enterprise carbon emission performance? Evidence from an intelligent transformation policy in China

Measuring carbon emission performance in China's energy market: Evidence from improved non-radial directional distance function data envelopment analysis

The most complex challenge facing the energy market is identifying effective solutions to reduce CO2 emissions (CEs) and enhance environmental performance (EP). Coal production within the power sector is the primary source of these emissions. In this study, we developed a novel linear programming model that accounts for undesirable outputs to assess the EP of 15 power enterprises in eastern China from 2016 to 2020. In addition, we employed a global non-radial Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index (GNML) to analyse the mechanisms influencing changes in efficiency among these enterprises. Our findings indicate that, while the EP of the power industry in eastern China improved, it remains at a relatively low level and exhibits instability. Moreover, technological efficiency (TE) and scale efficiency (SE) play a significant role in determining production efficiency within the sector. Therefore, it is essential for industry managers to implement standardized production management regulations, enhance technological development and scale investments, and strengthen control over unintended emissions that could facilitate energy transition.

Green Technology Innovation and Carbon Emission Performance of the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration: Mechanism and Spatio-Temporal Evolution

Amid the increasingly severe global climate change situation, green technology innovation has become an important means to promote carbon reduction and achieve the transition to a low-carbon economy. This study aims to systematically analyze the relationship between green technology innovation and carbon emission performance in the urban agglomeration of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, exploring the degree of coupling and coordination between different cities. Utilizing data from 2011 to 2021, we employ methods such as the Coupling Coordination Degree Model and fixed effects model to achieve our objectives. Our findings reveal that both green technology innovation and carbon emission performance in this region are on an upward trend; however, the growth rate of green technology innovation showed a slowdown in 2021. Notably, there are disparities in the coupling coordination degree among cities, with economically developed areas exhibiting a faster growth rate. Moreover, green technology innovation significantly enhances carbon emission performance, and heterogeneity tests indicate that this impact is even more pronounced in cities with weaker environmental regulations. Despite regional differences, the overall trend remains positive.

Cultural Industry Agglomeration and Carbon Emission Performance: Empirical Analysis Based on 276 Cities in China

This study investigated the influence of cultural industry agglomeration on the energy carbon emission performance (CEP). Based on panel data from 276 cities in China, we used the Super-SBM model to measure the CEP. We then used the Tobit regression model to calculate the influence coefficient of cultural industry agglomeration and eight control variables on the CEP and analyzed the complex effects of cultural industry agglomeration on the CEP. The results showed that there is the phenomenon of “diseconomies of agglomeration” in cultural industry agglomeration, which cannot improve the CEP. For each unit of cultural industry agglomeration increase, the CEP decreases by 0.055; however, this phenomenon is not linear. Further research showed that the effects of cultural industry agglomeration showed a trend from good to inferior in the order of east, central, and west and did not improve with time. Finally, we used the panel quantile regression model and found that as the CEP levels rise, the negative impact of cultural industry agglomeration improves. Our research results show that strengthening the technical level to promote the upgrading of the cultural industry is the best way to achieve sustainable development. Governments at all levels should pay attention to the emission reduction potential of cultural industry agglomeration under high CEP levels and strengthen the benign agglomeration of the cultural industry.

Urban density and spatial carbon emission performance of megacities in China

Increasing urban density promotes a greater social role for cities. The current low-carbon city development goals put forward higher requirements for carbon performance. Based on the viewpoint of minimizing natural resource input and maximizing value acquisition in ecological benefits, the influence of urban density on spatial carbon performance is analyzed by polynomial function relationship, and Beijing and Shanghai with different urban function positioning are taken as examples for comparative analysis. Combined with Point-of-Interest (POI), the classification benchmark of industrial activities was established, and the spatial kernel density of ArcGIS software was used to analyze the industrial agglomeration characteristics of the two cities. The results show that: 1) The “increase-decrease-increase-decrease” trend of urban spatial carbon performance over time fluctuates around the unary linear trend of urban density.2) Population and building density are too low or too high, which is not conducive to emission reduction. The change of economic density is influenced by the industrial structure. The change of urban density is negatively correlated with the growth rate of spatial carbon performance. In a certain development stage, the increase of urban density will inhibit the growth of spatial carbon performance to some extent. 3) Maintaining the original economic and industrial structure, the increase in economic density brought by the simple expansion of scale is not conducive to emission reduction. The increase of economic density brought by the transformation of economic or industrial structure and the reduction of the proportion of secondary industry is conducive to urban emission reduction.

The impact of a low-carbon transport system policy on total factor carbon emission performance: Evidence from 283 cities in China

Reducing carbon emissions from the transport sector is crucial to achieve “carbon neutrality” and is an important component of a low-carbon policy system. In response to the uncertainty of evaluating current low-carbon transport policies, we provide an in-depth analysis and examination of low-carbon transport system (LCTS) policies implemented in China. Using data from 283 Chinese cities between 2006 and 2020, we provide evidence on the policy effects, potential mechanisms, and heterogeneity of LCTS policies on carbon emission performance. Results showed that LCTS policies significantly improved carbon emission performance in pilot regions. The main ways to achieve this policy's objective were to reduce energy consumption in pilot cities, to promote the development of green technologies, and to implement low-carbon transformation of public transport. Moreover, there was heterogeneity in the policy's effects, with the implementation of a LCTS being more effective in eastern and central regions of China and in larger and more compact cities. By analysing the policy's mechanisms and heterogeneity of effects, this article provides a reference for the formulation and selection of low-carbon transport policies.

Greenhouse gas assurance and carbon emission performance in light of the auditor’s reputation and the country’s development level

PurposeThe objective of this study is to determine the impact of GHG assurance on firms’ carbon emissions performance (CEP) regarding curbing carbon emissions and the effect on such by the GHG assurance provider’s affiliation and reputation. It also explores whether the affiliation and reputation of GHG assurance providers imply the relationship between GHG assurance and the firm’s CEP. Further, this study examines the moderating effect of the country’s development level on the relationship.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of international firms from 56 countries spanning the period from 2012 to 2020, this study utilizes the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. We also run the OLS regression at times t+1 and t+2 to verify the baseline results. To address the endogeneity concerns arising from self-selection bias and the causality effect, this study applies the generalized method of moment (GMM) and the Heckman test.FindingsThis study finds that GHG assurance leads to better CEP by firms. We also find that engaging with accounting assurance providers leads firms to a better CEP than non-accounting assurance providers. Our results show that Big Four auditors can help firms decrease carbon emissions. We also find that the positive effect of GHG assurance is prevalent in firms operating in developed countries.Research limitations/implicationsOur study only considers the influence of the assuror’s reputation and affiliation on CEP without examining other factors that may influence the quality of assurance services provided.Practical implicationsOur study provides a practical implication related to the influence of a GHG assurance provider’s affiliation and reputation globally by providing evidence that accounting and Big Four assurance providers do play a significant role in a firm’s carbon emission performance. This study offers great insights into the GHG assurance impact on CEP with the interplay between the assuror’s affiliation and reputation and the country’s development.Originality/valueThis paper enriches the limit evidence on GHG assurance and CEP by providing novel evidence on the relationship between GHG assurance and a firm’s CEP. Moreover, this study provides insights into the implication of a country’s development level on the role of GHG assurance in CEP.

A Study on the Impact of China’s Prefabricated Building Policy on the Carbon Reduction Benefits of China’s Construction Industry Based on a Difference-in-Differences Method

The construction industry is a significant contributor to carbon emissions in China. To effectively meet the “dual carbon” targets, several provincial regions within the country started to implement policies promoting prefabricated buildings. This study examines data from 18 provinces in China over the period from 2012 to 2021, treating the introduction of prefabricated building policies as a quasi-natural experiment. Utilizing the difference-in-differences methodology, this research assesses the impact of these policies on the carbon emission performance of China’s construction sector and evaluates the robustness of the findings. The results indicate that the prefabricated building policies positively influenced the carbon emission efficiency of the construction industry. Specifically, these policies enhance carbon emission efficiency by increasing labor productivity, optimizing the allocation of mechanical resources, and improving the utilization rate of building materials. Additionally, the effectiveness of these policies is positively correlated with the level of regional technological innovation, environmental protection efforts, and the advancement of energy structure optimization. The study concludes with several policy recommendations aimed at further enhancing the effectiveness of prefabricated building policies.

환경경영이 경영자보상에 미치는 영향 : 기관투자자 및 개인투자자를 중심으로

[Purpose]This study aims to analyze the impact of ESG management, particularly carbon emission reduction performance, on CEO compensation and to empirically examine the differential impact by investor type. [Methodology]The study analyzed manufacturing firms listed on the Korea Exchange from 2013 to 2022, using financial and environmental data. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to understand the relationship between carbon emission performance and executive compensation, and to assess the differential impact between institutional and individual investors. [Findings]The study found that higher carbon emission performance is associated with higher CEO compensation, with a stronger positive relationship in firms with a higher proportion of institutional investors. [Implications]Incorporating carbon emission reduction performance into CEO compensation can incentivize sustainable management, with institutional investors playing a crucial role in enhancing firms’ ESG performance and improving corporate sustainability.

Environmental Regulation, Factor Marketisation Allocation and Carbon Emissions Performance: Empirical Evidence from Resource-Based Cities in China

Resource-based cities had an irreplaceable role in the process of the economic miracle in China. Advancing such cities’ carbon emissions reduction is a crucial aspect of the country’s steady realisation of the dual carbon peak and neutrality strategy. The reasonable implementation of environmental regulation and the efficiency of factor marketisation allocation are the key links for resource-based cities to improve carbon emissions performance, break the resource curse and reduce carbon emissions. Based on this, this study centres on the driving relationship between environmental regulation, the efficiency of factor marketisation allocation and carbon emissions performance as the core research problem. This study takes the panel data of 116 resource-based cities in China from 2006 to 2020 as the research sample; the non-radial meta-frontier total factor carbon emissions performance index is selected as the measurement index of carbon emission performance of resource-based cities based on the applicability analysis of the model. This study explores the characteristics of regional heterogeneity and type heterogeneity of carbon emissions performance driven by environmental regulation under the moderating effect of the efficiency of factor marketisation allocation and further explores the threshold effect, aiming to clarify the driving relationship between the three. The findings reveal that the driving effect of environmental regulation intensity on carbon emissions performance exhibits a fluctuating upward trend, the effect transformed by compliance cost and innovation compensation. The efficiency of factor marketisation allocation has a double threshold superposition effect on carbon emissions performance fluctuation that is driven by environmental regulation, indicating that market and government effectiveness can operate together to improve the carbon emissions performance. Based on these results, this study proposes countermeasures and suggestions for improving carbon emissions performance using environmental regulation and the efficiency of factor marketisation allocation.

Oil price uncertainty and corporate carbon performance: An international investigation

Drawing on legitimacy theory and stakeholder theory, this study examines whether oil price uncertainty (OPU) affects corporate carbon performance (CCP) in the international context. Based on data extracted from CDP (previously known as the Carbon Disclosure Project), World Bank, and Thomson Reuters Eikon databases, the study's sample consists of 9074 firm-year observations over the period 2011–2018 for all non-financial multinational companies invited to take part in the CDP questionnaire. Using an ordinary least squares regression model, we identify a strong relationship between OPU and carbon emissions performance. Our findings are robust to a battery of sensitivity tests, all of which support our original results. This study contributes new knowledge regarding the influence of OPU on CCP. The results will be of interest to investors and policymakers as they provide a useful basis for understanding OPU and its impact on CCP to promote better decision-making.

Spatial network analysis and driving forces of urban carbon emission performance: Insights from Guangdong Province

As the primary contributor to carbon emissions, how cities enhance their carbon emission performance and mitigate emissions is crucial for achieving low-carbon urban environments in China. However, existing research often overlooks the spatial interconnectedness of carbon emission performance, neglecting reciprocal influences among cities. This study examines the network structure of carbon emission performance among Guangdong's cities from 1997 to 2019, using a super-efficient SBM model and social network analysis, and measures spatial impacts of network factors with the spatial Durbin model. Findings reveal that: (1) The overall network of carbon emission performance is relatively loose with minimal changes in connectivity and efficiency but shows significant local clustering. (2) Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Zhuhai have high centrality, dominating carbon emission performance resources and acting as key transmission nodes, while most other regions have low centrality, indicating network polarization and potential vulnerabilities. (3) Enhancing a region's centrality, economic development, industrial structure, openness, and attraction of talent and technology can boost local carbon emission performance, but may also lead to the displacement of emissions to neighboring areas and outflow of low-carbon and innovative elements, negatively affecting surrounding regions through spatial spillover effects. This research advances regional carbon emission reduction strategies by highlighting the interplay between spatial networks and carbon emission performance, fostering synergies in reduction efforts.

Corporate culture and carbon emission performance

Using a large sample of U.S. firms from 2002 to 2020, we investigate the relationship between corporate culture and the extent of carbon emissions. We provide evidence that the quantum of carbon emissions is negatively associated with corporate cultural attributes manifested by integrity, teamwork, innovation, and respect. These results hold after controlling for potential endogeneity issues using several identification techniques. We also document that the negative culture–emissions relationship is magnified in firms with weak corporate governance and in those operating in environmentally sensitive industries. Additionally, this relationship is less salient in the presence of social capital. Finally, we demonstrate that in firms with a stronger culture, elevated carbon emissions result in a lower firm value. Our findings may be of interest to environmental regulators and management in their pursuit of firm-level carbon emission targets.

Government Environmental Expenditure, Budget Management, and Regional Carbon Emissions: Provincial Panel Data from China

To explore the impact of government fiscal intervention on regional carbon emissions, this paper employs a two-way fixed-effects model to analyze data from 30 provinces in China, spanning the period from 2008 to 2017. This study investigates the effects of local government environmental expenditure and government budget on the per capita volume, intensity, and performance of regional carbon emissions. The results show that government environmental expenditure is beneficial to reducing regional carbon emissions and improving regional carbon emission performance. Second, the smaller the deviation between the government budget and final accounts, the more conducive it is to reducing carbon emissions. Third, we found that government environmental expenditure has the strongest inhibitory effect on regional carbon emissions in the eastern region, followed by the central region, and the weakest in the western region. Finally, government financial transparency positively moderates the inhibitory effect of government budget management on regional carbon emissions, that is, when fiscal transparency is high, the amplification effect of budget deviation on regional carbon emissions is weakened.

Structure adjustment strategies and carbon emission performance of automobile supply chain facing the dual credit policy

Structure adjustment strategies and carbon emission performance of automobile supply chain facing the dual credit policy

Green fiscal policy and carbon emission: Enterprises’ level evidence from China

The Chinese government has systematically developed and implemented a wide-ranging set of policies for sustainable development. The Fiscal Policy for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction (FPECER) is a pivotal component within this integrated policy framework. Nevertheless, there is currently an absence of literature assessing its' impact on the carbon emission performances of manufacturing enterprises and discussing the potential impact channels. To this end, by applying the difference-in-difference method to a unique micro-level panel dataset, this study empirically investigates the impact of FPECER on manufacturing enterprises' carbon emissions and proposes some explanations for the impact channels between the two. This research substantiates that the FPESER has played a pivotal role in diminishing both the levels and intensity of carbon emissions for manufacturing enterprises located in pilot cities. Moreover, this has been achieved through an augmentation of financial subsidies granted to enterprises, a vigorous promotion of research and development activities, and a significant reduction in both the level and intensity of energy consumption. Furthermore, this research also discerns that the negative impact of FPECER on carbon emission performance is more pronounced for manufacturing enterprises in regions experiencing heightened local fiscal pressure and higher economic policy uncertainty, those classified within high-emission and capital-intensive industries, as well as non-export-oriented and state-owned manufacturing entities. Finally, FPECER does not significantly impact the output and value-added of enterprises, yet it does reduce the emission levels of a range of pollutants.

Can urbanization improve carbon performance?

Cities are the core carriers and key positions to achieve the dual carbon goals. It is of great significance to explore whether promoting urbanization can improve carbon emission performance, which is of great significance to comprehensively promote the goal of carbon neutrality. Based on the panel data from 2006 to 2021, this paper analyzes the spatial autocorrelation of carbon emission performance per unit space and the impact mechanism of urbanization process on it. The fixed-effect model was further used to identify the influencing factors of spatial carbon emission performance. The results show that: 1) China’s carbon emission performance per unit space is declining year by year. 2) There is a strong positive spatial correlation and stable path dependence on the performance of carbon emissions per unit space in each region. 3) To a certain extent, increasing the level of urbanization will reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space. 4) The urbanization process has a spatial spillover effect on the carbon emission performance per unit space of surrounding provinces, and the spatial spillover effect of industrial structure and energy consumption structure is more obvious than that of economic level, population density and urbanization rate. Based on the conclusions, this paper puts forward specific policy suggestions to reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space to help the low-carbon development of cities.