Policy Coordination Research Articles

Does the increase in health insurance benefits have different effects on the health of middle-aged and older people individuals in rural areas? Analysis based on quantile difference-in-differences method.

In the context of healthy aging, enhancing health performance is an intrinsic requirement for the development and reform of the health insurance system. This paper mainly discusses the health effects of increasing medical insurance benefits on people with different levels of health. So this paper utilizes multiple rounds of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and employs the quantile difference-in-differences method to systematically investigate the impact effects of the integration of urban and rural residents' health insurance on the frailty levels of rural middle-aged and older people individuals. The research findings are as follows: Firstly, the integration of urban and rural resident health insurance has mitigated the frailty level of rural older people individuals, with a more pronounced impact on those with poorer health statuses. Secondly, in terms of heterogeneity analysis, the health performance effects of the urban-rural health insurance integration policy are more significant among the older people population and in the western regions. Thirdly, the integration of urban and rural resident health insurance primarily improves health by reducing the burden of medical expenses, with a greater impact on the older people population with poorer health statuses. Based on the research findings, we recommend addressing the disparities in healthcare benefits across various insurance systems, alleviating the financial burden of healthcare for impoverished individuals, and consistently improving the coordination of healthcare insurance policies for both urban and rural residents.

Сoordination of fiscal and monetary policy in Ukraine

In the conditions of uncertainty and economic instability, the issue of researching approaches to strengthening the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy is becoming relevant. The aim of the research is to justify directions for strengthening the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy of Ukraine. It is hypothesized that the level of fiscal and monetary policy coordination determines the country’s ability to ensure macroeconomic stability. Special and general scientific methods were used: system approach, theoretical generalization, induction and deduction, statistical, scientific abstraction. Strengthening the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy is an important stabilization tool for ensuring the adaptation of the economy to social and economic conditions, curbing inflation in order to maintain exchange rate stability, reducing fundamental price pressure and directly overcoming inflationary processes. The toolkit of fiscal and monetary policy must be considered in an inseparable unity, taking into account the synergistic effect of ensuring macro­economic stability, which cannot be achieved exclusively by the tools of only one of the policies. The main directions of strengthening the coordination of the fiscal and monetary policy of Ukraine at this stage include: combining the tools inherent in both directions of policies, strengthening its flexibility and adaptability to socio-economic processes; sy­ner­gy of policy instruments in the context of ensuring debt sustainability and reducing fiscal risks; substantiation of the common strategic goals of policies, which will contribute to strengthening their coordination, in particular by developing an appropriate strategy; the development of a financial toolkit for prevention and response, within the framework of which policy instruments are used together, in particular by improving the traditional practice of applying macroprudential measures; streng­thening the independence of state institutions that ensure the formation and implementation of fiscal and monetary policy by continuing institutional and legislative reforms in the relevant areas.

Coordinating school improvement: Understanding the impact of state implementation approach on coordination in multilevel governance systems

AbstractMultilevel governance is theorized to facilitate effective policy implementation by encouraging the use of local knowledge and expertise, enabling the participation of non‐government actors, and capitalizing on the coordinating and sanctioning authority of centralized governments. Whether a particular multilevel governance arrangement achieves this, however, depends in part on the degree to which it enables coordination among governmental and non‐governmental actors representing different levels and jurisdictions. Using a comparative case study of education governance reform in the United States, this study investigates how differences in state policy implementation approach impact the structure and mode of coordination in multilevel governance systems and considers the effects this has on policy implementation processes. The results indicate that a state's implementation approach impacts coordination by structuring how different levels of government interact, share information, and influence policy. Specifically, variation in the structure of the central governing agency directly enables or restricts the influence of bottom‐up coordination from lower levels of government. The results also highlight the theoretical limitations of current binary structure models of multilevel governance (i.e., centralized vs. decentralized, top‐down vs. bottom‐up, hierarchy vs. network) for capturing important nuances in policy coordination. These findings advance the understanding of policy coordination in multilevel governance systems and inform the design of institutional arrangements that balance trade‐offs in centralization and the delegation of authority across governance systems during policy implementation.

Covid-19 pasekmės transatlantinio saugumo bendruomenei

Although there were many disagreements in transatlantic relations before the COVIC-19, the pandemic accelerated tensions in transatlantic relations even more. The inauguration of the new US president Joe Biden, however, has been perceived as a new chapter in transatlantic relations. The paper aims to assess the COVID-19 pandemic implications to transatlantic relations and answer the question of whether the pandemic has strengthened or weakened the transatlantic security community? The paper stems from the idea that transatlantic countries compose a transatlantic security community. It examines the COVID-19 implications to several tiers of features that should be present in every security community: namely, implications to the perception of threats, patterns of communication and policy coordination, as well as to institutional framework. The paper argues that COVID-19 has not transformed the transatlantic security community; however, it highlighted certain problematic aspects of transatlantic relations.

BRICS economic integration: Prospects and challenges

ABSTRACT Amid the evolving global economic landscape, the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) have emerged as proponents of economic multilateralism, challenging traditional paradigms of economic governance and integration. This article explores the prospects and challenges of economic integration among the BRICS nations, with specific reference to calls for an optimum currency area (OCA). With diverse economic capacities and global aspirations, these countries face significant challenges in policy coordination and structural alignment. This comprehensive literature analysis reveals the potential for and the complexity of achieving economic integration among the BRICS, underscoring the necessity for enhanced cooperation and policy harmonisation. Achieving economic integration, including the establishment of a common currency, requires an understanding of the national and collective economic goals, disparities and challenges. Offering insights into the BRICS’ role in reshaping the global economic system, this analysis contributes to the discourse on economic integration among developing and emerging economies.

Cross-border regulatory spillovers and macroprudential policy coordination

We develop a core–periphery model with financial frictions and cross-border banking to assess the magnitude of regulatory spillovers and the gains from macroprudential policy coordination. A core global bank lends to its affiliates in the periphery and banks in both regions are subject to risk-sensitive capital regulation. Following an expansionary monetary policy in the core, a countercyclical response in capital requirements in that region induces the global bank to increase cross-border lending. We calculate welfare gains associated with countercyclical capital buffers under a range of policy regimes, including independent policymaking, full coordination, and reciprocity—a regime in which capital ratios set in the core are imposed on the global bank’s affiliates abroad. One of our key results is that, even when regulatory spillovers are strong, reciprocity can make all parties better off if regulators attach a sufficient weight to financial stability considerations. With a standard, utility-based welfare criterion, reciprocity may also perform better than independent policymaking when regulatory spillovers are weak.

The Response of Macroeconomic Variables to Government Spending Shocks in the Sudanese Economy 1989-2019: Comparing the Structural Shocks (DSGE Approach) and Impulse Response (SVAR Model)

The importance that different (approaches and models) to modeling the macroeconomy place on theoretical coherence compared to their capacity to match the data and the quality of the econometric model description varies. Dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models are more theoretical, whereas vector autoregression (SVAR) models provide a better match to the data. For developed economies, there are well-established publications on measuring the response of economic indicators to government spending shocks and aggregate macroeconomic activity. In addition, such empirical studies in emerging nations are scarce. This research seeks to fill this void by utilizing the DSGE model and the SVAR approach to investigate the influence of the response of macroeconomic variables to government spending shocks in the Sudanese economy from 1989 to 2019. The findings indicate that the influence of government expenditure shocks on the Sudanese economy is inconsistent with Keynesian principles, as some selected macroeconomic indicators do not respond positively to government expenditure shocks. The non-responsiveness of the inflation rate and exchange rate to government expenditure shocks is demonstrated; this finding may indicate the monetary authority’s weakness in managing monetary variables in the Sudanese economy. In most situations, fiscal and monetary policies were in sync, and “double expansionary” and “double contractionary” policy coordination may be the proper approach; and also create tools that fit the Sudanese economy’s structure.

Predictive strength of Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure indicators

Motivation: The Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) is a key step in the European Semester, aimed at the coordination of the economic policies of the EU Member States to prevent excessive macroeconomic imbalances in the EU and support structural reforms. The MIP was originally envisaged as a legal tool for crisis prevention, allowing macroeconomic imbalances to be detected and then remedied, but is also used as an Early Warning System. However, the real strength of MIP indicators to predict crises has not been proved in practice and is widely contested in the literature.Aim: Fourteen scoreboard (“main”) and 28 auxiliary MIP indicators are currently in use. This paper is aimed at the assessment of the power of all MIP indicators in predicting crises.Results: The added value of our research is to test the MIP’s ability to predict changes in GDP, which may be considered as a proxy for the deterioration or improvement of the economic situation. Very little investigation has been done in this area so far. In addition, to our knowledge, no research papers have investigated the relevance of auxiliary MIP indicators. Our results show that only four main indicators (house price index, nominal unit labour cost index, general government sector debt, and export market shares) and another four auxiliary indicators (residential construction as percentage of GDP, activity rate, people living in households with very low work intensity, and export performance against advanced economies) seem to be able to predict the upcoming crises.

미국 · 중국 · 한국 거시경제변수가 한국 주식수익률 및 변동성 지수 변화율에 미치는 영향 분석

Purpose - This article analyzes the impact of macroeconomic variables of the United States, China, and Korea on KOSPI and VKOSPI, in that United States and China have a great influence on Korea, having an export-driven economy. Design/methodology/approach - The influence of US, China, and Korea interest rates, industrial production index, consumer price index, US employment index, Chinese real estate index, and Korea's foreign exchange reserves on KOSPI and VKOSPI is analyzed on monthly basis from Jan 2012 to Aug 2023, using multifactor model. Findings - The KOSPI showed a positive relationship with the U.S. industrial production index and Korea's foreign exchange reserves, and a negative relationship with the U.S. employment index and Chinese real estate index. The VKOSPI showed a positive relationship with the Chinese consumer price index, and a negative relationship with the U.S. interest rates, and Korean foreign exchange reserves. Next, dividing the analysis into two periods with the Covid crisis and the analysis by country, the impact of US macroeconomic variables on KOSPI was greater than Chinese ones and the impact of Chinese macroeconomic variables on VKOSPI was greater than US ones. The result of the forward predictive failure test confirmed that it was appropriate to divide the period into two periods with economic event, the Covid Crisis. After the Covid crisis, the impact of macroeconomic variables on KOSPI and VKOSPI increased. This reflects the financial market co-movements due to governments' policy coordination and central bank liquidity supply to overcome the crisis in the pandemic situation. Research implications or Originality - This study is meaningful in that it analyzed the effects of macroeconomic variables on KOSPI and VKOSPI simultaneously. In addition, the leverage effect can also be confirmed through the relationship between macroeconomic variables and KOSPI and VKOSPI. This article examined the fundamental changes in the Korean and global financial markets following the shock of Corona by applying this research model before and after Covid crisis.

서귀포항 물동량 예측과 활성화 방안

Purpose: To better utilize and revitalize Seogwipo Port, where the volume of goods has recently decreased, this study diagnoses the port’s current status, including cargo handling capacity, and predicts the future volume of goods. Research design, data, and methodology: The Facebook Prophet model is used to predict the volume of goods through Seogwipo Port, and a SWOT analysis is conducted to find ways to revitalize the port. Results: With the increased cargo volume in Jeju Port, the decrease in volume in Seogwipo Port is accelerating. As cargo volume in Seogwipo Port decreases, it is not functioning as a trading port. Cargo volume prediction analysis shows a continuous decline until 2026. To revitalize Seogwipo, policy coordination like the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province’s policy to promote imports and exports with ASEAN countries and attract the space industry is necessary. In particular, considering the beautiful natural scenery around Seogwipo Port, it is essential to create a special port as a tourist attraction. Conclusions: By revitalizing Seogwipo Port, it will regain its original function and will have a positive impact on the local economy.

Groundwater governance and a snapshot of associated issues in selected coastal communities in Ghana

Groundwater is an important freshwater resource worldwide, particularly in coastal communities where it is scarce and often ignored. In Ghana, there is increasing dependence on groundwater, yet assessment of groundwater governance is rare. This study assessed the status of groundwater governance and identified existing gaps in Ghana. Groundwater-associated issues in four coastal communities (Essiama, Winneba, Korle Lagoon catchment area of Accra, and Keta) were assessed. Review of policy documents and expert-based assessment were employed to assess groundwater governance status and gaps while field observations, focus group discussions with community leaders, risk-priority matrix, and Nemerow's pollution index were employed to obtain a snapshot of local conditions that impact groundwater at the community level. Review of policy documents and expert-based assessment of groundwater governance capacity revealed that technical capacity, cross-sector policy coordination, and operational capacity were incipient, while legal and institutional capacity was acceptable. Overall, groundwater governance capacity in Ghana was shown to be incipient. Major gaps identified were (i) inadequate enforcement of groundwater policies, (ii) poor monitoring, (iii) poor technical and operational capacity, (iv) low cooperation within the water sector and across other sectors, and (v) poor public participation in water governance. The study revealed groundwater as an important resource in the studied coastal communities, where accessing potable water comes with some difficulties. Knowledge of groundwater policies was low, while there was no groundwater monitoring network in the communities. Furthermore, poor microbiological and chemical status of groundwater was observed. These findings suggest a need to build capacity in groundwater governance and to ensure robust public education on groundwater governance in Ghana.

Government and Program Implementation Bodies Policies on Performance of Women Empowerment Projects in Dagoretti Area, Nairobi County, Kenya

Purpose: Women’s social, political and economic empowerment is a prerequisite for sustainable development and pro poor growth. Achieving women’s economic empowerment requires sound public policies, a holistic approach and long-term commitment and gender-specific perspectives must be integrated at the design stage of policy and programming. Accordingly, this study was designed to investigate the influence of government and program implementation bodies’ policies on the performance of women’s empowerment projects in Dagoretti area, Nairobi County, Kenya. To achieve this, the following specific objectives were utilized; to examine distribution of resources policies on the performance of women empowerment projects in Dagoretti area, Nairobi County, Nairobi, to assess decision making policies on the performance of women empowerment projects in Dagoretti area, Nairobi County, Nairobi, to assess monitoring and evaluation policies on the performance of women empowerment projects in Dagoretti area, Nairobi County, to examine leadership and coordination policies on the performance of women empowerment projects in Dagoretti area, Nairobi County.
 Methodology: The research design that was adopted was descriptive research design. The study involved interviewing of key actors involved in women’s empowerment programs (particularly in the community based organizations (CBOS). The target population comprised of 33 women groups in Dagoretti Area, 4 county officials and 20 Chair persons of Program Implementing Bodies. The sample drawn from the target population was based on the basis of 30% of 33 that resulted to a selection of 10 women groups that were randomly selected. 3 officials from the county office dealing with Youths and women affairs and 7 officials from implementing bodies were purposively selected. The scope of study was Dagoretti Area, Nairobi County. Data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire which was administered to the county official. Focus group discussion guides were carried out on women who were selected randomly during their meetings. Data collected was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively through the help of SPSS computer software and presented through themes percentages, frequencies, tables and bar graphs.

Trade Policies and Livestock Exports

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to examine the trade policies and livestock exports.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to trade policies and livestock exports. Key findings emphasize the significance of trade agreements and regional integration initiatives in boosting livestock exports, with participating countries benefiting from increased trade volumes and streamlined regulatory standards. Additionally, the study highlights the impact of non-tariff measures, particularly stringent sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, on market access, underscoring the need for capacity-building and regulatory harmonization efforts. Moreover, trade disputes and policy uncertainties are identified as disruptors, necessitating transparent policy frameworks and risk management strategies to mitigate market volatility. Overall, the study underscores the importance of coordinated efforts to address trade barriers and enhance market access, paving the way for sustainable development and economic growth in the livestock sector.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Theory of Comparative Advantage, Political Economy theory and Institutional theory may be used to anchor future studies on trade policies and livestock exports. One key recommendation was to diversify export markets for livestock products, aiming to reduce dependence on specific markets and mitigate trade disruptions. This strategy involved proactive market research, targeted marketing campaigns, and strategic alliances with trading partners to access new markets. Another recommendation was to invest in quality assurance systems and standards compliance to meet sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, crucial for enhancing the credibility of livestock exports. Promoting sustainable production practices was also advised, aligning livestock production with sustainability goals to enhance market competitiveness. Improving trade facilitation measures, strengthening policy coordination and stakeholder engagement, and developing risk management strategies were highlighted to safeguard the stability and competitiveness of livestock export sectors in a volatile global economy.

Production- and consumption-based emissions in carbon exporters and importers: A large panel data analysis for the EKC hypothesis

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis has become a widely used framework for the investigation of the income-environment nexus. However, the literature in this field is biased toward the reliance on production-based carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (PBE) as a proxy for environmental degradation. This production perspective ignores the carbon emissions embedded in trade, which are estimated to make up approximately a quarter of total global emissions. Therefore, the carbon leakage issue makes consumption-based CO2 emissions (CBE) accounting vital for better understanding the relationship between income and carbon emissions. In this study, we comparatively investigate the EKC pattern based on both PBE and CBE for a sample of 85 countries over the period between 1990 and 2020. In doing so, we investigate whether different emission accounting methods have an impact on the EKC pattern and examine how this impact differs depending on whether the countries are net importers or exporters of emissions embedded in trade. To this end, we first endogenously classify countries based on the club convergence approach proposed by Phillips & Sul [1] and obtain country groups such as those that are net exporters or importers of CO2 emissions. Using the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) estimator, we test the validity of the EKC hypothesis in the second step and identify the main driving forces behind the changes in PBE and CBE for each convergent club by controlling the effect of trade and urbanization. Therefore, for the first time, we compare the EKC hypothesis based on both PBE and CBE for a large sample of countries that are endogenously divided into different groups, and investigate the potential impact of alternative emission accounting approaches and the status of being net exporters or importers of CO2 emissions on the EKC pattern. The findings support the different patterns for PBE and CBE: while the EKC hypothesis is supported for both PBE and CBE for countries that are net importers of emissions, neither PBE nor CBE show an inverted U-shaped relationship with income for countries that are net exporters of emissions. These results strongly support the need for coordination in policies to reduce CO2 emissions between importers and exporters of hydrocarbons and energy-intensive goods.

До питання передумов корупції під час повномасштабної війни в Україні

Preventing and combating corruption is one of the main tasks of the state. It should be noted that the war is another reason to fight this negative phenomenon. Unfortunately, Ukraine has an insufficient level of countering and preventing corruption, as statistical studies show that its scale is not decreasing. Therefore, public authorities need to pay special attention to improving anti-corruption mechanisms and measures to ensure the quality and safe functioning of public policy for the benefit of Ukrainian society. The full-scale war on the territory of Ukraine has shifted the focus of the authorities’ efforts towards protecting the state from the enemy, and has also affected the determinants of corruption. The article analyses the main prerequisites for corruption in wartime, in particular, the temporary suspension of the Register of Electronic Declarations, the closure of access to most public data, the weakening of public control over the activities of public authorities, and public procurement without competitive procedures. Socio-economic reasons remain relevant, such as low wages; depreciation of moral norms in state and public life; low level of legal culture, etc. It is emphasised that the effective fight against corruption crime in Ukraine during the war continues and requires the creation of a more effective state system of coordination of anti-corruption policy with proper legislative consolidation and implementation of preventive measures to prevent corruption, especially in wartime. Ukraine’s current anti-corruption legislation needs to be improved and detailed. The activities of law enforcement agencies should not be influenced by corruption-related factors. A combination of law and order in the government and law-abidingness in society will help the Ukrainian state reach a new level of development.

Analysis of the Coastal Zone from Brazil

Brazil is one of the main countries that has adapted Integrated Coastal Management Programs and Plans (mci) with the aim of creating a sustainable coastal State. In this way, it has coordination, integration and proposal of policies for Integrated Coastal Management within the scope of the Interministerial Commission for Sea Resources (cirm). The objective of this article is to investigate and analyze the situation of the Brazilian mci in terms of its public policies, regulations, competencies, institutions, instruments, training, profitable characteristics, knowledge and information, education for sustainability and the participation of those involved. Keywords: Integrated coastal management, policies, sustainable development, coastal zone, environmental impact.

Forecasting of technology innovation and economic growth in Indonesia

This article explored the scenarios of future technology innovation and economic growth. The feedback economics' perspective was applied in forecasting future technology innovation and economic growth. The system dynamics modelling of economic growth by incorporating technology innovation revealed that: i. General Purpose Technologies (GPTs) investment should be linked with industrial policy as a leverage point; ii. The post-COVID-19 industrial policy should diffuse GPTs for inclusive growth and sustainable development, it is different with the Indonesian pre-COVID-19's industrial policy, specifically before the 1997 economic crisis; iii. Rethinking the Indonesian industrial policy is to rejuvenate the existing industrial-based GPTs' complex, and the inter-ministerial policy coordination is a challenge to implement the industrial-based GPTs policy instrument. Putting the GPTs' innovation into practice by using industrial policy for future economic growth sustainability is the unique insight on reindustrialization. The scientific contributions of this study were: i. on theoretical basis, the framework and model enriched the feedback economics' view of Cavana et al. and; ii. on innovation economics' studies, the framework and model support the concepts of Lundvall. Finally, future work from this study is designing different feedback structure that could generate different results.

Questionnaire survey of municipalities on policies to promote physical activity among residents: An examination by administrative sector and population size

Objectives National policies to promote physical activity and exercise have been formulated by several ministries and agencies in Japan. This study aimed to examine the formulation and implementation of such policies in municipalities by administrative sector and population size.Methods After stratifying all municipalities in Japan at the population level, we randomly selected 272 municipalities. We collected 1,632 cases in six sectors (health, sports, education, urban planning, transportation, and environment) within these municipalities. A questionnaire survey on the status of policy formulation, implementation, and coordination among departments was conducted as a cross-sectional study. Differences between groups of municipalities were statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test. The survey period was from September 2018 to March 2019.Results A total of 616 responses were collected (response rate 37.7%). The response rates for health and education were lower than those for the other sectors. The rate of policy formulation to promote physical activity was extremely high in the health and sports sectors, and there was slight variation by population size. In contrast, formulation rates were generally low in the urban planning, transportation, and environment sectors, especially in smaller municipalities. In the sectors mentioned above, physical activity promotion projects mainly involved the development of exercise and sports infrastructures. Health, sports, and education were the primary sectors that used those environments. Regarding interdepartmental coordination in policy implementation, a cooperative relationship existed among the health, sports, and education sectors and between the urban planning and transportation sectors. However, smaller municipalities were found to have fewer opportunities for such collaboration and tended to implement policies independently.Conclusion This study clarifies the policy formulation and implementation for promoting physical activity in municipalities at the national level in Japan. In addition, their characteristics were identified based on different administrative sectors and population size. These results are expected to be used in future local government policies.

Benefits and approaches of incorporating land–sea interactions into coastal spatial planning: evidence from Xiamen, China

As the land–sea interface, the coastal zone has become an increasingly key life-support system. However, it is also highly threatened by exposure to both ocean- and land-based human activities. The interdependencies of the land and sea systems require the integration of land and sea spatial planning to achieve sustainable development of coastal zones. There are different forms of land–sea spatial management integration globally. Whether a form can positively impact and how different institutional settings affect outcomes need further explanation. Therefore, this study explores the reasons for China’s planning integration through institutional reform by using the Graph Model for Conflicts Resolution and establishes a quantitative contradiction assessment method to examine whether this top-down institutional approach has played a role at the urban level. The results show that the planning of Xiamen city after reform has a lower total contradiction value, grid cell average and cell maximum value. This progress is made possible by unifying the land–sea spatial planning departments. The equilibrium solution of the Graph Model for Conflicts Resolution indicates that due to the different preferences of the land–sea management departments and the central-local governments, it is challenging to implement the Land–sea Coordination policy under separate land–sea management. By integrating land–sea management departments, deep-seated sectoral interests between horizontal departments do not remain. The impacts on integrated management of divergences in preferences of different vertical governments can be reduced. The research results provide a universal method for the contradiction evaluation and a management reference for other regions that want to integrate land–sea coordination into urban spatial planning.

Gains in China's sustainability by decoupling economic growth from energy use

China's adoption of an “ecological civilization” strategy since 2012 demonstrates its vision to move toward more sustainable development models while promoting green energy and strengthening environmental protection. However, China's continuing heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially coal, masks the complex positive trends in energy use, more sustainable economic development, and environmental management. Through examining the evolving energy-GDP relationships in China over the past few decades, we elucidated the underlying complex nonlinear processes using environmental Kuznets curve analysis and showed that the energy–GDP relationship has fluctuated between positive and negative decoupling. Furthermore, fluctuating trajectories manifested as sharp regional divergences when early-transitioning coastal areas restructured toward services and exhibited robust decoupling, whereas the industrial interior remained fossil fuel reliant. We identified various forces related to these provincial disparities, where rapid urbanization, industrial realignment, and income growth were all important. By promoting service transitions and enabling low-carbon technologies in coastal hubs, these drivers also exposed infrastructure deficits and entrenched fossil fuel usage in the interior. These problems led to China's latest strategic plans emphasizing “higher quality” growth underpinned by clean energy transitions and coordinated regional policies. Ongoing declines in coal and the rise in renewable energy usage highlight promising momentum, but stable decoupling remains contingent on sustained policy coordination. The intricate balance between growth and environmental pressures in China provides essential lessons to help emerging economies achieve sustainability by catalyzing green transitions and attaining developmental milestones.