Emission Reduction Activities Research Articles

Overlaps of indigenous knowledge and climate change mitigation: evidence from a systematic review

There is now increasing acknowledgement of the role of indigenous and local people (ILP) in climate change, particularly in impact assessment, mitigation and adaptation. However, the methods and ways on how exactly indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) can be used in climate change action largely remain fragmented. While a growing share of scholarship has addressed the overlaps between ILK and adaptation, limited attention has been given on practical ways of working with indigenous communities to enhance knowledge of implementing mitigation actions. Without clearly articulated indigenous-sensitive methods for ILK integration in mitigation science, holders and users of this knowledge may remain at the boundaries of climate change action. Their knowledge and experiences may not be used to guide effective greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction activities. There are also fears that hurriedly and poorly developed mitigation projects that ignore indigenous and local communities may infringe their customary rights and livelihoods. To contribute to improved guidance on meaningful involvement of ILP in climate change mitigation, this study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) to systematically review literature that links ILK and climate mitigation. We do this by (a) Identifying case studies that examine the overlaps of ILK and climate change mitigation from Scopus and Web of Science databases (n = 43); (b) analysing the methods used for engaging indigenous people in these studies; (c) determining the knowledge, ways, practices and experiences of ILP that show mitigation benefits; and (d) highlighting the direction for participatory engagement of ILP in mitigation research and practice. We have added to the emerging but fast growing knowledge on the overlaps of ILK and climate change mitigation. This intersection is evident in three ways: (a) Validation and application of concepts used to understand carbon sequestration; (b) GHG emission reduction mainly from natural resource dependent livelihoods involving ILP; and (c) the application of participatory methodologies in research and the practice of climate change mitigation. We conclude that studies that focus on the intersection of ILK and climate mitigation need to use indigenous-sensitive methodologies to give more benefits for climate mitigation objectives while recognising the rights of ILP.

Examining the emission reduction effect of carbon emission trading and carbon tax synergism and their impact mechanisms to reduce the carbon emission of company: based on 247 listed companies of China

ABSTRACT Using the panel data of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies spanning from 2007 to 2021, we explore the impact of the synergism of carbon emission trading policy and carbon tax policy on the carbon emission level of enterprises through the difference-in-difference model, intermediary effect model, regulatory effect model. The research results show that: (1) Carbon emission trading and carbon tax both promote enterprises’ carbon emission reduction. (2) There are three paths for carbon emission trading and carbon tax policies to encourage enterprises’ carbon emission reduction actions synergistically: improving enterprises’ green technology innovation level, optimising energy structure, and accelerating industrial structure optimisation. (3) Mediated regulatory effect results show that the greater the company’s government support and R&D investment, the greater the synergism between carbon trading and carbon tax policies to drive green technology innovation and the better the carbon emission reduction effect of the company. (4) The synergism between carbon trading and carbon tax policies positively fosters public ownership companies’ carbon emissions reductions and heavily polluted industry companies.

Beggar-thy-neighbor: Carbon leakage within China's pilot emissions trading schemes

The differences in the market liquidity of eight pilot emissions trading schemes (ETS) and the economic development of cities within the provincial-level ETS raise carbon leakage risks among the pilot cities. Utilizing panel data and DID models for 266 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, the empirical analysis reveals several key findings. Firstly, at the provincial level, the Tianjin pilot is found to have significantly increased CO2 emissions, potentially linked to carbon spillover from Beijing. Additionally, at the prefecture-level city level, certain cities in Guangdong Province and Fujian Province exhibit significant increases in CO2 emissions, indicating carbon transfer within the pilot ETSs. Secondly, all three spatial spillover effect tests demonstrate a notable carbon spillover effect between pilot cities. Lastly, the analysis of the moderating effect suggests that administrative intervention within the ETS and market mechanisms have limited impact on carbon spillover between pilot cities, while administrative intervention outside the ETS significantly enhances carbon leakage between pilot cities, primarily driven by carbon transfer resulting from state-owned enterprises' support for government emission reduction actions.

Corporate governance in Basic Material and Energy Sector Companies, green strategy, and carbon emissions disclosure

This study aims to find empirical evidence of the influence of corporate governance and green strategy on carbon emission disclosure. This study uses a quantitative approach using panel data regression with a sample size of 105 energy and basic material sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2018-2022 period. The technical analysis used in this research is software EViews 12. The results of the t test that was carried out to test the first hypothesis showed a t-statistic value of 2.132. and significance 0.0354 < 0.05. This value indicates that the quality of carbon emissions is significantly determined by good corporate governance. Tests carried out on the second hypothesis produced a t-statistic of 1.496 with a significance of 0.000 <0.05, which indicates that companies that adopt a green strategy will tend to carry out activities that reduce carbon emission levels. Meanwhile, the results of testing the third hypothesis show a t-statistic value of 3.023 and a significance of 0.0032. The value of testing this third hypothesis explains that large companies tend to carry out higher carbon emission reduction activities, in line with the increasing attention and expectations of stakeholders for these companies.

An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Carbon Disclosure on Firms' Market Value in a "Dual Carbon" Context

With the acceleration of global warming, climate change and environmental issues have become a hotspot of global concern. At present, it has become a global consensus to vigorously develop a green economy and achieve "carbon neutrality and carbon peak". In this context, as an important part of the national economy, listed companies should pay more attention to carbon emission and information disclosure to help achieve the goals of "carbon peak" and "carbon neutral". In this paper, we use a multiple linear regression model to explore the specific mechanism of the impact of carbon emission disclosure on enterprise market value. In constructing the model, we consider that factors such as asset size, operating profit margin, and cash flow ratio may affect the market value of enterprises, so we add control variables in the model and use t-test, F-test, and analysis of covariance to verify whether there is a significant difference between different groups. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient were also carried out during data processing in order to observe whether there is a correlation between carbon emissions and company market value. By analysing the results of regression fitting, we find that under the background of "dual-carbon", the active disclosure of carbon emissions by enterprises can help enterprises to improve their transparency, thus enhancing the trust and recognition of consumers and investors, and thus positively affecting the market value of the enterprises, and the impact of the active disclosure of carbon emissions by enterprises with high carbon emissions is even more significant on their market value. market value is even more significant. This implies that companies should actively participate in emission reduction actions and demonstrate their action on environmental protection by proactively disclosing carbon emission information in their annual reports or CSR reports.

Can institutional pressures serve as an efficacious catalyst for mitigating corporate carbon emissions?

Driving enterprises to implement carbon emission reduction actions and reduce carbon emissions is a crucial research topic in achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. As a significant external environment factor influencing corporate behavior, can institutional pressures effectively promote enterprises to reduce carbon emissions? This study aims to probe into the impact and mechanism of three institutional pressures, namely coercive, mimetic, and normative, on corporate carbon emissions, taking Chinese-listed companies as the research object. The results indicate that coercive pressure is positively associated with corporate carbon reduction, while normative pressure has no significant impact. Furthermore, mimetic pressure impedes corporate carbon emissions. The mechanism test shows that carbon reduction is a mediator in the influence exerted by three institutional pressures on corporate carbon emissions. In response to coercive pressure and mimetic pressure, enterprises tend to reduce their carbon emissions by cultivating concepts related to carbon emission reduction. Concepts related to carbon reduction play a more dominant role than carbon reduction actions when both are mediators, with the former even replacing the latter. This research provides a new perspective for improving corporate environmental performance and corporate sustainability.

Impact of carbon pricing on the integrated green supply chain of the semiconductor industry

To better respond to the strategic goals of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality,” businesses are collaborating with suppliers and customers to jointly promote green and environmentally friendly practices to increase economic benefits, enhance social reputation, and improve environmental competitiveness while achieving environmental performance. Currently, some theoretical achievements in the field of green supply chain integration have been made. Nevertheless, systematic retrospective research needs to be improved to help us fully understand the status of research in China and elsewhere. Therefore, this article analyzed the concept of green supply chain integration using eight years of data (from 2014 to 2021) from a small and medium-sized environmental company1 and divided the concept into four systems: the water cycle system (H2O), renewable energy system (CaCl2), carbon peak system (CO2), and carbon-neutral system (CO2). These four systems were analyzed with regard to internal green integration, green supplier integration, and green customer integration, and the Scheffé method was used to analyze the impact of these four systems on corporate ecological impact and financial and social sustainability. The study also verified that the intensity of sunlight on solar panels is significantly affected by environmental temperature (ET), carbon neutrality, and the electricity generated by solar panels. The impact of carbon pricing was also explored using the probability density function (PDF) method. The contribution of this research lies in the fact that it provides evidence that solar energy can help reduce the use of fossil fuels, reducing demand for the carbon quota market. This can help lower carbon prices, thereby encouraging more businesses and countries to participate in carbon neutrality and emission reduction actions. In addition, solar power systems can replace renewable energy sources, making the carbon quota market more diverse and stable. Carbon pricing options can be used to manage the risks and uncertainties related to carbon pricing policies, and policy-makers can use them to develop appropriate risk management strategies.

Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Body wash product in Life cycle: Korea and Europe

As the scope and standards of environmental regulations are expanding and strengthening, environmental impact assessment and carbon emission reduction activities for new product lines are spreading, and the environmental impact of Scope 3 is also gaining attention. Companies are disclosing environmental information through LCA and EPD results, but there are differences in environmental information results by country due to different standards for calculating environmental performance. Therefore, this study selected body wash products among cosmetics and compared the data collection and methodology in Korea and Europe and the results of applying them, and secondly, compared the carbon emissions of using recycled plastics in the containers of these products compared to the existing ones.

Green tax system and corporate carbon emissions – a quasi-natural experiment based on the environmental protection tax law

The green tax system is an important tool for the government to coordinate the contradiction between economic development and environmental governance using fiscal instruments, and green tax reform can play a regulatory role in carbon emissions. This study analyzes the impact of the green tax system on carbon emissions of industrial enterprises by using the difference-in-differences model based on panel data for A-share listed industrial enterprises from 2014-2021 in China. The results show that: (1) Environmental Protection Tax Law significantly reduces corporate carbon emissions; (2) Among state-owned and heavy polluting industrial enterprises, enterprises with low financing constraints and a high degree of regional marketization, this negative effect is more pronounced; (3) Environmental Protection Tax Law motivates enterprises to implement carbon emission reduction activities through two paths: increased environmental protection investment and improved green innovation, thus promoting the transition to low-carbon development.

Low-carbon Mixed Traffic Route Recommendation for Community Residents Based on Multilayer Complex Traffic Network

With the proposed “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutral” goals in China, the transportation sector, as the second largest consumer of oil and a major producer of greenhouse gases, is a critical area for energy efficiency and emission reduction actions. However, few studies have focused on the effective combination of solving residents' commuting challenges and low-carbon travel. In this paper, by extracting real traffic flow data from taxi and bike-sharing trajectory data, a multilayer complex traffic network is formed to realize an interactive visual exploration of urban traffic patterns. Based on this network a low-carbon travel route recommendation is implemented using a modified genetic algorithm to reduce personal carbon emission and travel costs. Meanwhile, the trip chain level carbon emission estimation method is defined for city streets and recommended routes. With the integration of the above algorithms, a visual analytics system is designed and implemented to support the joint exploration of urban traffic patterns and the street carbon emission distribution, low-carbon mixed traffic route recommendations for inter-community commuting, and optimization of low-carbon recommended routes by adjusting bike stations. Take the taxi and bike-sharing trajectory data in Xiamen, China as an example, an evaluation analysis of the system shows that the method is effective in reducing commuting costs for community residents while reducing personal travel carbon emission.

Optimal dynamic strategy for emission reduction and operation considering hybrid carbon policy with carbon tax and cap-and-trade

Global warming has always been a constant concern for various countries, and carbon emissions are one of the main causes. Accordingly, how to reduce emissions is a problem that enterprises need to pay attention to. The enterprise’s emission reduction activities are closely influenced by government policies. This paper analyzes the effect of a hybrid carbon policy, which means a combination of carbon tax and cap-and-trade policies, on the manufacturer’s carbon abatement activities and supply chain operations in such a condition that the government operates free and paid carbon emission quotas. The study adopts a differential game approach to examine the optimal decision of the supply chain members. We compare the optimal strategies in centralized and decentralized scenarios and put forward a coordinated contract to achieve the Pareto improvement. Our study shows that the carbon tax rate, carbon trade price and the proportion of paid quota all positively affect the emission reduction activities of enterprises over time, but negatively impact the corporate profit and social welfare. However, the set of above policies is advantageous to consumer surplus within a certain range. As for the revenue sharing-transfer payment hybrid contract, when its sharing rate increases within a certain range, the enterprise’s carbon abatement and supply chain members’ profits will improve at the same time. The adjustment of the above policies depends on which aspect the government focuses on.

Strengthening global climate governance and international cooperation for energy-efficient buildings

Buildings constitute one of the main GHG emitting sectors, and energy efficiency is a key lever to reduce emissions in the sector. Global climate policy has so far mostly focused on economy-wide emissions. However, emission reduction actions are ultimately sectoral, and opportunities and barriers to achieving emission reductions vary strongly among sectors. This article therefore seeks to analyse to what extent more targeted global governance may help to leverage mitigation enablers and overcome barriers to energy efficiency in buildings. To this end, the article first synthesises existing literature on mitigation enablers and barriers as well as existing literature on how global governance may help address these barriers (“governance potential”). On this basis, the article analyses to what extent this governance potential has already been activated by existing activities of international institutions. Finally, the article discusses how identified governance gaps could be closed. The analysis finds that despite the local characteristics of the sector, global governance has a number of levers at its disposal that could be used to promote emission reductions via energy efficiency. In practice, however, lacking attention to energy efficiency in buildings at national level is mirrored at the international level. Recently, though, a number of coalitions demanding stronger action have emerged. Such frontrunners could work through like-minded coalitions and at the same time try to improve conditions for cooperation in the climate regime and other existing institutions.

Spatial correlation network structure of energy-environment efficiency and its driving factors: a case study of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

Improving energy-environment efficiency is not only a requirement for constructing China’s ecological civilization but also inevitable for achieving sustainable economic and social development. Studies on energy-environment efficiency based on relational data and network perspectives are limited, which hinders the development of collaborative regional emission reduction activities. This study uses the SBM-Undesirable model to measure the energy-environment efficiency of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration from 2010 to 2020, adopts a modified gravity model and social network analysis to reveal the structural characteristics of its spatial correlation network, and explores its driving factors through the QAP method. The study found (1) an overall upward trend in energy-environment efficiency but with problems of uneven development. (2) The spatial correlation of energy-environment efficiency shows a complex network structure, with increasing network correlation and strong network stability; the network can be divided into four plates: net benefit, net overflow, two-way spillover, and agent. (3) Differences in industrial structure, environmental regulation, economic development, and technological innovation significantly impact the formation of spatial correlation network of energy-environment efficiency. This study provides a reference for the construction of a cross-regional synergistic mechanism to improve energy-environment efficiency.

Decarbonizing healthcare sector: from a review to a framework of practical solutions

Abstract Background and objectives Climate change is one of the biggest health threats facing humanity. It can be considered as a syndemic, interacting with social determinants of health and pre-existing chronic conditions, exacerbating their effects on human health. Healthcare sector should play a key role in mitigating the climate crisis considering its mission of protecting and promoting health. Despite this, its climate footprint is equivalent to 4.4% of global net carbon emissions, making it a major contributor to the climate crisis. In this context, healthcare sector needs to lead the way to the net zero carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to identify key actions for reducing the carbon footprint of the healthcare system and develop a framework for emission reduction actions. Methods The study consists of two phases: i) conduction of a rapid review of the literature, through which studies on healthcare carbon footprint published worldwide until April 2022 will be collected, screened by title and abstract and analysed; ii) identification of hubs as main causes for CO2 emissions and development of a framework for adopting practical solutions aimed at carbon reduction actions. Results From the rapid review of the literature 747 records have been retrieved. Of this, 21 have been selected after screening by title and abstract. Conclusions The climate crisis is increasingly compromising human health, so urgent actions are needed. As the healthcare system contribution to the climate crisis is expected to increase in the next years, efforts must be undertaken to mitigate this and become sustainable and climate-smart. Healthcare system and healthcare professionals should be the ones leading the front by reducing its own pressures to climate. The entire scientific community is called to recognise this issue as a high priority. Key messages • Climate crisis as a high priority for healthcare professionals. • Development of a framework for carbon reduction actions.

Impact of Internet development on carbon emission efficiency under carbon neutral target: evidence from global 58 economies.

With the introduction of economy carbon neutral target policies one after another worldwide, the carbon emission reduction actions of economies around the world have become a hot topic attracting international attention. Meanwhile, the role of the Internet in energy saving and emissions reduction in economies around the world is also becoming more prominent. However, for now, there is still a lack of in-depth research on the impact and role relationship between Internet development and global economy carbon emission efficiency. Therefore, based on the availability of data, this study used the Malmquist index based on game intersection to measure and analyze carbon emission efficiency based on 58 economies around the world that proposed carbon neutrality targets between 2000 and 2019. The study used a spatial econometric model to explore the impact of Internet development on carbon emission efficiency. The objective was to provide a policy reference for high-, medium-, and low-income economies worldwide to achieve their carbon neutrality targets as soon as possible. The results of the study showed that carbon emission efficiency was closely linked to economic development level in economies around the world, that the gap between the development levels of high- and low-Internet-connected economies is gradually widening, that Internet development significantly improved carbon emission efficiency, that levels of economic and financial development played a mediating role in the relationship between Internet development and carbon emissions efficiency, and that the level of urbanization played a moderating role in the relationship between Internet development and carbon emissions efficiency. Exploring the influence and the mechanism of action between Internet development and carbon emission efficiency will contribute to early achievement of global carbon neutrality targets in all economies.

Domestic Regional Synergy in Achieving National Climate Goals—The Role of Comparative Advantage in Emission Reduction

Domestic regional synergistic emission reduction is important in achieving national climate goals. This study constructed a game theory-based model for regional synergistic emission reduction, modified the Basic Climate Game using the exact-hat algebra method, and expanded the game model using a general spatial equilibrium model to incorporate cross-regional economic impacts generated by emission reduction actions through factors and product flows. The formation of regional comparative advantages in emission reductions and their impact on synergistic emission reductions were revealed through regional characteristics such as emission elasticity, sectoral structure, regional trade shares, and green total factor productivity. A form of synergy was then proposed that utilizes the comparative advantages of different regions, allowing for synergistic emission reductions across different income regions and engagement with regions that are still at the carbon-peaking stage in cooperation. Moreover, the model was created to be as close to the economic reality as possible to provide a trade, industry, and economic growth policy that complements emission-reduction policies.

Does the stock market provide enough incentives for companies to drive carbon reduction behaviour?

This study observes abnormal returns of stock prices after companies announced the establishment of wastewater and waste heat recovery systems in East Asia from 2000 to 2018. The capital expenditure on the wastewater and waste heat recovery system and the expected impact on revenue are also considered, and the stock market is analyzed to verify whether there is an additional evaluation after the company carries out such carbon emission reduction activity. The study finds that after more than a decade of technological advancement and promoting carbon reduction behaviours, the market has shown more positive reactions to carbon reduction measures, such as wastewater and waste heat recovery systems. However, the additional positive reaction in the markets of developing countries is lower than in developed countries. For developing countries desiring domestic manufacturers to adopt more carbon emission reduction activities, the government may need to offer more policy incentives, which will encourage investors in the market to support manufacturers in actively investing in carbon reduction measures. Certainly, manufacturers will be more motivated to implement or cooperate with voluntary carbon reduction measures. In addition, this study does not consider the possible impact of carbon rights trading and carbon fees on improving manufacturers' active treatment of wastewater and waste heat recovery, which will be a direction worthy of future research.

Effect of risk aversion on supply chain performance and energy contracting design with financial asymmetry

AbstractEnergy performance contracting is a contractual arrangement between clients and energy service companies. At present, it is a key tool to implement energy efficiency measures in the existing supply chain management. In this paper, we study the efficiency of the energy performance contracting in a supply chain including one risk‐averse supplier and two risk‐neutral manufacturers with financial asymmetry. The manufacturer with weak finance has no funds to order enough raw materials; thus, the supplier offers a trade credit financing to ensure her normal operation and participate in the competition with the financially strong manufacturer in the market. However, neither manufacturer has extra capitals to develop emission reduction activities. Therefore, the upstream supplier acts as an energy service company and provides an energy performance contracting for two downstream manufacturers to reduce carbon taxes. We analyze important factors such as risk aversion coefficient, carbon tax saving sharing ratio, and variable cost coefficient to explore whether and which manufacturer the supplier should select to provide an energy performance contracting. The results show that, when the risk aversion is high, the supplier will not provide energy‐saving services for any manufacturer. When the risk aversion and the variable cost are low, the supplier tends to offer an energy performance contracting for the manufacturer with weak finance, because the supplier can get more utility from higher wholesale price. However, with the increase of costs, the supplier with a low risk aversion is more willing to provide emission reduction services for the financially strong manufacturer. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis demonstrates that there is always a Pareto region to optimize the utility of supplier and manufacturers, when the supplier provides energy performance contracting for both manufacturers.

Low-carbon operation method of microgrid considering carbon emission quota trading

With the proposal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, distributed energy is developing rapidly, and microgrid is widely proposed and utilized to realize flexible and efficient application of distributed energy and improve its local consumption. But with the problem of large amounts of carbon emissions generated by the microgrid arises, it is significant to stimulate the carbon reduction potential of microgrids. This paper proposes a low-carbon operation method of microgrid considering carbon emission quota trading, where energy-carbon coupling units, i.e., distributed generator (DG) and industrial loads, are considered, and based on which microgrid utility model considering carbon emission quota trading is constructed. Simulation results shows adding carbon emission quota trading with energy trading can not only obtain higher revenue of MG, but also achieve the purpose of guiding MG to actively participate in carbon emission reduction actions, and reduce the carbon emission of MG.

Analysis of influencing factors and prediction of carbon emissions of typical urban agglomerations in China: a case study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Achieving the "double carbon" goal is a major task and challenge facing China. The emission reduction actions in typical urban agglomerations are of great significance. Based on the consideration of the impact of regional coordinated development, this study analyzed influencing factors and conducted prediction of carbon emissions from terminal energy consumption in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. Firstly, the factors affecting carbon emissions were screened through the STIRPAT model. Then, the paper designs different scenarios and finally uses the genetic algorithm extreme learning machine (GA-ELM) algorithm to predict the carbon emissions of the BTH region, with and without considering the impact of the coordinated development strategy. The research shows that the increase in energy intensity and the improvement of energy consumption structure have the largest promotion effect on carbon emission reduction. At the same time, the significant role of the coordinated development strategy in promoting regional carbon emission reduction was verified. Therefore, the BTH region should adhere to the path of coordinated development, innovate low-carbon technology, and deepen the concept of green consumption to promote the realization of regional carbon emission reduction goals.