Resource Endowments Research Articles

Research on the efficiency and spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of agricultural green development in central cities of the Yangtze River Delta

IntroductionAgricultural green development (AGD) prioritizes sustainable growth by integrating economic, ecological, and social dimensions, aiming to harmonize agricultural economic development with environmental protection and social progress.MethodsThis study integrates the three-stage super-efficiency DEA-SBM model with the BP algorithm, creating an advanced DEA-SBM-BP model to overcome the shortcomings of traditional DEA in evaluation and management processes. The study further applies the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation (KDE), and Moran’s index to assess and forecast the efficiency and spatiotemporal evolution patterns of green agricultural development in key cities within the Yangtze River Delta.ResultsThe analysis shows that AGD in the central city of the Yangtze River Delta is overall balanced; however, substantial variations exist among cities within individual provinces. Factors like macroeconomic conditions, workforce quality, and policy support play a crucial role in promoting the efficiency of AGD. Among these, macroeconomic development level has a negative impact, while labor quality and policy support exhibit bidirectional effects. Infrastructure construction, digitalization of agricultural economy, and rural security have become key factors in the green development of modern agriculture. The green advancement of agriculture in the central Yangtze River Delta region typically exhibits a marked clustering effect; however, the local clustering reveals a trend toward dispersed development.DiscussionDespite the emergence of new characteristics in agricultural production in China within the context of high-quality development, differences in resource endowments and economic structures among cities continue to be significant factors contributing to regional imbalances and changes in the agglomeration patterns of agricultural development.

Analysis of the Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Driving Factors of Cultivated Land Fragmentation Under the Expansion of Urban and Rural Construction Land: A Case Study of Ezhou City

A systematic understanding of the spatial-temporal evolution patterns of cultivated land fragmentation (CLF), its driving factors, and its relationship with the expansion of urban and rural construction land is essential for identifying strategies to mitigate CLF in rapidly urbanizing regions. This study combined landscape fragmentation with ownership fragmentation, analyzing CLF through three dimensions: resource endowment, spatial concentration, and convenience of utilization, with eight selected indicators. By comparing village-level data from 2013 to 2022, we explored the key drivers of CLF and its conflicts with urban and rural construction land expansion. The findings indicate a clear spatial variation in village-level CLF in Ezhou, characterized by low fragmentation in the northwest and northeast, and high fragmentation in the southwest and central regions. This pattern is in contrast to Ezhou’s economic development, which decreased progressively from east to north and south. Over the study period, village-level CLF in Ezhou evolved from being primarily moderately and relatively severely fragmented to predominantly severely and relatively severely fragmented, with an overall declining trend and more pronounced polarization. At the same time, the CLF within the village region demonstrated notable spatial clustering features, with a rapid increase observed between 2013 and 2022. It was also discovered that CLF is driven by various factors, with the main influences being the proportion of construction land, land use intensity, and population density. Cultivated land is the main source of both urban construction land (UCL) and rural construction land (RCL), with average contribution rates of 46.47% and 62.62%, respectively. This research offers empirical evidence for rapid urbanization and serves as a critical reference for rural revitalization and coordinated urban–rural development, with potential guidance for future policy formulation and implementation.

Human Capital and Growth in Arctic Regional Economies: Evidence, Policies and Institutional Perspectives

Abstract The Arctic is a region known for its natural resource endowments and challenging climate. However, evidence from elsewhere suggests that human capital development might also be vital to Arctic economic growth. This article explores the role human capital plays in economic development in the Arctic through analysis of Arctic regional demographic and economic data. The available data preliminarily suggests that human capital stock growth in Arctic regions – as represented by the population with higher education – correlates more closely with economic growth than growth in the general population. The analysis is less conclusive on physical capital development’s connection to economic development as it is with human capital growth. Based on these findings, the article also highlights Arctic-centered institutions and policies that seek to bolster the Arctic region’s human capital stock.

Multi-Dimensional Assessment, Regional Differences, and Influencing Factors of Agricultural Water Pollution from the Perspective of Grey Water Footprint in Zhejiang Province, China

The implementation of differentiated governance for agricultural water pollution (AWP) plays a significant role in alleviating the pressure on agricultural water resources. However, research that comprehensively assesses AWP and its influencing factors from a multidimensional perspective remains relatively limited. This study utilized the grey water footprint (GWF) model to quantify the agricultural grey water footprint (AGWF), agricultural grey water footprint efficiency (AGWFE), agricultural grey water footprint intensity (AGWFI), and agricultural water pollution level (AWPL) in Zhejiang from 2010 to 2020. Subsequently, we applied the standard deviational ellipse (SDE), the kernel density estimation (KDE), and the Dagum Gini coefficient to delve into the dynamic evolution and regional disparities of these indicators. Ultimately, we leveraged both the random forest model and the panel regression model to identify and examine the key factors shaping AGWF-related indicators. The results show that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, in Zhejiang, both AGWF and AGWFI exhibit a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, peaking in 2012. In contrast, AGWFE has consistently increased over the years, reaching an increase of 54.56 CNY/m3 by 2020. Meanwhile, despite fluctuations, AWPL in Zhejiang shows an overall gradual decline. (2) The centroids of relevant indicators for AWP in Zhejiang are primarily located in Jinhua (for AGWF and AGWFI), Shaoxing (for AWPL), and in the area where AGWFE converge. (3) Compared to 2010, the regional disparities in AGWF and AWPL have shrunk significantly in 2020, whereas the regional differences in AGWFE and AGWFI have increased to some extent. In most years, the regional disparities in AGWF, AGWFI, and AWPL are more pronounced in Northeastern Zhejiang compared to the southwestern part. (4) The influencing factors of AGWF, AGWFE, and AGWFI exhibit significant regional heterogeneity. In Northeastern Zhejiang, the primary factors influencing them are technological innovation, resource endowment, and crop-cultivation methods. Conversely, in the southwestern region, the primary factors exerting the same influence are the application intensities of fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural film application. The primary drivers of AWPL in Zhejiang are grain yield, water resource availability, and crop-planting structure. Notably, these factors do not exhibit regional heterogeneity. The paper proposes AWP control policies from both a comprehensive and multi-dimensional perspective.

Research on the evolution and driving factors of the coupling relationship among tourism industry, urbanization and human settlements of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

This study examines the evolution of the coupling relationship among the tourism industry, urbanization, and human settlements of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River from 2005 to 2019. By employing a constructed evaluation index system and a quantitative analysis model, the study aims to characterize and analyze this relationship. The key findings are as follows: (1) The coupling coordination level of the three major systems exhibits a continuous upward trend over the study period, albeit with a gradually slowing growth rate. The Changsha -Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration shows the highest average growth rate, followed by the Wuhan metropolitan area and the Poyang Lake urban agglomeration. (2) The variation coefficient and Taylor index of the coupling coordination degree demonstrate a fluctuating downward trend, indicating a convergence in spatial differences in interregional coupling coordination levels. Internal differences between city clusters within urban agglomerations are identified as the main source of overall differences in coupling coordination levels. (3) The coupling coordination levels of the three major systems follow an evolutionary trajectory characterized by "serious imbalance, moderate imbalance, mild imbalance". Clear features of level transitions are observed among various cities. (4) The endowment of tourism resources emerges as the primary factor driving the evolution of the coupling relationship among the tourism industry, urbanization, and human settlements. The study highlights the increasing diversification of driving forces and significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in interregional driving forces for coupling relationship evolution factors.

Absolute versus Relative Poverty and Wealth: Cooperation in the Presence of Between-Group Inequality

Abstract While inequality in resource endowments has been shown to affect cooperation levels in groups, much of this evidence comes from studies of within-group inequality. In an online public goods experiment, we instead examine the effects of payoff-irrelevant inequality in resources between groups on cooperation within equal groups, i.e. the effect of mere exposure to inequality. When all groups are poor or rich, their contribution behaviour is very similar. Relative inequality, when poor and rich groups coexist, leads to lower contributions in rich groups. We find suggestive evidence that this may be related to stereotypes about the rich contributing less than the poor.

Is natural resource wealth a boon or a bane? The impact of oil rents and foreign direct investment on economic growth in Kazakhstan

The nexus between foreign direct investment, natural resource endowment, and their impact on sustained economic growth, is contentious. This study investigates the resource curse hypothesis and the effects of FDI on economic growth in Kazakhstan. The study covers the period from 1990 to 2022 and employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and Toda-Yamamoto causality methods. The Bounds cointegration results reveal the existence of long-term equilibria between per capita GDP and the predictors. The findings reveal a significant impact of oil rents on economic growth, contradicting the resource curse hypothesis and suggesting a resource boon instead. In stark contrast, the impact of FDI on Kazakhstan’s economic growth is found to be insignificant, despite the presence of a causal nexus. Furthermore, economic freedom and export diversification have a positive significant impact on economic growth, while inflation exhibits a negative but significant impact. Although governance has a direct impact on GDP per capita, it is deemed insignificant, as the negative average governance index implies poor governance. Expectedly, the result establishes a causal effect between export diversification, economic freedom, governance, oil rents, and economic growth. This underscores the fundamental role played by the interplay of diversification, economic freedom, governance, and oil rents in fostering sustainable economic growth. In addition, economic freedom stimulates gross fixed capital formation, indicating that it enhances domestic investment. Notably, the findings refute the crowding-out effect of FDI on domestic investment in Kazakhstan. Consequently, to escape the resource curse and the Dutch disease syndrome, the study advocates for enhancing good governance capabilities in Kazakhstan. Thus, we recommend that good governance could reconcile the twin goals of economic diversification and deriving benefits from oil resources, ultimately transforming oil wealth into a boon in Kazakhstan.

Policy, innovation, market or behavior driven effects: energy green transition and environmental management in Chinese heterogeneous cities

Energy green transition (EGT) is currently one of the main measures for countries around the world to address the contradiction between economic growth and increasingly deteriorating environmental and climate issues. Cities are the center of energy consumption. The key to EGT lies in urban energy green transition. Therefore, the focus of this study is on the driving mechanism of urban EGT. Firstly, the spatial-temporal characteristic of EGT in Chinese heterogeneous cities is analyzed by using methods such as gravity model. Secondly, the possible paths includes policy driven, innovation driven, market driven, and behavior driven for urban EGT are discussed through theoretical analysis. Finally, combined with panel data of 236 Chinese cities in 2007-2022, this study empirically analyzes the complex driving mechanism of urban EGT. Results show that: (1) The EGT in Chinese cities is continuing. From the perspective of urban heterogeneous, EGT in 1-tier and 2-tier cities is significantly faster than that in 3-, 4-, and 5-tier cities. The EGT speed in eastern cities is the fastest, while that in northeastern cities is the slowest. The difficulty of EGT in energy resource-based cities is actually the greatest. From the perspective of spatial features, the spatial center of EGT in Chinese cities generally shows a changing trend from northwest to southeast. (2) Policy driven, innovation driven, market driven, and behavior driven constitute the complex driving mechanism of urban EGT, and policy driven is the primary driving force for this round of EGT. (3) Positive effect of economic development level and education level improvement on EGT in Chinese cities is significant while resource endowment and population agglomeration level exhibit significant inhibitory effects. (4) There are significant differences in the core driving force for EGT in heterogeneous cities. Both policy driven effect and market driven effect have the highest impact in 1- and 2-tier cities. Innovation driven effect, market driven effect, and behavior driven effect are only significant in eastern and central cities. In energy resource-based cities, innovation driven effect of green innovation is not significant. This study can assist government departments better in formulating relevant policies to support energy transition, promote technological innovation, design market mechanisms, and guide energy consumption behavior.

Farmers’ preferences for rice bean production traits in western Kenya

Rice bean (Vigna umbellata) is an important legume for food and nutritional security. However, the level of its cultivation in western Kenya, where there is a serious malnutrition challenge, is still low due to a lack of insights into its attributes. Hence, to bridge this knowledge gap, this study analyzed smallholder farmers' preferences for production traits. We collected data from 204 farmers through a choice experiment (CE) approach in upper and lower midland agro-ecological zones. Subsequently, we used the random parameter logit (RPL) model to analyze the data. Results showed that farmers preferred all attribute levels presented except 61% or more pest resistance. The lower midland farmers preferred compensation of Kenya shillings (Ksh) 34.93 for yields of 9 or more bags per acre; Ksh 52.22 for 61 to 79 maturity days and; Ksh 20.24 for 40% to 60% pest resistance level. In comparison, upper midland farmers preferred compensation of Ksh 66.44 for 6 to 8 bags per acre; Ksh 53.82 for 9 or more bags per acre; no compensation for 50 to 60 maturity days; and Ksh 132.98 for 40% to 60% pest resistance. However, farmers preferred no compensation for intact pods. The observed differences in farmers’ preferences for rice bean attributes are explained by heterogeneity in the agroecological conditions, farmers’ socio-economic characteristics, and risk perceptions. The findings should inform targeted extension and breeding programs that fit farmers’ diverse environments and resource endowments.

Quenching thirst, easing debt: Improvement in water resource endowment alleviates local government debt risk

Water resources serve as a vital pillar sustaining both economic activities and daily life for residents. However, the uneven distribution of water resources across time and space has made water scarcity a bottleneck factor restricting the economic and social development of some regions. The implementation of the South-to-North Water Diversion project provides an excellent quasi-natural experiment for in-depth research on the effects and influence mechanism of cross-regional productive factor allocation on economic development. This study focuses on whether the water resource endowment improvement is reflected on the capital market. Based on the trading data of urban construction investment bonds from 2011 to 2016, we empirically examine how the South-to-North Water Diversion project affects the local government financing costs. The results indicate that the water diversion project significantly reduces the credit spread of urban construction investment bonds from the water-receiving areas. Further analysis reveals that the water diversion project improves the economic fundamentals and increases the land sales revenue of the water receiving cities, enhancing local governments' implicit guarantee ability for the financing platforms, thereby reducing the credit risks of urban construction investment bonds. This study not only enriches the research on the determinants of credit risk for urban construction investment bonds, but also provides empirical evidence from the capital market that the coordinated allocation of productive factors promotes regional balanced development. The conclusions imply that the government should actively advance the corresponding infrastructure construction and institutional arrangements to promote the flow and complementarity of economic elements between regions.

Decomposition analysis of renewable energy demand and coupling effect between renewable energy and energy demand: evidence from China

Driving up demand for renewable energy is key to China's response to the energy crisis and to controlling carbon emissions. Several studies have been conducted to explore the factors affecting renewable energy demand. However, the literature on the importance of technological innovation in fossil energy production in affecting renewable energy demand is scant. Therefore, it is essential to explore the impact of technological innovations in fossil energy production on renewable energy demand, as well as to reveal the dynamic penetration mechanism of renewable energy in the field of energy demand, to provide policy guidelines for China to promote its energy revolution. This study decomposes renewable energy demand into 10 drivers with the extended IDA-PDA (Index Decomposition Analysis and Production-theory Decomposition Analysis) model. Then the dynamic penetration mechanism of renewable energy on the energy demand side is revealed by combining the coupled model and the decomposition results. The results show that the investment intensity effects and energy restructuring contributed the most to renewable energy demand growth, contributing 60.73% and 79.97% respectively. Conversely, technological advances in fossil energy combustion made the largest negative cumulative contribution to renewable energy demand growth, with a cumulative negative contribution of -39.57%. The drivers of renewable energy demand vary considerably across types, regions and resource endowment levels, which means that regions should develop differentiated development strategies based on their own characteristics. In addition, the coupling effect between renewable energy demand and total energy demand is weakening, with market and policy effects becoming the drivers for augmenting the response of renewable energy to total energy demand. The findings of this study provide clear pathways for expanding renewable energy demand, offering important insights for the government to balance between promoting capital-driven interests and policy-driven development.

Research Framework of Regional Economic-Ecological System Vulnerability Evolution and Adaptive Leap under the Background of Climate Change

This study focuses on the vulnerability evolution mechanism of regional economic-ecological systems and its adaptive leapfrogging path under the background of climate change. Based on the theory of complex adaptive systems and the framework of social-ecological system coupling, a regional economic-ecological system vulnerability assessment index system was constructed. Using the system dynamics model and scenario simulation method, the impact transmission mechanism of climate change on regional economic-ecological systems was analyzed, and the spatiotemporal evolution law of system vulnerability was revealed. The study found that climate change has aggravated the vulnerability of regional economic-ecological systems by changing resource endowments, disturbing industrial structure, and affecting ecological service functions. In response to this problem, this study proposed a leapfrogging path based on adaptive management: including building a climate-resilient industrial system, optimizing resource allocation efficiency, enhancing ecosystem service functions, and improving regional adaptive governance mechanisms. The research results have important theoretical value and practical significance for promoting regional sustainable development and ecological civilization construction.

The Impact of Digital Rural Construction on Rural Revitalization-Empirical Evidence from Chinese County Panel Data

High-quality economic growth across society is increasingly being driven by the quickly evolving digital economy, with digital villages integrated into various aspects of rural development, construction, and governance, providing essential digital support for achieving comprehensive rural revitalization. By employing county-level panel data from China spanning 2018 to 2020, the Rural Revitalization Index was constructed and applied at the county level, and empirical tests were performed in combination with the Digital Village Index. The results demonstrate that the establishment of digital villages greatly enhances the progress of rural revitalization, with the sub-dimensions of digitalized rural economies and rural lifestyles playing particularly positive roles. Based on this, the mechanisms through which digital village construction empowers rural revitalization were examined, with the process being summarized as “factor aggregation–entities cultivation–market integration.” Further analysis demonstrates that the empowerment effect of digital village construction on rural revitalization is more pronounced in counties that are not major grain producers, have longer road networks, and are located closer to Hangzhou. Thus, it is essential to continue advancing digital village initiatives, identify integration points based on rural functional roles and resource endowments, and explore pathways to fully realize their empowering effects on rural revitalization.

Resource nationalism: the intersection of politics and economics

Resource nationalism has a complex economic, political, and cultural history and reality. The evolution of the supply and demand structure of the global mineral metal market influences it. It is closely linked to the “economic-political” system within resource-rich countries. We analyze the ‘economic-political’ logic of resource nationalist behavior using the two-tier game theory. We examine 261 cases of resource nationalism since 1990 and test the theoretical hypotheses using quantitative techniques. The results show that rising mineral prices are the main trigger for contemporary resource nationalism. However, ideology, institutional quality, social climate, and economic dependence within resource countries play a non-negligible role. Resource wealth dependence in host countries makes it difficult for policymakers to escape national resource interventions. We argue that (1) The global economic trading system imbalance is the root of resource nationalism. (2) Resource nationalism is an endeavor by resource-rich countries to seek entitlements from mineral resource endowments. (3) Resource nationalism is not a zero-sum competition in the national economic trading system. In the face of the potential risks posed by resource nationalism to the global supply of minerals, the relevant interest groups should have sufficient strategic reserves to cope with the possible game of interests.

Is environmental information disclosure driving green energy development? Contextual evidence from Chinese city level data in the lens of sustainability

As an important supplement to mandatory environmental regulation, third-party participation in environmental regulation has become an important driving force for the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Environmental information disclosure (EID) has become a widely used form of third-party participation ecological regulation, and the study of its impact on green energy development (GED) is receiving more and more academic attention. However, the research on this issue is still insufficient in academia. Based on resource-based theory and information processing theory, with IPE project of pollution information survey in China as an exogenous impact, this paper analyzes the causal impact of EID for GED using panel data of 285 Chinese cities from 2000 to 2020. The findings revealed that EID is a strong driver of GED in the long run, further amplified by the smart city pilot program. Besides, industrial structure transformation (IST), substantive green technological innovation (SGTI), non-substantive green technological innovation (NOSGTI), and green finance development (GFD) are important mediating mechanisms through which EID facilitates the GED. Concerning resource endowments of different regions and cities, the heterogeneity test asserted that the promotion effect of EID for GED is best in resource-based cities and old industrial parks. These results emphasize the importance of public participation in urban sustainable development and provide new ideas for promoting green growth.

Evolution and sustainability analysis of global tungsten trade pattern from the perspective of industry chain

Tungsten is an irreplaceable primary material and strategic resource for national economic development and modern national defense security. The endowment of tungsten ore resources in various countries is different; we should not only focus on the availability of tungsten ore itself but also the sustainability of its entire process from upstream supply to downstream industry demand. Analyzing the evolution of the supply and demand patterns of tungsten ore trade from the perspective of the industrial chain, identifying the key supply and demand subjects, and exploring the influencing factors of trade has become an important research topic. Therefore, we construct global tungsten trade networks based on the industrial chain, analyze its overall characteristics, explore critical trade supply and demand entities, and identify China’s trade position. We got some meaningful results: (1) The global tungsten trade networks have prominent power-law distribution characteristics. The trend of trade globalization is evident, but the dominance is still in the hands of a few developed countries or developing countries with developed manufacturing industries. (2) In different parts of the tungsten industry chain, the impact of resource endowment, industrial technology level, and geographical location on the country’s trade role is different. (3) China’s position in the global tungsten resource industry chain and value chain is constantly improving, but there is still a risk of high-end technology being “stuck.” This provides some suggestions for the systematic understanding of the evolution of the trade pattern of the tungsten industry chain and how countries occupy a dominant position in the game of tungsten resources.

An Improved Framework of Major Function-Oriented Zoning Based on Carrying Capacity: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta Region

Major function-oriented zoning, a key spatial planning strategy in China, aims to coordinate resource endowments, socio-economic development, and subsequent planning initiatives. However, the existing framework for major function-oriented zoning relies predominantly on socio-economic statistical indicators at the regional level, often neglecting the critical role of carrying capacity. To address this limitation, we assessed both the current state and dynamic trends of the carrying capacity to identify risk and advantageous zones for major functions, with the objective of optimizing major function-oriented zoning in the Yangtze River Delta region, China. Our findings indicate that 47 counties are experiencing significant pressure under the current carrying capacity, while 57 counties exhibit a deteriorating trend in their capacity. Over half of the counties are categorized as having an overloaded carrying capacity. Based on this analysis, 66 counties have been designated as risk zones for major functions. Consequently, the optimization of major function-oriented zoning requires adjustments in 10 counties, incorporating the identified risk and advantageous zones to enhance spatial planning efficacy. This study proposes an enhanced methodological framework for major function-oriented zoning by fully integrating carrying capacity assessments, offering substantial support for territorial spatial planning in China. We believe that these improvements contribute significantly to more resilient and sustainable regional development strategies.

A comprehensive inventory of Australia's critical minerals: Simplifying the complexity of critical resources

National inventories of mineral resources invariably exclude critical minerals produced as smelter-refinery by-products due to insufficient data. This study addresses this gap through the development of a comprehensive database of Australia's critical minerals resources in mines and mineral deposits combined with extensive geochemical data analysis. We provide a description of how such a database can be constructed for any country using publicly available information and consider a range of uncertainties arising from the use of proxy data to estimate critical mineral grades. A detailed analysis of Australian critical mineral resource endowments is presented alongside a review and discussion of reporting mechanisms and transparency. Our results show that despite statistical uncertainties, data complexities and limited prior accounting, estimated Australian endowments of a range of critical metals which currently remain unreported are likely to be substantial (e.g., an additional 4.2 Mt Co). This Australian case study suggests that the global development of similar databases is likely to reveal substantially greater endowments of critical metals than previously recognised, providing confidence in the ability to simplify the previously complex assessment of critical minerals required for the modern world's technological needs.

Quantitative assessment of PM2.5-related human health impacts at the provincial level in China and analysis of its heterogeneity affected by economic structural transformation

Rapid economic development has led to massive fossil energy consumption and emissions of air pollutants such as PM2.5, which have severely impacted human health and the environment. By uncovering the primary regions and pivotal sectors of PM2.5-related human health impacts (PM2.5-HHI) and evaluating the influence of economic structural factors on them, we can facilitate a more targeted strategy for managing PM2.5 pollution sources. This study employs a structural decomposition analysis method based on input–output analysis to evaluate the impact of China’s provincial economic structural transformation and changes in final demand on PM2.5-HHI in the years 2012, 2015, and 2017. Results indicated that PM2.5-HHI is primarily concentrated in economically developed provinces (e.g., Shandong and Guangdong), which is compared to Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and Hebei experienced negative growth in PM2.5-HHI during 2007–2017. The production-based PM2.5-HHI is primarily driven by energy-intensive sectors such as the production and distribution of electric power and heat power. By contrast, the building sector is key to driving consumption-based PM2.5-HHI. An increasing number of regions are reducing PM2.5-HHI by implementing production structure changes. Moreover, the driving effect of production structure changes on PM2.5-HHI growth is strengthening in Beijing and Tianjin. Changes in the final demand structure mainly led to the growth of PM2.5-HHI in areas with higher economic development levels, such as Beijing and Shandong, but this driving effect is weakening. The final demand–driven PM2.5-HHI shows an evolutionary trend of an increasing share driven by fixed capital formation and exports and a decreasing share driven by household consumption. Changes in emission intensity play a key role in decreasing PM2.5-HHI in each region. Alternatively, changes in the structure of emission sources have a relatively minor impact on PM2.5-HHI. To mitigate PM2.5-HHI, regional economic and resource endowment advantages should be used to promote regional coordinated development and strengthen green production-process innovation in energy-intensive industries. Meanwhcile, it is necessary to optimize urban construction planning and improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

How does the value of ecological restoration techniques affect ecosystem carbon density: A resource endowment-based perspective

In the context of carbon neutrality and carbon peaks, innovations in ecological restoration technology play a key role in carbon adsorption and maintaining ecological balance. Regional governments, tasked with formulating differentiated and rational ecologically sustainable development plans and carbon-neutral strategies tailored to various resource endowment conditions, require timely identification of the mechanisms by which ecological restoration technologies affect the carbon density of ecosystems. Based on data from 31 provinces in China from 2006 to 2021, this study employed the Spatial Durbin Model with both time and space fixed effects to examine the impact of the value of ecological restoration technologies on ecosystem carbon density under varying resource endowments. The empirical results indicate that (1) the value of ecological restoration technology has a significantly positive effect on ecosystem carbon density, particularly in neighbouring areas; (2) energy resource endowment exhibits a significantly inverted U-shaped boundary effect, whereby regions with moderate energy endowment can optimise the positive impact of ecological restoration technology; (3) the heterogeneity analysis, based on levels of regional environmental governance and forest cover, shows that in regions with less investment in environmental infrastructure and lower forest cover, ecosystem carbon density is more sensitive to the value of ecological restoration techniques, making their carbon sink effect more pronounced. This study elucidates the key role of ecological restoration techniques in enhancing carbon storage, promoting the goal of carbon neutrality, and identifying optimal pathways for increasing ecosystem carbon stocks across various regions with differing resource endowments. Moreover, it provides a reference for accelerating the achievement of carbon neutrality targets.