Environmental Regulations Research Articles

Institutional Investors’ Green Activism and Corporate Green Innovation: Based on the Behind-Scene Communications

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the promotion effects of institutional investors’ communication on corporate green innovation. We use content analysis to identify the efficiency of institutional investors’ communication, and find that institutional investors’ communication promotes corporate green innovation. The mechanism analysis indicates that institutional investors’ communication improves managers’ awareness of green transformation, promotes corporate green investment efficiency and mitigates the extent of greenwashing. The positive impacts of institutional investors’ communication are more effective on corporate utility patents than on invention patents. Such green governance effects are more pronounced in non-state-owned firms, green investors and close-distance to the institutional investors. By introducing exogenous shocks of the New Environmental Protection Law and China’s regional carbon emissions trading market pilots, we find that the impact of institutional investors’ communication on green innovation is enhanced after the implementation of environmental policies. Overall, our research contributes to the existing literature on institutional investors’ green activism and the factors of green innovation, and also enriches the cross-disciplinary research on environmental regulation affecting institutional investors’ green governance.

Study of the Relation between Aging and Pesticides: A Review

Aims: The main aim of this study was to use specific data from the literature on ageing, correlating this with the pesticide contamination, in order to understand the relationship with an increasingly ageing population. Study Design: A systematic review was performed. Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biomathematics of the Federal University of Alfenas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, between April 2023 and August 2023. Methodology: A systematic search of articles was performed using the CAPES Periodic platform, a searcher from the Education Ministry of Brazil that contains Web of Science, Scopus, MedLine, from August 2020 to May 2023. For this review, the subject’s “aging theory”; “neuroscience and pathologies to aging”; “aging and aging-associated changes”; “pesticides and pesticide toxicity”; “pesticide toxicity and neurotoxicity”; “longevity and healthy aging”; “aging human and pesticides” were searched together using the type of material “articles” in English language. Some articles about “population growth”; “world population”; “population-aging” were used for epistemological composition of this work content subjects. Results: From the 19.720 articles after the exclusion and the inclusion criteria made with the subjects most pertinent to the objectives of this work; 19.570 articles were excluded, remaining 150 ones, of which 116 were qualitative in scope and 34 quantitative. Conclusion: The complex relationship between the pesticide contamination and the condition of the exposed individual may be associated with premature ageing and a greater susceptibility to debilitating age-related diseases. Although technology is increasingly improved in its innovations, health and environmental regulations have not been able to rid the production processes of their potential to pollute the environment and cause health problems for those exposed to them.

'Emerging into the World' - the regulation and control of dormancy and sprouting in geophytes.

Geophytic plants synchronize growth and quiescence with the external environment to survive and thrive under changing seasons. Besides seasonal growth adaptation, dormancy and sprouting are critical factors determining crop yield and market supply as various geophytes also serve as major food, floriculture, and ornamental crops. Dormancy in such crops decides crop availability in the market, as most of such crops are consumed during the dormant stage. On the other hand, uniform/maximal sprouting is crucial for maximum yield. Thus, dormancy and sprouting regulation have great economic importance. Dormancy-sprouting cycles in geophytes are regulated by genetic, exogenous (environmental), and endogenous (genetic, metabolic and hormonal, etc.) factors. Comparatively, the temperature is more dominant in regulating dormancy and sprouting in geophytes, unlike aboveground tissues, where both photoperiod and temperature control are involved. Despite huge economic importance, studies concerning the regulation of dormancy and sprouting are scarce in the majority of geophytes. To date, only a few molecular factors involved in the process have been suggested. Recently, omics studies on molecular and metabolic factors involved in dormancy and growth regulations of underground vegetative tissues have provided more insight into the mechanism. Here, we discuss current knowledge of the environmental and molecular regulation and control of dormancy and sprouting in geophytes and discuss challenges/questions that need to be addressed in the future for crop improvement.

Research on the impact of green insurance on regional environmental quality: evidence from China

Green insurance (GI), as an innovative product integrating environmental protection and the financial sector, not only contributes to improving regional environmental quality (EQ) but also enhances corporate environmental risk management and awareness, driving the flourishing development of green finance and the environmental protection industry. Therefore, understanding the relationship between GI and EQ is crucial. This article delves into the mechanisms through which GI influences EQ, proposing a hypothesis that suggests an inverted “U” shape impact. Subsequently, based on panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning from 2000 to 2021, nonlinear regression models and threshold regression models were constructed to test the hypothesis. The research findings indicate: (1) Results from the fixed-effects regression model demonstrate that the impact of GI on China’s EQ follows an inverted “U” shape. (2) Results from the threshold regression model also reveal an inverted “U” shape impact of GI on China’s EQ, with a threshold value of 2.196. (3) Economic level and industrial structure exhibit significant inhibitory effects on EQ improvement. Technological level and environmental regulations demonstrate notable promotional effects. Population size shows no significant impact on EQ improvement. The study identifies a nonlinear effect of GI on EQ improvement, surpassing existing linear effect research, deepening the understanding of its impact on EQ, and contributing to the enhancement of regional EQ.

Environmental stewardship in the oil and gas sector: Current practices and future directions

This paper provides an overview of the current practices and future directions in environmental stewardship within the oil and gas industry, focusing on key areas of concern and strategies for improvement. The oil and gas industry has made significant strides in environmental stewardship in recent years, driven by a combination of regulatory requirements, corporate initiatives, and stakeholder pressure. One of the primary areas of focus has been the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with extraction, refining, and transportation processes. Companies have implemented technologies such as carbon capture and storage to minimize their carbon footprint, alongside investments in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures to transition towards cleaner energy alternatives. Furthermore, the industry has placed increasing emphasis on the responsible management of water resources, recognizing the potential environmental impacts of water extraction and usage in oil and gas operations. Strategies for water recycling, reuse, and wastewater treatment have been adopted to mitigate pollution and minimize strain on local ecosystems. Biodiversity conservation has also emerged as a critical aspect of environmental stewardship in the oil and gas sector, with companies undertaking environmental impact assessments and collaborating with conservation organizations to minimize habitat disruption and restore ecosystems affected by their operations. Community engagement and social responsibility are integral components of environmental stewardship, with companies seeking to address the social impacts of their operations through employment opportunities, infrastructure development, and social programs benefiting local communities. However, the industry continues to face challenges and limitations in its efforts to minimize environmental impact. Accidental spills, leaks, and other incidents pose significant ecological risks, highlighting the importance of stringent safety regulations and emergency response protocols. Moreover, the transition to renewable energy presents challenges for traditional oil and gas companies, requiring substantial capital investment and strategic planning. To address these challenges and advance environmental stewardship, several future directions are proposed. These include accelerating the transition to renewable energy, enhancing transparency and accountability in reporting environmental performance, strengthening environmental regulations and enforcement, investing in research and development of innovative technologies, and fostering collaboration among industry stakeholders, governments, NGOs, and local communities. Keywords: Stewardship, Oil, Gas, Sustainability, Climate, Mitigation

The Impact of Technological Innovation on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: The Mediating Role of Environmental Regulation in China

The Impact of Technological Innovation on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: The Mediating Role of Environmental Regulation in China

Auditing the Leader: The Impact of Targeting Local Officials’ Environmental Regulations on Innovation

Auditing the Leader: The Impact of Targeting Local Officials’ Environmental Regulations on Innovation

An integrated study of Atopobathynella (Parabathynellidae, Bathynellacea) species reveals restricted distributions in a complex hydrogeological setting: two new species from the Pilbara (Australia)

Abstract The Pilbara bioregion (Western Australia) has become a hotspot for subterranean fauna as a consequence of many surveys conducted to comply with Western Australian environmental regulation requirements. In this bioregion, mining developments can have major implications for subterranean fauna and their conservation. However the diversity and species distributions of most taxa are still poorly known, including the crustacean family Parabathynellidae. Recent studies on a widespread genus of this family (Atopobathynella) from the Pilbara highlighted several undescribed taxa with interesting patterns of distribution. In the Gudai Darri locality, the northern flank of the Hamersley Range occurs as a stepped escarpment intersected by dykes and gullies, with groundwater occurring within fractured rocks abutting the Fortescue River valley, where a separate regional aquifer occurs. This investigation aimed to observe whether stygofauna species distributions (1) reflected the separation between the two major aquifers within the Hamersley Range and the Fortescue Valley; and (2) were influenced by the presence of dykes. We examined the Atopobathynella species occurring in the study area using morphological and molecular data. The results reflected the hydrogeological complexity of the study area with six new lineages of Atopobathynella, recorded mainly in different gullies, that do not share a most recent common ancestor. Two species are described here A. pagetae sp. nov. and A. lythei sp. nov., and four additional species are delineated through preliminary morphological analyses and molecular data. This study will improve future environmental impact assessments and the understanding of Parabathynellidae taxa distribution in hydrogeological complex areas.

Environmental Regulations and Urban Technological Innovation: China’s Two Control Zones Policy as Evidence

In China, the Two Control Zones (TCZ) policy is an important practice in promoting sustainable development. This study aimed to investigate whether the TCZ policy promotes urban technological innovation. In this research, a DID model was built with the TCZ policy as an exogenous shock using panel data covering over 223 Chinese cities from 1995 to 2003. The empirical outcomes indicate that the TCZ policy is beneficial for augmenting urban technological innovation. Through heterogeneity analysis, it is further observed that the promotional effects of technological innovation resulting from the TCZ policy are highest in the Western region, followed by the Eastern region, and finally the Central region, and higher in cities with a higher proportion of state-owned enterprises than in cities with a higher proportion of non-state-owned enterprises. The findings of this paper align with Porter’s hypothesis and hold significant importance for other countries in devising appropriate environmental regulation policies to facilitate sustainable development.

Exploring the Mechanisms of Regional Environmental Collaborative Legislation in China: Policy Effectiveness, Practical Challenges, and Policy Suggestions

The legislation for regional environmental collaboration is of significant importance in enhancing the effectiveness of environmental protection. The existing literature focuses on the power struggle between central and local governments regarding environmental regulation within the realm of regional environmental governance, lacking an examination of the collaborative governance mechanisms and their effectiveness. Therefore, this study takes China’s regional environmental collaborative legislation as its research object. It employs a difference-in-differences model to test the effectiveness of regional environmental collaborative legislation concerning environmental governance and conducts a qualitative analysis to examine the current practical challenges facing regional environmental collaborative legislation. The quantitative analysis results indicate that regional environmental collaborative legislation can effectively suppress the emission of environmental pollutants. Specifically, the implementation of regional environmental collaborative legislation results in a 19.7% reduction in prefecture-level wastewater emissions and a 26.6% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions. Qualitative analysis results show that regional environmental collaborative legislation currently faces challenges such as localism, difficulties in legislative authority allocation, and a lack of cooperation mechanisms. Therefore, this paper proposes to establish a collaboration platform, balance the interests of stakeholders, and improve the allocation mechanism of environmental regulatory powers in order to better optimize the regional environmental collaborative legislation and enhance the government’s environmental governance capacity.

Does environmental regulation affect inward foreign direct investment? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Due to the combined pressures of reducing carbon emissions and enhancing high-quality international trade, the influence of environmental regulations on foreign direct investment has to be assessed. This study focused on China’s low-carbon cities development and analysed city-level panel data from 2003 to 2019 using a multi-period difference-in-differences approach to investigate its impact on foreign direct investment. The findings suggest that the implementation of the low-carbon cities policy resulted in both a reduction in the number of foreign-invested enterprises and a less effective utilization of foreign direct investment. Furthermore, western China was more profoundly affected. Finally, some valuable recommendations are presented.

Urban amenity and urban economic resilience: evidence from China

Under the influence of multiple uncertain factors at home and abroad, urban amenities, as the underlying support for urban renewal activities, are of great significance in enhancing urban economic resilience. The panel data of Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019 is used in this study. Urban amenity is measured from artificial amenities and climate amenities, respectively. By using a two-way fixed effects model, we empirically test the impact of urban amenities on urban economic resilience. The key findings of this study are as follows. (1) Urban amenities can significantly enhance urban economic resilience. (2) Heterogeneity analysis shows that there are regional differences in the role of urban amenities in promoting urban economic resilience, with cities in the eastern region, strong environmental regulations, and high urbanization rates benefiting more. (3) We further find that urban amenities mainly enhance economic resilience by promoting population agglomeration, attracting labor migration, improving the quality of human capital, and stimulating urban innovation. Our conclusions recommend to rationally allocate and optimize urban amenity resources, strengthen urban planning and construction management, and create a more livable urban environment, thereby enhancing urban economic resilience.

Evaluation and influencing factors of green transformation in three major urban agglomerations in China

Since the 21st century, the world has increasingly focused on the issue of sustainable development, and the green transformation issues have become a new hot topic worldwide. Green and low-carbon transformation has become an international consensus. Urban agglomerations are important connections between urban development and regional coordination, as well as important spatial carriers for economic activities. They are not only the main source of carbon emissions, but also the main battlefield for energy conservation and emission reduction. As an important field for carbon reduction, the green transformation of cities is crucial for achieving the “dual carbon” goals. This article focuses on 48 cities in the three most mature and influential urban agglomerations in China from 2011 to 2019, namely, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration. The three-stage DEA model and Malmquist index model are used to measure the green transformation efficiency of the three urban agglomerations from both dynamic and static perspectives, and a Tobit regression model is constructed to explore the influencing factors of green transformation efficiency in urban agglomerations. Research has found that: 1) From a static perspective, the overall efficiency of green transformation in the three major urban agglomerations is at a high level, but from a temporal perspective, it shows a downward trend. The Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration is known for its green development, with the highest average efficiency of green transformation, followed by the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration has the lowest level of green transformation; 2) From a dynamic perspective, technological progress is the main driving factor for improving the efficiency of green transformation in the three major urban agglomerations. Therefore, the government should pay special attention to the progressiveness of technology when formulating relevant policies to promote urban green transformation; 3) From the perspective of spatiotemporal differences, there are significant differences in the spatiotemporal characteristics of green transformation among the three major urban agglomerations, and there are significant differences in green transformation strategies among different urban agglomerations. Eliminating environmental factors and random interference is necessary for accurately measuring the efficiency of green transformation in urban agglomerations; 4) From the perspective of influencing factors, factors such as industrial structure upgrading, green innovation level, and environmental regulation intensity jointly affect the efficiency of green transformation in urban agglomerations. Based on this, we should pay attention to the differences between urban agglomerations and implement policies tailored to local conditions; Strengthen the network system of urban agglomerations and avoid conflicts between cities; Encourage green technology innovation, accelerate industrial structure upgrading, and so on. This article focuses on the issue of green transformation in urban agglomerations, and conducts research from three perspectives: efficiency measurement, influencing factors, and implementation mechanisms. A relatively systematic theoretical framework for green transformation in urban agglomerations is formed, and an evaluation index system for green transformation efficiency in urban agglomerations is constructed and optimized. The composition mechanism of the five dimensional evaluation system for transformation efficiency is analyzed, and the bottleneck and breakthrough direction of the three major urban agglomerations in China in the development process are grasped. It has a good demonstration effect on the green transformation of other urban agglomerations.

Numerical analysis and ANN performance prediction of solar composite ventilation wall for built environment regulation

With the aim to achieve winter heating, summer heat insulation and year-round power generation as well as indoor pollutant purification, photovoltaic (PV) combined with phase change heat storage technology is ingeniously embedded in an adjustable solar composite ventilation wall with entire room model (SPVW-PV/PCM) in this study. Then, the effects of key parameters e.g. PCM melting temperature Tm and PV coverage ratio Cr on solar energy conversion and utilization with indoor environment creation are comprehensively illustrated by indoor temperature, exergy efficiency as well as power generation amount. In addition, to further clarify the application potential of the proposed model applied in different typical places in China, the artificial neural network (ANN) has been rarely adopted to predict the annual heating amount, power generation as well as its economic and environmental benefits. Research results show that the three numerical submodels closely align with previously published results, with only minor discrepancies observed in the decoupling model regarding Cout, vroom and PCM melt fraction, well within acceptable numerical tolerances of 9.87% RMSE. The thermal performance is significantly influenced by the key parameters of Tm and Cr, with at least 110 min of advance heating start-up time revealed, and excellent indoor temperature improvement of 1.59 K and 3.02 K are achieved in the heating season at Tm = 318 K or Cr = 0 % simulated group. The highest annual total energy conversion of 1367.39 kWh is surveyed in Guangzhou, corresponding to the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.18 $/kWh and the highest CO2 saving cost of 19.03 $/year. The total energy conversion effect and the CO2 saving cost can be effectively improved by 13.88 % and 13.82 % in Guangzhou, respectively, compared to the coupling off-grid PV and conventional wall in building. These research findings offer valuable insights for optimizing the design of SPVW-PV/PVM in indoor environmental construction and enhancing its overall applicability.

Environmental regulation and environmental performance of enterprises: Quasi‐natural experiment of the new environmental protection law

AbstractWhether command‐control environmental regulation can play a positive role in circumstances of imperfect market incentive‐based environmental regulation remains rarely explored. Using the difference‐in‐difference model, we find that command‐control environmental regulation can significantly improve the environmental performance of heavily polluting firms. This result still holds after a sequence of robustness tests. The analysis of the economic mechanism indicates that the new environmental protection law mainly contributes positively to the environmental performance of high‐polluting firms by improving the quality of their environmental investments and pollution treatment disclosures, and by reducing the government subsidies they receive to improve the environmental performance of high‐polluting firms. Meanwhile, the new environmental protection law has a more pronounced impact on heavily polluting enterprises in the eastern region, with imperfect internal control, stronger environmental regulations, more distant political connections, greater pressure on regional GDP growth and weaker industry competition. This paper confirms the effectiveness of the new environmental law in improving environmental performance of heavily polluting enterprises in pursuit of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, and provides new evidence to test the weak Porter hypothesis in the context of transition economies.

Assessment of water quality and associated human health risk of a tropical freshwater body in Edo State, Nigeria

The quality of freshwater sources is a key factor in sustainable development. This study investigated the water quality suitability of Ossiomo River for human consumption and the implications for public health. Water samples were collected and analysed from October 2021 to March 2022. Results indicated that the water physico-chemical parameters from sampled locations were within their respective National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESRA) permissible limits except for pH (< 6.5), dissolved oxygen (< 6.0mg L−1), cadmium (> 0.005m /L−1), manganese (> 0.05mg L−1) and total hydrocarbon content (>10mg L−1). Comprehensive pollution index (0.4–1.0) and water quality index (251.57–765.37) values indicate that the water body was slightly polluted and unsuitable for human consumption (WQI > 50). Health risk assessment showed that children and adults were predisposed to non-carcinogenic risk (HIoral > 1) and carcinogenic risk (ICR: 1.21E-02 and 2.84E-03) from heavy metals through oral exposure. Natural run-off and anthropogenic activities were identified sources of heavy metals and hydrocarbons within the catchment. The study has provided data for water resource quality monitoring and raised concerns as to the need for immediate action to safeguard the public health of communities surrounding the Ossiomo River, through the provision of alternative sources of potable water.

Do Natural Disasters Reduce Loans to the More CO2-Emitting Sectors?

We studied the impact of major floods occurring in Turkey between 2005 and 2020 on lending and the allocation of loans between sectors that differ in their CO2 emissions. Our evidence shows that the floods are not significant determinants of lending or the allocation of loans between sectors, even though CO2 emissions contribute to the reallocation of loans from the more polluting to the less polluting sectors. Indeed, risks and returns of the sector remain the main determinants of lending and of the allocation of loans among sectors. The results are robust to alternative estimation methods and specifications of the econometric models. Since in the period of investigation no environmental regulations were implemented in Turkey, and the Paris Agreement was ratified only at end-2021, the evidence suggests that more stringent regulations and green policies are required to accelerate the green transition in Turkey.

Restructuring reforms for green growth

AbstractPolicymakers across the world are striving to tackle the century‐defining challenge of climate change without undermining potential growth. This paper examines the impact of structural reforms in the energy sector (electricity and gas) on environmental outcomes and green growth indicators in a panel of 25 advanced economies during the period 1970–2020. We obtain striking results. First, while structural reforms so far failed in reducing greenhouse gas emissions per capita, there is some evidence for greater effectiveness in lowering emissions per unit of GDP. Second, although energy reforms are not associated with higher supply of renewable energy as a share of total energy supply, they appear to stimulate a sustained increase in environmental inventions and patents per capita over the medium term. We also find strong evidence of nonlinear effects, with market‐friendly energy reforms leading to better environmental outcomes and green growth in countries with stronger environmental regulations. Looking forward, therefore, structural reforms should be designed not just for market efficiency but also for green growth.

Fuzzy Evaluation Model for Products with Multifunctional Quality Characteristics: Case Study on Eco-Friendly Yarn

Numerous advanced industrial countries emphasize green environmental protection alongside athletic healthcare. Many world-renowned sports brands are actively developing highly functional, environmentally friendly, and aesthetically pleasing products. For example, in the production of sports shoes, the eco-friendly yarn process is one of the important processes. This process involves multiple crucial larger-the-better quality characteristics closely tied to the functionality of sports shoes. Facing green environmental regulations and external competitors, it is evidently an imperative issue for enterprises to consider how to improve the quality of newly developed products, increase product value, and lower rates of both rework and scrap to accomplish the goals of saving energy and minimizing waste. Aiming to solve this problem, this study proposed a fuzzy evaluation model for products with multifunctional quality characteristics to assist the sporting goods manufacturing industry in evaluating whether all functional quality characteristics of its products meet the required quality level. This study first utilized the larger-the-better Six Sigma quality index concerning environmental protection for evaluation and then proposed product evaluation indicators for the eco-friendly yarn. Since the parameters of these indicators have not yet been determined, sample data need to be used for estimation. Enterprises require rapid response, so that the sample size is relatively small. Sampling error will increase the risk of misjudgment. Therefore, taking suggestions from previous studies, this study constructed the fuzzy evaluation model based on confidence intervals of quality indicators for the eco-friendly yarn. This method incorporated previous experience with data, thereby enhancing assessment accuracy.

Advances in the Modulation of Potato Tuber Dormancy and Sprouting

The post-harvest phase of potato tuber dormancy and sprouting are essential in determining the economic value. The intricate transition from dormancy to active growth is influenced by multiple factors, including environmental factors, carbohydrate metabolism, and hormonal regulation. Well-established environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light play pivotal roles in these processes. However, recent research has expanded our understanding to encompass other novel influences such as magnetic fields, cold plasma treatment, and UV-C irradiation. Hormones like abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA), cytokinins (CK), auxin, and ethylene (ETH) act as crucial messengers, while brassinosteroids (BRs) have emerged as key modulators of potato tuber sprouting. In addition, jasmonates (JAs), strigolactones (SLs), and salicylic acid (SA) also regulate potato dormancy and sprouting. This review article delves into the intricate study of potato dormancy and sprouting, emphasizing the impact of environmental conditions, carbohydrate metabolism, and hormonal regulation. It explores how various environmental factors affect dormancy and sprouting processes. Additionally, it highlights the role of carbohydrates in potato tuber sprouting and the intricate hormonal interplay, particularly the role of BRs. This review underscores the complexity of these interactions and their importance in optimizing potato dormancy and sprouting for agricultural practices.