Development Of Low-carbon Economy Research Articles

Enhancing envrionmental sustainability via interval optimization for low-carbon economic dispatch in renewable energy power systems: Leveraging the flexible cooperation of wind energy and carbon capture power plants

In response to pressing environmental challenges, the power system is gradually developing towards a more efficient, clean, and sustainable direction. Carbon capture power plants (CCPPs) and wind power generation will play a significant role in this eco-friendly transformation. However, the high energy consumption of CCPPs and the anti-peak regulation characteristics of wind power lead to contradictions in their coordinated operation during peak shaving, restricting the system's low-carbon economic development. Aiming at the above challenges, an interval optimization method is proposed to coordinate wind power and CCPPs. Firstly, a flexible operation model of CCPPs is established, and the coordinated scheduling mechanism of wind power joint carbon capture operation and load-side demand response is introduced to optimize the system carbon emission through low carbon scheduling on both sides of the source and load. Secondly, interval numbers are used to manage the uncertainty of wind power output, and the interval-optimized scheduling model of wind power combined CCPPs is established. To solve the proposed model, the improved interval possibility method is adopted to transform the uncertain model into a deterministic one, which is solved by the CPLEX solver. Finally, the simulation outcomes using the IEEE 30-bus system framework reveal that the proposed approach significantly enhances the coordination between CCPPs and wind power. Notably, when compared to scenarios that solely focus on CCPPs, the proposed method achieves a substantial reduction in total costs by 16.67 % and decreases carbon emissions by 26.53 %. This sets a significant reference for low-carbon economic dispatch within power systems, providing key insights and foundational guidelines for future implementations, as well as novel strategies and technological support for the sustainable transformation of the power system towards lower carbon emissions.

Evaluation of Regional Carbon Neutrality Efficiency in China

In the context of “3060 Carbon Neutrality”, there will be both theoretical and practical significance to finding out the status quo, laws and key factors about efficiency of carbon neutrality in various regions of China. This paper considers carbon neutrality system as a black-box combining “carbon absorption” with “carbon fixation”. According to these two major functions, we aim to measure efficiency of carbon neutrality among 30 provinces in China by constructing the three-stage DEA model. The results point that there exists obvious regional differentiation of efficiency distribution patterns; Key factors that determine the level of carbon neutralization efficiency mainly include spatial effects, industrial modernization, technological and innovative levels, and natural resources, etc. In summary, this paper provides suggestions and counter measures to promote carbon neutralization efficiency within various regions from two perspectives of regional low-carbon economy and regional linkage development.

МЕТОДИЧНІ ПІДХОДИ ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ТА ОЦІНКИ РЕСУРСНОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ КРИТИЧНОЇ МІНЕРАЛЬНОЇ СИРОВИНИ УКРАЇНИ

Industrial and technological interest in critical (strategic) mineral raw materials, given their natural scarcity, is of key importance in the global economy. A country's (or region's) supply of raw materials is a factor of economic security, autonomy and an insurance against global crises. Global and regional analytical researches on the mineral resource assessment in the context of circular and resource efficient (low-carbon) economy development have revealed a number of problematic issues related to different methodological approaches to the assessment, classification, accounting and management of critical mineral raw materials (CRM). The standardization of such approaches for economically related regions is the way to create reliable critical mineral raw material supply chains and ensure sustainable economic development. In order to complete the outlined tasks, a wide range of studies has been used, including general scientific and special methods of scientific and applied research. In addition to general theoretical methods of analysis, statistics and systematization, a complex of methods of geological and technical-economic study of mineral raw materials has been used to achieve the set goal and complete specified tasks. Authors have attempted to define the concept of critical mineral raw materials by using basic criteria and methodical approaches of the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC). Various classification systems used for the assessment and management of critical mineral raw materials have been considered. Practical experience of the UNFC application during the assessment of CRM resource potential in Ukraine (excluding hydrocarbons and groundwater) based on the list of the European Union has been presented. Considering the current state of the mineral raw material resource base of Ukraine, authors have suggested methodological tools for bringing the State Balance into compliance with the integrated systematic accounting in accordance with the UNFC. The analysis of the State Balance of Ukraine using the UNFC approaches has revealed primary prospects for the mineral and raw material base development, which are related to potential and perspective projects on 22 elements from the EU list of critical mineral raw materials. Ukraine possesses all the prerequisites to participate in European Union programs designed to create sustainable models of supply chains for various resources for the transition to closed-cycle zero waste consumption.

Discussion on the development of sports industry in China based on the perspective of “low carbon economy”

Abstract Low-carbon economy is an important part of national strategic objectives, which not only refers to an ecological and environmental economic model but also is the main direction for the development of the sports industry. Based on the characteristics and components of the low carbon economy, this paper utilizes the environmental Kuznets curve and decoupling theory to set the goal of low carbon economy development in the sports industry and explore the influence mechanism of low carbon economy on the structural development of the sports industry. Starting from the perspective of the development of the sports industry structure, a multi-period double-difference model is designed to calculate the net effect of a low-carbon economy on the sports industry structure. The relationship between the low carbon economy and the structural change of the sports industry is visualized using non-linear fitting and partial derivatives. The evaluation model of sports industry development capacity is constructed to evaluate the development of the sports industry from two perspectives: economic performance and economic value added. The experimental results show that the impact of a low carbon economy on the structure of the sports industry is divided into three stages, namely, coefficient value <0.15, coefficient value in [0.15, 0.25), and coefficient value ≤0.25. The low-carbon economy has a marginal positive effect on the sports industry in the second stage. The calculation of EVA value shows that the EVA value of the subject sports enterprises is greater than 0 from 2017 to 2023, which indicates that the sports industry realizes value creation along with the development of the low-carbon economy.

Study on the Promotion of Green Financial Reform and Innovation on Enterprise Sustainable Development Capability in Low-Carbon Economic Development Based on Statistical Modeling

Abstract Green financial reform and innovation attempts to combine the two core principles of green development and innovation-driven to promote the sustainable development of enterprises. This paper adopts the synthetic control method to establish the experimental and reference groups according to whether the study area is a pilot area for green finance reform. According to the research theory, the indicators affecting the sustainable development of enterprises are selected, and the changes in the indicators of the experimental group before and after the green financial reform and innovation are compared and analyzed. Based on the Mean Difference value and Median Difference value, determine the role of green finance in influencing the sustainable development of enterprises. The parallel trend hypothesis test is carried out to verify the feasibility of the double difference model setting. Construct the mediation model for green lending and enterprise R&D investment to promote sustainable development within enterprises in the context of green finance reform and innovation. The regression results show that the coefficient of the double difference interaction term Treati * Aftert is 0.2653, which passes the significance test at the 1% level. The mediation model, after adding all control variables and three fixed effects, has a double difference term coefficient of 0.0876. After removing irrelevant factors, it further indicates that the implementation of the green financial pilot zone policy can promote the green technological innovation of enterprises to a certain extent and that the green financial pilot zone policy plays a significant role in the promotion of sustainable transformation of enterprises.

The Problems and Countermeasures of the Development of China's Green Tourism Industry under the Dual Carbon Background

Under the goal of achieving "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality", green and low-carbon transformation is one of the important directions for the high-quality development of the tourism industry. A low-carbon economy can promote the green development of the tourism industry, stimulate national demand for green tourism, and force tourism enterprises to upgrade their products. The deep integration and development of low-carbon economy and tourism industry is an inevitable choice of the times. China should take green and low-carbon consumption as the breakthrough point, integrate the concept of low-carbon economic development, achieve green development of tourism industry, and innovate the path of green and low-carbon development of China's tourism industry.

The Relationship between Service Economy and Carbon Emissions in Jiangsu Province China and the Influencing Factors

Aims: G20 leaders Riyadh put forward the approval of the carbon reduction, reuse, recycling and elimination (4R) framework at the 2020 Summit. In order to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality, promote the development of low-carbon economy, China is striving to build a new high-efficiency low-carbon market.
 Study Design: Taking the service industry in Jiangsu Province as the research object.
 Place and Duration of Study: long-term interactive relationship between the carbon emissions of the service industry in Jiangsu Province China and its economic development, from 2005 to 2022.
 Methodology: Through the vector autoregressive model (VAR) and Granger causality test. Then, five variables affecting the carbon emissions of the service industry are selected: the level of science and technology, the development of transportation, storage and postal industry, energy efficiency, industrial structure and tourism development.
 Results: As influencing factors, through the least squares method (OLS) analysis, it is found that the factor that has the greatest impact on the carbon emissions of the service industry in Jiangsu Province is the industrial structure, followed by the development of tourism and transportation, storage and postal industry.
 Conclusion: It is proposed to promote scientific and technological innovation and technological progress from many aspects, improve the scientific and technological innovation system of tourism, accelerate the upgrading of industrial structure, improve the efficiency of transportation, storage and postal industry, promote the formation of a benign interactive relationship between the development of the service industry and carbon emissions in Jiangsu Province and illustrate how the service industry can develop with high quality while saving energy and reducing emissions.

Retracted: Application of a Nano-Enhanced Fertilizer in the Development of Agricultural Low-Carbon Economy in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Retracted: Application of a Nano-Enhanced Fertilizer in the Development of Agricultural Low-Carbon Economy in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

Can ESG rating reduce corporate carbon emissions? – An empirical study from Chinese listed companies

As the most crucial microeconomic entities in a market economy, corporations play a decisive role in achieving the “dual carbon” objectives and driving green and low-carbon economic and social development. This paper utilizes data from Chinese A-share listed companies between 2010 and 2020 as its research sample. Using SynTao Green Finance ESG ratings as an exogenous shock, it constructs a staggered difference-in-differences model to empirically examine the impact and mechanisms of ESG ratings on corporate carbon emissions. The research findings indicate that ESG ratings have a significant inhibitory effect on corporate carbon emissions. This conclusion remains valid after undergoing parallel trend tests, placebo tests, instrumental variable regressions, and other robustness checks. Mechanism tests indicate that ESG ratings promote reducing corporate carbon emissions by alleviating corporate financing constraints and addressing agency problems. Analyst attention and media attention reinforce the inhibitory effect of ESG ratings on corporate carbon emissions. The inhibitory effect of ESG ratings on corporate carbon emissions is further pronounced in heavily polluting enterprises, with relatively consistent impacts observed between state-owned and non-state-owned enterprises. The research findings provide empirical evidence supporting government regulation of ESG development, businesses' involvement in ESG initiatives, and investors' pursuit of ESG investments to promote a reduction in corporate carbon emissions.

The Current Status and Prospects of China’s Low Carbon Economic Development

This paper aims to explore the importance of developing a low-carbon economy in China and presents a series of key recommendations. Firstly, it emphasizes the adverse impact of economic development on the natural environment and highlights the unsustainable nature of China’s previous pursuit of economic growth at the expense of its ecological surroundings. Subsequently, the paper provides specific recommendations in response to the pressing resource and environmental challenges in current economic and social development, along with the urgent need to accelerate the transition towards a greener, low-carbon economy to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. The key recommendations include continually enhancing the legal framework for a low-carbon economy, optimizing the energy structure, improving energy efficiency, and optimizing the industrial structure. These proposals aim to offer concrete actions to support the development of a low-carbon economy in China, encompassing legal support, energy transformation, and industrial upgrading. Ultimately, this paper underscores China’s potential in developing a low-carbon economy and calls for resolute actions to strengthen legal frameworks, foster technological innovation, and promote industrial restructuring. These actions will guide China towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious economic future, aligning its growth trajectory with the global imperative to reduce carbon footprints.

How the digital infrastructure construction affects urban carbon emissions—A quasi-natural experiment from the “Broadband China” policy

The global emphasis on informatization and low-carbon development is growing. Using staggered Difference-In-Differences (DID) methodology, this research examines the impact of digital infrastructure development on urban carbon dioxide emissions and explores its underlying causal mechanisms. Drawing from a comprehensive 2009–2019 panel dataset of 240 Chinese cities, the study employs the “Broadband China” policy as a reliable proxy for digital infrastructure construction (DIC). The findings indicate that DIC effectively reduces urban carbon dioxide emissions, fostering sustainable low-carbon regional economic development. The results withstand robustness tests, revealing heterogeneous effects, with coastal cities and those with stronger environmental regulations experiencing more significant reductions. The study suggests that upgrading industrial structure and enhancing green innovation capacity are effective methods for DIC to mitigate urban carbon emissions. The paper concludes with policy recommendations, emphasizing leveraging policy dividends, addressing regional disparities, and adopting a multi-path development approach. Providing new insights and empirical data, this research contributes to understanding the relationship between DIC and urban carbon emissions, offering policy guidance for China's carbon reduction efforts and strategic objectives of carbon peaking and neutrality.

Accelerating Indonesia Sustainable Infrastructure Development through ESG Initiatives in PPP Ecosystem

The Government of Indonesia committed to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end poverty, inequality, and mitigate climate change. The submission of an Enhanced Nationally Defined Contribution (ENDC) to UNFCC strengthens Indonesia’s commitment in a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy development. The Minister of Finance has launched an ESG Framework to mainstreaming ESG through government support and facilities on infrastructure financing, in which IIGF (Indonesia Infrastructure Guarantee Fund) has a significant role in providing sovereign guarantee for Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Qualitative approach was used to examine the benefit of ESG and additional value of IIGF’s ESG integrated guarantee to support the acceleration of the Indonesia’s sustainable infrastructure development. This paper concludes that in addition to de-risking instrument, the guarantee will bring additional value in ensuring a fair ESG risk allocation, project structuring and long-term risk management and monitoring. This will allow privates to access green and sustainable financing. The challenges mainly on capacity building and alignment of policy and standards among stakeholders. However, IIGF has opportunity to link with stakeholders and build collaboration to fill gaps and connecting to suitable market. This paper, however, report initial findings of the ongoing comprehensive studies as part of IIGF ESG initiative roadmap.

Does enterprise digitization reduce carbon emissions? Evidence from China

The digital transformation and expansion of businesses will provide China’s low-carbon economic development strategy with fresh impetus in the backdrop of the emerging digital economy and environmentally friendly growth. This article measures the level of enterprise digitization using two methods: the enterprise digitization index and text analysis word frequency statistics. Additionally, carbon emissions are obtained by measuring various types of emissions according to the carbon emission classification range standard. To account for endogeneity and unobservable variables, relative indicators, such as the rate of increase for company emissions of carbon, are utilized. Using microdata from Chinese listed firms from 2011 to 2021, this study examines the implications of corporate digitization on enterprise carbon emissions. This study further analyzes the transmission mechanism and investigates the function of green finance in controlling corporate digitization and reducing corporate carbon emissions by distinguishing between two types of green patents. Research shows that businesses’ carbon emissions are greatly reduced as a consequence of getting digital. Even after performing several robustness and endogeneity tests, the conclusion still remains valid. According to mechanism analysis, which demonstrates that the main strategy for reducing corporate emissions of carbon through the digitalization of enterprises is to promote innovation in green technology. The regulation of green finance in enterprise digitalization will further reduce corporate carbon emissions. According to the analysis of heterogeneity, state-owned businesses and those situated in areas with stringent environmental regulations are more significantly impacted by enterprise digitization on corporate carbon emissions. This article discusses the mechanism of promoting corporate carbon emissions through digitalization, expands on relevant research on corporate digitalization, and analyzes the achievable paths of corporate digitalization and low-carbon development strategies.

Efficiency evaluation and redundancy analysis on low carbon economic development in Guangdong Province.

Since 2020, China has been dedicated to the goal of "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" in the international community, demonstrating its commitment to energy conservation and emissions control. In 2021, in response to the guidance of the State Council, all provinces in China included the creation of a low-carbon economic system as one of their key development goals. This paper aims at investigating the low-carbon economic development efficiency and the redundancy of inefficient areas of Guangdong Province by using the three-stage DEA-Malmquist index model. Panel data of 21 cities from 2011 to 2020 in Guangdong Province were selected. Results revealed that the low-carbon economic development efficiency in the whole province rises, but the growth rate has slowed down in the past three years. Pearl River Delta area is better-developed in low-carbon economy than others. It is recommended to improve the efficiency of scale, make use of environmental advantages and develop energy-saving and emission reduction technologies.

The Insights of Japanese Street Stall Management and Cultural Design for the Development of China’s Street Economy

In the development processes of many countries, changes in economic policies, insufficient driving forces for economic development, and financial crises leading to rising unemployment have resulted in the expansion of the street economy. As a significant component of informal employment, the street economy holds crucial significance in addressing livelihood issues and promoting urban economic growth. Therefore, measures and policies that regulate, guide, and support the development of the street economy need to be implemented. This paper, through the compilation of data and relevant research works on street economies in China and Japan, explores the relevance and insights of Japanese street stall management and cultural design for the development of China's street economy. It begins by discussing the background of Japan's street stall economy, conducting a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of its management models and the uniqueness of its cultural design, highlighting the advantages of Japanese street stalls. Next, it introduces the current status of China's street economy development and emphasizes the current attention on the "micro" economy, along with the pressing issues it faces. It then compares the street economies of both China and Japan, emphasizing the strengths of Japan's street economy and the shortcomings in China's low-carbon economic development. Taking into account the development status of China's street economy, it examines the relevance and insights for China's street economy development. Finally, it concludes by summarizing the significant potential of street economy development and suggests the importance of establishing clear legal provisions to positively influence its growth.

Does Low-Carbon City Construction Promote Integrated Economic, Energy, and Environmental Development? An Empirical Study Based on the Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy in China

Low-carbon urban transformation is considered the path to green economic growth in dual-carbon contexts. The low-carbon city pilot policy (LCCP) in China has vast potential to enhance the integrated development of the economy, energy, and environment (3Es). Taking 240 cities in China from 2005 to 2019 as research samples, this paper investigated the impact of LCCP on the integrated development level of the 3Es using the progressive difference-in-differences model and analyzed the mechanisms of influence. In addition, the implementation effects on different cities were analyzed using the triple difference model. The findings show that implementing the LCCP policy significantly improves the 3Es integrated development level in the sample cities, and a variety of robustness tests were used to validate this conclusion. The influence mechanism analysis shows that the primary avenues for pilot programs to contribute and successfully advance the enhancement of the low-carbon city 3Es integrated development level are technological innovation and financial development. Moreover, the heterogeneity analysis of resource endowment and geographical location shows that LCCP is beneficial to the 3Es integrated development in non-resource-based cities and eastern cities. Consequently, policy recommendations include the continuation of low-carbon pilot city expansion, joint promotion of regional 3Es integration, improving the level of technological innovation and financial development, and tailoring of policy to local circumstances. This study provides theoretical support for the evaluation of China’s LCCP and, to a certain extent, proves that the measures taken by China in the process of exploring green economic growth and realizing the dual-carbon goal are correct.

TARGET INDICATORS OF UKRAINE'S LOW-CARBON POWER SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Ukraine's commitments as a party to the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a gradual increase in ambition provides for low-carbon economic development with decarbonization of its sectors. The Ukraine’s power sector with a 20% contribution to total GHG emissions, due mainly to the fossil fuel combustion at thermal power plants and CHPs with a significant share of coal in the fuel balance, must make a transformation of its structure to reduce the carbon intensity of electricity generation with the expected increase in electricity consumption. The purpose of the article is to review Ukraine's current and prospective obligations regarding its low-carbon development and the formation of relevant target indicators for the development of Ukraine's power sector. The main obligations have been determined regarding low-carbon development contained in the Updated Nationally Determined Contribution of Ukraine with a 65% reduction in GHG emissions in 2030 compared to 1990, the National Economic Strategy for the period until 2030 with the declared achievement of carbon neutrality of the economy by 2060 and carbon neutrality of the energy sector with the maximum reduction of coal use laid down in the Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2050. The introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism with taxation of electricity imported in the EU from 2026 may become a certain obstacle to the import of electricity when the electricity markets of Ukraine and the EU are united, and will become another factor in the need to increase the share of low-carbon and carbon-free generation.

Bupleurum chinense and Medicago sativa sustain their growth in agrophotovoltaic systems by regulating photosynthetic mechanisms

The three-dimensional nature of agrophotovoltaic systems (APV) accounts for the needs of photovoltaic power generation and agricultural production. The combination can solve conflicts among utilization of resources, ecological protection, and agricultural production to achieve low-carbon economic development. However, the economically respond (crop yield and quality) of different species under the decreased light available system is still unclear. To provide insights, we compared agrophotovoltaic and traditional ecosystems to explore the economic feasibility of planting Bupleurum chinense (B. chinense) and Medicago sativa (M. sativa) from the perspectives of light utilization, photosynthetic responses, and land use. The combined system improved the land equivalent ratio, net income and species quality of B. chinense and M. sativa. Both species showed high plasticity, and maintained growth and development by regulating their morphology and photosynthetic parameters. B. chinense in the APV increased its light use efficiency, photosynthetic rate, and root biomass by increasing its height, electron transfer flux, and up-regulating a photosystem I protein (PsaA). M. sativa in the APV allocated more energy to photochemical reactions to improve photosynthetic capacity. It captured and utilized the limited light by reducing leaf mass per unit area and dark respiration, increasing the chlorophyll content, and down-regulating a photosystem II protein (PsbD). Our results showed the importance of species selection based on morphological and photosynthetic responses and provide insights into the selection of appropriate species, efficient resource utilization, and sustainable economic development based on APV.

Carbon trading-based layered operation optimization of the electric–thermal multi-energy-flow coupling system with photothermal power stations

With the increasing development of low-carbon economy, the coupling degree of electric thermal gas system is deepening day by day. The operation mode of traditional energy supply system using electric heating separation mode and hierarchical dispatching of transmission and distribution network has been difficult to mine the whole network resources and realize the global optimal operation strategy. In order to increase the consumption of new energy and solve the multi-energy current coupling system, this paper puts forward a layered optimization operation strategy for the electric-thermal multi-energy current coupling system with Concentrated solar power (CSP) plant and carbon trading mechanism. The upper layer is the solution layer of multi-energy coupled flow system. In order to solve the matrix values of complex multi-energy coupled flow system, Newton's method, improved Newton’s method and improved second-order cone collaborative solution methods are proposed. The lower layer is the multi-energy flow optimization layer. According to the system solution values obtained from the upper layer, the lower layer optimization aims at economic minimization of the total user cost. The carbon trading mechanism model is introduced to optimize the time sequence output of the electric thermal unit under different scenarios, and the mixed integer linear programming method is adopted. Finally, the validity is verified by a simulation example. The results show that this method can optimize the operation of the system, improve the accuracy and rapidity of the system, and “carbon trading and CSP power station” method can better constrain the carbon emission of the multi-energy flow coupling system, reduce the energy pressure of the device, and improve the economy of the total cost of the user.If this method is adopted, it can be used for reference in the future energy management and system decision of multi-energy flow coupling system.

Dynamic simulation for carbon emission reduction effects of the prefabricated building supply chain under environmental policies

Reducing carbon emissions from the prefabricated buildings (PBs) has become a goal for many nations’ governments in achieving low-carbon economic development. However, exploring the impact of environmental policies on the prefabricated building supply chain (PBSC) from the perspective of the supply chain is an issue with complexity and fuzziness. Therefore, this paper integrates environmental and economic impacts in a system dynamics (SD) model and comprehensively simulate the carbon emission reduction effects of PBSC. Major sources of carbon emissions, key factors of carbon emission reduction effects, and possibilities for improvement are discussed. Results show that the low-carbon economic benefits of the PBSC are poor under existing environmental policies. In the single scenario, promoting subsidies, enterprises’ investment proportion and carbon price can intensify low-carbon economic benefits, whereas the decrease of free proportion can reduce low-carbon economic benefits. Among them, subsidies play the leading role on the carbon emission reduction effects. Furthermore, a proper combination of emission trading scheme (ETS), government subsidies, and investment in low-carbon technology is both more economic-efficient and environmentally friendly. This research provides support for enterprises in the PBSC adopting low-carbon practices and for governments to formulate environmental policies.