Low-carbon Practices Research Articles

To Achieve Carbon Neutrality, What Do Individual Residents Say? A Case Study of Yunnan Province of China Based on Spatial Analysis

This study aims to explore factors that affect individual residents’ behaviors contributing to reducing carbon emissions (low-carbon behaviors), based on the empirical analysis of the choice of adoption and the extent of adoption of low-carbon practices, such as using low-carbon transportation and energy-saving, in Kunming, China. We use spatial econometric regression models to consider positive spillover of low-carbon behaviors amongst residents as people tend to obtain knowledge and learn good actions from those located nearby. The results show the existence of positive spillover effects of low-carbon behaviors across several types of low-carbon practices. We find that location effects, such as access to parks, residents’ knowledge of carbon neutrality, and science communications in the local community are the most important determinants of residents’ low-carbon behaviors. The findings may provide insights into designing supporting policies to incentivize residents’ low-carbon behaviors and contribute to the pathway toward carbon neutrality from the micro-perspective.

Impacts of government social media on public engagement in low-carbon practices focusing on Japan

This study investigates the role of Government Social Media (GSM) in enhancing public engagement with Low-Carbon Practices (LCP) in Japan. Motivated by the need to foster sustainable development and mitigate climate change impacts, this research utilizes negative binomial regression model analyzing 1022 posts from nine Japanese government social media accounts. Our findings reveal that increased media richness negatively correlates with engagement, suggesting that content depth over visual appeal is more effective for LCP-related communication. Surprisingly, the dialogic loop reduces engagement, indicating complex public reactions to governmental initiatives. Content themes related to governmental actions and LCP information significantly enhance engagement, while emotional valence shows minimal impact. The study introduces 'social media capital' as a moderating factor, which mitigates the negative effects of dialogic loops and media richness on engagement, and influences the impact of content themes. These insights provide a foundation for future research and guide the development of effective public engagement strategies in environmental policy. The study highlights the need for nuanced GSM strategies that prioritize information quality and relevance to increase public participation in low-carbon initiatives.

Training Mode of Visual Communication Design Professionals Under the Background of Informationization

In an era increasingly defined by environmental challenges and technological advancement, the role of communication design in promoting low-carbon sustainable development has become pivotal. This article explores how communication design serves as a catalyst for advocating, visualizing, and integrating sustainability principles across various domains. It examines how design strategies can effectively raise awareness, influence behavior, and foster widespread adoption of low-carbon practices. Through case studies ranging from packaging and book design to web interfaces, the article highlights innovative approaches and best practices in utilizing design to support environmental stewardship. By elucidating the interconnectedness of design aesthetics, advocacy, and product innovation within the framework of sustainability, this study underscores the transformative potential of communication design in shaping a sustainable future.

Study on the Selection of Recycling Strategies for the Echelon Utilization of Electric Vehicle Batteries under the Carbon Trading Policy

Global climate change has prompted all sectors of society to take urgent action to reduce carbon emissions. Electric vehicles are the key to low-carbon transportation transformation, but their popularity has led to difficulties in disposing of used batteries. Improper handling will pollute the environment and violate the original goal of promoting low-carbon practices. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a sustainable battery-recycling and disposal system. This study uniquely incorporates the concept of battery echelon utilization into its analytical framework using a Stackelberg game model, exploring the equilibrium strategies for stakeholders in a closed-loop supply chain under carbon emission constraints. We analyzed the impact of multiple factors in the recycling process, as well as the influence of digital technology, on enterprise pricing, recycling efficiency, and the choice of recycling channels. The study found that the market pricing of batteries and electric vehicles is not influenced by recycling participants, but is instead related to the application of digital technology. Numerical simulations further reveal that the battery’s echelon utilization rate and carbon emission limit policies jointly motivate enterprises to be more proactive in recycling. In the joint recycling model, battery suppliers can achieve more substantial profit growth compared to electric vehicle manufacturers, providing new insights and directions for innovation and the development of collaborative models within the supply chain.

Research on Carbon Cap Regulation, Retailer Altruistic Preferences, and Green Decision-Making of Manufacturing Enterprises

As manufacturing advances swiftly and public consciousness about low-carbon practices rises, eco-friendly supply chains have seen significant expansion. This study investigates a government-driven green supply chain in two phases, involving a producer and a seller. Four scenario game models are established to determine whether the manufacturer engages in green technology innovation or whether the retailer has altruistic preferences. The Stackelberg game was used to analyze changes in government carbon quota regulations, retail prices of retailers, and manufacturers’ carbon reduction efforts in the context of carbon market trading. Research shows that the government will set looser carbon emission limits for manufacturers when retailers have no altruistic preferences. When carbon prices in the market are low, encouraging manufacturers to invest in green technology innovation enhances social welfare. This study offers essential theoretical backing for the government in crafting carbon quota regulations and aids businesses in making prompt technological innovation choices.

Beyond the new normal for sustainability: transformative operations and supply chain management for negative emissions

PurposeThis paper aims to explore three operations and supply chain management (OSCM) approaches for meeting the 2 °C targets to counteract climate change: adaptation (adjusting to climatic impacts); mitigation (innovating towards low-carbon practices); and carbon-removing negative emissions technologies (NETs). We suggest that adaptation nor mitigation may be enough to meet the current climate targets, thus calling for NETs, resulting in the following question: How can operations and supply chains be reconceptualized for NETs?Design/methodology/approachWe draw on the sustainable supply chain and transitions discourses along with interview data involving 125 experts gathered from a broad research project focused on geoengineering and NETs. We analyze three case studies of emerging NETs (biochar, direct air carbon capture and storage and ocean alkalinity enhancement), leading to propositions on the link between OSCM and NETs.FindingsAlthough some NETs are promising, there remains considerable variance and uncertainty over supply chain configurations, efficacy, social acceptability and potential risks of unintended detrimental consequences. We introduce the concept of transformative OSCM, which encompasses policy interventions to foster the emergence of new technologies in industry sectors driven by social mandates but lack clear commercial incentives.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first that studies NETs from an OSCM perspective. It suggests a pathway toward new industry structures and policy support to effectively tackle climate change through carbon removal.

Novel low-carbon eco-concrete filled-FRP tubes under axial compression: Experimental behavior and analytical model

Concrete is essential in global construction but significantly contributes to carbon emissions, primarily due to cement production. The cement industry is adopting low-carbon practices, such as using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to reduce emissions. Concrete prepared with calcined clay can achieve a carbon reduction effect of approximately 30 % compared to ordinary cement. Current studies highlight the reuse of kaolin clay, the predominant constituent of engineering sediment in Shenzhen, China, providing raw materials for sustainable low-carbon and eco-friendly concrete. However, high substitution rates of calcined clay can compromise concrete strength, posing a challenge for the application in load-bearing structures. This study proposed a novel low-carbon eco-friendly concrete (i.e., using calcined clay as supplementary cementitious materials) filled into FRP tubes (i.e., Low-Carbon Eco-Concrete-Filled FRP Tubes, termed LCE-CFFTs) aiming to enhance substitution rates of calcined clay and to improve compressive strength and ductility. This paper provides a detailed description of the preparation method, chemical reaction process, chemical composition, and microstructure of calcined clay. Experimental tests investigated the axial compressive performance of LCE-CFFTs, considering calcined clay substitution rates and FRP thickness as key parameters. The experimental work and theoretical analysis indicated that: the inclusion of 10 % and 40 % calcined clay led to a reduction in carbon emissions, resulting in a decrement of 5.8 % and 23.3 %, respectively; confinement provided by FRP tubes mitigated the reduction in axial compressive strength resulting from calcined clay inclusion, particularly evident at higher substitution rates (40 %); the effect of FRP tube confinement in improving peak stress and axial performance of LCE-CFFTs became more pronounced with higher calcined clay substitution rates; to more accurately predict the axial compressive behavior of LCE-CFFTs of this study, it is essential to consider the biaxial stress-strain state of filament-wound FRP tubes.

Exploring Eco-Innovation Barriers to the Sustainability Transition in Cold Chain E-Fulfilment Systems

The growing demand for cold chain e-fulfilment services has created challenges for implementing low-carbon practices due to the use of extensive energy and insulation materials required to maintain the desired service quality throughout the supply chain. This study applies the Fuzzy Best Worst Method with group decision-making capabilities to identify and prioritise eco-innovation barriers in the context of cold chain e-fulfilment. Through analysing expert opinions, it is found that (i) integration with legacy systems, (ii) high implementation costs, (iii) limited stakeholder engagement and communication, and (iv) limited awareness and education on eco-innovation are the most pressing eco-innovation barriers. Subsequently, insights and guidelines to integrate eco-innovation initiatives in cold chain e-commerce are suggested, highlighting the role of social eco-innovation. All in all, this research contributes to the next-generation sustainable development of cold chain e-fulfilment, aiming to balance environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Towards Sustainable Development: The Impact of Agricultural Productive Services on China’s Low-Carbon Agricultural Transformation

In the context of carbon neutrality, the low-carbon transition in agriculture is crucial to achieving carbon mitigation through clean production. The provision of agricultural productive services (APS) is pivotal for modernizing farming practices in China. However, the impact of this on the low-carbon transformation has received limited attention. This research examined the non-linear relationship between agricultural productive services and low-carbon development, including verifying a threshold effect with APS as the threshold variable, employing panel data for 31 provinces in China from 2010 to 2021. The results of the study suggested that the effect of services associated with agricultural productivity on the transition of the agricultural sector to low-carbon practices varied across threshold ranges. Specifically, when the APS exceeded the threshold of 2.4396, a significant suppressive effect was observed on carbon emission intensity. Further analysis revealed that APS indirectly influenced the farmland scale and agricultural technological advancements, thereby promoting the low-carbon transition of China’s agriculture. Based on these results, it is recommended to intensify the development of APS in key cereal-producing regions, while emphasizing the harmonious progress of these services in conjunction with large-scale farmland management.

Using a genetic backpropagation neural network model for credit risk assessment in the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

In China, with the "Double Carbon" goal within reach, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) emerge as pivotal contributors to economic advancement. However, they are now confronted with the imperative of transitioning towards green and low-carbon practices. To facilitate the attainment of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, a refined approach is imperative. This entails precise capital allocation, enhanced financial services, streamlined management, and robust risk mitigation strategies. Consequently, conducting thorough credit risk assessments for MSMEs becomes a crucial endeavor. However, obtaining substantial loans for them proves challenging due to their elusive credit ratings and potential defaults. To address this issue, this study leverages machine learning and intelligent optimization algorithms to construct a classification model for default and credit ratings of MSMEs, utilizing their daily invoice data. Specifically, twelve indicators pertaining to default and credit ratings are extracted. Subsequently, Principal Component Analysis is employed to reduce dimensionality and synthesize all pertinent information. Following this, the Genetic Algorithm-based Back Propagation Neural Network (GA-BPNN) is utilized to delineate the relationship between indicators and default, as well as credit rating, respectively. The results indicate a prediction accuracy of 0.92 for default risk and 0.86 for credit rating. This underscores the efficacy of GA-BPNN in effectively classifying the underlying default risk and credit ratings of MSMEs, offering a promising approach for decision-making.

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Multi-Energy Optimization: Promoting Green Transition of Rural Energy Planning and Sustainable Energy Economy

This research contributes to the overarching objectives of achieving carbon neutrality and enhancing environmental governance by examining the role of artificial intelligence-enhanced multi-energy optimization in rural energy planning within the broader context of a sustainable energy economy. By proposing an innovative planning framework that accounts for geographical and economic disparities across rural regions, this study specifically targets the optimization of energy systems in X County of Yantai City, Y County of Luoyang City, and Z County of Lanzhou City. Furthermore, it establishes a foundation for integrating these localized approaches into broader national carbon-neutral efforts and assessments of green total factor productivity. The comparative analysis of energy demand, conservation, efficiency, and economic metrics among these counties underscores the potential of tailored solutions to significantly advance low-carbon practices in agriculture, urban development, and industry. Additionally, the insights derived from this study offer a deeper understanding of the dynamics between government and enterprise in environmental governance, empirically supporting the Porter hypothesis, which postulates that stringent environmental policies can foster innovation and competitiveness. The rural coal-coupled biomass power generation model introduced in this work represents the convergence of green economy principles and financial systems, serving as a valuable guide for decision-making in decisions aimed at sustainable consumption and production. Moreover, this research underscores the importance of resilient and adaptable energy systems, proposing a pathway for evaluating emission trading markets and promoting sustainable economic recovery strategies that align with environmental sustainability goals.

Evidence from China's shipping sector on the impact of fiscal measures in enabling a low-carbon economic transition

The Green Economy Initiative aims to achieve economic development while minimizing carbon emissions by implementing a low-carbon economy across all sectors. It is noteworthy that ships play a significant role in global commodity transportation, accounting for approximately 80–90 percent. However, this also leads to a surge in fossil fuel consumption and alarming pollution levels. The data utilized in this article spans from 2010 to 2022 and specifically focuses on the shipping industry, drawing from information collected in 20 different provinces of China. Multiple panel regression models were constructed to analyze the influence of fiscal policies on facilitating the transition toward a low-carbon economy. In addition, a vector autoregression model was employed to examine the interconnected dynamics between low-carbon transition and budgetary guidelines. The findings indicate that tax-based policies demonstrate an inverted U-shaped relationship with low-carbon transition, whereas transfer payment policies exhibit an N-shaped pattern. The shipping sector is actively embracing low-carbon practices, largely due to incorporating digital technologies that mitigate the adverse impacts of fiscal regulations.

From limit values to carbon budgets: Assessing comprehensive building stock decarbonisation strategies

Several countries are moving towards imposing mandatory limit values that consider the life-cycle greenhouse gases emissions (GHGE) of new construction projects. While they offer valuable guidance towards low-carbon practices, they may not be sufficient to ensure the building activities alignment with ambitious climate goals. To do so, it is imperative to integrate all stock-level activities dynamics and consider the evolving nature of limit values influenced by the decarbonisation efforts in the energy and industry sectors.This article introduces a methodological framework designed to explore the potential evolution of the dwelling stock GHGE, with the ultimate goal of assessing their alignment with climate objectives. By using a national building stock database, alongside drivers of stock-level activities and scenarios for the decarbonisation of upstream sectors, it facilitates the creation of multiple scenarios and the calculation of yearly and cumulative Whole-Life Carbon (WLC) emissions.France is taken as a case study to investigate the compatibility of its recent implementation of climate and sectoral policies. The findings suggest that prioritising the elimination of fossil fuel usage emerges as an optimal strategy for decreasing operational GHGE. Regarding embodied GHGE, the more ambitious the scenario, the greater its relative contribution, potentially accounting for up to half of the WLC emissions by 2050. In addition to the ambitious transformation of energy-inefficient dwellings, the deep decarbonisation of energy carriers and construction materials plays a pivotal role in the overall decarbonisation of the dwelling stock, while sufficiency measures significantly impact embodied GHGE.

Dynamic assessment of the abatement effects of the low-carbon practices in the prefabricated building supply chain

PurposePrefabricated buildings (PBs) have proven to effectively mitigate carbon emissions in the construction industry. Existing studies have analyzed the environmental performance of PBs considering the shift in construction methods, ignoring the emissions abatement effects of the low-carbon practices adopted by participants in the prefabricated building supply chain (PBSC). Thus, it is challenging to exploit the environmental advantages of PBs. To further reveal the carbon reduction potential of PBs and assist participants in making low-carbon practice strategy decisions, this paper constructs a system dynamics (SD) model to explore the performance of PBSC in low-carbon practices.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts the SD approach to integrate the complex dynamic relationship between variables and explicitly considers the environmental and economic impacts of PBSC to explore the carbon emission reduction effects of low-carbon practices by enterprises under environmental policies from the supply chain perspective.FindingsResults show that with the advance of prefabrication level, the carbon emissions from production and transportation processes increase, and the total carbon emissions of PBSC show an upward trend. Low-carbon practices of rational transportation route planning and carbon-reduction energy investment can effectively reduce carbon emissions with negative economic impacts on transportation enterprises. The application of sustainable materials in low-carbon practices is both economically and environmentally friendly. In addition, carbon tax does not always promote the implementation of low-carbon practices, and the improvement of enterprises' environmental awareness can further strengthen the effect of low-carbon practices.Originality/valueThis study dynamically assesses the carbon reduction effects of low-carbon practices in PBSC, informing the low-carbon decision-making of participants in building construction projects and guiding the government to formulate environmental policies.

Data driven multi-objective design for low-carbon self-compacting concrete considering durability

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) offers remarkable benefits in modern engineering. However, traditional SCC design faces challenges, necessitating a reduction in carbon emissions for enhanced sustainability and a shift towards multi-performance collaborative design. This study proposed an intelligent and interpretable approach for multi-objective low-carbon SCC design. By combining machine learning and optimization algorithm, key factors including sustainability, rheology, workability, strength, durability, and cost were simultaneously addressed. Partial Dependence Plots was employed for model interpretation and feature impacts reveal. The proposed three-objective optimization exhibited superior efficiency, achieving comprehensive optimization efficiencies of 42.3%. In the context of meeting other performance requirements, C40 and C50 SCC optimized using this method exhibited a significant reduction of 18.9% and 10.1% in embodied carbon. This study aims to establish a versatile intelligent framework, rather than a specific model, capable of adapting to future iterations with evolving high-quality data, to achieve multi-objective SCC collaborative design. This advancement contributes to intelligent and low-carbon practices in concrete science and the construction industry.

A novel Nash-based low-carbon implementation in agricultural supply chain management

The transition to low-carbon agriculture is seen as essential for accelerating the implementation of ecologically friendly and climate-smart agricultural supply chain management strategies. Success in these efforts depends on robust policy frameworks, effective stakeholder participation, and the availability of agricultural products to customers. This study introduces a conceptual and operational structure for the incorporation and management of an agricultural supply chain with a low-carbon scheme through the establishment of a collaborative market environment involving farmers, agricultural enterprises, and consumers. Within this framework, agricultural enterprises and farmers engage in a cooperative Nash game to determine the extent to which they are willing to employ low-carbon practices in response to collaborative market prices and government policies, including subsidies and carbon taxes. The Nash game yields a unique Nash equilibrium, suggesting the possibility of cooperative negotiations among the parties with the goal of improving their financial gains. The proposed model is applied in two Brazilian sugarcane supply chain case studies, integrating with traditional biorefinery mills to produce and market ethanol as a gasoline alternative. Our results suggest that (1) successfully allocating government subsidies and taxes motivates low-carbon adoption; (2) the government taxation policy stabilizes the low-carbon supply chain, improving stakeholder market pricing and consumer affordability; and (3) reduced cost gaps between low-carbon and non-low-carbon alternatives increase low-carbon adoption. As a result, this study provides fresh insights on the Nash collaboration of stakeholders in accordance with government policies to create a cleaner and more affordable agricultural supply chain market.

The effects of corporate social responsibility on innovation and performance of firms in China: a structural equation model analysis

PurposeThis study aims to analyze and discuss the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ performance, as well as to examine the interplay between CSR and the economy, society and innovation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper collects data from 420 manufacturing firms across various geographical regions in China. By using a structural equation model, the paper investigates the impact of CSR on enterprise innovation, customer management capability, market competitiveness (MC) and firm financial performance.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that CSR performance positively contributes to enhancing the level of enterprise innovation, as well as customer management capability and market competitiveness. Furthermore, it assists enterprises in improving market competitiveness and elevating customer management capabilities. Thus, CSR can have a positive effect on the firm financial performance.Originality/valueThe outcomes presented in this paper offer valuable evidence regarding the influence of implementing CSR on different aspects of enterprise performance and innovation. Moreover, it provides practical recommendations for enterprises seeking to transition towards low-carbon practices and upgrade their manufacturing industry.

Internationalisation and digitalisation as drivers for eco-innovation in the European Union

This article analyses the influence of internationalisation and digitalisation on eco-innovation. Advanced panel data estimation techniques are employed using data from the 27 EU Member States between 2013 and 2022. The dynamic behaviour of internationalisation, more specifically Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), is tested, accounting for the endogeneity between innovation and international economic competition. Results reveal that the relationship between eco-innovation and FDI changes over time. At first, FDI has a negative impact on eco-innovation, but this effect becomes positive after two years. However, when analysing the data for eco-innovation at a disaggregated level, a potential delay in the influence of internationalisation on investments related to green research capabilities and resource efficiency outcomes is revealed. Results also consistently demonstrate a positive influence of digitalisation on eco-innovation, supporting the twin transition proposition of the digital shift complementing the transition towards low-carbon practices. Recommendations for policymakers and managers are provided at the end.

Linking low-carbon practices with ESG performances: Exploration evidence from the configurational perspective

Corporates face high uncertainty ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) outcomes when they strive to convert their low-carbon practices (LCPs) into sustainable business opportunities. This study aims to explore the complex causation behind corporates' LCPs and uncertain ESG performances and reveal the collaboration effect among single pillars of ESG on LCPs in practice. Based on the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method (fsQCA), this study investigated the LCPs of Chinese listed firms from the start-up to developmental stages in three dimensions (environmental, social, and governance). Seven equivalent configurations of the LCPs with high ESG performance were found in 2015 and 2019, which are classified into triple-dimension collaborative (Ha1, Ha2, Hb1, and Hb2), dual-dimension supportive (Ha3 and Hb4), and single-dimension driven (Hb3) types. Comparing across stages, the core presenting factors display a change of configurations focuses from resource-dependency to disclosure-support, signifying the reducing constraint of internal resources on daily LCPs in the later developing stage while the increasing reliance on information disclosure. The single-dimension driven configuration in the later stage further reveals the existence of a weak causal link between corporates' ESG outcomes and LCPs because of the dominant reliance on information disclosure and lacking substantive inputs and outputs. By introducing social logic value, configurations offer practical guidelines for corporates' LCPs implementations to gain a win-win situation and provide valuable insights into the identification of opportunistic behaviors assessment.

LOW-CARBON INITIATIVES IN THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CARBON MARKET IN BRAZIL

Purpose: This paper analyzes the low-carbon initiatives of Brazilian pulp and paper companies, highlighting their relevance to the national carbon market.Methodology/Approach: The adopted method consists of documentary research, using secondary data from sustainability reports and institutional websites of the pulp and paper companies studied. The study analyzed the five largest companies in the sector in Brazil. Findings: The pulp and paper companies analyzed adopt low-carbon practices, such as emission inventory, eco-efficient operations, replacement of fossil fuel-based products, sustainable products, and biomass utilization. In the carbon market, they operate through certifications, carbon sequestration projects, and credit sales.Research, practical & social implications: The study provides a detailed analysis of the decarbonization strategies adopted by companies in the pulp and paper sector, establishing a robust theoretical basis for understanding low-carbon economy practices.Originality/ Value: By demonstrating paths to sustainability, this work offers guidelines for companies within and outside the pulp and paper sector, driving the adoption of more environmentally friendly practices.Keywords: low-carbon economies; carbon-neutral companies; carbon market; net-zero emissions practices.