Strict Environmental Regulations Research Articles

Does the emissions trading system promote regional green innovation? – Evidence from Chinese prefecture-level cities

ABSTRACT The previous economic development model based on scale expansion has caused serious environmental pollution and resource constraints. Therefore, the development of green innovation with clean production and environmental protection as the core is particularly important. The emissions trading system (ETS) has been introduced in the process of market-oriented environmental regulation, and its impact on green innovation is of great significance. This paper examines the impact of the ETS on regional green innovation and its mechanism of action using the PSM-DID method based on data from 154 prefecture-level cities in China. The study finds that the ETS has a positive effect on improving green innovation, and this effect gradually increases over time. The impact mechanism test shows that the ETS promotes green innovation by increasing regional innovation R&D investment, and the regional business environment plays a positive role in this process. Heterogeneity tests show that the effects of ETS are more pronounced in more polluted regions and in regions with stricter environmental regulations. This paper provides theoretical support for the implementation of ETS in China and some developing countries, and empirical evidence and policy implications for the green innovation effect of ETS.

Post-service analysis of the degradation and protective mechanisms of chromate-based structural aircraft coatings

The substitution of chromate-containing structural coating systems in aviation with alternatives complying with nowadays strict environmental, health and safety regulations remains a formidable challenge. This complexity is partly due to the absence of a standardized from-test-to-market methodology, including a performance comparison between chromate-containing and alternative coating systems. To address this gap, the present study delves into the identification of crucial degradation factors that merit inclusion in such a methodology. Concurrently, it investigates the protective mechanisms inherent in chromate-containing coating systems and proposes improvements that can be applied to alternative coating systems. This study entails a comprehensive post-service examination of the degradation of paint applied to an aircraft component with over 35 years of service, employing electrochemical, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The findings underscore the role of thermo-oxidation as a significant degradation factor in the aging process of such coatings. Furthermore, the investigation elucidates a notable phenomenon in which aluminium ions within the coating pores form an aluminium hydroxide gel onto which chromate adsorbs. This process contributes to an increase in pore resistance upon exposure to electrolyte, leading to a self-healing barrier effect within the coating. Remarkably, this self-healing mechanism continues to offer long-term protection even when the coating matrix is sub-optimally cured due to application errors. Furthermore, this study reveals that the significant changes in capacitance during immersion testing result primarily from inhibitor leaching, emphasizing the effectiveness of combining Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis for studying coating degradation.

Bi-Objective Battery Electric Truck Dispatching Problem with Backhauls and Time Windows

The battery electric truck (BET) has emerged as a promising solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in urban logistics, given the current strict environmental regulations. This research explores the formulation and solution of the bi-objective BET dispatching problem with backhauls and time windows, aiming to simultaneously reduce environmental impacts and enhance the efficiency of urban logistics. From the sustainability perspective, one of the objectives is to minimize total energy costs, which include energy consumption and battery replacement expenses. On the other hand, from an economic perspective, the other objective is the minimization of labor costs. To solve this bi-objective BET dispatching problem, we propose an innovative approach, integrating an adaptive large neighborhood search-based metaheuristics algorithm with a multi-objective optimization strategy. This integration enables the exploration of the trade-off between fleet energy expenses and labor costs, optimizing the dispatching decisions for BETs. To validate the proposed dispatching strategy, extensive experiments were conducted using real-world fleet operations data from a logistics fleet in Southern California. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach yields a set of Pareto solutions, showcasing its effectiveness in finding a balance between energy efficiency and labor costs in urban logistics systems. The findings of this research contribute to advancing sustainable urban logistics practices and provide valuable insights for fleet operators in effectively managing BET fleets to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining economic efficiency.

Research on the impact of digital economy on green total factor productivity: theoretical mechanism and multidimensional empirical analysis

The digital economy (DE) is emerging as a crucial driver of economic growth and an effective tool for alleviating resource and environmental pressures, thereby evolving into a significant force in facilitating green transformation. This study elaborates on the theoretical mechanism of the impact of DE on green total factor productivity (GTFP), and conducts multidimensional empirical tests using panel data from 284 cities in China. The main findings are as follows: (1) DE exerts significant positive direct, indirect, and spatial spillover effects on GTFP, signifying its growing role as a robust driver of GTFP. Notably, technological innovation emerges as a key mediator of DE’s impact on GTFP. (2) The impact of DE on GTFP exhibits a distinct pattern: initially pronounced, gradually diminishing, and then rebounding as DE progresses. (3) DE tends to exacerbate, rather than alleviate, the development divide and resource curse, especially in underdeveloped and resource-rich cities where its benefits are constrained. (4) Government behavior is pivotal in influencing DE’s impact on GTFP. Supportive policies and strict environmental regulations are critical in harnessing DE’s positive contributions to GTFP. This study lays a scientific foundation for leveraging the “green attributes” of DE and offers insights into bridging the developmental disparities among cities.

Unleashing the Potential of Energy Transformation in the Face of Strict Environmental Regulations, Technological Innovation, and Carbon Emissions

Unleashing the Potential of Energy Transformation in the Face of Strict Environmental Regulations, Technological Innovation, and Carbon Emissions

Exploring Environmental Regulation Instruments and Their Impact on Eco-Innovation Practices Among SMEs: The Mediating Role of Environmental Orientation

Despite a vast body of eco-innovation literature investigating the assumption that environmental regulations encourage the implementation of eco-innovative practices, previous research on eco-innovation and environmental regulations has yielded inconsistent findings. By considering the heterogeneity of environmental regulation and eco-innovations, this study sheds light on how different environmental regulation instruments can facilitate and enhance eco-innovation practices, along with the role of environmental orientation in mediating the relationships. The study surveyed 188 managers and owners and utilised the partial least squares-structural equation model as the analytical method. Results showed that environmental regulatory mechanisms have no direct impact on eco-innovation. However, the study has found that environmentally oriented SMEs respond to strict environmental policies and regulations by undertaking eco-innovation practices. Furthermore, market-based instruments provide firms with strong environmental orientation and economic incentives to foster eco-process innovations. The study offers practical insights for policymakers and SME managers, in addition to advancing the knowledge base.

Environmental regulations in developing countries and the span of firms' production stages: Evidence from China

AbstractDespite the well‐established tradeoff between economic development and environmental protection, research on the economic costs of alleviating pollution, especially from the perspective of global value chain upgradation, is scarce. In 2006, in its Eleventh Five‐Year Plan, the Chinese government implemented strict environmental regulations against air pollution. We examine the causal effect of these environmental regulations – which were stricter for higher pollution emission provinces compared with lower pollution emission provinces – on Chinese firms' span of production stages after the policy shock. A difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences estimation reveals that, first, environmental regulations have a significantly negative effect on firms' span of production stages that robustness checks corroborate; second, the negative effects of environmental regulations on firms' span of production stages are realised through the simultaneous decline in import upstreamness and increase in export upstreamness. Heterogeneity tests indicate that the effects are more significant for firms in eastern China, and foreign‐owned firms; finally, the negative effects are manifested through the emission‐related input and output, productivity, and innovation mechanisms. Meanwhile, there are significant emission reduction effects. These results have implications on environmental policies in developing countries in terms of reiterating the need to achieve the dual objectives of environmental protection and global value chain upgradation.

How does digital finance influence corporate greenwashing behavior?

This paper examines the effects of digital finance and corporate greenwashing as well as the underlying mechanisms using panel data from China's A-share, listed companies between 2012 and 2021. By employing panel regression and mediation effect models, we demonstrate that digital finance considerably inhibits corporate greenwashing. This conclusion remains robust after a series of tests, including replacing the core explanatory variables, lagging digital finance by one period, using alternative dependent variables, and applying the instrumental variables method. More importantly, we find that digital finance curbs corporate greenwashing by alleviating financing constraints and improving informational transparency. In addition, we reveal that digital finance has heterogeneous effects on corporate greenwashing. The inhibitory effect of digital finance on corporate greenwashing is more pronounced for high-polluting industries, under the conditions of strict environmental regulations, and in China's central and western regions.

The role of information industry convergence in energy transition

To cope with global climate risks, promoting energy transformation has become a global consensus. China issued a reform policy in 2010 to promote the convergence of the three major information industries, namely broadcasting and television networks, telecommunications networks and the Internet (TPR policy). However, is the convergence of information industries able to promote energy transition? This study constructs a quasi-natural experimental framework using China's TPR policy as a representative case of industrial convergence. Using city-level panel data between 2003 and 2016 in China and a multi-period difference-in-differences model, this study examines the impact of TPR policy on energy transition. The results show that TPR policy positively contributes to energy transition at a 1% significance level. Extensive robustness tests support this finding. This positive effect is particularly evident in regions with less developed communications infrastructure and stricter environmental regulations. Mechanism analysis suggests that TPR policy promotes energy transition by improving the level of information networks, promoting technological innovation, and optimizing industrial structure. The findings of this paper emphasize the importance of information industry convergence in facilitating energy transformation.

Chemical health hazards and toxicity of environmental pollutants on humans, animals and others: An overview

Toxicology, rooted in ancient civilizations and evolving through pivotal historical figures like Paracelsus and Alice Hamilton, has become a multidisciplinary field encompassing various branches such as pharmacology, medical, forensic, and environmental toxicology. This exploration embarks on a journey through time and science, unravelling the intricate interplay between chemicals, pollutants, and their profound impacts on human, animal, and environmental well-being. Spanning from ancient practices like the use of hemlock in Greek capital punishment to modern-day concerns surrounding industrial chemicals and pesticides, the review delves into the mechanisms by which toxins disrupt biochemical pathways and induce organ dysfunctions. From heavy metals and pesticides persistent effects on the nervous and reproductive systems to the carcinogenic properties of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The review highlights the diverse range of toxicants and their widespread impact on human health. Additionally, the review underscores the importance of proactive measures to mitigate exposure to harmful substances, advocating for the development of antidotes, bioremediation techniques, and stricter environmental regulations. By addressing the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to combat toxicological hazards, this review aims to contribute to ongoing efforts to safeguard public health and environmental sustainability in the face of evolving chemical threats.

Is the impact of environmental regulations on the global value chains biased towards technological effects or refuge effects?

As an important factor endowment, environmental rules have a non-negligible impact on trade flows and patterns. Regarding the existing two completely different debates, this study uses simultaneous equations and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to assess the interaction and spatial spillover effects of environmental rules and global value chains (GVCs), the aim is to determine whether the impact of environmental rules on GVCs is biased towards “technological effects” or “Refuge effect”. The research findings reveal: (1) When the environmental rules are strengthened by 1 %, the forward participation of GVCs in developed countries decreases by 0.2930 % and the backward participation of GVCs increases by 1.4327 %. This reveals that stricter environmental rules result in GVCs participation bias towards the “refuge effect” in developed countries. (2) When environmental rules are strengthened by 5 % and 1 %, respectively, the GVC forward and backward participation of developing countries decreases by 0.0477 % and 0.5113 %, respectively, which means that when the environmental rules become stricter, both the forward and backward participation of GVCs in developing countries are biased towards the “refuge effect”. (3) Concerning the spillover effects of environmental regulations on participation in GVCs, stricter environmental regulations in developed countries impede their own forward participation in GVCs but promote their backward participation, with insignificant indirect effects. Additionally, stringent environmental regulations in developing countries impede their own forward participation in GVCs and similarly do not contribute to the enhancement of forward participation in neighboring developing countries. Therefore, this study suggests that developed countries can transfer green technology to developing countries through technology transfer agreements to promote mutual development. Moreover, developing countries actively adjust their industrial structure, increase investment in technology R&D, and cooperate with other countries and regions, which will help countries learn from best practices and coordinate their responses to common environmental challenges.

A review on comparative analysis of different types of burners for oxy-fuel SCO2 recirculation and air-fuel combustion systems

Due to the global warming and strict environmental regulations encourages researchers to develop efficient combustion system that produce low level of harmful gases. This article focuses on review of different studies and experiment carried out in the sphere of oxy-fuel and air fuel combustion. In order to compare the results of oxy-fuel and air fuel combustion and find a suitable and efficient combustion system.

Modeling the influence of mineral rents and low‐carbon energy on environmental quality: New insights from a sustainability perspective

AbstractIn recent decades, the detrimental impacts of climate change have been increasingly felt worldwide. This is due to the extreme consumption of natural resources to fuel economic activity. Confronting a widening ecological deficit, humanity must urgently accelerate its journey toward sustainable development goals (SDGs). This demands active efforts to curb environmental pollution and protect natural resources, safeguarding the planet for future generations. Since Brazil has high biocapacity and ecological areas, the impact of energy resources on ecological sustainability policies cannot be excluded. Moreover, Brazil holds a vital position in the world for global foreign direct investment flows. In this regard, this paper considers the asymmetric impact of mineral rents and foreign direct investments when investigating Brazil's environmental sustainability. In addition, it evaluates elements like economic growth and low‐carbon energy consumption from 1970 to 2021. To this end, the research applies the Fourier nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model and draws three significant conclusions. First, resource extraction undermines environmental sustainability. Second, the inflow of foreign direct investment reduces the load capacity factor, implying that the pollution haven hypothesis holds for Brazil. Third, low‐carbon energy consumption contributes to environmental sustainability. Our findings highlight the critical role of regulating mineral resource rents in achieving SDGs in Brazil. Moreover, increasing investment in clean energy sources and transitioning toward low‐carbon energy can promote sustainable development in Brazil. The Brazilian government should abandon mineral extraction, focus on low‐carbon energy consumption, and prevent companies from destroying nature by introducing strict environmental regulations for foreign investment flows.

Temporal dynamics and forecasting of aerosol optical depth in megacities Lahore and Karachi: Insights from the Indo-Gangetic Basin and southern Pakistan, and implications for Sustainable development

This scientific study investigates the temporal dynamics and forecasts aerosol optical depth (AOD) in Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan's two most populated cities. Lahore, in the center of the Indo-Gangetic Basin, and Karachi, on the southern coast, have issues from growing urbanization and significant aerosol emissions. Understanding AOD trends is critical for successful environmental management, public health planning, and climate change mitigation. Using the Box-Jenkins ARIMA models, this work systematically analyses monthly AOD fluctuations from July 2002 to May 2023 to confirm their predicting accuracy. The autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial autocorrelation function (PACF) have been employed to estimate the suitable model and identify significant lags to maintain prediction accuracy. The study concludes with a judgment that Model A is ideal for the ecology of Karachi and Model B for the ecology of Lahore. The forecast till January 2030 is available to look at several trends on AOD, namely, periods of seasonal solid fluctuations for both sites. This diversity emphasizes the need for specific actions, such as stricter environmental regulations, air quality monitoring, and providing greener transport solutions, which will result in blue skies. Utilizing the in-depth observations and forecast of the changing distribution of AOD values, the study helps develop approaches for reducing aerosol pollution. This is also one of the key contributions. We investigated critical environmental problems in the cities of Karachi and Lahore and provided means for such issues' resolution, enabling sustainable development and clean air.

Are women greener? Board gender diversity and corporate green technology innovation in China

This article investigates how board gender diversity impacts corporate green technology innovation, and whether regional gender contexts as well as corporate financial constraints moderate this relationship. Using a panel of 20,834 firm-year observations of China, the results indicate a statistically significant positive association between board gender diversity and corporate green technology innovation. Specifically, the study finds that boards with three or more female directors have a stronger positive effect on green technology innovation than boards with two or fewer female directors, in line with the critical mass theory. Besides, the result shows that the effect of female executive directors outweighs that of female independent directors. Further, the positive association between female directors and green technology innovation is found to be more pronounced in firms located in regions with higher levels of gender equality and higher proportions of women in politics, while financial constraints act to alleviate the extent of the positive relationship. Additionally, female directors play a potent role in reducing corporate carbon emissions, particularly for high-polluting firms and those located in regions with stricter environmental regulation. The key results remain unchanged after correcting for endogeneity concern. Overall, this study has substantial practical implications and provides valuable insights for managers and policymakers regarding the contribution of female leadership in enhancing corporate environmental performance.

Recycled milled fibres in sustainable composite materials: A comprehensive review and future prospects

This comprehensive review emphasises recycled milled fibres’ sustainability, waste reduction, and cost savings in aerospace applications. The industrialization and prospective uses of recycled fibre-reinforced plastics FRP products, as well as cutting-edge fibre recycling and re-manufacturing processes, are discussed. The mechanical properties of milled fibre composites are reviewed for sustainable applications. A desire for a circular economy is transforming composites to reduce waste and promote sustainability. Fibre-reinforced plastics (FRPs) need innovative recycling methods to remain high-performance and environmentally friendly. Strategies to help the composites industry meet rising demand and strict environmental regulations are explored. Manufacturing of composite recycling conserves energy and materials, making it sector-wide. Due to the reclamation process impacting their performance milled fibres are typically not used for primary structural materials and are relegated to low-value applications. Therefore, the rigorous testing and qualification of these fibres, and their composites, is required. This will provide confidence in these materials' performance benefits and limitations and provide industry-wide uptake. The lack of a centralised body of knowledge on milled fibre applications is also addressed, and an overview of R&D efforts, along with financial and logistical considerations for industrial implementation, is provided in the review.

Examining the role of artificial intelligence in advancing pollution reduction strategies

AbstractThis study is based on the panel data from 2006 to 2020 to explore the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and pollution emission. The study demonstrates a notable and statistically significant reduction in pollution emission intensity attributable to AI. This finding is robust, holding up under various sensitivity analyses and addressing endogeneity using instrumental variable techniques. The mechanism analysis reveals that AI's role in decreasing emissions primarily arises from three factors: the promotion of technological innovation, increased investment in emission reduction technology, and the replacement of low‐skilled labor with more efficient alternatives. We also find more substantial environmental benefits in areas with stricter environmental regulations and higher initial levels of pollution. Additionally, AI is shown to facilitate a symbiotic relationship between economic growth and environmental management. This research provides both empirical evidence and theoretical insights that reinforce the essential role of AI in driving green transformations, process upgrades, and high‐quality development. It situates these advancements within the broader context of the interplay between artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, and economic progression.

The “Double-Edged Sword” effect of air quality information disclosure policy—Empirical evidence based on the digital transformation of Chinese listed companies

Enterprises' digital transformation (DT) has become crucial to enhancing competitiveness and fostering economic development. However, alongside economic progress, the issue of air pollution on a global scale has garnered widespread attention from governments and the public alike. In addressing the air pollution challenges amidst economic development, the Chinese government enacted the Air Quality Information Disclosure Policy (AQIDP) in 2012. While this policy is generally seen as an effective measure to improve the environment, its impact on microeconomic factors, particularly the digital transformation of enterprises, remains unclear. This paper employs a difference-in-differences model to study the effect of AQIDP on DT using a sample of 3347 Chinese-listed companies from 2012 to 2021. We find that AQIDP significantly inhibits DT, a result that holds even after a series of robustness tests. Our mechanism tests reveal that AQIDP weakens DT by increasing economic policy uncertainty in companies, reducing human capital, and exacerbating the crowding-out effect of environmental protection investments. Heterogeneity analysis shows that AQIDP exerts a more significant inhibitory effect on DT in cities with stricter environmental regulations, more backward industries, and companies with non-high-pollution, high-tech characteristics and non-state-owned. Further analysis reveals that although AQIDP significantly restrains DT, it leads to positive environmental effects, such as promoting pollution reduction and carbon emission reduction in companies. Based on these findings, this paper proposes policy recommendations to improve the digital transformation of companies.

Industry 4.0 Technologies in Sustainable Logistics: Possibilities for Application in Transport Companies

Main problem: Nowadays, market competition is becoming increasingly fierce due to diversified customer needs, strict environmental regulations and global competitors. One of the most important factors allowing companies not only to survive, but thrive in today's competitive market is logistics efficiency. This study examines Industry 4.0 technologies as opportunities to improve the economic efficiency, environmental performance and social impact of logistics sectors. However, this technological transformation poses a number of challenges, namely trade-offs between different sustainability metrics, unclear benefits, life-cycle environmental impacts, inequality issues and technology maturity. The research focuses on general sustainability and supply chain issues related to Industry 4.0. However, there is still no systematic analysis aimed at combining sustainable logistics with various Industry 4.0 technologies. Purpose: Conducting a systematic analysis to identify and justify the use of Industry 4.0 technologies for use by transport companies that help shape the sustainable practices of enterprises, but also create the image of a socially responsible company, as well as improve their overall sustainable performance in economic and environmental dimensions. Methods: A systematic literature review aimed to identify, evaluate, interpret and classify all relevant articles addressing one or more research questions and topics. Compared to a descriptive literature study, the results of which mainly focus on the descriptive results of a particular field of knowledge and may suffer from selection bias, a systematic literature review provides a comprehensive overview of the research landscape. Results and their significance: The analysis shows that transport companies need to focus their attention, also for future development, on the balance between various indicators of sustainability throughout the entire life cycle, human-centered technological transformation, system integration and digital twins, semi-autonomous transport solutions, intelligent reverse logistics and other effective company management tools.

Investigation of Cavitated Flow in Water-Lubricated Bearings Considering Surface Roughness, Thermal, and Elastic Effects

Contrary to conventional journal bearings, which operate using oil-based substances, water-lubricated bearings (WLBs) utilize water and, thus, constitute a more environmentally responsible solution. The shipping industry, among others, as already been introduced to this technology with a lot of commercial ships using water-lubricated stern tube systems; in other cases, hydropower plants manage to keep up with the strict environmental regulations by implementing the use of WLBs in water turbines. However, there are a lot of challenges when it comes to transitioning from conventional bearings to water-based ones. Such challenges are caused by the low viscosity of water and lead to phenomena of high complexity. Such phenomena are related but not limited to cavitation and turbulent flow due to the interaction between the lubricating water and bearing surface. In this study, a numerical method will be used to simulate the fluid film and bearing geometries in order to perform a thermo-elastohydrodynamic (TEHD) analysis. The dynamic characteristics of the bearing will be calculated and the results will be discussed. The novelty of the study is evident in but not limited to the determination of the elastic deformation of a WLB during operation, as well as the effect of surface roughness, cavitation, and thermal effects on bearing characteristics.