Search Results (2,174)

The objective of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of remanufactured constant velocity (CV) joints using a newly proposed framework for automotive parts replacement. This framework utilizes actual vehicle sales data to accurately estimate the demand for CV joint replacements. Specific parameters are established to calculate this demand, enabling a quantitative assessment of both environmental and economic impacts associated with remanufacturing CV joints and other automotive parts. Additionally, sensitivity analyses are conducted to explore the relationship between environmental benefits and economic outcomes, particularly focusing on the preferences for remanufactured parts and their profitability. The results indicate that increasing the proportion of remanufactured CV joints significantly benefits the environment by reducing CO₂ emissions, raw material usage, and energy consumption. However, this shift also leads to a decrease in total profits within the CV joint replacement market. To address this trade-off, the study suggests that financial incentives, such as subsidies or tax benefits, are necessary to support the remanufacturing industry and facilitate market expansion. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable manufacturing practices through effective subsidy policies. Full article

Green technology innovation is an important driving force for low-carbon development of enterprises. As a market-based environmental policy to promote greenhouse gas emission reduction, whether carbon emission trading scheme (ETS) can encourage enterprises to carry out green technology innovation under the background of “dual carbon” goal deserves further research. Taking Chinese A-share listed enterprises in the five major sectors as samples, this study constructed a modified Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to test the causal effect of ETS on green innovation in high-carbon industries. Three significant results can be summarized from the empirical study. Firstly, the ETS has a significant promoting effect on green innovation of high-carbon enterprises. And it can effectively promote high-carbon enterprises to achieve an average of a 13.24–19.56% increase in low-carbon innovation capabilities. Secondly, enterprises with different characteristics have heterogeneity in the impact of ETS implementation on green innovation. Secondly, the implementation of ETS exerts heterogeneous effects on green technology innovation across enterprises that possess diverse characteristics. Enterprises with a large capital scale (low equity concentration) have a more significant promoting effect than those with a small capital scale (high equity concentration). Thirdly, the green innovation effect of ETS exhibits significant heterogeneity across different types of industries. In the mining, manufacturing, and construction sectors, the ETS has effectively stimulated green innovation to a certain extent. There has been no significant change in green innovation in the sector of electricity, heat, gas, and water production and supply. In particular, after the implementation of the ETS, green innovation has actually been weakened in the transportation sector. As such, for policy makers, differentiated ETS policies should be implemented based on the actual situation of different industries and types of carbon-emitting enterprises. Full article

Background: Logistics has become a key driver of global economic production. This study investigates the role of logistics in global economic production by presenting a novel theoretical framework that integrates logistics performance into traditional models as a determinant production factor. Methods: Using panel data from 85 countries between 2007 and 2022, the research measures logistics performance through the Logistics Performance Index ($LPI$). Results: The analysis reveals that logistics performance, specifically factors such as customs efficiency, infrastructure quality, and tracking and tracing of shipments, significantly enhances global economic output. On the other hand, negative elasticities were observed for shipment timeliness and the cost competitiveness of international shipments, suggesting that inefficiencies in these areas can hinder economic growth. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for targeted public policies to improve logistics infrastructure and efficiency, particularly in customs and trade logistics, to increase global production. Additionally, the study highlights the potential for improving the logistics sector to support sustainable development and economic interdependence among countries. This research provides important insights for policymakers and managers, indicating that effective logistics management can drive substantial improvements in production efficiency and overall economic performance. Full article

The cultivated land requisition–compensation balance (CLRCB) policy is an important policy implemented by China to address the reduction in cultivated land and ensure food security. Although this policy has alleviated the loss of cultivated land quantity, it has had complex and diverse impacts on ecosystem services. Taking Hubei Province as the study area, this research explores the impact of the implementation of the CLRCB on ecosystem services and simulates the changes in ecosystem services in the study area in 2030 and the impact of CLRCB on the interactions among various services. The results show the following: (1) from 2000 to 2020, Hubei Province achieved a balance in the quantity of cultivated land through excessive compensation but failed to reach the goals of balancing cultivated land yield and productivity. (2) During the requisition–compensation process, habitat quality decreased by 501,862, and carbon storage lost 1.3 × 10⁷ t, indicating negative ecological impacts; soil conservation services increased by 184.2 × 10⁶ t, and water production increased by 21.29 × 10⁸ m³. Within the cultivated land requisition–compensation area, habitat quality and carbon storage, as well as soil conservation and water production, exhibited synergistic relationships, while the remaining pairs of ecosystem services showed trade-off relationships. (3) The simulation of ecosystem services in 2030 indicates that soil conservation and water production are highest under the natural development scenario, while habitat quality and carbon storage are highest under the ecological protection scenario, both of which are superior to the urban development scenario. Under the natural development scenario, the trade-off and synergistic relationships among various ecosystem services in the cultivated land requisition–compensation area remain unchanged, while these relationships change significantly under the other two scenarios. This study emphasizes that future CLRCB should not only focus on maintaining the quantity of cultivated land but also consider the comprehensive benefits of ecosystem services, in order to achieve sustainable land-use management and ecological conservation. Full article

Over the past two decades, the industrial sector of China has experienced rapid development, which has correspondingly led to a significant increase in water resource consumption. To better understand the dynamics of industrial water use, and formulate appropriate water resource conservation and management policies, it is necessary to evaluate the evolution of industrial water use efficiency and its influencing factors in China. Given the high sensitivity and accuracy of the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) model for efficiency assessment, the Tobit model is more suitable for regression analyses of truncated data. This study employed the SFA–Tobit panel model to evaluate the industrial water use efficiency of provinces in China from 2003 to 2021. The results indicate that national industrial water use efficiency improved from 0.41 to 0.65 during the study period. All provinces showed significant improvements, with developed provinces exhibiting higher industrial water use efficiency than undeveloped provinces. Regionally, the eastern areas demonstrated superior industrial water use efficiency compared to the western regions, with the central regions having the lowest overall water use efficiency. Moreover, the efficiency gap between regions has been narrowing. The national industrial water-saving potential is estimated at 31.306 billion cubic meters, with Jiangsu province having the highest saving potential at 3.709 billion cubic meters. In comparison, Beijing has the lowest at just 32,000 cubic meters. The Tobit regression results reveal that economic development and technological progress positively contribute to increased industrial water use efficiency. In contrast, water use intensity, openness, and urbanization levels negatively impacted the improvement of industrial water use efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to increase investment in technological innovation, strictly control industrial water intensity, appropriately balance import and export trade with urbanization levels, and promote sustainable economic development. This study can provide effective support for the subsequent green transformation of China’s industry. Full article

Airborne dust easily accumulates on the top of solar panel surfaces and reduces the output power in arid regions. A commonly used mitigation solution for dust deposition issues is cleaning PV panels periodically. However, cleaning frequency affects the economic viability of solar PV systems, resulting in a trade-off between cleaning costs and energy loss costs. To address this issue, this study relates several metrics and develops a generic framework based on simulation and optimization to determine the optimal cleaning interval. Based on the computational tests, the optimal cleaning interval in Abu Dhabi is determined to be 34 days, which is longer than the currently recommended cleaning interval of 28 days. This study also identifies that energy recovery is responsive to decreases in unit cleaning costs in the presence of high electricity tariffs, whereas total cost savings show sensitivity when electricity tariffs are low. Finally, this study discusses energy policy implications by presenting an innovative concept involving the introduction of a cleaning subsidy which could reshape energy system cost dynamics, making PV systems economically competitive beyond the conventional levelized cost of electricity. Full article

The environmental degradation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region leads to significant challenges regarding economic sustainability and the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The extensive use of fossil fuels in the region, as well as rapid urbanization and economic growth, has led to significant carbon emissions, together with unprecedented ecological footprints compromising environmental sustainability. The study aims to elucidate the influence exerted by technological innovation, trade openness, and natural resources on environmental sustainability in Turkey and Egypt for the period 1990–2022. In assessing the empirical relations, the study employed the Fourier function incorporate estimation techniques, that is, Fourier ADF for unit root test, Fourier ARDL, and Fourier NARDL for long-run and short-run elasticities of technological innovation (TI), trade openness (TO,) and natural resources rent (NRR) on load capacity factor (LCF) and inverted LCF (ILCF); finally, the directional causality evaluate through Fourier TY causality test. The results revealed that both Turkey and Egypt have severe environmental problems due to their high carbon emissions and ecological footprints. Technological change and international trade separately negatively affect environmental sustainability; however, these negative impacts have mixed character. On the one hand, technology can improve efficiency and reduce ecological footprints by obviating the use of high-impact processes or allowing cleaner production systems. In the same vein, trade openness helps transfer green technologies more quickly, but it can also lead to unsustainable resource extraction and pollution. The findings of the paper propose that in order to move forward, Turkey and Egypt need strategic policy shifts to ensure environmental sustainability, including transitioning towards renewable energy from fossil fuels while bolstering their capacity for energy efficiency. Policymakers must balance economic development with environmental conservation to reduce the harmful effects of climate degradation and help safeguard continued economic survival in the face of increasing climatic instability. This research helps to inform policy and investment decisions about how the SDGs can be achieved and how they are relevant for sustainable development in the MENA region. Full article

We develop a dynamic, stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model for the euro area that accounts for climate change-related risk considerations. The model features polluting (“brown”) firms and non-polluting (“green”) firms and a climate module with endogenous emissions modeled as a byproduct externality. In the model, exogenous shocks propagate throughout the economy and affect macroeconomic variables through the impact of interest rate spreads. We assess the business cycle and policy implications of transition risk stemming from changes in the carbon tax, and the implications of the micro- and macroprudential tools that account for climate considerations. Our results suggest that a higher carbon tax on brown firms dampens economic activity and volatility, shifting lending from the brown to the green sector and reducing emissions. However, it entails welfare costs. From a policy-making perspective, we find that when the financial regulator integrates climate objectives into its policy toolkit, it can minimize the trade-off between macroeconomic volatility and welfare by fully coordinating its micro- and macroprudential policy tools. Full article

In the context of increasing global efforts to mitigate climate change, effective carbon emission reduction is a pressing issue. Governments and power companies are key stakeholders in implementing low-carbon strategies, but their interactions require careful management to ensure optimal outcomes for both economic development and environmental protection. This paper addresses this real-world challenge by utilizing evolutionary game theory (EGT) to model the strategic interactions between these stakeholders under a low-carbon trading mechanism. Unlike classical game theory, which assumes complete rationality and perfect information, EGT allows for bounded rationality and learning over time, making it particularly suitable for modeling long-term interactions in complex systems like carbon markets. This study builds an evolutionary game model between the government and power companies to explore how different strategies in carbon emission reduction evolve over time. Using payoff matrices and replicator dynamics equations, we determine the evolutionarily stable equilibrium (ESE) points and analyze their stability through dynamic simulations. The findings show that in the absence of a third-party regulator, neither party achieves an ideal ESE. To address this, a third-party regulatory body is introduced into the model, leading to the formulation of a tripartite evolutionary game. The results highlight the importance of regulatory oversight in achieving stable and optimal low-carbon strategies. This paper offers practical policy recommendations based on the simulation outcomes, providing a robust theoretical framework for government intervention in carbon markets and guiding enterprises towards sustainable practices. Full article

This research uses advanced statistical methods to examine climate change mitigation policies’ economic and environmental impacts. The primary objective is to assess the effectiveness of carbon pricing, renewable energy subsidies, emission trading schemes, and regulatory standards in reducing CO₂ emissions, fostering economic growth, and promoting employment. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining regression analysis, cost–benefit analysis (CBA), and computable general equilibrium (CGE) models. Data were collected from national and global databases, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure the robustness of the findings. Key findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in CO₂ emissions by 0.45% for each unit increase in carbon pricing (p < 0.01). Renewable energy subsidies were positively correlated with a 3.5% increase in employment in the green sector (p < 0.05). Emission trading schemes were projected to increase GDP by 1.2% over a decade (p < 0.05). However, chi-square tests indicated that carbon pricing disproportionately affects low-income households (p < 0.05), highlighting the need for compensatory policies. The study concluded that a balanced policy mix, tailored to national contexts, can optimise economic and environmental outcomes while addressing social equity concerns. Error margins in GDP projections remained below ±0.3%, confirming the models’ reliability. Full article

Currently, the proportion of enterprise self-owned power plants (SPPs) is increasing, with a significant share occupied by small coal-fired units, severely affecting the absorption of new energy and causing substantial pollution. To address this issue, developing generation rights trading between SPPs and new energy enterprises is an effective solution. At present, research on generation rights trading is mainly based on early water and thermal generation rights replacement trading. This approach, to some extent, overlooks changes in electricity market policies. Based on this, a new generation rights trading bidding strategy incorporating price differences and time-of-use pricing settlement is proposed. Firstly, the relationship between price difference settlement and generation rights trading is studied and the win–win model of generation rights trading is improved. Secondly, in the time-of-use pricing settlement mode, the single bidding strategy is optimized with the objective of maximizing the total social benefits in the win–win model. Finally, an example analysis compares different bidding strategies under time-of-use pricing settlement. Even in the most extreme cases, the time-of-use bidding strategy can improve social benefits by 5.61% and reduce wind and solar curtailment by 7.25% compared to the single bid strategy. The results show that the optimized time-of-use bidding strategy significantly improves the efficiency of generation rights trading, greatly helping to promote the absorption of new energy and alleviate wind and solar power curtailment. Full article

For a sustainable landscape of local economies, many researchers have emphasized the importance of field-oriented differentiation in government policies. In particular, the Paris Agreement, based on the bottom-up approach, aims to maximize the participation of all economic agents, in contrast to the top-down approach of the Tokyo Protocol. In response to these global paradigm shifts in the local landscape, local governments in Korea have made significant efforts to adapt to sustainable development during the pilot phase of emission trading scheme (ETS), during the period from 2015 to 2020. This study evaluates the performance of these local government policies in the transition to a carbon-zero economy. Using the general non-radial directional distance function (GNDDF), we found that Gyeongsang Province demonstrated enhanced environmental total factor productivity (TFP) during the pilot project, whereas the Seoul metropolitan area lagged behind due to a lack of governance. As the economic center of Korea, Seoul showed poor environmental performance because of the arbitrary elimination of green belt areas and unchecked land development, resulting in environmental degradation, a trend common in many developing countries facing climate adaptation challenges. To address these urbanization issues, this study concludes that a balanced approach combining stricter regulations with market-oriented promotional incentives is essential for optimizing the transition of local economies to a sustainable landscape. Full article

Food security is a cornerstone of national development, and farmland protection and rationale are crucial for its assurance. However, integrating primary, secondary, and tertiary industries (IPSTI) in rural areas places significant pressure on farmland, threatening food security. This paper employs an evolutionary game model to explore how effective IPSTI can be achieved through stakeholder cooperation, ensuring rational farmland use under strict protection policies. The results reveal eight local equilibrium points in the game model, which can achieve asymptotic stability under varying conditions. Additionally, the behavioral parameters of local governments significantly impact their regulatory strategies for the non-agricultural use of farmland. When benefits increase, or penalties are strengthened, local government regulatory initiatives increase, constraining the behaviors of other participants. The village committee’s support strategy is influenced by benefits and costs, requiring a balance between promoting local economic development and minimizing non-agricultural use of farmland by enterprises. Enterprises’ decision-making primarily depends on the trade-off between the benefits and costs of non-agricultural use of farmland. The core findings of this study provide a crucial theoretical basis and decision support for formulating farmland protection policies and promoting industrial integration. Full article

This study examined the connectedness and propagation of risk in the South African equity sectors during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the European Debt Crisis (EDC), the US–China trade war, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily returns of nine Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) super sectors were examined from 3 January 2006 to 31 December 2021. Applying the connectedness matrix and time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model, in full sample and sub-periods, the study showed that dynamic total connectedness of the super sectors is high in absolute form (62%). Furthermore, it was found that the highest volatility connectedness was during the EDC (68.83%) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (68.57%), followed by the GFC (63.16%) and lastly the US–China trade war (42.09%), respectively. This suggests that the tendency for a systemic risk is highest during the EDC, COVID-19, and GFC periods, and lowest during the US–China trade war. The financial sector was the primary net-transmitter of shocks during the COVID-19 period, while the automobile and parts sector was the strongest net-transmitter of shocks during the GFC, EDC, and US–China trade war. Similarly, the strongest net recipient of shocks during GFC, EDC, and COVID-19 is the chemical super sector. The study concludes that there is a significant volatility connectedness among JSE super sectors. In addition, the JSE super sectors exhibit time-varying connectedness during extreme events. Moreover, the net-transmitter and net-receiver of shock do not change significantly during different crisis periods. The policy implications of the findings are highlighted in the concluding section. Full article

This paper addresses the trade-off between ride comfort and road-holding capability of a quarter-car semi-active suspension system, collaborated by an active aerodynamic surface (AAS), using an optimal control policy. The semi-active suspension system is more practical to implement due to its low energy consumption than the active suspension system while significantly improving ride comfort. First, a model of the two-DOF quarter-car semi-active suspension in the presence of an active airfoil with two weighting sets based on ride comfort and road-holding preferences is presented. Then, a comprehensive comparative study of the improved target performance indices with various suspension systems is performed to evaluate the proposed suspension performance. Time-domain and frequency-domain analyses are conducted in MATLAB^® (R2024a). From the time-domain analysis, the total performance measure is enhanced by about 50% and 35 to 45%, respectively, compared to passive and active suspension systems. The results demonstrate that a semi-active suspension system with an active aerodynamic control surface simultaneously improves the conflicting target parameters of passenger comfort and road holding. Utilizing the aerodynamic effect, the proposed system enhances the vehicle’s dynamic stability and passenger comfort compared to other suspension systems. Full article