Although the solid waste sector is one of the major sources of global greenhouse gas emissions, how solid waste governance reforms translate into city-level carbon mitigation remains unclear. Treating China's Zero-Waste City Pilot policy (ZWCP) as a quasi-natural experiment, this study uses panel data for 276 cities from 2010 to 2023 and applies a staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to estimate its impact on total urban carbon emissions. It further explores potential transmission channels through a Material–Energy–Economy (MEE) framework. The results show that the ZWCP significantly reduces carbon emissions by approximately 4.6% (α1= −0.047) on average, with the effect strengthening over time. Consistent with the MEE framework, the ZWCP is associated with increased municipal waste collection and waste-to-energy incineration capacity, reduced coal dependence and energy intensity, and improvements in industrial upgrading and green technological innovation. The mitigation effect is stronger in western, smaller, non-resource-based, and non-old-industrial-base cities, and is amplified by road infrastructure, green finance, and internet development. Overall, the ZWCP can effectively reduce urban carbon emissions when its implementation is tailored to local structural conditions and supported by complementary road, financial, and digital infrastructure.

Land investment plays a critical role in sustainable land use and agricultural development, but little is known about how to effectively promote land investment. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey, this study explores how land transfer interventions stimulate farmers’ land investment. This study finds that land transfer interventions significantly enhance investment in leased land. The main reason for this is that interventions have increased the level of formalization of land transfers, including payment of rental, cash transactions, and defined lease durations. Meanwhile, interventions extended the duration of land leases and enlarged the areas leased. Moreover, interventions during the negotiation and pricing stages, supervisory stages, and governmental involvement exert the most pronounced influence on land investment. Finally, this study also finds that interventions increase household expenditures on fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds except for leased land. The findings above offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to refine land institutions and promote land investments.

Given the role in agricultural production and as a key asset for farmers, land is highly likely to be leased as part of households' adaptive strategies in response to climate anomalies. Using unbalanced panel data from China Family Panel Studies, this study examines the impact and mechanisms of climate anomalies on farmers' household land transfer decisions. We find that abnormally high temperatures during the growing season reduce the likelihood of households engaging in land transfer and land rented in. While an increase in abnormally rainfall raises the probability of both. Changes in expected land values and off-farm employment participation, induced by climate anomalies, are the primary drivers of household land transfers. Abnormally high temperatures prompt households to increase off-farm employment participation, while abnormal rainfall decreases households' expected land values. These findings provide valuable insights for governmental agencies in formulating policies that facilitate land transfers and safeguard farmer welfare in the face of climate change challenges.

China produces half of the world’s vegetables on only 1.7

Climate-induced extreme weather events are increasing in both frequency and intensity globally, yet their impact on the energy transition remains underexplored. Using data from Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019, this study explores how temperature anomalies affect the urban energy transition. We find that temperature anomalies significantly inhibit urban low-carbon energy transitions. This inhibitory effect operates primarily through three channels: suppressing green technological innovation, impeding green finance development, and slowing industrial structures upgrading. Moreover, the adverse effects are stronger in high-tech, manufacturing, and firm-dense cities, but weaker in energy-based cities and those with greater government environmental concern. Finally, we find that short-term extreme temperature shocks also impede the energy transition. Meanwhile, investments in transregional energy infrastructure can effectively mitigate the negative impacts of temperature anomalies. These insights provide valuable guidance for regions aiming to promote sustainable energy transitions and develop effective climate adaptation strategies.

This study examined the effect of the West-to-East Electricity Transmission Project in China on agricultural productivity. The project transmits electricity from the resource-rich west to the consumer-dense east. Using a Difference-in-Differences approach, we found that the project increased county-level agricultural productivity by about USD 509.5 per person. This increase results from advances in agricultural technological progress and the development of the agricultural industry. Farmer adaptation to improved electricity supply also contributed, such as expanded irrigation, greater land allocation to water-intensive crops, higher replanting indices, and larger-scale operations. The project has also raised grain yields and farmers' disposable incomes, while reducing the agricultural labor force. Only electricity transmission, not natural gas or oil, had a positive and significant effect on agricultural productivity. These results support compelling evidence for investing in large-scale transregional electricity transmission infrastructure worldwide.

Energy poverty threatens the health and survival of hundreds of millions of people, particularly in developing countries. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies and focusing on Ultra-High Voltage, this study employs a difference-in-differences methodology to explore the potential of long-distance energy infrastructure to reduce household energy poverty. The results indicate that Ultra-High Voltage significantly reduces the probability of households falling into energy poverty. Its does so by improving household electricity accessibility and stability of supply, promoting household energy transition to electricity, and increasing household income. These effects are especially pronounced in rural areas, among higher-income households, and in regions characterized by unstable grids and high transfer capacity. Moreover, Ultra-High Voltage mitigates energy poverty arising from both heating and cooling demands. Finally, Ultra-High Voltage enhances the poverty-reduction impact of other transregional energy projects and contributes to national energy security. These findings offer guidance for policymakers seeking to deploy Ultra-High Voltage technology in support of sustainable development.

The growing diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly viewed as a potential pathway for strengthening urban resilience (UR). Exploiting China's New-Generation AI Innovation and Development Pilot Zone policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study identifies the causal impact of AI on UR. Using a differencein-differences (DID) model on a panel of 283 cities from 2010 to 2023, the analysis finds that the policy significantly enhances UR. Specifically, the policy increases the composite urban resilience index by 0.038. The positive effect is observed across all resilience sub-dimensions. The largest improvement occurs in infrastructure resilience, which increases by 0.048, followed by ecological resilience with an increase of 0.044, social resilience with an increase of 0.036, and economic resilience with an increase of 0.030. Mechanism analyses reveal that AI strengthens resilience through three channels: fostering technological innovation, stimulating entrepreneurial vitality, and facilitating industrial upgrading. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that the effects are amplified in cities with established digital infrastructure. These findings suggest that AI is not only a driver of growth but also a viable solution for balancing development and stability amidst increasing external uncertainties.

Transregional energy infrastructure is widely employed globally as a critical mechanism for addressing imbalanced energy distribution. However, its specific role in facilitating the low-carbon energy transition (LCET) remains underexplored. Using city-level panel data from 2003 to 2019 and the rollout of China's Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) electricity transmission projects, this study examines the effect of transregional energy infrastructure on urban LCET. Our findings demonstrate that UHV implementation significantly promotes city-level LCET. It achieves the LCET directly by increasing the share of renewable energy and reducing the share of fossil energy. Furthermore, it can also accelerate the city LCET process by promoting industrial structure advancement, industrial agglomeration as well as green technological innovation. The impact of UHV is more pronounced in cities characterized by advanced technology, developed service economies, high firm agglomeration, and strong governmental environmental concerns. Conversely, its effects are attenuated in cities that are energy-dependent and less developed. Additionally, we find that the impact of UHV on LCET exhibits a marked spatial spillover effect. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers formulating strategies to advance LCET and for planning energy infrastructure.

Enhancing energy efficiency is a crucial factor in balancing resource utilization and fostering urban green development. The rise of digital economy serves as a key catalyst for enhancing energy performance. Nevertheless, limited research has integrated the digital economy within a comprehensive framework to examine the effect of advancements in green technology on energy efficiency. We calculate the overall energy efficiency factor of 278 urban areas in China, clarifying how green technology advancements influence energy performance while also exploring potential mechanisms. Empirical highlight the crucial role of technological advancements in boosting energy utilization efficiency. Additionally, green utility patents contribute more to energy efficiency than green invention patents. Digital economy and industrial structure can significantly mediate the relationship between the two. Notably, the advantages of the digital economy are observed primarily in non-resource-based cities. Leveraging the digital economy's strengths in coordinating green technology innovation with energy efficiency could facilitate progress toward improved energy efficiency and carbon neutrality. This research offers new perspectives on advancing energy efficiency and achieving carbon neutrality within the framework of digital economic development.

Appliances’ energy efficiency labels have been widely adopted globally to curb household electricity consumption, yet their effectiveness in developing countries remains understudied. Utilizing household data from the Chinese General Social Survey, this study examines the impact and mechanisms of appliance energy efficiency labels on household electricity consumption by employing multiple linear regression analysis. The findings reveal that the effectiveness of energy efficiency labels in China falls short of expectations. Notably, labeled Air Conditioners (AC), washing machines, and Televisions (TV) significantly increase household electricity consumption, whereas refrigerators reduce it. The reason primarily arises from behavioral changes induced by energy efficiency labels: households extend AC usage time for cooling, increase washing machine operation frequency, extend TV viewing hours, and modify TV standby settings. This study finds no evidence that labeled computers and water heaters increase household electricity consumption. These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers, particularly in developing countries or regions, to establish complementing policies that synergize with energy efficiency labels to reduce household electricity consumption without jeopardizing resident welfare.

As an avant-garde financial model, digital finance stands as a key contributor to the advancement of clean energy. This paper employs econometric methods to scrutinize the influence of digital finance on China's clean energy transition spanning the years 2011-2020. The findings underscore that digital finance plays a pivotal role in fostering the clean energy transition. Moreover, the industrial structure, transportation infrastructure, and R&D intensity positively moderate this relationship. Additionally, the impact of digital finance on clean energy transition exhibits nonlinearity, while fixed asset investment demonstrates a single threshold effect on clean energy transition. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis unveils significant variation in the impact of digital finance on clean energy transition, with a more pronounced promotion effect observed in low-urbanization areas. This study provides robust evidence supporting the promotion of China's clean energy transition.

Given the important challenge of achieving full decarbonization in the transportation sector, it is critical to explore the potential of public policy in reducing its carbon emissions. Using city-level data for China from 2006 to 2016, this study assesses the impact of new energy vehicle subsidy policies (NEVSP) on urban carbon emissions by applying a difference-in-differences approach. The study finds that the implementation of NEVSP resulted in at least a 4.9 % reduction in the city's carbon emissions. Also, this effect shows significant heterogeneity depending on regional endowments. The emission-reducing effects of the subsidy are more pronounced in cities characterized by advanced innovation in NEVs technology, high energy consumption, and higher levels of education. These findings provide strong empirical evidence of the positive environmental impact of NEVSP. Additionally, the above results provide important insights for relevant authorities to adjust the intensity and scope of NEVSP based on local conditions, particularly energy consumption, R&D levels, and public awareness, to effectively reduce urban carbon emissions.

As the intensive application of fertilizers and pesticides (FAP) seriously affects human health and the ecological environment, how to reduce them becomes the key to sustainable agricultural development. Using Chinese croplevel data from 1991 to 2022, this study examines how mandatory agri-environmental regulation reduces FAP application by using "Two Zero" policy (TZP) as an example. The key findings are as follows: First, the implementation of TZP reduced FAP application by 37.2 % and 23.6 %. Second, there are differences in the mechanisms by which TZP achieves FAP reductions. Improvement in technical efficiency is the main means of pesticide reduction. While fertilizer reduction depends on both technical efficiency improvements and the reduction of the proportion of cash crops. Third, there was significant crop, regional, and crop distribution heterogeneity in the effects of TZP. The FAP reduction effect of TZP is more pronounced in cash crops than in grain crops. Pesticide reduction is more significant in the Yangtze River region and South China, but less so in Southwest China. The fertilizer reduction effect is more evident in the Huang-Huai-Hai region, South China, and Southwest China, but is diminished in Northeast China. Additionally, the pesticide reduction effect is particularly pronounced in major grain-producing regions. Finally, TZP has also reduced the intensity of FAP application. The findings offer important insights for China to further reduce FAP application. They also offer guidance for developing similar agri-environmental regulations in other countries.

This research utilizes a bootstrap rolling-window (BRW) causality test to explore the causal interrelationship between nuclear energy consumption (NUC) and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) in 6 developed countries from 1980 to 2020. When there are structural shifts in the full-sample time series, empirical research exploring causality between two-time series generates erroneous conclusions. On the other hand, the BRW method allows researchers to find potential time-varying causality between time series using sub-sample data. The outcomes of the BRW causality test disclosed the following results: (i) a unidirectional negative causality from NUC to CO2 without feedback was found for Japan; (ii) a negative causality at sup-sample periods from NUC to CO2 surfaced at the sub-sample period while a positive causality surfaced from NUC to CO2 in sub-sample period for the United States of America (USA) and France; (iii) a negative feedback causality between NUC and CO2 was found For Canada; (iv) a positive unidirectional causality surfaced from NUC to CO2 was found for Germany, which implies that consumption of NUC worsens the environment in the sub-sampled period. The results may have policy consequences for the selected developed countries regarding NUC and CO2 nexus.

The duration of land transfers plays a pivotal role in attaining agricultural sustainability and enhancing farmer’s welfare. Using household tracking survey data from China, this study investigates how climate anomalies affect the duration of land transfers. We find that abnormally high temperatures during the growing season shorten the duration of land rented in, while abnormally high precipitation during the growing season extends the duration of land rented out. Land rent is the main channel through which climate anomalies affect the duration of land transfers. Abnormally high precipitation reduces the unit rent of land rented out, while abnormally high temperatures increase the unit rent of land rented in. Additionally, household heads with a risk-lover attitude weakened the positive effect of abnormal high precipitation on the duration of land rented out, while larger areas of land rented out strengthened such effect. The negative effect of abnormally high temperatures on the duration of land rented in is more pronounced in hot regions. These findings offer valuable references for relevant government agencies to formulate policies to extend the duration of land transfers and safeguard farmer welfare amidst the challenges of climate change.

Facing the challenge of global climate change, exploring its impact on the progress of urban green technologies is of great significance for human beings. This article explores the impact of climate change on green technology progress based on panel data from 273 cities in China from 2006 to 2020. The results show that climate change has a negative effect on urban green technology progress. Rising temperatures have a negative impact on green technology progress, while temperature drops below-6 degrees C can also have a negative impact on green technology progress, but this effect is not statistically significant; mechanism analysis shows that climate change inhibits green technology progress by reducing financial development, energy utilization efficiency and the degree of government intervention. The negative impact of high temperature on the progress of green technology only exists in cities with high population density and cities with high levels of transportation infrastructure. This may be due to the complex infrastructure of the city, and high population density make the heat island effect more severe, further amplifying the adverse effects of climate change. This article provides an empirical reference for Chinese cities to respond to climate change and promote the continued progress of green technologies.

Climate change related environmental problems are pushing a constantly growing number of countries to set carbon neutrality goals. Increasing reliance on ecologically friendly technologies is widely considered to be a crucial means of achieving this objective. Many existing studies measure environmental performance using carbon dioxide emissions, or carbon sources, but do not consider the amount of carbon offset through sequestration in carbon sinks. We define carbon neutrality performance as the difference between the carbon sinks and carbon sources and quantify its relationship with green technological innovation, approximated using the notion of environmental productivity. We rely on the Chinese province-level data from 2001 to 2019 and demonstrate that green innovation can significantly facilitate the attainment of carbon neutrality objectives. Our mediation model suggests that low-carbon innovation can help reach carbon neutrality by decreasing net emissions directly, but also by inhibiting the urbanization rate and promoting renewable energy generation. Our analysis helps shed light on the possible strategies that policymakers in China and other developing countries can follow to realize their carbon neutrality aspirations.