The relationship between dynamic monitoring network plans and eco-efficiency - New evidence from atmospheric quality monitoring policy in China.

China's rapid economic development in recent decades has come at a considerable environmental cost. This paper explores whether atmospheric quality monitoring policy (AQMP) improves eco-efficiency by using AQMP as a natural experimental group. We assessed the eco-efficiency of 285 cities in China from 2009 to 2019 using the super-efficient SBM model and estimated the impact of AQMP using the propensity score method Difference-in-Difference (PSM-DID) model. The key findings of this paper are as follows: First, AQMP can enhance eco-efficiency, promoting sustainable urban development. Second, governmental and non-governmental organizations play contrasting roles in either fostering or reversing the positive effects of AQMP. Factors like innovation, clean energy adoption, and industrial structure have a positive mediating influence. Finally, the impact of AQMP on eco-efficiency varies across cities, displaying heterogeneity. Specifically, AQMP has a positive effect on eco-efficiency in resource-rich cities, small and medium-sized urban centers, smart cities, and coastal areas. These findings carry significant implications for the establishment of dynamic monitoring networks and the advancement of eco-efficiency in emerging countries, including China.

Unveiling the environmental efficiency puzzle: Insights from global green innovations.

The latest surge of global uncertainty and disruptions in global supply networks put policymakers under pressure to emprise green innovations as a vital tool to address environmental concerns. However, producing green innovations doesn't always help in achieving environment-related sustainable development goals. Therefore, in this study, we endeavour to investigate to what extent green innovations are efficient in improving environmental efficiency. To this end, a network bias-corrected data envelopment analysis and clustering analysis is applied. The data used in this study covers 42 countries from different regions, spanning from 2000 to 2020. The results reveal that most countries have not made major advancements in environmental efficiency signifying the low level of green innovations utilization to achieve environment-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). Additionally, the results demonstrate a U efficiency curve for inputs-oriented green innovations efficiency over time, indicating that the initial stages of green innovations production are associated with a decreased return. However, over time, the efficiency exhibits an upward trend. The benchmarking analysis reveals that South American and European Union nations set the bar for other countries in terms of efficiently leveraging green innovations to achieve SDGs. Our findings also suggest that environmental efficiency is more dependent on green-supporting policies such as green energy production and green taxes. As a result, we conclude that achieving environmental SDGs while utilizing green innovations does not always result in the development of other SDGs. Therefore, policymakers need to prioritize pursuing a green developmental approach and supporting policies to achieve environment-related SDGs and other SDGs.

How military spending, economic growth, and renewable energy impacts ecological footprints in Next Eleven nations.

The objective of this study is to investigate the association between military spending and environmental sustainability within the N-11 countries. There exists a strong correlation between sustainable economic expansion and energy consumption, which in turn results in the generation of elevated levels of carbon emissions. Moreover, it is plausible that a correlation exists between military spending and the degradation of the environment. The primary objective of this study is to examine the emissions of carbon and emissions of greenhouse gases in the N-11 countries, as these nations exhibit comparatively elevated levels of such emissions. Therefore, this study examines the correlation among economic growth, militarization, renewable energy, and environment in the Next Eleven nations from 1990 to 2022. The cross-section autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) model is employed to analyze the enduring and immediate connections between variables. Empirical evidence indicates that a country's environment is positively influenced by GDP and militarization. The escalation of military capital intensity has exacerbated the environmental damage. Increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources can mitigate negative environmental impacts over time. This study proposes policy recommendations for sustainable development, including reducing militarization and improving the use of clean energy.

Can carbon emission trading pilot policy drive industrial structure low-carbon restructuring: new evidence from China.

Industrial structure low-carbon restructuring is an essential channel to accelerate China's economic growth and fulfilling carbon emission reduction goals. Whether carbon emission trading pilot policy, as an influential carbon reduction instrument, fosters industrial structure low-carbon restructuring is of major significance to green economic development. This paper empirically investigates the shock of the carbon emission trading pilot policy on industrial structure low-carbon restructuring using the differences-in-differences (DID) and synthetic control method (SCM). Statistics reveal that sectors with low carbon productivity, such as electricity, steam, and hot water production and supply, ferrous metal smelting and pressing, etc., and sectors with high carbon productivity, such as electrical equipment and machinery, electronics and telecommunication equipment, etc. The industrial structure did not develop a stable trend of change before the 12th Five-Year Plan, but a stable trend of low-carbon restructuring emerged after such a period. Carbon emission trading pilot policy significantly facilitates industrial structural low-carbon restructuring. Carbon emission trading pilot policy inhibits energy-intensive industries in the industrial sector significantly, which promotes industrial structure low-carbon restructuring. Therefore, policymakers need to develop a nationwide carbon emission trading market that includes more industries to guide production factors to industrial sectors with high carbon productivity for industrial restructuring and dual carbon goals.