Intelligence level evaluation and influencing factors analysis of equipment manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta.

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) bears the vital task of driving the growth of China's equipment manufacturing industry (EMI) intelligence as an advanced region. Fostering the transformation and upgrading of the EMI in the YRD and constructing a modern production mode is vital to developing and reforming China's manufacturing industry. This paper uses industrial robot data to assess the level of intelligence (LoI) in the EMI from 2016 to 2019. The OLS (ordinary least squares) model is used for the measurements, and the MQ (the modified contribution index) is used to estimate the degree of contribution from a host of variables. It is identified that the LoI is on the rise. However, excluding railways, aerospace, shipbuilding, and other transportation equipment manufacturing, the LoI is significantly higher than in other subsectors. It is also identified that technological innovation ability, human capital density, and enterprise cost pressure govern the industry's LoI. Moreover, while there is a difference in the main influencing factors in LoI within different industries, R&D investment, technological innovation ability, and enterprise cost pressure have the most significant impact across most equipment manufacturing sub-industries.

Households' food waste behavior prediction from a moral perspective: a case of China.

The increasing rate of food waste is becoming a threat to realizing Sustainable Development goal 2 by 2030. A significant portion of food is wasted along the entire food supply chain, resulting in adverse economic, ecological and social consequences. Inferring from the norm activation model (NAM), the study investigates the influence of benefits awareness, lack of concern and personal norm on households' food waste reduction intention. Gathering research data via an online survey in Jiangsu province in China, a total sample of 408 responses were analyzed using structural equation model. It was found that the extended NAM model developed is more appropriate for assessing food waste reduction intention with a significant improved explanatory potential from 32.0 to 52.0%. Households' awareness of consequences was established to have a positive effect on ascription of responsibility, and they both impact personal norm positively. Personal norm influences food waste reduction intention positively. Again, the awareness of the benefits for reducing food waste affects households' intention to reduce food waste positively. Lack of concern for food waste negatively affects their personal norm and food waste reduction intentions. These findings furnish valuable insights for future campaigns to educate people and influence their moral norms toward the importance and involvement in achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to food waste.

Curbing vehicular urban pollution in China: Investigating the usage intentionof public electric buses.

Public electric bus (PEB) usage remains critical in reducing carbon emissions, traffic congestion, energy consumption, resource exhaustion, and environmental pollution. PEB usage revolves around consumer acceptance, and assessing the psychological factors accounting for using PEBs is essential in mitigating these challenges for a sustainable environment. The study extends the reasoned action theory (TRA) with environmental awareness, convenience, and personal norms in investigating residents' intention to use electric buses in Nanjing, China. 405 responses were gathered through an online survey and evaluated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Statistical analysis showed that the structural model (66.4%) explained public electric bus use better than the original TRA model (20.7%). Attitude, subjective norms, personal norms, environmental awareness, and convenience directly influenced the intention to use PEBs. Personal norms related to attitude positively. Environmental awareness related to personal norms in PEB use. Subjective norms partially mediated the impact of personal norms on the intention to use PEBs. Convenience moderated the interaction between personal norms and intention to use PEBs. Respondents differed in income level, educational level, and employment but not gender in their inclinations to use PEBs. The current study recommends potent policy implications to enhance and ensure the maximum use of PEBs.

Sustainable development of West African economies to achieve environmental quality.

The deterioration of environmental quality spurred on by rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is the main threat to reducing carbon footprint. Africa has recently been identified as having experienced excessive temperatures above pre-industrial standards. Despite its lower GHG emissions, Africa continues to be among the most impacted areas of the world by global warming. However, this research scrutinizes the effect of human capital and trade openness on the ecological footprint (ECF) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using data from West Africa from 1995 to 2016. The research used dynamic ordinary least squares, fully modified ordinary least squares, and paired Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality tests for its assessment. The study's findings are as follows: (1) The study found that human capital and trade openness decrease the ecological footprint in West Africa; (2) globalization reduces CO2 emissions while also increasing the ecological footprint; (3) the analysis reveals that natural resources and the population improve environmental quality in West Africa, while biocapacity reduces the ecological footprint and improves CO2 emissions in the region; and (4) the study revealed the bidirectional causality between biocapacity, the population, and ECF. The study also revealed the bidirectional causality between biocapacity, population, human capital, natural resources, and CO2 emissions, while ecological footprint is unidirectionally causally related to globalization, human capital, and trade capital. Unidirectional causality runs from the ecological footprint, globalization, and trade openness to CO2 emissions. To ensure their countries have a long-term future, policymakers in West Africa should take action to limit overexploitation of natural resources and encourage people to live more sustainably. The study suggested that West African countries adopt "green growth" policies and improve technology to help their economies and the environment.

Financial sector development and natural resource rents: the role of institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Institutions are important in analyzing the relationship between natural resource rents and financial sector development. The existing research has not unanimously established the role played by the quality of institutions on the impact of natural resource rents on financial sector development. The financial-resource nexus literature has largely ignored the role of institutions and the sensitivity of the relationship to the choice of proxies for financial sector development. This study provides new empirical evidence on the interactive role of institutions in the relationship between natural resource rents and financial sector development for 25 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1996 to 2017. To that end, we employ a dynamic system GMM estimator with endogeneity-purging efficiency. Our results show that a huge improvement in legal and political institutions is required to boost the impact of natural resource rents on Sub-Saharan Africa's financial sector development. Our results are robust to the use of alternative measures of institutions. We also found that the impact of natural resource rents on financial sector development is unclear as this depends on how financial sector development is measured. Implications of the findings for academics, policymakers and regulators are provided.

Renewable energy demand, financial reforms, and environmental quality in West Africa.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-7) stipulates the need for clean energy, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, prevention of environmental degradation, promotion of biodiversity, and ecosystem preservation. Toward achieving these goals, this study provides new evidence on the causal link between renewable energy demand, financial reforms, economic growth, foreign direct investment, and environmental quality among emerging West African economies. The study adopted the fully modified ordinary least squares, dynamic ordinary least squares, pooled mean group estimation, and Granger causality test for its analysis. It was found that renewable energy demand has been favorable to the environmental health of West African economies. Also, financial reforms made within the region contributed to increasing the ecological footprints of the region. Direct investments from foreigners showed encouraging results as they improved the quality of the environment. We also found a unidirectional causality from ecological footprints to renewable energy demand and financial reforms but a bidirectional relationship with economic growth and foreign direct investment. Moreover, it was evident that ecological footprints Granger cause financial reforms and economic growth but not vice versa. Policy recommendations outlined encourage governments and policymakers to embark on intensive clean energy technologies and effective green financial reforms to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals.